3253) DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS: A set of Stamps issued by the Royal Mail UK
Dungeons & Dragons
(commonly abbreviated as D&D or DnD) is a fantasy
tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax
and Dave Arneson.
The game was first published
in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TSR).
It has been published by
Wizards of the Coast, later a subsidiary of Hasbro, since 1997. The game was
derived from miniature wargames, with a variation of the 1971 game Chainmail
serving as the initial rule system.
D&D's publication is
commonly recognized as the beginning of modern role-playing games and the
role-playing game industry, and also deeply influenced video games, especially
the role-playing video game genre.
D&D departs from
traditional wargaming by allowing each player to create their own character to
play instead of a military formation. These characters embark upon adventures
within a fantasy setting.
A Dungeon Master (DM)
serves as referee and storyteller for the game, while maintaining the setting
in which the adventures occur, and playing the role of the inhabitants of the
game world, known as non-player characters (NPCs).
The characters form a
party and they interact with the setting's inhabitants and each other.
Together they solve problems, engage in battles, explore, and gather treasure
and knowledge.
In the process, player
characters earn experience points (XP) to level up, and become
increasingly powerful over a series of separate gaming sessions. Players choose
a class when they create their character, which gives them special perks and
abilities every few levels.
The early success of D&D
led to a proliferation of similar game systems. Despite the competition,
D&D has remained the market leader in the role-playing game industry.
In 1977, the game was
split into two branches: the relatively rules-light game system
of basic Dungeons & Dragons, and the more structured,
rules-heavy game system of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
(abbreviated as AD&D).
AD&D 2nd Edition was
published in 1989. In 2000, a new system was released as D&D 3rd edition,
continuing the edition numbering from AD&D; a revised version 3.5 was
released in June 2003. These 3rd edition rules formed the basis of the d20 System,
which is available under the Open Game License (OGL) for use by other
publishers. D&D 4th edition was released in June 2008.
The 5th edition of
D&D, the most recent, was released during the second half of 2014.
In 2004, D&D
remained the best-known, and best-selling, role-playing game in the US, with an
estimated 20 million people having played the game and more than US$1 billion
in book and equipment sales worldwide.
The year 2017 had "the most number of
players in its history—12 million to 15 million in North America alone".
D&D 5th edition sales "were up 41
percent in 2017 from the year before, and soared another 52 percent in 2018,
the game's biggest sales year yet".
The game has been
supplemented by many premade adventures, as well as commercial campaign
settings suitable for use by regular gaming groups. D&D is known beyond the
game itself for other D&D-branded products, references in popular culture,
and some of the controversies that have surrounded it, particularly a moral
panic in the 1980s, which attempted to associate it with Satanism and suicide.
The game has won multiple
awards and has been translated into many languages.
Dungeons & Dragons is a
structured yet open-ended role-playing game. It is normally played indoors with
the participants seated around a tabletop.
Typically, one player takes
on the role of Dungeon Master (DM) while the others each
control a single character, representing an individual in a fictional
setting.
When working together as a
group, the player characters (PCs) are often described as a "party"
of adventurers, with each member often having their own area of specialty that
contributes to the success of the group as a whole. During the course of play,
each player directs the actions of their character and their interactions with
other characters in the game.
This activity is performed
through the verbal impersonation of the characters by the players, while
employing a variety of social and other useful cognitive skills, such as logic,
basic mathematics and imagination.[27] A game often continues over a series of
meetings to complete a single adventure, and longer into a series of related
gaming adventures, called a "campaign".
The results of the party's
choices and the overall storyline for the game are determined by the DM
according to the rules of the game and the DM's interpretation of those rules.
The DM selects and describes the various
non-player characters (NPCs) that the party encounters, the settings in which
these interactions occur, and the outcomes of those encounters based on the
players' choices and actions.
Encounters often take the
form of battles with "monsters" – a generic term used in D&D to
describe potentially hostile beings such as animals, aberrant beings, or
mythical creatures.
In addition to jewels and gold coins,
magic items form part of the treasure that the players often seek in a dungeon.
Magic items are generally
found in treasure hoards, or recovered from fallen opponents;
sometimes, a powerful or important magic item is the object of a quest.
The game's extensive rules –
which cover diverse subjects such as social interactions, magic use, combat,
and the effect of the environment on PCs – help the DM to make these decisions.
The DM may choose to deviate from the published rules or make up new ones if
they feel it is necessary.
The most recent versions of
the game's rules are detailed in three Fifth Edition core rulebooks: The
Player's Handbook, the Dungeon Master's Guide and the Monster Manual.
The only items required to
play the game are the rulebooks, a character sheet for each player, and a
number of polyhedral dice.
Many players also use
miniature figures on a grid map as a visual aid if desired, particularly during
combat. Some editions of the game presume such usage. Many optional accessories
are available to enhance the game, such as expansion rulebooks, pre-designed
adventures, and various campaign settings.
Game mechanics:
D&D uses polyhedral dice
to resolve in-game events. These are abbreviated by a 'd' followed by the
number of sides. Shown from left to right are a d20, d12, d%, d10, d8, d6, and
a d4. A d% and d10 can be rolled together to produce a number between 1 and
100.
Before the game begins, each player creates their player character and records the details (described below) on a character sheet. First, a player determines their character's ability scores, which consist of Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.
Each edition of the game has offered differing methods of
determining these scores. The player then chooses a race (species), a character
class (such as a fighter, rogue, or wizard), an alignment (a moral and ethical
outlook), and other features to round out the character's abilities and
backstory, which have varied in nature through differing editions.
During the game, players
describe their PCs' intended actions to the DM, who then describes the result
or response.
Trivial actions, such as picking up a letter
or opening an unlocked door, are usually automatically successful. The outcomes
of more complex or risky actions, such as scaling a cliff or picking a lock,
are determined by rolling dice.
Different polyhedral dice are used for different actions:
For example, a twenty-sided die is used to determine whether
a hit is made in combat, with other dice such as four, six, eight, ten, or even
twelve-sided die used to determine how much damage was dealt.
Factors contributing to the
outcome include the character's ability scores, skills, and the difficulty of
the task. In circumstances where a character is attempting to avoid a negative
outcome, such as when dodging a trap or resisting the effect of a spell, a
saving throw can be used to determine whether the resulting effect is reduced
or avoided. In this case the odds of success are influenced by the character's
class, levels and ability scores.
In circumstances where a character is
attempting to complete a task such as picking a lock, deactivating a trap, or
pushing a boulder, a Difficulty Class must be hit or exceeded. Relevant ability
bonuses are added to help players succeed.
As the game is played, each
PC changes over time and generally increases in capability. Characters gain (or
sometimes lose) experience, skills and wealth, and may even alter their
alignment or gain additional character classes. The key way characters progress
is by earning experience points (XP), which happens when they defeat an enemy
or accomplish a difficult task.
Acquiring enough XP allows a PC to advance a
level, which grants the character improved class features, abilities and
skills. XP can be lost in some circumstances, such as encounters with creatures
that drain life energy, or by use of certain magical powers that come with an
XP cost.
Hit points (HP) are a
measure of a character's vitality and health and are determined by the class,
level and Constitution of each character. They can be temporarily lost when a
character sustains wounds in combat or otherwise comes to harm, and loss of HP
is the most common way for a character to die in the game.
Death can also result from the loss of key ability scores or character levels. When a PC dies, it is often possible for the dead character to be resurrected through magic, although some penalties may be imposed as a result.
If resurrection is not possible or not desired, the
player may instead create a new PC to resume playing the game.
Adventures and campaigns:
A Dungeon Master's notebook
with a custom design adventure
A typical Dungeons &
Dragons game consists of an "adventure", which is roughly equivalent
to a single story or quest. The DM can either design an original adventure or
follow one of the many premade adventures (also known as "modules")
that have been published throughout the history of Dungeons & Dragons.
Published adventures typically include a background story, illustrations, maps, and goals for players to achieve. Some may include location descriptions and handouts, although they are not required for gameplay. Although a small adventure titled "Temple of the Frog" was included in the Blackmoor rules supplement in 1975, the first stand-alone D&D module published by TSR was 1978's Steading of the Hill Giant Chief, written by Gygax.
A linked series of
adventures is commonly referred to as a "campaign". The
locations where these adventures occur, such as a city, country, planet, or
entire fictional universe, are referred to as "campaign settings" or
"worlds." D&D settings are based in various fantasy genres and
feature different levels and types of magic and technology. Popular
commercially published campaign settings for Dungeons & Dragons include
Greyhawk, Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Mystara, Spelljammer, Ravenloft, Dark
Sun, Planescape, Birthright, and Eberron.
In addition to first-party
campaigns and modules, two campaigns based on popular culture have been
created. The first, based on Stranger Things, was released in May
2019. A campaign based on the Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons and Dragons
comic book series was later released in November 2019.
Alternatively, DMs may
develop their own fictional worlds to use as campaign settings, either planning
the adventure ahead or expanding on it as the players progress.
Dungeons & Dragons
miniature figures. The grid mat underneath uses one-inch squares, with the side
length of each square usually representing either 5 or 10 feet (1.5 or 3.0 m).
The wargames from which Dungeons & Dragons evolved used miniature figures to represent combatants. D&D initially continued the use of miniatures in a fashion similar to its direct precursors.
The original D&D set of 1974 required the use of the
Chainmail miniatures game for combat resolution. By the publication of the 1977
game editions, combat was mostly resolved verbally. Thus, miniatures were no
longer required for gameplay, although some players continued to use them as a
visual reference.
In the 1970s, numerous
companies began to sell miniature figures specifically for Dungeons &
Dragons and similar games. Licensed miniature manufacturers who produced
official figures include Grenadier Miniatures (1980–1983), Citadel
Miniatures (1984–1986), Ral Partha, and TSR
itself. Most of these miniatures used the 25 mm scale.
Periodically, Dungeons &
Dragons has returned to its wargaming roots with supplementary rules systems
for miniatures-based wargaming. Supplements such as Battlesystem
(1985 and 1989) and a new edition of Chainmail (2001) provided
rule systems to handle battles between armies by using miniatures.
Development history:
Sources and
influences:
An immediate predecessor of
Dungeons & Dragons was a set of medieval miniature rules written by Jeff
Perren. These were expanded by Gary Gygax, whose additions included a fantasy
supplement, before the game was published as Chainmail. When Dave Wesely
entered the Army in 1970, his friend and fellow Napoleonics wargamer Dave
Arneson began a medieval variation of Wesely's Braunstein games, where players
control individuals instead of armies.
Arneson used Chainmail to resolve combat. As play progressed, Arneson added such innovations as character classes, experience points, level advancement, armor class, and others. Having partnered previously with Gygax on Don't Give Up the Ship!, Arneson introduced Gygax to his Blackmoor game and the two then collaborated on developing "The Fantasy Game", the game that became Dungeons & Dragons, with the final writing and preparation of the text being done by Gygax.
Many Dungeons & Dragons
elements appear in hobbies of the mid-to-late 20th century. For example,
character-based role-playing can be seen in improvisational theater.
Game-world simulations were well developed in
wargaming. Fantasy milieux specifically designed for gaming could be seen in
Glorantha's board games, among others. Ultimately, however, Dungeons &
Dragons represents a unique blending of these elements.
The world of D&D was
influenced by world mythology, history, pulp fiction, and contemporary fantasy
novels.
The D&D magic system, in
which wizards memorise spells that are used up once cast and must be
re-memorized the next day, was heavily influenced by the Dying Earth stories
and novels of Jack Vance. The original alignment system (which grouped all characters
and creatures into 'Law', 'Neutrality' and 'Chaos') was derived from the novel
Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson.A troll described in
this work influenced the D&D definition of that monster.
Dungeons & Dragons has
gone through several revisions. Parallel versions and inconsistent naming
practices can make it difficult to distinguish between the different editions.
Revised editions:
In the 1980s, the rules for
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and "basic" Dungeons & Dragons
remained separate, each developing along different paths.
In 1981, the basic version
of Dungeons & Dragons was revised by Tom Moldvay to make it even more
novice-friendly. It was promoted as a continuation of the original D&D
tone, whereas AD&D was promoted as an advancement of the mechanics.
An accompanying Expert
Set, originally written by David "Zeb" Cook, allowed players
to continue using the simpler ruleset beyond the early levels of play.
In 1983, revisions of those sets by Frank Mentzer were released, revising the presentation of the rules to a more tutorial format.
These were followed by Companion (1983), Master (1985), and Immortals (1986) sets. Each set covered game play for more powerful characters than the previous.
The first four sets were compiled in 1991 as a
single hardcover book, the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia, which was
released alongside a new introductory boxed set.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition was published in 1989, again as three core rulebooks; the primary designer was David "Zeb" Cook.
The Monster Manual
was replaced by the Monstrous Compendium, a loose-leaf binder
that was subsequently replaced by the hardcover Monstrous Manual in 1993.
In 1995, the core rulebooks
were slightly revised, although still referred to by TSR as the 2nd Edition,
and a series of Player's Option manuals were released as optional rulebooks.
The edition moved away from a theme of 1960s and 1970s
"sword and sorcery" fantasy fiction to a mixture of medieval history
and mythology.
The rules underwent minor changes, including
the addition of non-weapon proficiencies – skill-like abilities that originally
appeared in 1st Edition supplements. The game's magic spells were divided into
schools and spheres.
A major difference was the promotion of various game settings beyond that of traditional fantasy. This included blending fantasy with other genres, such as horror (Ravenloft), science fiction (Spelljammer), and apocalyptic (Dark Sun), as well as alternative historical and non-European mythological settings.
Wizards of the Coast:
Since the release of 5th
edition, dozens of Dungeons & Dragons books have been published including
new rulebooks, campaign guides and adventure modules.
2017 had "the most
number of players in its history—12 million to 15 million in North America
alone".
In 2018, Wizards of the
Coast organised a massive live-stream event, the Stream of Many Eyes, where ten
live-streamed sessions of Dungeons & Dragons were performed on Twitch over
three days. This event won the Content Marketing Institute's 2019 award for
best "In-Person (Event) Content Marketing Strategy".
Dungeons & Dragons
continued to have a strong presence on Twitch throughout 2019; this included a
growing number of celebrity players and dungeon masters, such as Joe
Manganiello, Deborah Ann Woll and Stephen Colbert.
Wizards of the Coast has created, produced and
sponsored multiple web series featuring Dungeons & Dragons. These shows
have typically aired on the official Dungeons & Dragons Twitch and YouTube
channels.
In 2020, Wizards of the
Coast announced that Dungeons & Dragons had its 6th annual year of
growth in 2019 with a "300 percent increase in sales of their
introductory box sets, as well as a 65% increase on sales in Europe, a rate
which has more than quadrupled
2024 revision:
In September 2021, it was
announced that a backwards compatible "evolution" of 5th edition
would be released in 2024 to mark the 50th anniversary of the game.
In August 2022, Wizards announced that the
next phase of major changes for Dungeons & Dragons would occur under the
One D&D initiative which includes a public playtest of the next version of
Dungeons & Dragons and an upcoming virtual tabletop simulator with 3D
environments developed using Unreal Engine.
Revised editions of the Player's Handbook,
Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master's Guide are scheduled to be released in
2024.
Translations:
Beginning with a French
language edition in 1982, Dungeons & Dragons has been translated into many
languages beyond the original English.
By 1992, the game had been
translated into 14 languages and sold over 2 million copies in 44 countries
worldwide.
By 2004, consumers had spent
more than $1 billion on Dungeons & Dragons products and the game had been
played by more than 20 million people. As many as six million people played the
game in 2007’
Awards:
- The various editions of
Dungeons & Dragons have won many Origins Awards, including All Time Best
Roleplaying Rules of 1977, Best Roleplaying Rules of 1989, Best Roleplaying
Game of 2000 and Best Role Playing Game and Best Role Playing Supplement of 2014
for the flagship editions of the game.
- Both Dungeons & Dragons
and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons are Origins Hall of Fame Games inductees as
they were deemed sufficiently distinct to merit separate inclusion on different
occasions.
- The independent Games
magazine placed Dungeons & Dragons on their Games 100 list from 1980
through 1983, then entered the game into the magazine's Hall of Fame in 1984.
- Games magazine included
Dungeons & Dragons in their "Top 100 Games of 1980", saying
"The more players, the merrier." Advanced Dungeons & Dragons was
ranked 2nd in the 1996 reader poll of Arcane magazine to determine the 50 most
popular roleplaying games of all time. Dungeons & Dragons was inducted into
the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2016 and into the Science Fiction and Fantasy
Hall of Fame in 2017.
The first modern role-playing game:
Dungeons & Dragons was the first modern role-playing game and it established many of the conventions that have dominated the genre.
Particularly notable are the use of dice as a game mechanic, character record sheets, use of numerical attributes, and gamemaster-centered group dynamics.
Within months of Dungeons & Dragons's release, new role-playing game writers and publishers began releasing their own role-playing games, with most of these being in the fantasy genre. Some of the earliest other role-playing games inspired by D&D include Tunnels & Trolls (1975),
Related products:
In November 2023, Hasbro's Entertainment One launched the Dungeons & Dragons Adventures FAST channel, available on platforms such as Amazon Freevee and Plex, which features new actual play web series, reruns of the animated Dungeons & Dragons series, and reruns of other Dungeons & Dragons web series.
Descriptions of various Dragons
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