Setting the Scene
"The sloping the tunnel open into an enormous cavern, and you are assailed with a relieving gust of cool, if not stagnant, air. You breathe a sigh of relief, taking a moment to stretch your cramped muscles from the confines of the passage behind you. With a gesture, you signal to your three companions, and in practiced formation your party ventures forward.
The ground shifts beneath your feet like pebbles on a beach, and it takes you a few steps to realize that you are in fact treading upon an enormous hoard of treasure. Innumerable gold coins glint in the misty light of the cave, peppered with various baubles and a smattering of human bones. Your companions have not failed to notice this, but their stoic resolve does not succumb to greed.
But the silence of the cavern is not long lived. An ethereal cacophony slices through the air; a chorus of roars mingled with the sound of stone grinding on stone rips through you, shaking your very core with its intensity and timbre. The source of the sound becomes apparent as a massive horned skull lifts itself above the cluster of rocks ahead of you with two gigantic clawed feet. As you shake off the effects of the unearthly sound, you notice that the beast’s entire body seems to be one giant draconic skeleton.
“A dracolich!” Your wizardly companion shouts, his voice tinged with desperation. “We are outmatched… let us flee!” The aged man takes several cautious steps back, his staff held like a ward in front of him.
The lone female of the group steps forward, an expression of defiance plain upon her visage. “We’re not leaving until we retrieve the tome,” she growls, posture unwavering, “I haven’t come this far to be stopped by a bag of bones!” The woman’s hands glow with a blinding aura as she begins to chant, a stream of practiced incantations pouring forth.
“It’s no use, magic won’t harm it!” the old wizard cries. His desperation turns to clear frustration at the lass’ efforts. Seemingly oblivious to his words, the sorceress finishes her spell, an arc of electricity streaking from her hand to the beast’s core. Your hairs stand on end as the buzz of energy fills the cave. However, the dracolich appears nonplussed, letting out a challenging roar as the energy strikes it and dissipates.
Hefting your shield, you assess the situation before you. If the old wizard’s assessment proves true, your best bet may be to flee and attempt to research your foe through heaps of draconic lore. Alternatively, the sorceress’ tenacity may prove fruitful, and break through the beast’s obvious resistance to magic. You also note that with the cluster of rocks before you, you may be able to gain enough elevation on the beast to deal a devastating blow with your trusty sword. With your companions' skills in mind, you quickly weigh your options before springing into action."
Demystifying D&D
For players of Dungeons & Dragons, the scene above embodies the heart and spirit of the game. Participants play the roles of warriors, wizards and other adventurous characters, banded together in a fight against the forces of evil (or even against lawful organized society, if it pans out that way). To strangers of D&D, however, this aspect of the game can potentially appear the most daunting task. Since many individuals are confused as to how the game actually translates from pen and paper to a fantasy role-playing adventure, this guide will cover some key aspects of the game to clarify these misunderstandings, and build a foundation for further discussion on the finer points. However, since this project isn't a step-by-step guide on how to play a game of D&D, this analysis won't venture too far from the basics. For more information on rules, mechanisms and logistic information on playing the game, the Wizards of the Coast™ website is an excellent resource for learning more.
First things first: playing D&D in its tabletop form, which is what this website focuses on, requires a group. For an optimal game environment, generally 5-6 players create the best gameplay experience, give or take a player depending on the dynamics of the group. This note about group size should be considered for two reasons. Mechanically, D&D is played with pre-made adventures, also known as modules or
campaigns, which are created with a certain number of players in mind. Therefore, playing with either two few or too many participants may shift the challenge level of the game undesirably, making it either too easy or too difficult for players (though content can always be modified and adapted by an experienced or adventurous group). Socially, this number of players is also ideal because it provides an environment where every player is able to interact and participate in the game, without being left out of the action,
Player Interaction and Gameplay
This topic of participation evokes one of the most important elements of a D&D game: player interaction. Players in a game are divided into two groups: the game master (abbreviated as GM) and the players. The GM is the storyteller of the game, presenting the story and situations to the players while progressing the adventure based on the decisions they make. Players are responsible for the choices and actions of their characters, who they role-play throughout the adventure, while the GM takes care of everything else.
Another element of the game which often confounds strangers to the game, is how all of these choices and actions pan out. How are their outcomes decided? How much does this affect the game? One deciding factor of the outcome of players' actions in the game is chance, but there's a bit more to it than that. As previously stated, players in a game of D&D control characters. These are the typical warriors and wizards that were mentioned in the above scenario, and constitute the heart of the adventure. In fact, the term "role-playing game" is derived from this concept, that each participant is playing the role of an individual that is not themself. This process is often likened to acting, but in the context of a game. Depending on the character they create, players have certain strengths and weaknesses in each situation presented in the game. For example, a warrior is better at fighting toe-to-toe with beasts and breaking down doors, while a wizard has a higher propensity for using magic at a distance and decoding ancient scrolls. These skills are used in conjunction with a system of dice-rolling in order to decide the outcome of most actions players will take in a game.
Ultimately, how much of an effect these actions have depend on the adventure, as well as the discretion of the GM. As a general rule, the choices and actions of the players shape the outcome of the adventure, and are directly responsible for the result. There is no definiteive "win" or "loss" in D&D; because of the flexibility of game adventures, players can continue a quest through as many modules and campaign as are commercially available, or even craft their own. In this sense, D&D is more of a fluid experience than a directly linear one.
And that's just about the gist of it! The rest of the game is just based on rules, which are drawn from Player Handbooks and guidelines for each edition of the game. However, as stated before, since this website is dedicated to a more cognitive and analytic approach to D&D, only enough mechanics to lay a foundation for further analysis will be presented.