Dungeons & dragons

Initially, Dungeons & Dragons was a complement to the Chainmail desktop wargame . The main difference was the introduction to the game of various fantastic creatures and magic items. Subsequently, under the control of the players were not military units, but individual characters, the action of the games was transferred to the dungeons. The host (Dungeon Master) is the arbiter and narrator. Players create a group of several characters that interacts with the outside world, resolves various conflicts, participates in battles and receives rewards.

The early success of Dungeons & Dragons led to the spread of similar gaming systems. In 1977, the system was divided into two branches: the easier to learn Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) and the more structured Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D). In 1989, the second edition of AD&D was published. In 2000, the initial D&D game series was interrupted, the third edition of AD&D published with the new system was renamed D&D, which formed the basis of the d20 System . The fourth edition was published in 2008, and the fifth in 2014. In addition, from the second half of the 2000s, the so-called “ Revival of the Old School ” arose around the game, which eventually became a relatively significant phenomenon in board role-playing games.

The presence of various fantastic creatures makes it possible to compare Dungeons & Dragons with the work of J.R. R. Tolkien , although Gygex claimed that the influence of the Lord of the Rings novel was insignificant, and the use of its elements was just a marketing ploy. Subsequently, D&D was influenced by the work of other writers (for example, Robert Howard , Edgar Burroughs , Michael Moorcock , Roger Zhelyazny , Paul Anderson ).

The host (the so-called " master ") and several players participate in the game, the number of which varies depending on the editorial staff and the wishes of the participants. Usually, one player directs the actions of one character in the game world. The wizard acts on behalf of all non-player characters , describes the environment and the events occurring in it.

During the game, each player sets the actions for his character, and the results of the actions are determined by the master in accordance with the rules. Random events are modeled by a die roll. Sometimes the decisions of the wizard may not comply with the rules. This is the Golden Rule of the game: "GM is always right," the so-called "masterful arbitrariness."

Traditionally, a game guide or set of rules includes three books: Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual. There are also various additions that the master can use at his discretion.

Sometimes, various cards are used for the game to visually depict situations in the game, and figures of characters and their opponents can also be used. But the main, and sometimes the only requirement for the game is the presence of character sheets and a set of dice - dice - dice with a given number of sides (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20, d100 (percent dice)).

The Dungeons & Dragons rules went through several editions.

The original rules were published in 1974 and were supplemented in the next two years. Formal and popular unofficial add-ons have been featured in and Dragon .

In 1977, TSR released two new versions: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and Dungeons & Dragons .

Dungeons & Dragons was a lite (introductory) version of the game. In 1977, the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set , also called the Second Edition, was released in the boxed version. This edition was revised in 1981, at the same time as the Expert Set , which complements the basic rules. Between 1983 and 1985, the Third Edition was released in a series of five box sets: Basic Rules , Expert Rules , Companion Rules , Master Rules and Immortal Rules . In 1991, the Dungeons & Dragons rules were reissued. This edition includes the Dungeons & Dragons Game (introductory rules) and the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (a guide that includes material from Basic , Expert , Companion, and Master Rules ). In 1994, the set was renamed the Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game , and in 1999 it was reissued as the Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game .

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) was a more complex version of the game. Between 1977 and 1979, three major rule books were released called the Basic Guide : Player's Handbook (PHB), Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG), and Monster Manual (MM).

In 1989, AD&D was reissued (Second Edition). The rules were again compiled in the form of three books. These included additions and corrections that have been published over the past decade. Monster Manual was redesigned as the Monstrous Compendium , on the basis of which the Monstrous Manual was made in 1993 .

The second edition was greatly redone. Under the influence of the public, classes such as assassin (killer) and monk (monk) were removed. Demons and devils were first renamed and then completely removed from the game, despite protests from fans of the game. The target age of the game has been reduced.

In 1995, the Basic Guide was reprinted with minor additions. Among fans, this re-release is called AD&D 2.5 .

In 1997 , TSR was acquired by Wizards of the Coast. The new company immediately began to develop a new version of the game.

In 2000, Wizards of the Coast introduced the third edition of D&D, very different from the previous ones. The third edition of the rules was aimed at creating great flexibility of the rules and standardizing the mechanics of actions. The basis of the rules was moved to a separate d20 system , available under the .

In 2003 , D&D 3.5 was released. It included many minor changes and extensions for the Third Edition.

In August 2006 , the D&D 3.5 rules were first officially published in Russian by the AST, which currently owns the license for publishing D&D in Russia (translation edited by A. Lensky ).

In August 2007 , the 4th edition was announced, which was released in June 2008 . Preliminary materials (Wizards Presents: Classes and Races and Wizards Presents: Worlds and Monsters books) were released in December 2007 and January 2008 .

The main differences of the 4th edition are:

• an increase in the number of class levels from 20 to 30,
• a significant increase in the influence of the chosen race on the capabilities of the character,
• change in the list of races available for the game,
• introduction of specializations for warriors (“fast” or “powerful” fighting style),
• changing the existing worldview system,
• new basic setting (game world)

In July 2014, the 5th edition was released. Simplified rules of the game were published for free on the official website of Wizards of the Coast. In this pdf documentation, most of the classes, races, and background were cut out, many rules for DM, and most monsters. Together with the new edition, Wizards of the Coast announced the D&D Adventure League.

Character Creation

Before the start of the game, each player creates a character - his embodiment in the game world. To do this, first of all, its basic parameters are determined - strength, physique, dexterity, intelligence, wisdom and charisma. Classically, with a throw of 3d6 (a three-fold throw of a hexagonal cube), which gives a scatter of 3 to 18, but the 4d6 throw is usually used, and the value of the bone on which the smallest number fell is discarded, and the values ​​of the others are added. This option also gives a distribution of 3 to 18, but more biased towards 18: the probability of a minimum decreases by 6 times, and the probability of a maximum increases by 2 times. In addition to these two, there are other alternative methods, the description of which is given in the Player's Book (For version 3.5 in the Dungeon Master's Guide ). Then the player selects the race and class of his character. After that, the player can choose the skills that the character will possess, as well as indicate his worldview . It is also possible to choose a deity whom the character worships. In the end, the player needs to properly equip the character: armor and weapons for the warrior, scrolls and magic items for the wizard, master keys and other special tools for the thief and so on.

Also, in agreement with the master, the player can make a quent ^[1] - a character’s biography, which is needed so that the character fits better into the game world.

During the game, the character can change their parameters, improve them thanks to the experience gained.

Game Process

During the game, the party (players acting together) travels the world and complete various missions and tasks. During the journey, the characters, at the discretion of the DM, gain experience that, in one way or another, helps to improve the characteristics of the character. Characters also earn money and get equipment.

A game may include many smaller games where characters move from one to another. It may end after completing a certain mission, and may continue indefinitely.

In general, the process of playing on the D&D system is no different from games on other desktop systems.

Adventures and Campaigns

A typical Dungeons & Dragons game consists of an “adventure” that is roughly equivalent to one story. A DM can either create an original adventure or follow one of the many off-the-shelf adventures (also called "modules") that have been published throughout the history of Dungeons & Dragons. Published adventures usually include history, illustrations, maps, and goals that players need to achieve. Some of these include location descriptions and handouts. Although the small adventure "Temple of the Frog" was included in addition to Blackmoore's rules in 1975, the first stand-alone D&D module published by TSR was "Steading Of The Hill Giant Chief", written by Gygax.

A related series of adventures is usually called a "campaign." The places where these adventures take place, such as a city, country, planet, or the entire fictional universe, are called a "campaign setting " or "world." D&D settings are based on different fantasy genres and have different levels and types of magic and technology. Besides using pre-made settings, DMs can design their own fictional worlds for use as campaign settings.

Thumbnails

Like its predecessors, Dungeons & Dragons uses thumbnails to display battle participants. The first edition required Chainmail desktop miniatures, but in subsequent editions the role of the miniatures was reduced due to the ability to describe the course of the battle orally.

In the 1970s, many companies began to take advantage of the popularity of Dungeons & Dragons and specialized in producing miniatures. Officially, , , and TSR did this. Most of the miniatures had a height of 25 millimeters.

Periodically, Dungeons & Dragons returns to the roots and offers additional rules for thumbnails.

Official settings (game worlds) of Dungeons & Dragons:

• - since the birth of D&D, 1974; the first separate book is 1975. Currently officially supported by Wizards of the Coast . In this setting, the action of the computer role-playing game The Temple of Elemental Evil: A Classic Greyhawk Adventure takes place.
• - since the late 1970s. Not officially supported since 1999. The setting includes the following subnets:
  • - since the birth of D&D, 1974; first separate book - 1979. Supported by Zeitgeist Games .
  • - since 1990. Not officially supported since 1999.
  • - since 1994. Not officially supported since 1999.
• Ravenloft - from 1983. From 2002 to 2006 it was supported by Arthaus , in 2006 Wizards of the Coast revoked its license.
• Dragonlance - from 1984. From 2002 to 2007, it was supported by , and in the spring of 2007 Wizards of the Coast revoked its license.
• Forgotten Realms - since 1987. Currently officially supported by Wizards of the Coast . In this setting, the action of such computer role-playing games as Baldur's Gate , Icewind Dale , Neverwinter Nights . This setting includes the subnetting (they are not supported since 1999):
  • (Oriental Adventures) - since 1986.
  • Al-Qadim (Arabian Adventures) - since 1992.
  • Maztica - since 1991.
• Spelljammer - since 1989. Not officially supported since 1999.
• Dark Sun - since 1990. Not officially supported since 1999, officially reissued for the 4th edition of D&D in 2010.
• Planescape - since 1994. Not officially supported since 1999. In this setting, the action of the computer role-playing game Planescape: Torment takes place.
• Birthright - since 1995. Not officially supported since 1999.
• Eberron - since 2004. Currently officially supported by Wizards of the Coast . In this setting, the action of the computer MMORPG Dungeons & Dragons Online , launched in 2006, takes place.

In addition, official game settings for licensed copyright worlds were created for D&D: Conan, Red Sonja, and Lankhmar .

As of the summer of 2007, only the Forgotten Realms and Eberron settings are actively supported by the developers. The Greyhawk setting is considered the “basic setting” of the third edition of D&D: if the D&D book is not dedicated to any specific game world, it is understood that the events, personalities and objects described in it belong to the Greyhawk setting .

Wizards of the Coast is currently publishing many novels on individual D&D settings. Worlds such as Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms are better known for their novels, rather than belonging to the game.

• Dragon Dungeon (animated series)
  • List of episodes of the animated series "Dragon Dungeon"
• Dragon Dungeon (film)
• Dragon Dungeon 2: Source of Power
• Dragon Dungeon 3: Spellbook

• Official website
• D&D in Russian
• Encyclopedia