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How to Play D&D RPG

Dungeons and Dragons (D &D) is a role playing game (RPG.) It is an opportunity to play a fantasy character and pretend you are someone else. Typically, the game involves people sitting around a table with books, paper, pencils, dice and figurines. Much of the action occurs in each person's head. Unlike historical re-enactment, it requires no costumes, and unlike a board game, Dungeons and Dragons is usually on-going and involves multiple meetings. One person becomes the Dungeon Master (or DM) and everyone else is a Player Character (or PC.) The PCs play a single character, while the DM plays everyone else in the world, including the monsters and Non-Player Characters (or NPCs.)

Things You'll Need

Players Handbook
Monster Manual
Dungeon Master's Guide
Other Handbooks and Guides, as needed
Special Dice
Paper
Graph Paper
Pencils/Pens
Figurines
Grid Map

Instructions

- 1
  Decide which edition of the game you wish to play. At the time of this writing, the publishers are on 4th Edition. You can play older editions such as 3.0 and 3.5. The publishers also have a "Dungeons and Dragons Starter Kit," with which you may want to begin.
- 2
  Read the rules. Everyone should read as much of the "Players Handbook" as possible. The DM should read as much of the "Monster Manual" and "Dungeon Master's Guide" as possible. No one needs to memorize all of the rules, for the books are there for later reference.
- 3
  Create a campaign setting, or a world, to play in. This is done by the DM prior to playing. He may purchase a campaign setting such as "Forgotten Realms" or "Eberron." Many DM's find this easier than making their own worlds.
- 4
  Design an adventure. Again, this is done by the DM as preparation for the game. Using maps (via graph paper) and notes the DM creates a dungeon, a city adventure, or anything else that strikes his imagination.
- 5
  Gather everyone together so the PCs can create their (usually 1st level) characters. Players roll abilities on the dice (such as strength, intelligence, and so forth,) choose a race (human, dwarf, elf, etc,) and pick a class (as fighter, cleric, or wizard.) The PCs then use the "Players Handbook" to fill out their character sheets.
- 6
  Use your imagination to place the characters in the fantasy campaign. The PCs create names and personal histories for their characters. They also give them personalities and other added dimensions to improve the role playing.
- 7
  Play the game. The DM starts by telling the PCs where their characters are located. For example, "You stand in front of a twenty-foot high stone door with elaborate markings." The characters then tell the DM what they do. A wizard might say, "I look at the markings. Can I understand them?" The play continues. When the PCs encounter monsters, they use the figurines to move around the grid map and dice to determine the results of combat.
- 8
  Continue the adventure. This usually takes multiple meetings. In time, the characters gather treasure and become more experienced, and thus gain levels and become more powerful. When you are through with the first adventure, the DM may create another more challenging one, and then you have what is called a campaign.

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