D&D Instructions

Select a group of friends to play Dungeons &Dragons. Although only two people are required to play (one Dungeon Master and one playing character) D&D is best played with between four to six playing characters. The Dungeon Master, or DM, is the storyteller of the game (known as a campaign). He is responsible for creating and controlling the world in which the playing characters inhabit.

Create your character. Take the time to decide what type of character you wish to play. Since you will be using the same character throughout your D&D campaign, careful thought needs to be taken before you begin character creation. The character you create will be unique to you, with powers, traits and abilities determined by the character class (Warrior, Paladin, Wizard, Priest, Thief and many others.). You are also responsible for selecting the race of your character: human, elf, dwarf and more.

Create the campaign if you are the DM. Take into consideration what the party wants. Do they want a long-term, epic campaign where they battle the forces of darkness, or do they want only a weekend-long encounter where they battle orcs and goblins as they search for treasure? The world you create and the non-playing characters you introduce should be in-depth in order to keep the players interested.

Roll the dice to perform specific actions; the action you are performing will determine which dice to use. Actions are limited only by your imagination and what your character is capable of. For example, if you are battling a group of goblins and wish to attack one of them with your sword, you roll the dice in accordance with the attributes and abilities of your character. The DM determines the consequences of your actions. Although the DM is in control of the world, he simply relays the events; it is up to the playing characters to determine how to respond to certain situations.

Act within the parameters of your character. If you created a Priest, don't go out looking for fights. Or if you are a Thief, try not to bring attention to yourself when walking through a city. Remember that you are not playing yourself but rather a fantasy persona. Act as your character would act rather than how you would in real life.