Dungeons and Dragons (Dungeons and Dragons)

DnD (Dungeons & Dragons D&D, DnD)they are dungeons and dragons ... a fantasy board role-playing game developed by Gary Gygeks and Dave Arneson. There are a bunch of editions with modified game rules. And yes, to play, you also need to create characters there.

Based on my experience as a player and writer, I can say that the skills gained in games help me create heroes who are easier to empathize with. There are insanely many articles on how to create your own unique character, but most of them relate to character.

In this article, I will begin the analysis of the character by stones from the point of view of the game system and the possibilities of its transfer to the book worlds. Let us agree that a character, unless otherwise specified, is understood to mean a spherical person in a vacuum.

So, let's figure out what the character actually consists of.

He has personality, physiology and ability. I consider these three factors to be interconnected and somewhat overlapping. But without them it is impossible to create a harmonious image. One way or another, this is a fact.

Personality

Past. Even if you start writing a book from the birth of your character, he already has a past. This is the social status of his parents, income, family composition. This also includes the degree of his health: whether his mother ate well, what the ecological situation was during pregnancy. Even a newborn character comes into the world already with luggage.

Character. It is based on temperament, that is, the nervous system. Which subsequently will be restrained by education. Or do not hold back. If your character is naturally hot-tempered, he can smile in public sweetly, but go to deliver something when no one sees him. And that makes him alive.

Motivation. The most important point of personality. That from which she dances. It does not appear right away, which is why it is taken to the very end. This is what helps your character act, not give up, go forward and grow. In part, it also determines physiology and capabilities. And the first question the master of the game will ask you when you start telling him the concept of your character “What is his motivation?” I, as a reader, always ask this question to the characters of books. And if I can forgive a vague motivation in the hope that it will open after a strong character or supporting character. But if GG has no motivation, while gray and not standing out in anything - I will close this book!

Worldview. How could I forget about him. The most fun item of our personality. Worldview shows us the morality and ethics of the character. There are two axes along which this same character hangs.
The first reveals our chaotic character, neutral or law-abiding, the second - evil, kind or neutral.

Worldview is just tooldescribing the basic personalities of the character, his psychotype. Two heroes with the same worldview may look completely different depending on how the worldview is combined with other parts of the personality.

Also, the worldview influences (and in your world may not affect!) On the effectiveness of spells, the favor of deities, the attitude of other characters (if you see the worldview is not difficult by some external signs).

good and evil
Good involves altruism, respect for life, caring for the life and health of other living things. A good character makes sacrifices to help others.

Neutrality involves some degree of indifference. Usually such characters are still against the killings, but nevertheless they will not run to give up their last shirt in order to save someone.

Evil there is pain, oppression, killing others. Often, evil characters do not have such a function as compassion. Often, evil characters kill without remorse, especially if it is profitable (and there may be any motivation for the benefit)

Randomness and obedience
A law-abiding character will speak the truth, keep his word, respect traditions and authority. They condemn those who fail to fulfill their obligations. Chaotic characters follow the call of their conscience, they are adherents of everything new, do what they like.

Law. Honor, trustworthiness, servicing authority, reliability, following traditions, difficulties in being adaptable to the new are all a law-abiding character. There is an opinion spread among those who consider law-abiding to be the only true way that only lawful behavior creates a viable society in which everyone will be sure that everyone will act as they should.

In my experience, the player - law-abiding characters are very often that tedious, especially if he is not alone, but there are a lot of them. They often infuriate with their correctness and meticulousness. Which makes them very bright.

Neutrality. One who is neutral in relation to the above. Some respects authorities, they are usually honest, but may be tempted to lie or deceive others.

Chaos. Freedom, adaptability, flexibility, recklessness, dissatisfaction with the legitimate authority, rash actions and irresponsibility. Those who advocate chaotic behavior believe that only personal freedom allows you to express yourself, to give development to the world and society, to benefit from the potential of each person.

The worldview is something that can change in a character quite easily. The main thing to remember is that for a harmonious development of a person one should not jump straight from one extreme to another. Take one step along one of the axes, changing psychology gradually. Lead to this cause and effect.

Board game "Dungeons and Dragons"

Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a famous brand of fantasy role-playing games. Several editions of a board game have been released around the world, many literary books have been written, professional and amateur films have been shot, computer games have been created, and the release of fanstaff has been launched. The series of games "Dungeons and Dragons" (dungeons - dungeons, dragons - dragons) has countless fans.

• Number of players: 2-8
• Game time: from 40 minutes
• Players Age: 8+
• Game mechanics: RPG / RPG, Fantasy

The board game Dungeons and Dragons (DnD, DnD) has been released since the seventies. 20th century. Since 1997, Wizards of the Coast, a company that has popularized the cult game Magic: The Gathering, has been developing and releasing it.

DnD is a board-role-playing game in the fictional world of the fantasy Middle Ages according to one of the settings (specially created worlds). It is based on fairly voluminous rules. A lot, including the parameters of the characters, depends on the values ​​that fell on the dice.

During the game of Dungeons and Dragons, players master “dungeon”, fight monsters, try not to fall into set traps, complete a mission to, let's say, search for an artifact. Such a game can be completed in an hour or two. It is under such a base that table sets imitating gaming locations are produced.

In a more complex, but more common case, the plot is non-linear, players have to rely not only on their luck when throwing dice, but also on the ability to get used to the role, build social connections within the game, think a lot before doing something.

The plot engine is Dungeon Master (Dungeon Guardian). The world of the game is subject to him, it depends on him who and what the players will meet on their way.

The game is almost endless. You can get together for one evening, spend one short session, go through a simple mission and disperse. You will spend time well, but you will not have time to develop a character. Fans drive one game for months, years, pumping characters, exploring the world, enjoying adventure.

Simply put, the goal of the game is to reach the heart of the dungeon, complete the mission and gain experience points. Of course, you can create a character from a number of parameters in a computer game, mechanically move forward, chopping enemies, and finally get there. Many people like to play that way.

But the most delicious highlight is not in this, but in the ability to really compose a character from scratch, as if in a book - with character, habits, past. And let him have to go through the usual scenarios, the player, accustomed to the role, for a while will become not just a dice thrower, but part of a fascinating story that he will write in many ways. Wagering is the most important part of role-playing games; for most, the goal of D&D is in the game itself, and not in victory.

To say that there are a lot of materials related to DnD - to say nothing. Only Dungeons and Dragons rule books number in the tens. The basic in each edition is the player’s book (“Player’s Handbook”), the book of the host (“Dungeon Master’s Guide”), “Monster Manual”, a book that describes the notorious dragons and other monsters). there is additional books with spells, skills, new classes, things, storylines for the game, tactical tips, artbooks, much more. They are different for different editions. Numerous articles on Dungeons and Dragons have been written, on the forums players and Masters share their experiences.

Packaging, design, localization

Talking about a specific package is possible only in relation to several games that are available in ready-made kits. Such as, The Legend of Drizzt or "Ravenloft Castle", where you can go down to the caves or explore the dungeon with comfort and minimal effort - everything is ready for you, it remains only to collect the playing field and choose a character.

In most cases, DnD is a “Build It Yourself” game. Rules books, miniatures, playing fields, sets of dice, a screen that encloses the Masters from other players - everything is acquired separately.

The issue of localization of the famous game, unfortunately, is very sad. Only one attempt was made to publish the rule book in Russian - the translation of the basic rules of DnD 3,5 in 2006 - it was unsuccessful due to translator errors. Therefore, now the rule books can only be found in English (like boxed games), or you can download amateur translations on the Internet. That, however, does not stop fans of role-playing.

Equipment

In the "boxed" version you can find a lot of interesting things. Here, for example, is the complete set of the game “The Legend of Drizzt”: 40 plastic figures of heroes and monsters, 32 tiles of ordinary dungeons, 22 tiles of the end of dungeons, 1 initial tile of dungeons, 200 cards, 10 status markers, 72 experience tokens, 12 experience tokens monsters, 16 tokens of heroes and monsters, 12 tokens of time and treasure, tokens of duels, camps, attacks, attacks and other things, twenty-sided dice, book of scripts, rules of the game.

This is enough to play more than one game in the company from 2 to 5 people.

In other cases, you will need: cubes (four-, six-, eight-, ten-, twelve- and twenty-sided), they are sold with ready-made sets, sheets of characters (you can print or write by hand), rule books (at least basic).

In addition, you can purchase or make miniatures of characters and monsters, a playing field for more convenient fighting (they are turn-based), a beautiful screen for the Master (although he can fence off his record with some sort of big book).

In especially neglected cases, if the rules have already been learned by heart, you can use only a few pieces of paper in a box, a pencil, and download a special application for your smartphone to roll dice.

Content

Initially, Dungeons & Dragons was a complement to the Chainmail desktop wargame. The main difference was the introduction to the game of various fantastic creatures and magic items. Subsequently, under the control of the players were not military units, but individual characters, the action of the games was transferred to the dungeons. The host (Dungeon Master) is the arbiter and narrator. Players create a group of several characters that interacts with the outside world, resolves various conflicts, participates in battles and receives rewards.

The early success of Dungeons & Dragons led to the spread of similar gaming systems. In 1977, the system was divided into two branches: the easier to learn Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) and the more structured Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D). In 1989, the second edition of AD&D was published. In 2000, the initial D&D game series was interrupted, the third edition of AD&D published with the new system was renamed D&D, which formed the basis of the d20 System. The fourth edition was published in 2008, and the fifth in 2014. In addition, from the second half of the 2000s, the so-called “Revival of the Old School” arose around the game, which eventually became a relatively significant phenomenon in board role-playing games.

The presence of various fantastic creatures makes it possible to compare Dungeons & Dragons with the work of J.R. R. Tolkien, although Gygex claimed that the influence of the Lord of the Rings novel was insignificant, and the use of its elements was just a marketing ploy. Subsequently, D&D was influenced by the work of other writers (for example, Robert Howard, Edgar Burroughs, Michael Moorcock, Roger Zhelyazny, Paul Anderson).

The host (the so-called "master") and several players participate in the game, the number of which varies depending on the editorial staff and the wishes of the participants. Usually, one player directs the actions of one character in the game world. The wizard acts on behalf of all non-player characters, describes the environment and the events occurring in it.

During the game, each player sets the actions for his character, and the results of the actions are determined by the master in accordance with the rules. Random events are modeled by a die roll. Sometimes the decisions of the wizard may not follow the rules. This is the Golden Rule of the game: "GM is always right," the so-called "masterful arbitrariness."

Traditionally, a game guide or set of rules includes three books: Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual. There are also various additions that the master can use at his discretion.

Sometimes, various cards are used for the game to visually depict situations in the game, and figures of characters and their opponents can also be used. But the main, and sometimes the only requirement for the game is the presence of character sheets and a set of dice - dice - dice with a given number of sides (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20, d100 (percent dice)).

The Dungeons & Dragons rules went through several editions.

The original rules were published in 1974 and were supplemented in the next two years. Formal and popular unofficial add-ons have been featured in The Strategic Review and Dragon.

In 1977, TSR released two new versions: Advanced dungeons & dragons and Dungeons & dragons.

Dungeons & dragons was a lightweight (introductory) version of the game. In 1977 Dungeons & dragons basic set, also called Second Edition, was released in the boxed version. This edition was corrected in 1981, simultaneously with the release of Expert setsupplementing the basic rules. Between 1983 and 1985, the Third Edition was released in a series of five box sets: Basic rules, Expert rules, Companion rules, Master rules and Immortal rules. In 1991, the Dungeons & Dragons rules were reissued. This edition includes Dungeons & dragons game (introductory rules) and Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (manual including material from Basic, Expert, Companion and Master rules) In 1994, the set was renamed Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game, and in 1999 reprinted as Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game.

Advanced dungeons & dragons (AD&D) was a more complex version of the game. Between 1977 and 1979, three major rule books, called Main leadership: Player’s Handbook (PHB) Dungeon master’s guide (DMG) and Monster manual (MM).

In 1989, AD&D was reissued (Second Edition). The rules were again compiled in the form of three books. These included additions and corrections that have been published over the past decade. Monster manual was redone in Monstrous compendiumon the basis of which in 1993 was made Monstrous manual.

The second edition was greatly redone. Under the influence of the public, classes such as assassin (killer) and monk (monk). Demons and devils were first renamed and then completely removed from the game, despite protests by fans of the game. The target age of the game has been reduced.

In 1995, the Basic Guide was reprinted with minor additions. Among fans, this re-release is called AD&D 2.5.

In 1997, TSR was acquired by Wizards of the Coast. The new company immediately began to develop a new version of the game.

In 2000, Wizards of the Coast introduced the third edition of D&D, very different from the previous ones. The third edition of the rules was aimed at creating great flexibility of the rules and standardizing the mechanics of actions. The basis of the rules was moved to a separate system d20available under the Open Game License.

In 2003, the edition was released D&D 3.5. It included many minor changes and extensions for the Third Edition.

August 2006 rules D&D 3.5 were first officially published in Russian at that moment, which owned at that moment the license for the publication of D&D in Russia by the AST publishing house (translation edited by A. Lensky).

In August 2007, the 4th edition was announced, which was released in June 2008. Preliminary materials (Wizards Presents: Classes and Races and Wizards Presents: Worlds and Monsters books) were released in December 2007 and January 2008.

The main differences of the 4th edition are:

• an increase in the number of class levels from 20 to 30,
• a significant increase in the influence of the chosen race on the capabilities of the character,
• change in the list of races available for the game,
• introduction of specializations for warriors (“fast” or “powerful” fighting style),
• changing the existing worldview system,
• new basic setting (game world)

In July 2014, the 5th edition was released. Упрощённые правила игры были опубликованы в бесплатном доступе на официальном сайте Wizards of the Coast. В этой pdf-документации была вырезана большая часть классов, рас и предысторий, многие правила для ДМ и большинство монстров. Вместе с новой редакцией Wizards of the Coast анонсировала D&D Adventure League.

Создание персонажей Править

Перед началом игры каждый игрок создаёт персонажа — своё воплощение в игровом мире. Для этого в первую очередь определяются его базовые параметры — сила, телосложение, ловкость, интеллект, мудрость и харизма. Classically, with a throw of 3d6 (a three-fold throw of a hexagonal cube), which gives a scatter of 3 to 18, but the 4d6 throw is usually used, and the value of the bone on which the smallest number fell is discarded, and the values ​​of the others are added. This option also gives a distribution of 3 to 18, but more biased towards 18: the probability of a minimum decreases by 6 times, and the probability of a maximum increases by 2 times. In addition to these two, there are other alternative methods, the description of which is given in the Player’s Book (For version 3.5 in the Wizard’s book (Dungeon master’s guide)). Then the player selects the race and class of his character. After that, the player can choose the skills that the character will possess, as well as indicate his worldview. It is also possible to choose a deity whom the character worships. In the end, the player needs to properly equip the character: armor and weapons for the warrior, scrolls and magic items for the wizard, master keys and other special tools for the thief and so on.

Also, in agreement with the master, the player can make quent - a character’s biography, which is needed so that the character fits better into the game world.

During the game, the character can change their parameters, improve them thanks to the experience gained.

Game Process Edit

During the game, the party (players acting together) travels the world and complete various missions and tasks. During the journey, the characters at the discretion of DM’a gain experience, which in one way or another helps to improve the characteristics of the character. Characters also earn money and get equipment.

A game may include many smaller games where characters move from one to another. It may end after completing a certain mission, and may continue indefinitely.

In general, the process of playing on the D&D system is no different from games on other desktop systems.

Adventures and Campaigns Edit

A typical Dungeons & Dragons game consists of an “adventure” that is roughly equivalent to one story. A DM can either create an original adventure or follow one of the many off-the-shelf adventures (also called "modules") that have been published throughout the history of Dungeons & Dragons. Published adventures usually include history, illustrations, maps, and goals that players need to achieve. Some of these include location descriptions and handouts. Although the small adventure "Temple of the Frog" was included in addition to Blackmoore's rules in 1975, the first stand-alone D&D module published by TSR was "Steading Of The Hill Giant Chief", written by Gygax.

A related series of adventures is usually called a "campaign." The places where these adventures take place, such as a city, country, planet, or the entire fictional universe, are called a "campaign setting" or "world." D&D settings are based on different fantasy genres and have different levels and types of magic and technology. Besides using pre-made settings, DMs can design their own fictional worlds for use as campaign settings.

Thumbnails Edit

Like its predecessors, Dungeons & Dragons uses thumbnails to display battle participants. The first edition required Chainmail desktop miniatures, but in subsequent editions the role of the miniatures was reduced due to the ability to describe the course of the battle orally.

In the 1970s, many companies began to take advantage of the popularity of Dungeons & Dragons and specialized in producing miniatures. Officially, Grenadier Miniatures [en], Citadel Miniatures [en], Ral Partha [en], and TSR did this. Most of the miniatures had a height of 25 millimeters.

Periodically, Dungeons & Dragons returns to the roots and offers additional rules for thumbnails.

Official settings (game worlds) of Dungeons & Dragons:

• Greyhawk [en] - since the birth of D&D, 1974, first separate book - 1975. Currently officially supported by Wizards of the Coast. In this setting, the action of the computer role-playing game The Temple of Elemental Evil: A> Mystara [en] takes place since the late 1970s. Not officially supported since 1999. The setting includes the following subnets:
  • Blackmoor [en] - since the birth of D&D, 1974, the first separate book - 1979. Supported by Zeitgeist Games.
  • Hollow World [en] - since 1990. Not officially supported since 1999.
  • Red Steel - since 1994. Not officially supported since 1999.
• Ravenloft - from 1983. From 2002 to 2006 it was supported by Arthaus, in 2006 Wizards of the Coast revoked its license.
• Dragonlance - from 1984. From 2002 to 2007, it was supported by Sovereign Press, and in the spring of 2007 Wizards of the Coast revoked its license.
• Forgotten Realms - since 1987. Currently officially supported by Wizards of the Coast. In this setting, the action of such computer role-playing games as Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights. This setting includes the subnetting (they are not supported since 1999):
  • Kara-Tur [en] (Oriental Adventures) - since 1986.
  • Al-Qadim (Arabian Adventures) - since 1992.
  • Maztica - since 1991.
• Spelljammer - since 1989. Not officially supported since 1999.
• Dark Sun - since 1990. Not officially supported since 1999, officially reissued for the 4th edition of D&D in 2010.
• Planescape - since 1994. Not officially supported since 1999. In this setting, the action of the computer role-playing game Planescape: Torment takes place.
• Birthright - since 1995. Not officially supported since 1999.
• Eberron - since 2004. Currently officially supported by Wizards of the Coast. In this setting, the action of the computer MMORPG Dungeons & Dragons Online, launched in 2006, takes place.

In addition, official game settings for licensed copyright worlds were created for D&D: Conan, Red Sonja, and Lankhmar.

As of the summer of 2007, only the Forgotten Realms and Eberron settings are actively supported by the developers. The Greyhawk setting is considered the “basic setting” of the third edition of D&D: if the D&D book is not dedicated to any specific game world, it is understood that the events, personalities and objects described in it belong to the Greyhawk setting.

Wizards of the Coast is currently publishing many novels on individual D&D settings. Worlds such as Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms are better known for their novels, rather than belonging to the game.

Number of players

The minimum number of players is two people, a leader and a player. But as a rule, players ("party") are companies of three or four people, so much more interesting and effective. Perhaps a larger number, but this complicates the gameplay.

An indispensable participant in the game - leading, he is the Keeper of the Underground, aka Dungeon Master, DM or just a Master. His task is to guide the players through the story to the finals.

How to play Dungeons and Dragons

The Dungeons and Dragons rules for a beginner can seem very complicated. However, the way it is - dozens of books on hundreds of pages each are devoted to their subtleties. But this is for real fans, and amateurs simply enjoy spending the evening without straining themselves, enough of the basic rule book for one of the latest editions of the system.

Moreover, the rules in Russian cannot always be obtained, which creates additional obstacles (but also an additional incentive to learn English for the sake of your favorite game). In particular, this led to the fact that many players communicate on the internal slang of warped English names - and perfectly understand each other.

The master often does not use standard scripts, but comes up with his own stories that players have to go through. Moreover, stories with a variable development of events that depend not only on the will of the Master, but also on the decision of other participants to do it one way or another, are valued more. Of course, some lead strictly along one track (the so-called "rails"), but players often do not like this. "Rails" are good for beginners or those who are too lazy to include a fantasy for acting out a character.

It is impossible to find published rule books in Russian. You will have to use books in English or search the network for private translations. But for the game to pass, you still have to learn the rules, and in advance it is unpleasant when the process slows down in the most interesting place, because something needs to be urgently clarified.

Rules Highlights

One of the basic rules is that the Master is always right. It is he who leads the plot and decides what will happen now.

Wagering is no less important than mechanics. You can build relationships with other members of the squad, with non-player characters for whom DM speaks, show character, reason, not just wave your sword.

All information about the character is recorded on a special sheet. Attributes, skills, weapons, personal items, how much money he has in his wallet and how much experience he gained.

Experience Points (XP, "exp") are awarded for a successful mission, for killed enemies, at the discretion of the Master - for a good wagering. To reach each subsequent level (“level”) you need more and more points. Players start at level 1, the maximum that they can achieve is level 20.

In the year 2000, she left third edition of DnD, and it was based on a system d20valid to this day. The key object on which the fate of the characters literally depends is the twenty-sided dice. The correct icosahedron has become a symbol of the game, and the desire to throw out the “twenty” has become the cherished desire of the players.

First of all, the cube (“dice”) rolls when skill testing and in battle. The rules describe in detail which dice the player rolls in which case, which fines and bonuses apply. The final result is also affected by the character’s parameters. By the way, they are also thrown out on cubes at the beginning of the game, but do not stand by default.

The results depend, in fact, on three factors: the competent tactics of the individual player and the entire team (“party”), the character’s behavior described by the player, and luck, because it is impossible to predict what will happen on the die, even if you play as a mage soothsayer.

Character Attributes

All heroes have a mandatory set of attributes that reflects their physical and mental data. This is strength, agility, endurance and intelligence, wisdom, charm (charisma). They are "thrown out" at the stage of creation ("generazhki") of the character on three hexagons. Six results (maximum - 18) are distributed between attributes at the discretion of the player.

In addition, there are racial bonuses and penalties for attributes that are added or subtracted from the results of the throw. In particular, therefore, race and attributes must be considered when choosing a class.

Attributes are very slow, but grow during the game, so you can initially distribute them with a reserve for the future.

Separately go life points (hit points, "hits"). They depend on level, class and stamina.

Fighter, cleric, thief and mage - A classic, fairly balanced composition of the party, which can be collected, regardless of the version of the game. But in fact, the kit can be absolutely any. You can make good heroes, you can evil, you can those who prefer to be neutral in any situation.

For example, we give base classes, which are available for selection in the game Dungeons and Dragons 3.5, released fifteen years ago, the most successful and popular.

The list of main classes

• Barbarian - uneducated, but primitively strong, powerful and hardy, he will stand shoulder to shoulder with a warrior, taking on the main blow of the enemy.
• Priest (cleric) - has divine powers, often the ideological leader of the party and the main healer. Strength depends on his wisdom, charisma and on which god he prays.
• Warrior (fighter) - as a rule, a "tank" that restrains enemies and inflicts maximum damage to them. Usually strong and hardy.
• Dodger (thief) - a multi-disciplinary specialist in cleaning pockets, opening traps, penetrating where they did not call, collecting information and deceiving the population with honest and not very methods. In battle, prefers to hit in the back. His main qualities are agility and intelligence.
• The bard is not only a musician who inspires his talent for various accomplishments, but also the most charming character who has no equal in the collection of information, diplomatic negotiations or seduction. And he conjures a little bit.
• A paladin is always a kind and passionately religious character. A powerful warrior who knows how to heal, bless and destroy evil. It has powerful charisma.
• The ranger (ranger) is an experienced and clever fellow who puts on the road without a card, catches rabbits for dinner and, if anything, fights off both the bear and the enemies.
• Sorcerer - draws his magic from internal forces, and does not memorize spells from the book. It can be very powerful and timely support.
• The wizard (wizard) is a learned mage who does not part with the spell book. Fireballs, magic arrows, and scroll writing are his profile.
• Druid - draws magical powers from nature and seeks to protect it. He is accompanied by a companion animal, which may also be far from worthless.
• The monk is a martial artist who does not need sharp weapons and heavy armor.

If a player is closely within the base class, he can take several classes, at least one for each level, and get a multiclass character. But it is worth considering that the multiclass imposes penalties for gaining experience points ("exps").

Exists prestige classes with special abilities. To get them, you must fulfill a number of conditions.

Special skills ("feats") are the "chips" of the characters that are inherent to them personally or to their class. For example, if a warrior has a skill Dissection and he kills the enemy this turn, then he can attack another enemy.

New skills are acquired once in several levels, but different classes have bonus “feats”.

Skills ("skills") improve with each level. Their number depends on the class and bonus of intelligence - from riding and sneaking to the ability to read magic scrolls and conduct diplomatic negotiations.

Saving throws

In those cases when the character needs to protect himself from any negative effects, you need to make a saving throw. There are three types of them, and they depend on the class, level and related attributes.

Reflexes - instant reaction. They are necessary, for example, when evading explosions, triggered traps. Improve due to good dexterity.

Durability - an important indicator of health. Resistance to diseases, poisons, difficult weather conditions and overloads depends on it. The higher the stamina, the better the stamina.

Will - the resistance of the mind to suggestions, ordinary and magical. Strong will among players with high wisdom.

The magic in the DnD system can be applied in different ways. If the surroundings do not require it, then the magician does not need any soul energies, not in style pentagram.

• Magicians daily memorize spells from his magic book ("spellbook"). The number of memorized and available spells depends on the level of the character. Every day you can memorize new spells, depending on the plans.
• Sorcerers do not have special books. Magic is their innate gift. They have to cast spells every day, but they have fewer spells, they cannot learn new ones at the current level.
• Druids draw their magic from the forces of nature.
• Clerics and paladins it is bestowed by their deity, who must offer prayers every day.
• Bardslike sorcerers, they use innate talents.

Spell power depends on the level of the character, on the level of the spell itself and the attribute responsible for witchcraft. It is different in different classes: intelligence, wisdom, charisma.

In a calm environment, you can conjure without haste. In close combat, conjuring is much more difficult, a fine is imposed on the character, and the spell may not work.

Magic items

In addition to spells, there are magic items: artifacts, scrolls, magic wands, potions.

Potions can be used by any character who can open the cork and pour the contents of the bottle into himself or another character in his mouth. The most popular healing potions can be used even in battle.

Scrolls are written by magicians and contain a one-time spell. One who can read magic (has the appropriate skill) can use them on a par with wizards.

Magic wands and staves are wielded by mages and characters with the ability to use magic items. Wands carry 50 charges of one spell. Staves can hold several different spells; they can be recharged.

Magical weapons, magic armor work automatically, just pick up a weapon in your hands and put on armor.

The rest of the magical things act individually. For example, an artifact will work only if all its parts are put together.

There are monsters in the game for every taste, color, size. From rats to dragons. With superpowers and without them. Only in the main reference book on monsters in the 3.5 edition of more than two hundred creatures.

The stronger the monster, the more experience points they give for it - but the higher the chance to die in battle. The level of the monster that the party of adventurers will encounter depends on the level of the characters and the kindness of the Master. By the way, it’s far from worth fighting with all the monsters - sometimes you need to think, retreat or confer, and defeat the enemy with some tricky technique. Or the monsters may turn out to be quite reasonable, it will turn out to be agreed with them.

The Knowledge skill (several types of them) helps to find vulnerable points of the enemy. For example, a dungeon connoisseur must have heard of beholders, and an experienced ranger will strongly advise you not to mess with the troll if you don’t have alchemical fire with you.

If you still have little idea of ​​the passage of the game, then watch on the Internet a video that plays Dungeons and Dragons. Some consider DnD fans to be freaks, but try to immerse yourself in the game for real, to understand what it feels like.

Игра начинается с создания персонажей, прописывания всех их параметров, а также расы, класса, мировоззрения, имени, возраста и квенты (предыстории).

Когда листы персонажей написаны, Мастер дает вводную историю: где вы сейчас находитесь, что вообще происходит. С этого момента персонажи могут совершать различные действия, задавать вопросы, контактировать друг с другом и персонажами истории. На все, что может влиять на дальнейшее развитие событий, придется кидать кубик, большинстве случаев - двадцатигранник.

Выпили пару кружек пива в трактире – бросьте спасбросок по Стойкости, а то вдруг война, а вы пьяный. Пытаетесь выведать у официантки, какие новости в деревне, – бросок на общение или сбор информации.

Иногда можно пройти миссию без единого боя, только хорошим социальным отыгрышем. But the battle, of course, is an important part of the game system, all kinds of dice come in handy here - for different types of weapons, a die is thrown.

In battle, you can attack, defend, conjure. Each action requires a roll of “twenty” - the higher the value dropped, the better the result.

After the battle, the division of the trophies and the issuance by the Master of an “expy” follow.

DM leads the characters through the story to the completion of the mission, usually received at the very beginning. As a rule, a long adventure is divided into many small tasks ("quests").

The game ends after the plot ends. However, this does not interfere To the master to come up with a new “pumped” party.

Who likes Dungeons & Dragons

Fans of computer games based on this system should definitely try to play DnD: Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights, Planescape: Torment, MMORPG Dungeons & Dragons Online.

Those who like books about the fantasy Middle Ages, with elves, gnomes, wizards, warriors, can plunge into the world.

A good help for a novice writer will be the role of the Master - he will get the opportunity to simulate the story live.

Of course, role-playmen and reenactors, whom the weather drove home.

The game will captivate those who have nowhere to put an endless imagination and those. who always wanted to try himself as an actor.

Additional materials

There are various versions of the game Dungeons & Dragons, released over forty years.

DnD rules were first published in feature magazines in 1974. The game was created on the basis of the Chainmail wargame. The first edition is the simplest.

In 1977, the second edition came out - Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set, in a separate box. In subsequent years, additional books and sets were published.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) is a more complex version of the game, first released also in 1977. The rules were compiled in three books. In 1989, a revised and supplemented second edition also appeared in three volumes - Player’s Handbook (PHB), Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG) and Monster Manual (MM).

In 2000, the new owner of the Wizards of the Coast brand released the third edition of D&D. It was radically different from the previous ones, had greater game flexibility, improved mechanics. It was the first to use the d20 system. Three years later, corrections and extensions came to the game, and the system together with them received the name D&D 3.5.

In 2007, publishers began to develop a new, fourth, edition - Dungeons and Dragons 4. Substantial changes were made to the mechanics, the class system and a new game world was introduced. The publication attracted more attention to those who focus on fighting rather than wagering, and in general, among the fans, the project was considered unsuccessful and unbalanced.

Therefore, it was followed by the fifth edition of the board game. While it is in operation, and only a stripped down version of the basic rules is available to fans, which can be said on the publisher's official website. In addition to D&D 5, the D&D Adventure League was announced.

Dungeons and Dragons is not just a game. This is a huge layer of culture, it is thousands of followers and exciting adventures in the fantasy world.

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