What is Dungeons and Dragons?
To summarize D&D in one sentence, it is a role playing game where each player assumes a character/persona and plays though a campaign that is lead by a Dungeon Master who creates the world in which the characters play and the enemies/puzzles that need to be overcome.
While D&D may seem complicated at times, the game gets much simpler the more exposure you have to it. However, if you don’t know the terminology, it may be difficult to catch on. If you have never played D&D before, the following information should help you better understand what I am talking about in my blog posts. Some of these things will be expounded on in later blog posts, but these are the absolute basics.
Terms and Explanations in as Few Words as Possible
Dungeon Master (DM): The guy/gal leading the story and combat of a campaign.
Player Character (PC): You.
Non Player Character (NPC): Not You.
Alignment: Are you Good, Bad, or Neutral.
Race: Humans, Halflings, Gnomes, Half-Orcs, Dwarf, Half-Elf, and Elf.
Class: Your job.
Barbarian: Hulk Smash!
Bard: Would you care for a song madam?
Cleric: Let me heal that for you.
Druid: I can hear the voices of the wild.
Fighter: Give me a weapon and I'll do the rest.
Monk: My fists are more than enough to defeat you.
Paladin: Where’s that damsel in distress?
Ranger: I smell seven kobolds exactly 3.2 miles southeast of here.
Rogue:Guard your purses....and your necks.
Sorcerer: Look! I can create fire with my mind!
Wizard: What page was that spell on?
Skills: How good are you at doing more than just killing things.
Feats: Allows you to do fun stuff like fire 6 arrows at once or wield 2 weapons at once.
Spells: Magic abilities that allow you to do almost anything.
Stats: The basic determinants of how awesome you are.
Strength: How much you can lift and how much damage you do.
Dexterity: How good you are with tasks that require finesse.
Constitution: How tough you are and how much HP (hit points) you have.
Intelligence*: How many skills points you have.
Wisdom*: How Willful you are
Charisma*: How good you are with people.
*These skills also affect how many spells certain classes receive.
Attack Rolls: How likely you are to hit an opponent.
Damage Rolls: How much damage you can do per dice roll.
*These skills also affect how many spells certain classes receive.
Attack Rolls: How likely you are to hit an opponent.
Damage Rolls: How much damage you can do per dice roll.
Dice: When you roll a six sided die that is called a d6. If you rolled four six sided die, that would be 4d6. This works for all other kinds of dice, which are: d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20.Dice are used to determine if an action is successful or a failure.
If you want to know a comedic representation of what a typical D&D session looks like, check out this video and you will get the idea.
