Dungeons & Dragons For Dummies

Caught in traffic. Trapped in a cubicle. Stuck in a rut. Tangled up in red tape. In the real world, sometimes you feel powerless—but not in Dungeons & Dragons (D & D). In this fantasy-adventure, you have all kinds of special powers. You can slay the evil dragon, overcome the orc or the ogre, haunt the werewolf, and triumph over sinister trolls. You venture into strange realms, encounter strange creatures, and use magical powers. Your character grows and develops with every adventure. With this guide, you can learn the ins and outs of D & D and start playing right away. Dungeons & Dragons For Dummies gives beginners the basics of the complex game and helps experienced players fine-tune their roleplaying. It guides you through: Creating your character (a powerful fighter, a sneaky rogue, a crafty sorcerer, or a charismatic cleric), and character advancement The races: humans, dwarves, elves, and halflings The types of character actions: attack rolls, skill check, and ability checks The 6 abilities: strength, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, wisdom, charisma Feat requirements and types Playing the game, including moving in combat, attacking with a weapon (melee attacks or ranged attacks), and damage and dying Picking skills, armor, weapons, and gear Choosing spells if your character is a sorcerer or domains for a cleric Building encounter or combat strategies and using advanced tactics Maximizing your character’s power with the acquisition of the right magic items: armor, weapons, potion, scroll, ring, wand, staff, rod, plus wondrous items D & D game etiquette Becoming a Dungeon Master There’s even a sample play session that walks you through typical play, gets you comfortable using the battle grid and character markers, lets you test player characters against each other and against monsters, and shows you how to add story elements to create an adventure. Produced in partnership with Wizards of the Coast, written by D & D game designers, and complete with a battle grid, a sample dungeon map, and a glossary, this guide arms you with the knowledge to create and equip a character and empowers you to enter the captivating, fascinating world of D & D.

Table of Contents:
Foreword. Introduction. Part I: D&D Crash Course. Chapter 1: Preparing for Adventure. Chapter 2: Your First Character. Chapter 3: Starting Out as a Fighter. Chapter 4: Starting Out as a Rogue. Chapter 5: Starting Out as a Sorcerer. Chapter 6: Starting Out as a Cleric. Chapter 7: Playing the Game. Chapter 8: Practice Session. Chapter 9: Finding a D&D Game to Join. Part II: Building a D&D Character. Chapter 10: Defining Your Character. Chapter 11: Choosing a Class. Chapter 12: Figuring Out Your Character’s Ability Scores. Chapter 13: Picking a Race. Chapter 14: Selecting Feats. Chapter 15: Picking Skills. Chapter 16: Choosing Armor, Weapons, and Gear. Chapter 17: Choosing Spells. Chapter 18: Advancing Your Character. Part III: Playing Your Best Game. Chapter 19: Handling Yourself in a Fight. Chapter 20: Making the Most of Magic. Chapter 21: Roleplaying and Working Together. Chapter 22: Character Building for Experts. Part IV: The Art of Dungeon Mastering. Chapter 23: Running the Game. Chapter 24: Building a Dungeon. Chapter 25: Keeping Your Players Happy. Part V: The Part of Tens. Chapter 26: The Ten Best Sorcerer Spells. Chapter 27: The Ten Best Cleric Spells. Chapter 28: The Ten Best Low-Level Monsters. Chapter 29: The Ten Best Mid-Level Monsters. Chapter 30: The Ten Best Dungeon Master Resources. Chapter 31: The Ten Best Player Resources. Chapter 32: The Ten Best D&D Novels. Glossary. Index.

About the Author :
Bill Slavicsek has been a game designer since 1986 and leads the creative effort for Wizards of the Coast. Richard Baker is a game developer and author of five Forgotten Realms novels. Bill Slavicsek has been a game designer since 1986 and leads the creative effort for Wizards of the Coast. Richard Baker is a game developer and author of five Forgotten Realms novels.