The fun and easy way to get started in this popular fantasy role-playing game Market research indicates that 4 million American males, ages 8 to 45, play Dungeons & Dragons, while 7.6 million who haven't played say they want to learn how. The popularity of recent sci-fi and fantasy movies has also boosted interest. D&D is complex to learn, and this friendly guide helps the curious locate a game, understand the rules, choose or create a character, follow proper game etiquette, and even move up in the hierarchy to become a Dungeon Master. The four-page foldout cheat sheet will include markers and a model dungeon layout that serves as an actual game board, allowing readers to play using this book and nothing else. Front Cover......Page 1 About the Authors......Page 5 Contents......Page 11 Foreword......Page 21 About This Book......Page 23 How to Use This Book......Page 24 D&D Terminology......Page 25 How This Book Is Organized......Page 26 Where Do I Go From Here?......Page 28 I: D&D Crash Course......Page 29 What Is D&D?......Page 31 The Origin of D&D......Page 32 Objectives of the D&D Game......Page 33 Looking at the Components of the Game......Page 34 One Game Rule to Rule Them All......Page 39 Expressions of D&D......Page 40 Joining a D&D Game......Page 41 Defining Your Character......Page 43 Playing Your Character......Page 49 Choosing Your Character......Page 50 3: Starting Out as a Fighter......Page 53 How to Play a Fighter......Page 54 Selecting a Fighter......Page 55 Regdar, Human Fighter......Page 56 Brenna, Human Fighter......Page 58 Tordek, Dwarf Fighter......Page 60 Quarion, Elf Fighter......Page 62 4: Starting Out as a Rogue......Page 65 How to Play a Rogue......Page 66 Selecting a Rogue......Page 67 Kerwyn, Human Rogue......Page 68 Shadow, Human Rogue......Page 70 Lidda, Halfling Rogue......Page 72 5: Starting Out as a Sorcerer......Page 75 How to Play a Sorcerer......Page 76 Selecting a Sorcerer......Page 77 Wellyn, Human Sorcerer......Page 78 Eronni, Human Sorcerer......Page 80 Valanthe, Elf Sorcerer......Page 82 6: Starting Out as a Cleric......Page 85 How to Play a Cleric......Page 86 Selecting a Cleric......Page 87 Jerek, Human Cleric......Page 88 Tiann, Human Cleric......Page 90 Eberk, Dwarf Cleric......Page 92 Understanding the D&D Game......Page 95 Rolling Dice......Page 96 Combat Basics......Page 97 What Else Can You Do During Combat?......Page 101 Special Combat Rules......Page 103 Exploring the Dungeon......Page 104 The Battle Grid and Markers......Page 107 Practice: A Sparring Match......Page 110 Player Characters versus Monsters......Page 112 Adding Story Elements......Page 115 A Typical Game Session......Page 117 Finding Someone to Play With......Page 118 Starting Off with a High-Level Character......Page 121 Regdar, 4th-Level Human Fighter......Page 122 Regdar, 8th-Level Human Fighter......Page 124 Part II: Building a D&D Character......Page 127 10: Defining Your Character......Page 129 Filling Out the Character Sheet......Page 131 Making Informed Choices......Page 140 11: Choosing a Class......Page 141 Class and Level Benefits......Page 142 Class Descriptions......Page 146 12: Figuring Out Your Character's Ability Scores......Page 157 How the Ability Scores Work......Page 158 Generating Ability Scores......Page 161 Assigning Ability Scores by Class......Page 163 13: Picking a Race......Page 165 Humans......Page 166 Dwarves......Page 167 Elves......Page 168 Halflings......Page 170 More Races to Choose From......Page 171 What's a Feat?......Page 173 The Basics of Acquiring Feats......Page 174 Making Your Choices Simpler with Feat Ladders......Page 178 All About Skills......Page 191 Quick Picks: Using Skill Packages......Page 198 16: Choosing Armor, Weapons, and Gear......Page 205 Choosing the Right Weapon......Page 207 Choosing Armor......Page 211 Everything Else Your Character Is Carrying......Page 213 Improving Weapons and Armor......Page 215 Casting Spells as a Sorcerer......Page 217 Casting Spells as a Cleric......Page 224 Gaining Experience Points......Page 233 Advancing a Level......Page 235 Prestige Classes......Page 238 Part III: Playing Your Best Game......Page 239 Choosing the Right Weapon for the Job......Page 241 Putting It All Together: Developing Your Combat Strategy......Page 244 Using Advanced Tactics......Page 247 Maximizing Your Character's Attacks......Page 252 Adapting Your Tactics to Your Foes......Page 255 Selecting Spells for the Adventure......Page 259 Casting Effectively in Combat......Page 262 Powering Up with Magic Items......Page 263 Roleplaying With Style......Page 285 Working Together......Page 290 Minding Your Table Manners......Page 295 Min-Maxing Your Character......Page 301 Multiclassing: Maxing Out Your Choices......Page 305 Choosing a Prestige Class......Page 309 Part IV: The Art of Dungeon Mastering......Page 313 23: Running the Game......Page 315 DMing: The Best Job in the Game......Page 316 Choosing an Adventure to Run......Page 319 Task-Oriented DMing......Page 320 Getting the Most Out of Your Monsters......Page 328 Creating a D&D Adventure......Page 335 Sample Dungeon: Hall of the Spider God......Page 340 Figuring Out Your Players......Page 353 Narrating the Adventure......Page 356 Running a Fun Game......Page 358 Part V: The Part of Tens......Page 363 26: 10 Best Sorcerer Spells......Page 365 27: 10 Best Cleric Spells......Page 369 28: 10 Best Low-Level Monsters......Page 375 29: 10 Best Mid-Level Monsters......Page 381 30: 10 Best Dungeon Master Resources......Page 385 31: 10 Best Player Resources......Page 391 32: 10 Best D&D Novels......Page 395 Glossary......Page 399 A......Page 413 B......Page 414 C......Page 415 D......Page 417 E......Page 419 F......Page 420 G......Page 421 H-K......Page 422 L-M......Page 423 N-P......Page 425 Q-R......Page 426 S......Page 428 T......Page 430 U-X......Page 431 Y-Z......Page 432
Whether you’ve been a Dungeon Master (DM) before and want to fine-tune your skills or want to get ready and take the plunge, this is the book for you. It gives you the basics on running a great game, info for more advanced dungeon mastering, guidelines for creating adventures, and tips for building a campaign. It shows you how to:
• Handle all the expressions of DMing: moderator, narrator, a cast of thousands (the nonplayer characters or NPCs), player, social director, and creator
• Use published adventures and existing campaign worlds or create adventures and campaign worlds of your own
• Conjure up exciting combat encounters
• Handle the three types of encounters: challenge, roleplaying, and combat
• Create your own adventure: The Dungeon Adventure, The Wilderness Adventure. The Event-Based adventure (including how to use flowcharts and timelines), The Randomly Generated Adventure, and the High-Level adventure
• Create memorable master villains, with nine archetypes ranging from agent provocateur to zealot
To get you off to a fast start, Dungeon Master For Dummies includes:
• A sample dungeon for practice
• Ten ready-to-use encounters and ten challenging traps
• A list of simple adventure premises
• Mapping tips, including common scales, symbols, and conventions, complete with tables
Authors Bill Slavicsek and Richard Baker wrote the hugely popular Dungeons and Dragons For Dummies. Bill has been a game designer since 1986 and leads the D&D creative team at Wizards ofthe Coast. Richard is a game developer and the author of the fantasy bestseller Condemnation. They give you the scoop on:
• Using a DM binder to keep records such as an adventure log, PCs’ character sheets, NPC logs/character sheets, treasure logs, and more
• Knowing player styles (role players and power games) and common subgroups: hack’n’slasher, wargamer, thinker, impulsive adventurer, explorer, character actor, and watcher
• Recognizing your style: action movie director, storyteller, worldbuilder, puzzlemaker, or connector
• Using miniatures, maps, and other game aids
• Using 21st century technology, such as a Web site or blog, to enhance your game
The book includes a sample adventure, The Necromancer’s Apprentice, that’s the perfect way to foray into DMing. It includes everything you need for a great adventure—except your players. What are you waiting for? There are chambers to be explored, dragons to be slain, maidens to be rescued, gangs of gnoll warriors to be annihilated, worgs to be wiped out, treasures to be discovered, worlds to be conquered....
Whether you've been a Dungeon Master (DM) before and want to fine-tune your skills or want to get ready and take the plunge, this is the book for you. It gives you the basics on running a great game, info for more advanced dungeon mastering, guidelines for creating adventures, and tips for building a campaign. It shows you how to: Handle all the expressions of DMing: moderator, narrator, a cast of thousands (the nonplayer characters or NPCs), player, social director, and creator Use published adventures and existing campaign worlds or create adventures and campaign worlds of your own Conjure up exciting combat encounters Handle the three types of encounters: challenge, roleplaying, and combat Create your own adventure: The Dungeon Adventure, The Wilderness Adventure. The Event-Based adventure (including how to use flowcharts and timelines), The Randomly Generated Adventure, and the High-Level adventure Create memorable master villains, with nine archetypes ranging from agent provocateur to zealot To get you off to a fast start, Dungeon Master For Dummies includes: A sample dungeon for practice Ten ready-to-use encounters and ten challenging traps A list of simple adventure premises Mapping tips, including common scales, symbols, and conventions, complete with tables Authors Bill Slavicsek and Richard Baker wrote the hugely popular Dungeons and Dragons For Dummies. Bill has been a game designer since 1986 and leads the D&D creative team at Wizards of the Coast. Richard is a game developer and the author of the fantasy bestseller Condemnation. They give you the scoop on: Using a DM binder to keep records such as an adventure log, PCs' character sheets, NPC logs/character sheets, treasure logs, and more Knowing player styles (role players and power games) and common subgroups: hack'n'slasher, wargamer, thinker, impulsive adventurer, explorer, character actor, and watcher Recognizing your style: action movie director, storyteller, worldbuilder, puzzlemaker, or connector Using miniatures, maps, and other game aids Using 21st century technology, such as a Web site or blog, to enhance your game The book includes a sample adventure, The Necromancer's Apprentice, that's the perfect way to foray into DMing. It includes everything you need for a great adventure--except your players. What are you waiting for? There are chambers to be explored, dragons to be slain, maidens to be rescued, gangs of gnoll warriors to be annihilated, worgs to be wiped out, treasures to be discovered, worlds to be conquered.... Offers you the basics on running a great game, info for advanced dungeon mastering, guidelines for creating adventures, and tips for building a campaign. This book shows you how to handle various expressions of DMing - moderator, narrator, a cast of thousands (the nonplayer characters or NPCs), player, social director, and creator.
