Dungeons & Dragons For Dummies [Paperback]

Bill Slavicsek (Author), Rich Baker (Author)

Book Description

Series: For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies) | Publication Date: April 29, 2005

Caught in traffic. Trapped in a cubicle. Stuck in a rut.  Tangled up in red tape.

In the real world, sometimes you feel powerless—but not in Dungeons & Dragons (D & D). In this fantasy-adventure, you have all kinds of special powers. You can slay the evil dragon, overcome the orc or the ogre, haunt the werewolf, and triumph over sinister trolls. You venture into strange realms, encounter strange creatures, and use magical powers. Your character grows and develops with every adventure.

With this guide, you can learn the ins and outs of D & D and start playing right away. Dungeons & Dragons For Dummies gives beginners the basics of the complex game and helps experienced players fine-tune their roleplaying. It guides you through:

• Creating your character (a powerful fighter, a sneaky rogue, a crafty sorcerer, or a charismatic cleric), and character advancement
• The races: humans, dwarves, elves, and halflings
• The types of character actions: attack rolls, skill check, and ability checks
• The 6 abilities: strength, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, wisdom, charisma
• Feat requirements and types
• Playing the game, including moving in combat, attacking with a weapon (melee attacks or ranged attacks), and damage and dying
• Picking skills, armor, weapons, and gear
• Choosing spells if your character is a sorcerer or domains for a cleric
• Building encounter or combat strategies and using advanced tactics
• Maximizing your character’s power with the acquisition of the right magic items: armor, weapons, potion, scroll, ring, wand, staff, rod, plus wondrous items
• D & D game etiquette
• Becoming a Dungeon Master

There’s even a sample play session that walks you through typical play, gets you comfortable using the battle grid and character markers, lets you test player characters against each other and against monsters, and shows you how to add story elements to create an adventure. Produced in partnership with Wizards of the Coast, written by D & D game designers, and complete with a battle grid, a sample dungeon map, and a glossary, this guide arms you with the knowledge to create and equip a character and empowers you to enter the captivating, fascinating world of D & D.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Explore the fantasy world of D&D and delve into dungeons, slay monsters, and gain treasure!

If you've been thinking of playing D&D or you've played before and you want to get up to speed on the all-new 4th Edition, this is the book for you. Here's what you need to know to join the fantasy fun.

• D&D terminology — understand what ability check, modifier, saving throw, AC, gp, hp, and XP mean

• Roll the dice — add modifiers and see if you rolled the d20 high enough to beat the challenge

• Minding your manners — know D&D etiquette so you'll be welcome in any adventure

• Character building — select your character's race and class, and choose the best powers, skills, feats, and gear

• Roleplaying — give your character a background and personality quirks

• Combat — use combat rules, a battle grid, and miniatures to play out furious battles

Look inside scenes from Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition For Dummies (Click on images to enlarge)

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

Just want to play? Here's where to start!

Understand the game, choose a character, and pick up the language of D&D

Dreaming of Dungeons & Dragons, but afraid it takes years to master the game? Meet your personal wizard! This book conjures up the basics to get you started — essential rules, pregenerated characters, tips and tricks to improve your play, even a foldout dungeon map and battle grid. Read it today, and play tomorrow!

Discover how to

• Create a character
• Choose skills, spells, weapons, and gear
• Find a game or start your own
• Follow D&D^® game etiquette
• Become a Dungeon Master
• Enhance your game skills

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (April 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764584596
• ISBN-13: 978-0764584596
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #652,814 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 104 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for what it is, May 10, 2005

By 

Roger Wagoner (Tokyo) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dungeons & Dragons For Dummies (Paperback)

In short, this book provides 410 pages of a simple, focused intro to the game that benefits gamers that are more experienced as well.

The book is divided into five main parts: Chapters one through nine focus on a "D&D Crash course". The focus is on starting out in one of their recommended beginner classes - either fighter, rogue, sorcerer or cleric. Included are simple pre-made characters that will get you playing the game within minutes (assuming someone experienced is DMing). This section will most likely will only be useful for the absolute beginner. Anyone playing more than once or twice could probably skip this section - at least I have so far.

The second part is about "Building a D&D Character". There are chapters dedicated to defining your character, class, ability scores, races, feats, skills, armor (, weapons and gear), spells, and advancing your character. This second part will be very useful for beginning players, as character creation is time-consuming as well as difficult. There are several "trees", or paths recommended for each of the (beginner recommended) classes. For example, in the chapter on feats: there are 3 different "ladders" or paths showing feats for the first 10 levels for the sorcerer/wizard, cleric, fighter and rogue classes. The fighter ladders are melee fighter, skill fighter, and ranged fighter. E.g., the skilled fighter's feats include: 1st: Weapon focus (longsword) and Combat Expertise; 2nd: Dodge; 3rd: Mobility; 4th: Spring Attack; 6th: Whirlwind Attack; 8th: Weapon specialization (longsword); 9th: Improved Disarm; and 10th: Improved Trip. The book then goes on to highlight the strengths, weaknesses, and how to use a skill fighter in combat, and what not to do (e.g., attacking the nearest creature - you should use your higher AC to reach a more important target).

Part III is Playing your Best Game. This section includes tips and advice appropriate for those whom have played more than a couple of times. There is more detailed advice on tactics, group work, etc. E.g., Chapter 13 Handling Yourself in a Fight includes advice on fighting high-AC foes (grapple, flank and aid another) and high DR foes (power attack, sneak attack or magic). Even advanced players should gain something from this section.

Part IV focuses on Dungeon Mastering (DMing). I've never DM'd, but I plan to use this to help me get started DMing. The focus is to simplify the tasks involved in DMing: the book divides the DM's job into five groups, depending what the characters are doing: talking, exploring, fighting, setting up (the adventure) and free time. While those who have DM'd before will have more to comment on in this section, I can see what my previous DMs have done well and what they could've done better (if they had read this book).

The fifth part is the Part of Tens, basically top 10 lists. These include the best sorcerer (including wizard) and cleric spells, low- and mid- level monsters, DM and player resources and the best reading (Wizards of the Coast and others). The discussion of the spells was interesting, and should be especially helpful for beginner and intermediate players (or DMs).

For those of you who do not wish to use the beginner classes outlined, the book is limited. Very little is devoted to druids, paladins, barbarians, rangers, etc. Of course, this is an introductory book and they have to stop somewhere. I would have given this book 5 stars, but I thought the included map was close to useless, and was included just because Dummies book have an insert. That said, I recommend every D&D group get a copy of this book, as all players, from beginning to advanced, will be able to get some new ideas, tactics or inspiration for the game.

Edit: I double-checked the page count, and cannot figure out how they claim to have 432 pages in this book. 410 pages, which I wrote, includes the index. There are 412 pages if you include 2 pages worth of ads for other D&D products.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the more helpful guides even for us grognards, November 30, 2006

By 

Charles S. Holzheimer "durnik150" (Centennial, CO) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dungeons & Dragons For Dummies (Paperback)

Interesting batch of reviews this item has generated. As several others, I've being playing RPGs for a very long time (26 yrs). When 3.0, and then 3.5 came out, I felt that a rather simple game had become very complicated. I have sat and read both Player's Manuals, both DMGs, and utilize all 3 Monster Manuals. I still felt somewhat lost and unable to thoroughly and correctly run a game according to all of the new rules. This book changed a lot of that. It is enjoyable to read and explains the rules in a way that really helps you to integrate them into your game. I guess even with my experience I must still qualify as a "Dummy" because I found this book very enlightening and helpful. I highly recommend this book for anyone who needs to either learn the game anew or for anyone who still has questions about 3.0 (and 3.5).

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT RESOURCE FOR NOVICES, August 18, 2005

By 

Tim Janson (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Dungeons & Dragons For Dummies (Paperback)

Dungeons & Dragons for Dummies is exactly what the title implies, it's and introduction to the long-time and highly popular role-playing game for novices. It's as simple as that. It's not meant to educate long-time players although I did benefit from it for one major reason which I will explain later. The book opens with a short history of the D&D game from its creation by Gary Gygax, born out of war gaming with miniatures. I played for the first time back in 1979 shortly after the introduction of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game and the publication of the First DM's Guide, Player's Handbook, and Monster Manual by TSR.

The book first covers the basics of just what a role-playing game is. Some veteran gamers are taking offense at this but not EVERYONE knows what a role-playing game is and how they are played. It's hard to explain a game that doesn't really end and where there isn't a traditional winner as in most games. It's a concept that must be experienced to be fully understood. The Authors explain first in brief, and later in great detail the concepts of character creation, race & class selection, alignment, weapons, spells, etc...Several examples of fully created characters are included. Later full chapters are dedicated to all of these different subjects. While it's true that trial and error was always a pitfall, and sometimes a humorous pitfall for new players, this book essentially seeks to educate new players to create the best player they can, rather than one who foolishly selects a pole axe for his main weapon and then wondering why he can't use it in the tight confines of the dungeon.

Now I mentioned earlier how veteran gamers might benefit from the books as well as novices. I had left the gaming world for a number of years and only recently have returned to the fold. Dungeons & Dragons has changed a great deal in these past several years. From what was once a game consisting of three main books is now a game with dozens of books, supplements and accessories covering every facet of play. There were new concepts in the game that were foreign to me such as skills, feats, and prestige classes. Now of course I've since learned about all these new additions but I'm sure there are others out there just like me and this book would be a great help to get them caught up on all the changes in the game. In particular the section on prestige classes was very good and featured explanations of all the different prestige classes and their benefits.

But even beyond that the book provides very helpful information that even the most experienced gamers can find useful. Tips such as battle strategies and teamwork. Clerics and Sorcerers working together with their spells, flanking strategies for fighters and other interesting tips. But it's not just a players book, it also contains good information for the DM on running a successful game and keeping the players happy (as I recall, lots of Doritos and Beer was always helpful).

Everything is about lists today, there are entire TV shows dedicated to the Top 100 of this or the Top 10 of that. Dungeons & Dragons for Dummies has their own lists, too, such as the Top 10 Sorceror/Cleric spells, Top 10 low & Mid level monsters, Top 10 D & D resources, and the Top 10 D & D novels.

It's well-written and accurate. While clearly designed for novices, even experienced gamers will find some things of interest. Veteran players should not be so snobbish about this book. The introduction of new blood is always a good thing.