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''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TSR). It has been published by Wizards of the Coast (now a subsidiary of Hasbro) since 1997. The game was derived from miniature wargames, with a variation of the 1971 game ''Chainmail'' serving as the initial rule system. ''D&D'' publication is commonly recognized as the beginning of modern role-playing games and the role-playing game industry, and also deeply influenced video games, especially the
role-playing video game A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...
genre. ''D&D'' departs from traditional wargaming by allowing each player to create their own
character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
to play instead of a military formation. These characters embark upon adventures within a fantasy setting. A Dungeon Master (DM) serves as the game's referee and storyteller, while maintaining the setting in which the adventures occur, and playing the role of the inhabitants of the game world, also referred to as
non-player character A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster o ...
s (NPCs). The characters form a party and they interact with the setting's inhabitants and each other. Together they solve dilemmas, engage in battles, explore, and gather treasure and knowledge. In the process, the characters earn
experience point An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experi ...
s (XP) in order to rise in levels, and become increasingly powerful over a series of separate gaming sessions. The early success of ''D&D'' led to a proliferation of similar game systems. Despite the competition, ''D&D'' has remained the market leader in the role-playing game industry. In 1977, the game was split into two branches: the relatively rules-light game system of basic ''Dungeons & Dragons'', and the more structured, rules-heavy game system of '' Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' (abbreviated as ''AD&D'').Gygax; "From the Sorcerer's Scroll" in ''The Dragon'' #26. ''AD&D'' 2nd Edition was published in 1989. In 2000, a new system was released as ''D&D'' 3rd edition, continuing the edition numbering from ''AD&D''; a revised version 3.5 was released in June 2003. These 3rd edition rules formed the basis of the d20 System, which is available under the Open Game License (OGL) for use by other publishers. ''D&D'' 4th edition was released in June 2008. The 5th edition of ''D&D'', the most recent, was released during the second half of 2014. In 2004, ''D&D'' remained the best-known, and best-selling, role-playing game in the US, with an estimated 20 million people having played the game and more than US$1 billion in book and equipment sales worldwide. The year 2017 had "the most number of players in its history—12 million to 15 million in North America alone". ''D&D 5th edition'' sales "were up 41 percent in 2017 from the year before, and soared another 52 percent in 2018, the game's biggest sales year yet". The game has been supplemented by many pre-made
adventures An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme sp ...
, as well as commercial
campaign settings A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A ''campaign'' is a series of individual adventures, and a ''campaign setting'' is the world in which such adventures and c ...
suitable for use by regular gaming groups. ''D&D'' is known beyond the game itself for other ''D&D''-branded products, references in popular culture, and some of the controversies that have surrounded it, particularly a moral panic in the 1980s falsely linking it to
Satanism Satanism is a group of ideological and philosophical beliefs based on Satan. Contemporary religious practice of Satanism began with the founding of the atheistic Church of Satan by Anton LaVey in the United States in 1966, although a few hi ...
and
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
. The game has won multiple awards and has been translated into many languages.


Play overview

''Dungeons & Dragons'' is a structured yet open-ended role-playing game. It is normally played indoors with the participants seated around a tabletop. Typically, one player takes on the role of Dungeon Master (DM) while the others each control a single character, representing an individual in a fictional setting. When working together as a group, the player characters (PCs) are often described as a " party" of adventurers, with each member often having their own area of specialty which contributes to the success of the whole. During the course of play, each player directs the actions of their character and their interactions with other characters in the game. This activity is performed through the verbal impersonation of the characters by the players, while employing a variety of social and other useful cognitive skills, such as logic, basic mathematics and imagination. A game often continues over a series of meetings to complete a single adventure, and longer into a series of related gaming adventures, called a "
campaign Campaign or The Campaign may refer to: Types of campaigns * Campaign, in agriculture, the period during which sugar beets are harvested and processed * Advertising campaign, a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme * B ...
". The results of the party's choices and the overall story line for the game are determined by the DM according to the rules of the game and the DM's interpretation of those rules. The DM selects and describes the various
non-player character A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster o ...
s (NPCs) that the party encounters, the settings in which these interactions occur, and the outcomes of those encounters based on the players' choices and actions. Encounters often take the form of battles with "
monster A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
s" – a generic term used in ''D&D'' to describe potentially hostile beings such as animals, aberrant beings, or mythical creatures. The game's extensive rules – which cover diverse subjects such as social interactions, magic use, combat, and the effect of the environment on PCs – help the DM to make these decisions. The DM may choose to deviate from the published rules or make up new ones if they feel it is necessary. The most recent versions of the game's rules are detailed in three core rulebooks: The '' Player's Handbook'', the ''
Dungeon Master's Guide The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' (''DMG'' or ''DM's Guide''; in some printings, the ''Dungeon Masters Guide'' or ''Dungeon Master Guide'') is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons''. The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' co ...
'' and the '' Monster Manual''. The only items required to play the game are the rulebooks, a
character sheet A character sheet is a record of a player character in a role-playing game, including whatever details, notes, game statistics, and background information a player would need during a play session. Character sheets can be found in use in both tr ...
for each player, and a number of
polyhedral dice Dice (singular die or dice) are small, throwable objects with marked sides that can rest in multiple positions. They are used for generating random values, commonly as part of tabletop games, including dice games, board games, role-playing ga ...
. Many players also use miniature figures on a grid map as a visual aid if desired, particularly during combat. Some editions of the game presume such usage. Many optional accessories are available to enhance the game, such as expansion rulebooks, pre-designed adventures and various
campaign settings A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A ''campaign'' is a series of individual adventures, and a ''campaign setting'' is the world in which such adventures and c ...
.


Game mechanics

Before the game begins, each player creates their player character and records the details (described below) on a character sheet. First, a player determines their character's ability scores, which consist of Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Each edition of the game has offered differing methods of determining these scores. The player then chooses a race (species) such as human or elf, a character class (occupation) such as fighter or wizard, an
alignment Alignment may refer to: Archaeology * Alignment (archaeology), a co-linear arrangement of features or structures with external landmarks * Stone alignment, a linear arrangement of upright, parallel megalithic standing stones Biology * Structu ...
(a moral and ethical outlook), and other features to round out the character's abilities and backstory, which have varied in nature through differing editions. During the game, players describe their PCs' intended actions, such as punching an opponent or picking a lock, and converse with the DM, who then describes the result or response. Trivial actions, such as picking up a letter or opening an unlocked door, are usually automatically successful. The outcomes of more complex or risky actions are determined by rolling dice. "The Role-Playing Game and the Game of Role-Playing" Different polyhedral dice are used for different actions, such as a twenty-sided die to see whether a hit was made in combat, but an eight-sided die to determine how much damage was dealt. Factors contributing to the outcome include the character's ability scores, skills and the difficulty of the task. In circumstances where a character does not have control of an event, such as when a trap or magical effect is triggered or a spell is cast, a saving throw can be used to determine whether the resulting damage is reduced or avoided.Tweet, Cook, Williams; ''Player's Handbook'' v3.5, p. 136 In this case the odds of success are influenced by the character's class, levels and ability scores. As the game is played, each PC changes over time and generally increases in capability. Characters gain (or sometimes lose) experience, skills and wealth, and may even alter their alignment or gain additional character classes. The key way characters progress is by earning
experience point An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experi ...
s (XP), which happens when they defeat an enemy or accomplish a difficult task. Acquiring enough XP allows a PC to advance a
level Level or levels may refer to: Engineering *Level (instrument), a device used to measure true horizontal or relative heights *Spirit level, an instrument designed to indicate whether a surface is horizontal or vertical *Canal pound or level *Regr ...
, which grants the character improved class features, abilities and skills. XP can be lost in some circumstances, such as encounters with creatures that drain life energy, or by use of certain magical powers that come with an XP cost. Hit points (HP) are a measure of a character's vitality and health and are determined by the class, level and constitution of each character. They can be temporarily lost when a character sustains wounds in combat or otherwise comes to harm, and loss of HP is the most common way for a character to die in the game. Death can also result from the loss of key ability scores or character levels. When a PC dies, it is often possible for the dead character to be resurrected through magic, although some penalties may be imposed as a result. If resurrection is not possible or not desired, the player may instead create a new PC to resume playing the game.


Adventures and campaigns

A typical ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game consists of an "adventure", which is roughly equivalent to a single story. The DM can either design an original adventure, or follow one of the many pre-made adventures (also known as "modules") that have been published throughout the history of ''Dungeons & Dragons''. Published adventures typically include a background story, illustrations, maps and goals for PCs to achieve. Some include location descriptions and handouts. Although a small adventure entitled "
Temple of the Frog ''Temple of the Frog'' () is a 48-page 1986 adventure module for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' roleplaying game. Its module code is DA2 and its TSR product code is TSR 9175. Another version of it was originally released in 1975 as part of the Bl ...
" was included in the ''
Blackmoor Blackmore is a village in Essex, England. Blackmore or Blackmoor may also refer to: * Blackmore (name), a surname (including a list of people with the name) * Blackmoor, Hampshire, a village in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England ...
'' rules supplement in 1975, the first stand-alone ''D&D'' module published by TSR was 1978's ''
Steading of the Hill Giant Chief ''Against the Giants'' is an Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons), adventure module written by Gary Gygax and published by TSR, Inc., TSR in 1981 for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. It combines the G series of modules previously ...
'', written by Gygax. A linked series of adventures is commonly referred to as a "
campaign Campaign or The Campaign may refer to: Types of campaigns * Campaign, in agriculture, the period during which sugar beets are harvested and processed * Advertising campaign, a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme * B ...
". The locations where these adventures occur, such as a city, country, planet or an entire
fictional universe A fictional universe, or fictional world, is a self-consistent setting with events, and often other elements, that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed, or fictional realm (or world). Fictional universes may ...
, are referred to as " campaign settings" or "world". ''D&D'' settings are based in various fantasy genres and feature different levels and types of magic and technology. Popular commercially published campaign settings for ''Dungeons & Dragons'' include Greyhawk, Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Mystara, Spelljammer, Ravenloft, Dark Sun, Planescape,
Birthright Birthright is the concept of things being due to a person upon or by fact of their birth, or due to the order of their birth. These may include rights of citizenship based on the place where the person was born or the citizenship of their paren ...
, and Eberron. In addition to first-party campaigns and modules, two campaigns based on popular culture have been created. The first, based on ''
Stranger Things ''Stranger Things'' is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as showrunners and are executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. Produced by Monkey Massacre Prod ...
'', was released in May 2019. A campaign based on the ''Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons and Dragons'' comic book series was later released in November 2019. Alternatively, DMs may develop their own fictional worlds to use as campaign settings.


Miniature figures

The wargames from which ''Dungeons & Dragons'' evolved used miniature figures to represent combatants. ''D&D'' initially continued the use of miniatures in a fashion similar to its direct precursors. The original ''D&D'' set of 1974 required the use of the '' Chainmail'' miniatures game for combat resolution. By the publication of the 1977 game editions, combat was mostly resolved verbally. Thus miniatures were no longer required for game play, although some players continued to use them as a visual reference. In the 1970s, numerous companies began to sell miniature figures specifically for ''Dungeons & Dragons'' and similar games. Licensed miniature manufacturers who produced official figures include
Grenadier Miniatures Grenadier Models Inc. of Springfield, Pennsylvania produced lead miniature figures for wargames and role-playing games with fantasy, science fiction and heroic themes between 1975 and 1996. Grenadier Models Inc. is best known for their figure ...
(1980–1983),
Citadel Miniatures Citadel Miniatures Limited is a company which produces metal, resin and plastic miniature figures for tabletop wargames such as ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''. In the past Citadel Miniatures was a separate company but i ...
(1984–1986),
Ral Partha Formed in 1975, Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, is now known as ''Ral Partha Legacy Ltd.'' and produces miniature figures in 25 mm, 30 mm, 15 mm, and 54 mm scale. The company's products are m ...
, and TSR itself. Most of these miniatures used the 25 mm scale. Periodically, ''Dungeons & Dragons'' has returned to its wargaming roots with supplementary rules systems for miniatures-based wargaming. Supplements such as '' Battlesystem'' (1985 and 1989) and a new edition of ''Chainmail'' (2001) provided rule systems to handle battles between armies by using miniatures.


Development history


Sources and influences

An immediate predecessor of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' was a set of medieval miniature rules written by Jeff Perren. These were expanded by Gary Gygax, whose additions included a fantasy supplement, before the game was published as '' Chainmail''. When
Dave Wesely David Wesely (born 1945) is a wargamer, board game designer, and video game developer. Wesely's developments, inspired by ''Kriegsspiel'' wargames, were important and influential in the early history of role-playing games. Early life and educ ...
entered the Army in 1970, his friend and fellow Napoleonics wargamer Dave Arneson began a medieval variation of Wesely's
Braunstein Braunstein (german: brown stone) is a German surname. Notable people with the name include: *Alexander E. Braunstein (1902–1986), Soviet biochemist * Edward Braunstein (born 1981), American politician * Guy Braunstein (born 1971), Israeli-America ...
games, where players control individuals instead of armies.Arneson; "My Life and Role Playing" in ''Different Worlds'' #3 Arneson used ''Chainmail'' to resolve combat. As play progressed, Arneson added such innovations as character classes, experience points, level advancement, armor class, and others. Having partnered previously with Gygax on '' Don't Give Up the Ship!'', Arneson introduced Gygax to his Blackmoor game and the two then collaborated on developing "The Fantasy Game", the game that became ''Dungeons & Dragons'', with the final writing and preparation of the text being done by Gygax. Mead, Malcomson; ''Dungeons & Dragons'' FAQKushner; Dungeon Master: The Life and Legacy of Gary GygaxWizards of the Coast; The History of TSR The name was chosen by Gygax's two-year-old daughter Cindy; upon being presented with a number of choices of possible names, she exclaimed, "Oh Daddy, I like Dungeons & Dragons best!", although less prevalent versions of the story gave credit to his then wife Mary Jo. Many ''Dungeons & Dragons'' elements appear in hobbies of the mid-to-late 20th century. For example, character-based role playing can be seen in improvisational theater. Game-world simulations were well developed in wargaming. Fantasy milieux specifically designed for gaming could be seen in Glorantha's board games, among others.Schick; ''Heroic Worlds'', pp. 17–34 Ultimately, however, ''Dungeons & Dragons'' represents a unique blending of these elements. The world of ''D&D'' was influenced by world mythology, history, pulp fiction, and contemporary fantasy novels. The importance of J. R. R. Tolkien's '' The Lord of the Rings'' and '' The Hobbit'' as an influence on ''D&D'' is controversial. The presence in the game of halflings, elves, half-elves, dwarves, orcs,
rangers A Ranger is typically someone in a military/paramilitary or law enforcement role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called “ranging”. The term most often refers to: * Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with protecting and ...
, and the like, as well as the convention of diverse adventurers forming a group, draw comparisons to these works. The resemblance was even closer before the threat of copyright action from Tolkien Enterprises prompted the name changes of hobbit to 'halfling',
ent Ents are a species of beings in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world Middle-earth who closely resemble trees; their leader is Treebeard of Fangorn forest. Their name is derived from an Old English word for giant. The Ents appear in ''The Lord of ...
to '
treant Ents are a species of beings in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world Middle-earth who closely resemble trees; their leader is Treebeard of Fangorn forest. Their name is derived from an Old English word for giant. The Ents appear in ''The Lord of ...
', and
balrog A Balrog () is a powerful demonic monster in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. One first appeared in print in his high-fantasy novel ''The Lord of the Rings'', where the Fellowship of the Ring (characters), Fellowship of the Ring encounter a Bal ...
to '
balor In Irish mythology, Balor or Balar was a leader of the Fomorians, a group of malevolent supernatural beings. He is often described as a giant with a large eye that wreaks destruction when opened. Balor takes part in the Battle of Mag Tuired, a ...
'. For many years, Gygax played down the influence of Tolkien on the development of the game.Gygax; "On the Influence of J. R. R. Tolkien on the D&D and AD&D games" in ''Dragon'' #95 However, in an interview in 2000, he acknowledged that Tolkien's work had a "strong impact" though he also said that the list of other influential authors was long. The ''D&D'' magic system, in which wizards memorize spells that are used up once cast and must be re-memorized the next day, was heavily influenced by the ''
Dying Earth ''Dying Earth'' is a fantasy series by the American author Jack Vance, comprising four books originally published from 1950 to 1984. Some have been called picaresque. They vary from short story collections to a fix-up (novel created from older ...
'' stories and novels of Jack Vance. The original alignment system (which grouped all characters and creatures into 'Law', 'Neutrality' and 'Chaos') was derived from the novel '' Three Hearts and Three Lions'' by Poul Anderson. A troll described in this work influenced the ''D&D'' definition of that monster. Other influences include the works of
Robert E. Howard Robert Ervin Howard (January 22, 1906June 11, 1936) was an American writer. He wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. He is well known for his character Conan the Barbarian and is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subge ...
,
Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best-known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, he ...
, A. Merritt, H. P. Lovecraft, Fritz Leiber,
L. Sprague de Camp Lyon Sprague de Camp (; November 27, 1907 – November 6, 2000) was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction. In a career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and works of non-fiction, including biog ...
, Fletcher Pratt, Roger Zelazny, and Michael Moorcock. Monsters, spells, and magic items used in the game have been inspired by hundreds of individual works such as A. E. van Vogt's "Black Destroyer", Coeurl (the
Displacer Beast In the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game, "monsters" are generally the antagonists which players must fight and defeat to progress in the game. Since the game's first edition in 1974, a bestiary was included along other game man ...
), Lewis Carroll's " Jabberwocky" ( vorpal sword) and the Book of Genesis (the clerical spell 'Blade Barrier' was inspired by the "
flaming sword Flaming sword may refer to: * Flaming sword (mythology), in myth and legend, a sword glowing with flame by some supernatural power * Flaming sword (effect), a sword coated with combustible fuel and set ablaze for various types of performances * '' ...
which turned every way" at the gates of
Eden Eden may refer to: * Garden of Eden, the "garden of God" described in the Book of Genesis Places and jurisdictions Canada * Eden, Ontario * Eden High School Middle East * Eden, Lebanon, a city and former bishopric * Camp Eden, Iraq O ...
).DeVarque; Literary Sources of D&D


Edition history

''Dungeons & Dragons'' has gone through several revisions. Parallel versions and inconsistent naming practices can make it difficult to distinguish between the different editions.


Original game

The original ''Dungeons & Dragons'', now referred to as ''OD&D'', was a small box set of three booklets published in 1974. With a very limited production budget of only $2000—with only $100 budgeted for artwork—it was amateurish in production and assumed the player was familiar with wargaming. Nevertheless, it grew rapidly in popularity, first among wargamers and then expanding to a more general audience of college and high school students. Roughly 1,000 copies of the game were sold in the first year followed by 3,000 in 1975, and many more in the following years. This first set went through many printings and was supplemented with several official additions, such as the original Greyhawk and Blackmoor supplements (both 1975), as well as magazine articles in TSR's official publications and many
fanzine A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by fan (person), enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) ...
s.


Two-pronged strategy

In early 1977, TSR created the first element of a two-pronged strategy that would divide ''D&D'' for nearly two decades. A '' Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set'' boxed edition was introduced that cleaned up the presentation of the essential rules, made the system understandable to the general public, and was sold in a package that could be stocked in toy stores. Later in 1977, the first part of ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' (''AD&D'') was published, which brought together the various published rules, options and corrections, then expanded them into a definitive, unified game for hobbyist gamers. TSR marketed them as an introductory game for new players and a more complex game for experienced ones; the ''Basic Set'' directed players who exhausted the possibilities of that game to switch to the advanced rules. As a result of this parallel development, the basic game included many rules and concepts which contradicted comparable ones in ''AD&D''. John Eric Holmes, the editor of the basic game, preferred a lighter tone with more room for personal improvisation. ''AD&D'', on the other hand, was designed to create a tighter, more structured game system than the loose framework of the original game. Between 1977 and 1979, three hardcover rulebooks, commonly referred to as the "core rulebooks", were released: the '' Player's Handbook'' (PHB), the ''
Dungeon Master's Guide The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' (''DMG'' or ''DM's Guide''; in some printings, the ''Dungeon Masters Guide'' or ''Dungeon Master Guide'') is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons''. The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' co ...
'' (DMG), and the '' Monster Manual'' (MM). Several supplementary books were published throughout the 1980s, notably '' Unearthed Arcana'' (1985) that included a large number of new rules. Confusing matters further, the original ''D&D'' boxed set remained in publication until 1979, since it remained a healthy seller for TSR.


Revised editions

In the 1980s, the rules for ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' and "basic" ''Dungeons & Dragons'' remained separate, each developing along different paths. In 1981, the basic version of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' was revised by
Tom Moldvay Thomas Steven Moldvay (Nov. 5, 1948 – March 9, 2007) was an American game designer and author, best known for his work on early materials for the fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (D&D). Career During the 1970s while a stude ...
to make it even more novice-friendly. It was promoted as a continuation of the original ''D&D'' tone, whereas ''AD&D'' was promoted as advancement of the mechanics. An accompanying '' Expert Set'', originally written by David "Zeb" Cook, allowed players to continue using the simpler ruleset beyond the early levels of play. In 1983, revisions of those sets by Frank Mentzer were released, revising the presentation of the rules to a more tutorial format. These were followed by '' Companion'' (1983), '' Master'' (1985), and '' Immortals'' (1986) sets.Schick; ''Heroic Worlds'', p. 133 Each set covered game play for more powerful characters than the previous. The first four sets were compiled in 1991 as a single hardcover book, the ''
Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia The ''Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia'' is a 1991 book published by TSR, Inc., as a continuation of the basic edition of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game, which ran concurrently with ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons''. Its ...
'', which was released alongside a new introductory boxed set. ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition'' was published in 1989, again as three core rulebooks; the primary designer was David "Zeb" Cook. The ''Monster Manual'' was replaced by the ''
Monstrous Compendium The ''Monstrous Compendium'' is a series of accessories for the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game released from 1989 to 1998. The title was then used for a series of 5th Edition ''Dungeons & Dragons'' supplements released ...
'', a loose-leaf binder that was subsequently replaced by the hardcover ''
Monstrous Manual The ''Monster Manual'' (''MM'' is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'' fantasy role-playing game, first published in 1977 by TSR. The ''Monster Manual'' was the first hardcover D&D book and includ ...
'' in 1993. In 1995, the core rulebooks were slightly revised, although still referred to by TSR as the 2nd Edition, and a series of ''Player's Option'' manuals were released as optional rulebooks. The release of ''AD&D 2nd Edition'' deliberately excluded some aspects of the game that had attracted negative publicity. References to demons and devils, sexually suggestive artwork, and playable, evil-aligned character types – such as assassins and half-orcs – were removed.Ward; "The Games Wizards: Angry Mothers From Heck (And what we do about them)" in ''Dragon'' #154 The edition moved away from a theme of 1960s and 1970s "sword and sorcery" fantasy fiction to a mixture of medieval history and mythology. The rules underwent minor changes, including the addition of non-weapon proficiencies – skill-like abilities that originally appeared in 1st Edition supplements. The game's magic spells were divided into schools and spheres. A major difference was the promotion of various game settings beyond that of traditional fantasy. This included blending fantasy with other genres, such as horror (Ravenloft), science fiction (Spelljammer), and apocalyptic (Dark Sun), as well as alternative historical and non-European mythological settings.


Wizards of the Coast

In 1997, a near-bankrupt TSR was purchased by Wizards of the Coast. Following three years of development, ''Dungeons & Dragons'' 3rd edition was released in 2000. The new release folded the Basic and Advanced lines back into a single unified game. It was the largest revision of the ''D&D'' rules to date, and served as the basis for a multi-genre role-playing system designed around 20-sided dice, called the d20 System. The 3rd Edition rules were designed to be internally consistent and less restrictive than previous editions of the game, allowing players more flexibility to create the characters they wanted to play. Skills and feats were introduced into the core rules to encourage further customization of characters. The new rules standardized the mechanics of action resolution and combat.Tweet, Cook, Williams; ''Player's Handbook'' v3.5, p. 4 In 2003, ''Dungeons & Dragons v.3.5'' was released as a revision of the 3rd Edition rules. This release incorporated hundreds of rule changes, mostly minor, and expanded the core rulebooks. In early 2005, Wizards of the Coast's R&D team started to develop ''Dungeons & Dragons'' 4th Edition, prompted mainly by the feedback obtained from the ''D&D'' playing community and a desire to make the game faster, more intuitive, and with a better play experience than under the 3rd Edition. The new game was developed through a number of design phases spanning from May 2005 until its release. ''Dungeons & Dragons'' 4th Edition was announced at Gen Con in August 2007, and the initial three core books were released June 6, 2008.Slavicsek; Ampersand: Exciting News! 4th Edition streamlined the game into a simplified form and introduced numerous rules changes. Many character abilities were restructured into "Powers". These altered the spell-using classes by adding abilities that could be used at will, per encounter, or per day. Likewise, non-magic-using classes were provided with parallel sets of options. Software tools, including player character and monster building programs, became a major part of the game.Svensson; Dungeons & Dragons reborn This edition added the '' D&D Encounters'' program; a weekly event held at local stores designed to draw players back to the game by giving "the busy gamer the chance to play ''D&D'' once a week as their schedules allow. In the past, ''D&D'' games could take months, even years, and players generally had to attend every session so that the story flow wasn't interrupted. With ''Encounters'', players can come and go as they choose and new players can easily be integrated into the story continuity".


= 5th Edition

= On January 9, 2012, Wizards of the Coast announced that it was working on a 5th edition of the game. The company planned to take suggestions from players and let them playtest the rules. Public playtesting began on May 24, 2012. At Gen Con 2012 in August, Mike Mearls, lead developer for 5th Edition, said that Wizards of the Coast had received feedback from more than 75,000 playtesters, but that the entire development process would take two years, adding, "I can't emphasize this enough ... we're very serious about taking the time we need to get this right." The release of the 5th Edition, coinciding with ''D&D''s 40th anniversary, occurred in the second half of 2014. Since the release of 5th edition, dozens of ''Dungeon & Dragons'' books have been published including new rulebooks, campaign guides and adventure modules. 2017 had "the most number of players in its history—12 million to 15 million in North America alone". Mary Pilon, for '' Bloomberg'', reported that sales of 5th edition ''Dungeon & Dragons'' "were up 41 percent in 2017 from the year before, and soared another 52 percent in 2018, the game’s biggest sales year yet. ..In 2017, 9 million people watched others play D&D on Twitch, immersing themselves in the world of the game without ever having to pick up a die or cast a spell". In 2018, Wizards of the Coast organized a massive live-stream event, the Stream of Many Eyes, where ten live-streamed sessions of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' were performed on Twitch over three days. This event won the Content Marketing Institute's 2019 award for best "In-Person (Event) Content Marketing Strategy". ''Dungeons & Dragons'' continued to have a strong presence on Twitch throughout 2019; this included a growing number of celebrity players and dungeon masters, such as Joe Manganiello, Deborah Ann Woll and Stephen Colbert. Wizards of the Coast has created, produced and sponsored multiple web series featuring ''Dungeons & Dragons''. These shows have typically aired on the official ''Dungeons & Dragons'' Twitch and YouTube channels. In 2020, Wizards of the Coast announced that ''Dungeons & Dragons'' had its 6th annual year of growth in 2019 with a "300 percent increase in sales of their introductory box sets, as well as a 65% increase on sales in Europe, a rate which has more than quadrupled since 2014". In terms of player demographics in 2019, 39% of identified as female and 61% identified as male. 40% of players are considered
Gen Z Generation Z (or more commonly Gen Z for short), colloquially known as zoomers, is the Western demographic cohort succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1990s as starting birt ...
(24 years old or younger), 34% of players are in the age range of 25–34 and 26% of players are aged 35+. In January 2021, the '' Los Angeles Times'' reported that according to Liz Schuh, head of publishing and licensing for Dungeons & Dragons, "revenue was up 35% in 2020 compared with 2019, the seventh consecutive year of growth," and in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, "virtual play rose 86% ..aided by online platforms such as Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds". Sarah Parvini, for the ''Los Angeles Times'', wrote, "players and scholars attribute the game’s resurgent popularity not only to the longueurs of the pandemic, but also to its reemergence in pop culture—on the Netflix series ''
Stranger Things ''Stranger Things'' is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as showrunners and are executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. Produced by Monkey Massacre Prod ...
'', whose main characters play D&D in a basement; on the sitcom '' The Big Bang Theory''; or via the host of celebrities who display their love for the game online". In September 2021, it was announced that a
backwards compatible Backward or Backwards is a relative direction. Backwards or Sdrawkcab (the word "backwards" with its letters reversed) may also refer to: * "Backwards" (''Red Dwarf''), episode of sci-fi TV sitcom ''Red Dwarf'' ** ''Backwards'' (novel), a nov ...
"evolution" of 5th edition would be released in 2024 to mark the 50th anniversary of the game. In August 2022, Wizards announced that the next phase of major changes for ''Dungeons & Dragons'' would occur under the '' One D&D'' initiative which includes a public playtest of the next version of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' and an upcoming virtual tabletop simulator with 3D environments developed with the Unreal Engine. Revised editions of the ''Player's Handbook'', ''Monster Manual'', and ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' are scheduled to be released in 2024. Following an apology issued by Wizards of the Coast for offensive and racist material included in '' Spelljammer: Adventures in Space'' and the announced revisions to the product in September 2022, Christopher Perkins – Wizards' game design architect – announced a new inclusion review process for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' studio in November 2022. This process will now require "every word, illustration, and map" to be reviewed at several steps in development "by multiple outside cultural consultants prior to publication". The previous process only included cultural consultants at the discretion of the product lead for a project. All products being reprinted will also go through this new review process and be updated as needed.


Licensing

Early in the game's history, TSR took no action against small publishers' production of ''D&D'' compatible material, and even licensed Judges Guild to produce ''D&D'' materials for several years, such as ''
City State of the Invincible Overlord ''City State of the Invincible Overlord'' is a fantasy role-playing game supplement originally published by Judges Guild in 1976. It was the first published fantasy role-playing game city setting, designed for use with ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D& ...
.'' This attitude changed in the mid-1980s when TSR took legal action to try to prevent others from publishing compatible material. This angered many fans and led to resentment by the other gaming companies. Although TSR took legal action against several publishers in an attempt to restrict third-party usage, it never brought any court cases to completion, instead settling out of court in every instance. TSR itself ran afoul of intellectual property law in several cases. With the launch of ''Dungeons & Dragonss 3rd Edition, Wizards of the Coast made the d20 System available under the Open Game License (OGL) and d20 System trademark license. Under these licenses, authors were free to use the d20 System when writing games and game supplements. The OGL and d20 Trademark License made possible new games, some based on licensed products like ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'', and new versions of older games, such as '' Call of Cthulhu''. With the release of the fourth edition, Wizards of the Coast introduced its
Game System License The Game System License is a license that allows third-party publishers to create products compatible with and using the intellectual property from the 4th edition of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D''). It was released to the public by Wizards of th ...
, which represented a significant restriction compared to the very open policies embodied by the OGL. In part as a response to this, some publishers (such as Paizo Publishing with its '' Pathfinder Roleplaying Game'') who previously produced materials in support of the ''D&D'' product line, decided to continue supporting the 3rd Edition rules, thereby competing directly with Wizards of the Coast. Others, such as
Kenzer & Company Kenzer & Company (KenzerCo) is a Waukegan, Illinois based publisher of comic books, role-playing games, board games, card games, and miniature games. They are known for the ''Kingdoms of Kalamar'' campaign setting and for their own ''HackMaster ...
, are returning to the practice of publishing unlicensed supplements and arguing that copyright law does not allow Wizards of the Coast to restrict third-party usage. During the 2000s, there has been a trend towards reviving and recreating older editions of ''D&D'', known as the Old School Revival. This in turn inspired the creation of "retro-clones", games which more closely recreate the original rule sets, using material placed under the OGL along with non-copyrightable mechanical aspects of the older rules to create a new presentation of the games. Alongside the publication of the 5th Edition, Wizards of the Coast established a two-pronged licensing approach. The core of the 5th Edition rules have been made available under the OGL, while publishers and independent creators have also been given the opportunity to create licensed materials directly for Dungeons & Dragons and associated properties like the Forgotten Realms under a program called the DM's Guild. The DM's Guild does not function under the OGL, but uses a community agreement intended to foster liberal cooperation among content creators. Wizards of the Coast has started to release 5th Edition products that tie into other intellectual properties—such as '' Magic: The Gathering'' with the '' Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica'' (2018) and ''
Mythic Odysseys of Theros ''Mythic Odysseys of Theros'' is a sourcebook that details the ''Theros'' campaign setting for the 5th edition of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game published in June 2020. The plane was originally created for the ''Magic: Th ...
'' (2020) source books. Two 5th Edition starter box sets based on TV shows, ''
Stranger Things ''Stranger Things'' is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as showrunners and are executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. Produced by Monkey Massacre Prod ...
'' and '' Rick and Morty'', were released in 2019. Source books based on ''Dungeons & Dragons'' live play series have also been released: ''Acquisitions Incorporated'' (2019) and '' Explorer's Guide to Wildemount'' (2020).


Reception

Eric Goldberg reviewed ''Dungeons & Dragons'' in '' Ares Magazine'' #1 (March 1980), rating it a 6 out of 9, and commented that "''Dungeons and Dragons'' is an impressive achievement based on the concept alone, and also must be credited with cementing the marriage between the fantasy genre and gaming." Eric Goldberg again reviewed ''Dungeons & Dragons'' in '' Ares Magazine'' #3 and commented that "''D&D'' is the FRP game played most often in most places." The game had more than three million players around the world by 1981, and copies of the rules were selling at a rate of about 750,000 per year by 1984. Beginning with a
French language French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in Nor ...
edition in 1982, ''Dungeons & Dragons'' has been translated into many languages beyond the original English. By 1992, the game had been translated into 14 languages and sold over copies in 44 countries worldwide. By 2004, consumers had spent more than on ''Dungeons & Dragons'' products and the game had been played by more than 20 million people.Waters; What happened to Dungeons and Dragons? As many as six million people played the game in 2007. Later editions would lead to inevitable comparisons between the game series. Griffin McElroy, for '' Polygon'' in 2014, wrote: "The game has shifted in the past four decades, bouncing between different rules sets, philosophies and methods of play. Role-playing, character customization and real-life improvisational storytelling has always been at the game's core, but how those ideas are interpreted by the game system has changed drastically edition-to-edition". Dieter Bohn, for '' The Verge'' in 2014, wrote: "Every few years there’s been a new version of ''D&D'' that tries to address the shortcomings of the previous version and also make itself more palatable to its age. ..The third edition got a reputation (which it didn’t necessarily deserve) for being too complex and rules-focused. The fourth edition got a reputation (which it didn’t necessarily deserve) for being too focused on miniatures and grids, too mechanical. Meanwhile, the company that owns ''D&D'' had released a bunch of its old material for free as a service to fans, and some of that was built up into a competing game called ''Pathfinder''. ''Pathfinder'' ultimately became more popular, by some metrics, than ''D&D'' itself". Bohn highlighted that the 5th Edition was "designed for one purpose: to bring ''D&D'' back to its roots and win back everybody who left during the edition wars". Henry Glasheen, for ''
SLUG Magazine ''SLUG'' – an acronym for ''SaltLakeUnderGround'', is a free monthly magazine based in Salt Lake City, Utah. SLUG Magazine features music, lifestyle, arts and events with interviews, reviews, and articles. Established in 1989, SLUG Magazine ha ...
'' in 2015, highlighted that after jumping ship during the 4th Edition era he was drawn back to ''Dungeons & Dragons'' with 5th Edition and he considers it "the new gold standard for D20-based tabletop RPGs". Glasheen wrote "Fifth Edition is a compelling reason to get excited about D&D again" and "while some will welcome the simplicity, I fully expect that plenty of people will stick to whatever system suits them best. However, this edition is easily my favorite, ranking even higher than D&D 3.5, my first love in D&D". Curtis D. Carbonell, in the 2019 book ''Dread Trident: Tabletop Role-Playing Games and the Modern Fantastic'', wrote: "Negative association with earlier niche 'nerd' culture have reversed. 5e has become inclusive in its reach of players, after years of focusing on a white, male demographic. ..At its simplest, the game system now encourages different types of persons to form a party not just to combat evil ..but to engage in any number of adventure scenarios". Christian Hoffer, for ''
ComicBook.com The following is a list of major assets that are owned by Paramount Global. Paramount Pictures Corporation (Film) * Paramount Pictures ** Paramount Home Entertainment ** Paramount Television Studios ** Paramount Pictures International ** Param ...
'' in 2022, highlighted the continuing fan debate on ''Dungeons & Dragons'' and ''Pathfinder's'' current editions which centers on ''Dungeons & Dragons'' 5th Edition's market dominance. Hoffer wrote, "the reality is that ''Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition'' is likely the most popular tabletop roleplaying game ever made, even more so than previous editions of the games. 5E has brought millions of new players to tabletop roleplaying games. Many of those newer players have never heard of other roleplaying games, even popular ones like ''Vampire: The Masquerade'' or ''Cyberpunk'' or ''Pathfinder.'' ..Many content creators and publishers see 5E as their main path to survival and relevance even if it's not their preferred gaming system".
David M. Ewalt David M. Ewalt (born 1976) is an American journalist and author. Ewalt is the author of the books ''Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and The People Who Play It'' (2013) and ''Defying Reality: The Inside Story of the Virtual Reali ...
, in his book ''Of Dice and Men'', praised that the game allows for a personal fantastical experience, and stated that "even though it's make-believe, the catharsis is real."


Acclaim

The various editions of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' have won many Origins Awards, including '' All Time Best Roleplaying Rules of 1977'', '' Best Roleplaying Rules of 1989'', '' Best Roleplaying Game of 2000'' and '' Best Role Playing Game and Best Role Playing Supplement of 2014'' for the flagship editions of the game. Both ''Dungeons & Dragons'' and ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' are Origins Hall of Fame Games inductees as they were deemed sufficiently distinct to merit separate inclusion on different occasions. The independent ''
Games A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...
'' magazine placed ''Dungeons & Dragons'' on their ''Games 100'' list from 1980 through 1983, then entered the game into the magazine's Hall of Fame in 1984. ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' was ranked 2nd in the 1996 reader poll of ''Arcane'' magazine to determine the 50 most popular roleplaying games of all time. ''Dungeons & Dragons'' was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2016 and into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2017.


Legacy and influence

''Dungeons & Dragons'' was the first modern role-playing game and it established many of the conventions that have dominated the genre. Particularly notable are the use of dice as a game mechanic, character record sheets, use of numerical attributes and gamemaster-centered group dynamics. Within months of ''Dungeons & Dragonss release, new role-playing game writers and publishers began releasing their own role-playing games, with most of these being in the fantasy genre. Some of the earliest other role-playing games inspired by ''D&D'' include '' Tunnels & Trolls'' (1975), '' Empire of the Petal Throne'' (1975), and ''
Chivalry & Sorcery ''Chivalry & Sorcery'' is a fantasy role-playing game first published in 1977 by Fantasy Games Unlimited. Created by Edward E. Simbalist and Wilf K. Backhaus in 1977, ''Chivalry & Sorcery'' (''C&S'') was an early competitor to ''Dungeons & Dr ...
'' (1976). The game's commercial success was a factor that led to lawsuits regarding distribution of
royalties A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset o ...
between original creators Gygax and Arneson. Gygax later became embroiled in a political struggle for control of TSR which culminated in a court battle and Gygax's decision to sell his ownership interest in the company in 1985. The role-playing movement initiated by ''D&D'' would lead to release of the science fiction game ''
Traveller Traveler(s), traveller(s), The Traveler(s), or The Traveller(s) may refer to: People Generic terms *One engaged in travel *Explorer, one who searches for the purpose of discovery of information or resources *Nomad, a member of a community withou ...
'' (1977), the fantasy game '' RuneQuest'' (1978), and subsequent game systems such as Chaosium's '' Call of Cthulhu'' (1981), '' Champions'' (1982), '' GURPS'' (1986), and '' Vampire: The Masquerade'' (1991). ''Dungeons & Dragons'' and the games it influenced fed back into the genre's origin – miniatures wargames – with combat strategy games like '' Warhammer Fantasy Battles''. ''D&D'' also had a large impact on modern video games. Director
Jon Favreau Jonathan Kolia Favreau (; born October 19, 1966) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Favreau has appeared in films such as ''Rudy (film), Rudy'' (1993), ''PCU (film), PCU'' (1994), ''Swingers (1996 film), Swingers'' (1996), ''Very ...
credits ''Dungeons & Dragons'' with giving him "... a really strong background in imagination, storytelling, understanding how to create tone and a sense of balance."
ND Stevenson Nate Diana Stevenson or simply ND "Indy" Stevenson (formerly Noelle Diana Stevenson; born December 31, 1991) is an American cartoonist and animation producer. He is the creator, showrunner, and executive producer of the animated television seri ...
and the crew of '' She-Ra and the Princesses of Power'' were strongly influenced by ''Dungeons & Dragons'', with Stevenson calling it basically a D&D campaign, with Adora, Glimmer, and Bow falling into "specific classes in D&D".


History of criticism

At various times in its history, ''Dungeons & Dragons'' has received negative publicity, in particular from some
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
groups, for alleged promotion of such practices as
devil worship Theistic Satanism, otherwise referred to as religious Satanism, spiritual Satanism, or traditional Satanism, is an umbrella term for religious groups that consider Satan, the Devil, or Lucifer to objectively exist as a deity, supernatural en ...
, witchcraft, suicide, and murder, and for the presence of naked breasts in drawings of female humanoids in the original ''AD&D'' manuals (mainly monsters such as
harpies In Greek mythology and Roman mythology, a harpy (plural harpies, , ; lat, harpȳia) is a half-human and half-bird personification of storm winds. They feature in Homeric poems. Descriptions They were generally depicted as birds with the head ...
, succubi, etc.). These controversies led TSR to remove many potentially controversial references and artwork when releasing the 2nd Edition of ''AD&D''. Many of these references, including the use of the names "
devils A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in many and various cultures and religious traditions. Devil or Devils may also refer to: * Satan * Devil in Christianity * Demon * Folk devil Art, entertainment, and media Film and t ...
" and "
demons A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, anime, ...
", were reintroduced in the 3rd edition. The moral panic over the game led to problems for fans of ''D&D'' who faced social ostracism, unfair treatment, and false association with the occult and
Satanism Satanism is a group of ideological and philosophical beliefs based on Satan. Contemporary religious practice of Satanism began with the founding of the atheistic Church of Satan by Anton LaVey in the United States in 1966, although a few hi ...
, regardless of an individual fan's actual religious affiliation and beliefs. ''Dungeons & Dragons'' has been the subject of rumors regarding players having difficulty separating fantasy from reality, even leading to psychotic episodes. The most notable of these was the saga of James Dallas Egbert III, the facts of which were fictionalized in the novel ''
Mazes and Monsters ''Mazes and Monsters'' (also known as ''Rona Jaffe's Mazes and Monsters'') is a 1982 American made-for-television film directed by Steven Hilliard Stern about a group of college students and their interest in a fictitious role-playing game (RPG) ...
'' and later made into a TV movie in 1982 starring Tom Hanks. William Dear, the private investigator hired by the Egbert family to find their son when he went missing at college, wrote a book titled '' The Dungeon Master'' refuting any connection with D&D and Egbert's personal issues. The game was blamed for some of the actions of
Chris Pritchard Lieth Peter Von Stein (March 16, 1946 – July 25, 1988) was an American businessman whose murder launched a high-profile trial in North Carolina. The case became the subject of two books and two television films. An executive at National Spinnin ...
, who was convicted in 1990 of murdering his stepfather. Research by various psychologists, starting with Armando Simon, has concluded that no harmful effects are related to the playing of ''D&D''. ''Dungeons & Dragons'' has also been cited as encouraging people to socialize weekly or biweekly, teaching problem solving skills which can be beneficial in adult life, and teaching positive moral decisions. ''D&D'' has been compared unfavorably to other role-playing games of its time. Writing for ''
Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
'' in 2008, Erik Sofge makes unfavorable comparisons between the violent incentives of ''D&D'' and the more versatile role-playing experience of ''GURPS''. He claims that "for decades, gamers have argued that since D&D came first, its lame, morally repulsive experience system can be forgiven. But the damage is still being done: New generations of players are introduced to RPGs as little more than a collective fantasy of massacre." This criticism generated backlash from ''D&D'' fans. Writing for ''
Ars Technica ''Ars Technica'' is a website covering news and opinions in technology, science, politics, and society, created by Ken Fisher and Jon Stokes in 1998. It publishes news, reviews, and guides on issues such as computer hardware and software, sci ...
'', Ben Kuchera responded that Sofge had experienced a "small-minded Dungeon Master who only wanted to kill things", and that better game experiences are possible. In 2020, '' Polygon'' reported that "the D&D team announced that it would be making changes to portions of its 5th edition product line that fans have called out for being insensitive". Sebastian Modak, for '' The Washington Post'', reported that the tabletop community has widely approved these changes. Modak wrote that "in its statement addressing mistakes around portrayals of different peoples in the D&D universe, Wizards of the Coast highlighted its recent efforts in bringing in more diverse voices to craft the new D&D source books coming out in 2021. ..These conversations—around depictions of race and alleged treatment of employees of marginalized backgrounds and identities—have encouraged players to seek out other tabletop roleplaying experiences". Matthew Gault, for '' Wired'', reported positively on the roundtable discussions Wizards of the Coast has hosted with fans and community leaders on diversity and inclusion. However, Gault also highlighted that other efforts, such as revisions to old material and the release of new material, have been less great and at times minimal. Gault wrote, "WotC appears to be trying to change things, but it keeps stumbling, and it’s often the fans who pick up the pieces. ..WotC is trying to make changes, but it often feels like lip service. ..The loudest voices criticizing D&D right now are doing it out of love. They don’t want to see it destroyed, they want it to change with the times". However, in 2022, academic Christopher Ferguson stated that the game "was not associated with greater
ethnocentrism Ethnocentrism in social science and anthropology—as well as in colloquial English discourse—means to apply one's own culture or ethnicity as a frame of reference to judge other cultures, practices, behaviors, beliefs, and people, instead of ...
(one facet of racism) attitudes" after he conducted a survey study of 308 adults (38.2% non-White, and 17% ''Dungeons and Dragons'' players). Ferguson concluded that Wizards of the Coast may be responding to a moral panic similar to that surrounding Satanism in the 1990s.


Related products

''D&Ds commercial success has led to many other related products, including ''
Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
'' and '' Dungeon'' magazines, an
animated television series An animated series is a set of Animation, animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can ...
, a film series, an official role-playing soundtrack,
novels A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itself ...
, both ongoing and
limited series Limited series may refer to: *Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series *Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered *Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
licensed
comics a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
, and numerous
computer and video games ''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') was a UK-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot website ...
. Hobby and toy stores sell dice, miniatures, adventures, and other game aids related to ''D&D'' and its game offspring.


In popular culture

''D&D'' grew in popularity through the late 1970s and 1980s. Numerous games, films, and cultural references based on ''D&D'' or ''D&D''-like fantasies, characters or adventures have been ubiquitous since the end of the 1970s. ''D&D'' players are (sometimes pejoratively) portrayed as the epitome of geekdom, and have become the basis of much geek and gamer humor and satire. "In 2017, 9 million people watched others play D&D on Twitch, immersing themselves in the world of the game without ever having to pick up a die or cast a spell". Since the release of 5th edition, these ''D&D'' shows have only grown in popularity. '' Critical Role'', one of the most popular ''D&D'' shows, brings in an average of 21,978 viewers per week. ''
The Adventure Zone ''The Adventure Zone'' is a weekly comedy and adventure actual play podcast based loosely upon the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game series, along with other role-playing games. The show is distributed by the Maximum Fun network and hosted by brother ...
'' maintains roughly 640,000 listeners. '' Dimension 20'' holds nearly 554,000 subscribers with an average view count of 111,333 on YouTube which is only a secondary source of their content. Famous ''D&D'' players include Pulitzer Prize-winning author Junot Díaz, professional basketball player Tim Duncan, comedian Stephen Colbert, and actors Vin Diesel and Robin Williams. ''D&D'' and its fans have been the subject of spoof films, including '' The Gamers: Dorkness Rising''.


See also

* ''D&D'' Championship Series


Notes


References

* * * * Archived copy of the article, taken 2009-07-13
page 2
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Unknown author * – select year on right of page. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

* * * An essay on the early history of the D&D hobby. * Includes a suggested reading list on pages 255–256. * Fannon, Sean Patrick. ''
The Fantasy Roleplaying Gamer's Bible ''The Fantasy Roleplaying Gamer's Bible'' is a book detailing fantasy role-playing games (RPGs), written by Sean Patrick Fannon and published by Obsidian Studios Inc. in 1996. Contents In the 258-page ''The Fantasy Roleplaying Gamer's Bible'', S ...
, 2nd Edition''. Obsidian Studios, 1999. * * * Gygax, Gary. ''Roleplaying Mastery''. New York: Perigee, 1987. . * Gygax, Gary. ''Master of the Game''. New York: Perigee, 1989. . * Miller, John J
"I Was a Teenage Half-Orc"
''National Review'' Online, October 15, 2004. * Miller, John J

''The Wall Street Journal'', July 1, 2008. * * * Peterson, Jon. ''Playing at the World: A History of Simulating Wars, People and Fantastic Adventures, from Chess to Role-Playing Games''. San Diego: Unreason, 2012. . * * * An article about the conflict over the proprietary or open-source nature of ''Dungeons & Dragons''.
Studies about fantasy roleplaying games
– a list of academic articles about RPGs


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dungeons and Dragons American role-playing games Games adapted for other media Hasbro franchises Nerd culture Origins Award winners Role-playing games introduced in 1974 Tabletop games Wizards of the Coast games