In t r o d u c t i o n

The D u n g e o n s & D r a g o n s r o l e p l a y i n g In the D u n g e o n s & D r a g o n s gam e, each player

gam e is about storytelling in w orld s o f creates an adventurer (also called a character) and
sw ord s and sorcery. It sh ares elem ents team s up with other adventurers (played by friends).
w ith ch ild h ood gam es o f m ake-believe. Like W orkin g together, the group might explore a dark dun
th ose gam es, D & D is driven by im agina geon, a ruined city, a haunted castle, a lost tem ple deep
tion. It’s about picturing the tow ering castle in a ju n gle, or a lava-filled cavern beneath a m ysterious
beneath the storm y night sky and im agining m ountain. The adventurers can solve puzzles, talk with
h ow a fantasy adventurer m ight react to the challen ges other characters, battle fantastic m onsters, and discover
that scen e presents. fabulous m agic item s and other treasure.
O ne player, however, takes on the role o f the D un geon
M aster (D M ), the gam e’s lead storyteller and referee.
Dunge on M aster (D M ): A ft e r p a ssin g through the T h e DM creates adventures for the characters, w h o nav
craggy pe aks, the road tak es a su dd e n turn to the east igate its h azards and d ecide w hich paths to explore. The
and C astle Ravenlo ft tow ers before you. C ru m b lin g DM might d escrib e the entrance to Castle Ravenloft,
tow ers o f ston e keep a sile n t w atch over the a pproa ch. and the players decide what they w ant their adventurers
to do. W ill they w alk a cro ss the dangerously w eathered
Th e y look like ab andon e d gu a rd h o use s. Beyond these,
draw bridge? Tie them selves together with rope to m ini
a w ide ch asm ga p e s, d isa p p e a ring into the deep
m ize the ch a n ce that som eon e w ill fall if the draw bridge
fog below. A low ered dra w bridge sp a ns the ch asm , gives way? Or cast a spell to carry them over the chasm ?
le a d ing to an arched en trance to the c astle courtyard. Then the DM determ ines the results o f the adventur
Th e ch a ins o f the dra w bridge cre a k in the w ind, th eir ers’ actions and narrates what they e xperien ce. B ecau se
rust-e a ten iron s tra in in g with the w e ight. From atop the DM can im provise to react to anything the players
attempt, D & D is infinitely flexible, and each adventure
the high s tro ng w a lls, ston e gargoyles stare at you
can be exciting and unexpected.
from hollow so c k e ts and grin hid eously. A ro tting The gam e has no real end; w hen on e story or quest
w ood e n p o rt cu llis, gre en with grow th, h a ngs in the w ra ps up, another one can begin, creating an on goin g
entry tunn e l. Beyond th is, the m ain d oors o f C astle story called a campaign. M any p eop le w h o play the
Ravenlo ft stand open, a rich w arm ligh t sp illin g into gam e keep their cam p aign s going for m onths or years,
m eetin g with their friends every w eek or s o to pick
the courtyard .
up the story w here they left off. T h e adventurers g row
Phillip (playing Gareth): I w ant to look at the
in m ight as the cam paign continues. Each m onster
gargoyles. I have a f e e ling th ey’re not ju st sta tues. defeated, each adventure com pleted, and each treasure
Am y (playing Riva): Th e draw bridge looks precarious? recovered not only adds to the continuing story, but also
I w ant to see how sturdy it is. Do I th in k we can cross earns the adventurers n ew capabilities. T h is in crease
it, or is it go in g to co lla pse und er our w eight? in pow er is reflected by an adventurer’s level.
T h ere’s no w inning and losing in the D u n g e o n s &
D r a g o n s gam e—at least, not the way those term s are
Unlike a gam e o f m ake-believe, D & D gives structure usually understood. Together, the D M and the players
to the stories, a w ay o f determ ining the con seq u en ces create an exciting story o f bold adventurers w ho confront
o f the adventurers’ action. Players roll dice to resolve deadly perils. S om etim es an adventurer m ight c om e to
w hether their attacks hit or m iss or w hether their adven a grisly end, torn apart by ferociou s m onsters or done in
turers can sca le a cliff, roll away from the strike o f a by a nefarious villain. Even so, the other adventurers can
m agical lightning bolt, or pull o ff som e other dangerous search for pow erful m agic to revive their fallen com rade,
task. Anything is possible, but the d ice m ake som e out or the player might c h o o s e to create a new character to
c o m e s m ore probable than others. carry on. The group might fail to com plete an adventure
successfully, but if everyone had a g ood time and created
a m em orable story, they all win.
Dunge on M aster (D M ): O K , one at a tim e . Phillip,
yo u ’re lo o k ing at the gargoyles?
Wor l ds of A dvent ur e
Phillip: Ye ah. Is there any hint they m igh t be
The m any w orld s o f the D u n g e o n s & D r a g o n s gam e
cre a tures and not d e cora tions? are places o f m agic and m onsters, o f brave w arriors and
D M : M ake an In t e llige n ce ch eck . sp ectacu lar adventures. They begin with a foundation
Phillip: Does my Investiga tio n skill apply? o f m edieval fantasy and then add the creatures, places,
D M : Sure! and m agic that m ake these w orld s unique.
T h e w orld s o f the D u n g e o n s & D r a g o n s gam e exist
Phillip (rolling a d20): Ugh. Seve n.
w ithin a vast c o s m o s called the multiverse, con n ected
D M : Th ey look like d e co ra tio ns to you. A nd Amy,
in strange and m ysterious w ays to on e another and to
Riva is c h e c k in g out the draw bridge? other planes o f existence, such as the Elem ental Plane
o f Fire and the Infinite D epths o f the A byss. W ithin
this m ultiverse are an en dless variety o f w orlds. M any 2. The players describe what they want to do. S o m e
o f them have been published as official settings for the tim es on e player sp eak s for the w h ole party, saying,
D & D game. T h e legends o f the Forgotten R ealm s, Drag- “W e’ll take the east door,” for exam ple. Other tim es,
on lan ce, Greyhawk, D ark Sun, Mystara, and E berron different adventurers do different things: one adventurer
settings are w oven together in the fabric o f the multi- m ight sea rch a treasure chest w hile a se c o n d exam in es
verse. A longside these w orld s are hundreds o f thousands an esoteric sym b ol engraved on a w all and a third keeps
m ore, created by generations o f D & D players for their w atch for m onsters. T h e players d on ’t n eed to take
ow n gam es. A nd am id all the rich n ess o f the multiverse, turns, but the DM listens to every player and d ecides
you m ight create a w orld o f your ow n. h ow to resolve th ose actions.
All th ese w orlds share characteristics, but each w orld S om etim es, resolvin g a task is easy. If an adventurer
is set apart by its ow n history and cultures, distinctive w ants to w alk a cross a room and op en a door, the DM
m on sters and races, fantastic geography, ancient dun might just say that the d oor op en s and d escrib e w hat
geons, and sch em in g villains. S o m e races have unusual lies beyond. But the d oor might b e lock ed, the floor
traits in different w orlds. T h e halflings o f the Dark Sun m ight hide a deadly trap, or som e other circu m stan ce
setting, for exam ple, are ju n gle-d w ellin g cannibals, m ight m ake it challen ging for an adventurer to com plete
and the elves are desert n om ads. S om e w orld s feature a task. In th ose cases, the DM d ecid es w hat happens,
races u nk n ow n in other settings, such as E b erron ’s w ar- often relying on the roll o f a die to determ ine the results
forged, sold iers created and im bu ed with life to fight in o f an action.
the Last War. S o m e w orld s are dom inated by on e great 3. The DM narrates the results o f the adventurers’
story, like the W ar o f the L an ce that plays a central role actions. D escribin g the results often leads to another
in the D ragon lance setting. But they’re all D & D w orlds, d ecision point, w hich brin gs the flow o f the gam e right
and you can u se the rules in this b o o k to create a char ba ck to step 1.
acter and play in any one o f them. T h is pattern holds w hether the adventurers are cau
Your DM m ight set the cam paign on on e o f these tiously exploring a ruin, talking to a deviou s prince, or
w orld s or on on e that he or she created. B eca u se there lock ed in m ortal com bat against a m ighty dragon. In
is s o m uch diversity a m on g the w orlds o f D&D, you certain situations, particularly com bat, the action is
sh ou ld ch eck w ith your DM about any h ou se rules that m ore structured and the players (and D M ) d o take turns
w ill affect your play o f the gam e. Ultimately, the D un ch oosin g and resolvin g actions. But m ost o f the time,
geon M aster is the authority on the cam paign and its play is fluid and flexible, adapting to the circu m stan ces
setting, even if the setting is a published w orld. o f the adventure.
Often the action o f an adventure takes place in the
U s in g T h is Bo o k im agination o f the players and DM, relying on the D M ’s
verbal descriptions to set the scen e. S o m e D M s like to
T h e Player’s Handbook is divided into three parts.
use m usic, art, or r ecord ed sou n d effects to help set the
Part 1 is about creating a character, providing the
m ood , and m any players and D M s alike adopt different
rules and g u id an ce you n eed to m ake the character
v oices for the various adventurers, m onsters, and other
y ou ’ll play in the gam e. It includes inform ation on the
characters they play in the gam e. S om etim es, a DM
various races, classes, backgrou n ds, equipm ent, and
m ight lay out a m ap and u se tokens or m iniature figures
oth er custom ization options that you can c h o o s e from.
to represent each creature involved in a scen e to help
M any o f the rules in part 1 rely on m aterial in parts 2
the players k eep track o f w here everyone is.
and 3. If you co m e a cro ss a gam e con cep t in part 1 that
you d on ’t understand, consult the b o o k ’s index.
G a m e D ic e
Part 2 details the rules o f h ow to play the gam e,
beyon d the b a sics d escrib ed in this introduction. That T h e gam e u ses polyhedral dice w ith different num bers
part covers the kinds o f die rolls you m ake to determ ine o f sides. You can find d ice like th ese in gam e stores and
s u c ce s s or failure at the tasks your character attempts, in m any book stores.
and d escrib es the three broad categories o f activity in In these rules, the different d ice are referred to by the
the gam e: exploration, interaction, and com bat. letter d follow ed by the num ber o f sides: d4, d6, d8, d 10,
Part 3 is all about m agic. It covers the nature o f m agic d 12, and d20. F or instance, a d6 is a six-sided die (the
in the w orld s o f D&D, the rules for spellcasting, and the typical cu b e that m any g am es use).
huge variety o f spells available to m agic-using ch a ra c P ercen tile dice, or d 100, w ork a little differently. You
ters (and m onsters) in the game. generate a num ber b etw een 1 and 100 by rolling tw o
different ten-sided d ice n um bered from 0 to 9. O ne die

How t o Pl a y (designated b efore you roll) gives the tens digit, and
the other gives the on es digit. If you roll a 7 and a 1, for
T he play o f the D u n g e o n s & D r a g o n s gam e unfolds exam ple, the num ber rolled is 71. Tw o Os represent 100.
a ccord in g to this basic pattern. S o m e ten-sided dice are num bered in tens (00, 10, 20,
1. The DM describes the environment. T h e DM and s o on), m akin g it easier to distinguish the tens digit
tells the players w here their adventurers are and w hat’s from the o n es digit. In this case, a roll o f 70 and 1 is 71,
around them, presenting the basic s c o p e o f options that and 0 0 and 0 is 100.
present th em selves (h ow m any d oors lead out o f a room , W h en you n eed to roll dice, the rules tell you h ow
w hat’s on a table, w h o ’s in the tavern, and so on). m any d ice to roll o f a certain type, as w ell as w hat m o d
ifiers to add. For exam ple, “ 3d8 + 5 ” m eans you roll
three eight-sided dice, add them together, and add 5 3. Compare the total to a target number. If the total
to the total. equals or e x ceed s the target num ber, the ability check,
The sa m e d notation appears in the ex p ression s “ 1d 3 ” attack roll, or saving th row is a su ccess. O therw ise, it’s
and “ 1d2.” To sim ulate the roll o f 1d3, roll a d6 and a failure. T h e D M is usually the on e w h o determ ines
divide the num ber rolled by 2 (round up). To sim ulate target num bers and tells players w hether their ability
the roll o f 1d2, roll any die and assign a 1 or 2 to the roll ch ecks, attack rolls, and saving th row s su cce e d or fail.
depen din g on w hether it w as odd or even. (Alternatively, Th e target num ber for an ability ch eck o r a saving
if the num ber rolled is m ore than h alf the num ber o f th row is called a Difficulty Class (D C). T h e target
sides on the die, it’s a 2.) num ber for an attack roll is called an Arm or Class (AC).
T h is sim ple rule governs the resolution o f m ost tasks
T h e D 20 in D & D play. Chapter 7 provides m ore detailed rules for
usin g the d 2 0 in the game.
D o e s an adventurer’s sw ord sw in g hurt a dragon or just
b ou n ce off its iron-hard sca les? W ill the ogre believe an
A dva n t a g e a n d D isa d v a n t a g e
ou trageous bluff? Can a character sw im a cross a raging
river? Can a character avoid the m ain blast o f a fireball, S om etim es an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw
or d o e s he or she take full dam age from the blaze? In is m od ified by sp ecia l situations called advantage and
ca se s w h ere the ou tcom e o f an action is uncertain, disadvantage. Advantage reflects the positive circu m
the D u n g e o n s & D r a g o n s gam e relies on rolls o f a stan ces su rrou nding a d2 0 roll, w hile disadvantage
20 -sid ed die, a d20, to determ ine s u c ce s s or failure. reflects the opposite. W h en you have either advantage or
Every character and m onster in the gam e has capa disadvantage, you roll a se co n d d2 0 w h en you m ake the
bilities defined by six ability scores. T h e abilities are roll. U se the higher o f the tw o rolls if you have advan
Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, W isdom , tage, and u se the low er roll if you have disadvantage.
and Charism a, and they typically range from 3 to 18 F or exam ple, if you have disadvantage and roll a 17 and
for m ost adventurers. (M onsters m ight have s co re s as a 5, you use the 5. If you instead have advantage and roll
low as 1 or as high as 30.) T h ese ability scores, and the th ose num bers, you use the 17.
ability modifiers derived from them , are the basis for M ore detailed rules for advantage and disadvantage
alm ost every d2 0 roll that a player m a k es on a ch arac are presented in chapter 7.
ter’s or m on ster’s behalf.
Ability ch eck s, attack rolls, and saving throw s are the Spe c if ic B e a t s G e n e r a l
three m ain kinds o f d2 0 rolls, form in g the core o f the T h is b o o k contain s rules, esp ecia lly in parts 2 and 3,
rules o f the gam e. All three follow th ese sim ple steps. that govern h ow the gam e plays. That said, m any racial
1. Roll the die and add a modifier. R oll a d2 0 and traits, class features, spells, m agic item s, m on ster abili
add the relevant modifier. T h is is typically the m od ties, and other gam e elem ents break the general rules in
ifier derived from on e o f the six ability s cores, and it som e way, creating an exception to h ow the rest o f the
som etim es includes a proficiency bon u s to reflect a char gam e w orks. R em em ber this: If a sp ecific rule contra
acter’s particular skill. (S e e chapter 1 for details on each dicts a general rule, the sp ecific rule w ins.
ability and h ow to determ ine an ability’s modifier.) E xception s to the rules are often m inor. For instance,
2. Apply circumstantial bonuses and penalties. A m any adventurers d on ’t have proficiency with lon gbow s,
cla ss feature, a spell, a particular circu m stan ce, or som e but every w o o d elf d oes b e ca u se o f a racial trait. That
other effect m ight give a b on u s or penalty to the check. trait creates a m in or exception in the gam e. Other
exam ples o f rule-breaking are m ore con sp icu ou s. For
instance, an adventurer ca n ’t n orm ally p ass through
w alls, but som e sp ells m ake that possible. M agic
accou n ts for m ost o f the m ajor exception s to the rules.

Ro u n d D o w n
T h ere’s on e m ore general rule you n eed to k n ow at the
outset. W h enever you divide a num ber in the gam e,
round dow n if you end up w ith a fraction, even if the
fraction is on e-half or greater.

A dvent ur es
T h e D u n g e o n s & D r a g o n s gam e con sists o f a group
o f characters em barking on an adventure that the D un
geon M aster presen ts to them. Each character brings
particular capabilities to the adventure in the form o f
ability sc o r e s and skills, class features, racial traits,
equipm ent, and m agic item s. Every character is dif
ferent, w ith various strengths and w ea k n esses, s o the
best party o f adventurers is on e in w h ich the characters
com plem ent each other and cover the w ea k n esses o f
their com pa n ion s. The adventurers must coop era te to that a captured scou t reveal the secret entrance to the
su ccessfu lly com plete the adventure. goblin lair, getting inform ation from a rescu ed prisoner,
T h e adventure is the heart o f the gam e, a story with pleading for m ercy from an orc chieftain, or persuading
a beginning, a m iddle, and an end. An adventure might a talkative m agic m irror to sh ow a distant location to
be created by the D u n geon M aster or p u rch ased off the the adventurers.
shelf, tw eaked and m odified to suit the D M ’s n eeds and The rules in chapters 7 and 8 support exploration and
desires. In either ca se, an adventure features a fantastic socia l interaction, as do m any cla ss features in chapter 3
setting, w hether it’s an u nderground dungeon, a cru m and personality traits in chapter 4.
bling castle, a stretch o f w ildern ess, or a bustling city. Combat, the focu s o f chapter 9, involves characters
It features a rich cast o f characters: the adventurers and other creatu res sw in ging w eapon s, casting spells,
created and played by the other players at the table, m aneuvering for position, and s o o n —all in an effort
as w ell as nonplayer characters (N PC s). T h ose char to defeat their oppon en ts, w hether that m eans killing
acters m ight b e patrons, allies, enem ies, hirelings, or every enemy, taking captives, or forcin g a rout. Com bat
just backgrou n d extras in an adventure. Often, on e o f is the m ost structured elem ent o f a D & D session , with
the N P C s is a villain w h ose agenda drives m uch o f an creatu res taking turns to m ake sure that everyone gets
adventure’s action. a ch a n ce to act. Even in the context o f a pitched battle,
Over the cou rse o f their adventures, the characters there’s still plenty o f opportunity for adventurers to
are confronted by a variety o f creatures, objects, and attempt w acky stunts like surfing dow n a flight o f stairs
situations that they must deal w ith in som e way. S o m e on a shield, to exam ine the environm ent (perhaps by
tim es the adventurers and other creatures do their pulling a m ysterious lever), and to interact with other
best to kill or capture each other in com bat. At other creatures, including allies, en em ies, and neutral parties.
tim es, the adventurers talk to another creature (or even
a m agical object) w ith a goal in mind. A nd often, the T h e W o n d e r s o f M a g ic
adventurers spend tim e trying to solve a puzzle, bypass
Few D & D adventures end w ithout som eth in g m agical
an obstacle, find som eth in g hidden, or unravel the cu r
happening. W h eth er helpful or harm ful, m agic appears
rent situation. M eanw hile, the adventurers explore the
frequently in the life o f an adventurer, and it is the focu s
w orld, m akin g decision s about w hich w ay to travel and
o f chapters 10 and 11.
w hat they’ll try to do next.
In the w orld s o f D u n g e o n s & D r a g o n s , practitioners
A dventures vary in length and com plexity. A short
o f m agic are rare, set apart from the m a sses o f people
adventure m ight present only a few challen ges, and
by their extraordinary talent. C om m on folk might see
it m ight take no m ore than a single gam e session to
eviden ce o f m agic on a regular basis, but it’s usually
com plete. A long adventure can involve hundreds o f
m in or—a fantastic m onster, a visibly an sw ered prayer,
com bats, interactions, and other challen ges, and take
a w izard w alking through the streets w ith an anim ated
d ozen s o f session s to play through, stretching over
shield guardian as a bodyguard.
w eek s or m onths o f real tim e. Usually, the end o f an
For adventurers, though, m agic is key to their sur
adventure is m arked by the adventurers h eading back to
vival. W ithout the healing m agic o f clerics and paladins,
civilization to rest and enjoy the sp oils o f their labors.
adventurers w ou ld quickly su ccu m b to their w oun ds.
But that’s not the end o f the story. You can think o f
W ithout the uplifting m agical su pport o f bards and
an adventure as a single ep isod e o f a T V series, m ade
clerics, w arriors m ight be overw helm ed by p ow erfu l
up o f multiple exciting scen es. A cam paign is the w hole
foes. W ithout the sh eer m agical p ow er and versatility
s eries—a string o f adventures jo in e d together, with a
o f w izards and druids, every threat w ou ld be m ag
consistent group o f adventurers follow in g the narrative
nified tenfold.
from start to finish.
M agic is also a favored tool o f villains. M any adven
tures are driven by the m achinations o f spellcasters
T h e T h r e e Pil l a r s o f A d v e n t u r e
w h o are hellbent on using m agic for som e ill end. A cult
A dventurers ca n try to do anything their players can leader seek s to aw aken a god w h o slum bers beneath
im agine, but it can b e helpful to talk about their activ the sea, a hag kidnaps youths to m agically drain them
ities in three broad categories: exploration, socia l o f their vigor, a m ad w izard labors to invest an arm y o f
interaction, and com bat. autom atons with a facsim ile o f life, a dragon begin s a
Exploration includes both the adventurers’ m ovem ent m ystical ritual to rise up as a god o f destruction —these
through the w orld and their interaction with ob jects and are just a few o f the m agical threats that adventurers
situations that require their attention. E xploration is the m ight face. W ith m agic o f their ow n, in the form o f
give-and-take o f the players describin g what they want sp ells and m agic items, the adventurers m ight prevail!
their characters to do, and the D u n geon M aster telling
the players w hat h appen s as a result. On a large scale,
that might involve the characters spen din g a day c r o s s
ing a rolling plain or an hour m aking their w ay through
caverns underground. On the sm allest scale, it could
m ean on e character pulling a lever in a dungeon room to
see w hat happens.
Social interaction features the adventurers talking to
som eon e (or som eth in g) else. It might m ean dem anding