What is Dungeons and Dragons

• D&D is a role-playing game with specific rules and many sided dice.
• One person runs the game, called the Dungeon Master (DM).
• The DM guides 3-6 players through a prepared adventure.
• Each player has a character e.g an Elf Wizard or a Dwarf Fighter.
• Characters have attributes like Strength, stats such as Armor Class and equipment such as a spell book or battle axe.
• The rule books specify how spells, skills and combat works.
• The players direct their characters actions and decisions while the DM describes what happens to them in the story.
• The goal might be just to survive, slay monsters and gain treasure.

Player Characters

The players just need dice and somewhere to record their character sheet on paper or on a phone or computer.

The players each pick their character class, race and generate their ability scores.

• On your character sheet record your Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.
• Add any racial or class bonuses, and calculate hit points.
• Pick out your equipment that your class can use.
• Calculate your armor class, pick spells and note class skills.

Wizards of the Coast has official character sheets listed here

Character Creation...

The DM (or Game Master) reads a premade or writes an adventure for the player characters to experience. Typically they will decide on.

• Which world will the adventure take place on?
- Wizards of the Coast have an official setting called the Forgotten Realms, here is an interactive Map of Faerun.
- You can create your own of course, just like Matt Mercer did for Exandria.
- There are numerous other settings over the decades such as Greyhawk Map of Flanaess or Dragonlance Map of Krynn.
• What is the world like?
- High Fantasy where wizards and spells are prevalent such as in Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit.
- Gritty, dark world with few magic items such as Game of Thrones.
• Where does the adventure take place.
- In a crypt or a dungeon.
- In a city or town.
- Travelling across country, in mountains, or a forest.
• How to hook the player characters to bring them into the adventure.
- Rumours of treasure.
- Finding a lost friend or relative.
- Hired by a merchant or noble to guard a caravan.

If you have been elected as DM lets prepare your

First Adventure...