Dungeons & Dragons For Dummies (Paperback)

by Bill Slavicsek (Author), Rich Baker (Author) "Everyone played make-believe during childhood..." (more)
Key Phrases: adventuring team, starting skill points, highest initiative check, Dungeon Master, Player's Handbook, Armor Class (more...)

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 the Paperback edition.

Product Description
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.

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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: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #196,074 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

88 of 94 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)

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.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what i expected!, October 13, 2005

By	A. Land "Arloxen3" (Michigan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is exactly what I expected from the authors - a well written, useful resource. I have over 10 years playing many editions of D+D and wanted to see what some of the experts had to say and to see their opinions on some of the top 10 lists. I have gleaned some useful information for myself, a person who knows quite a bit, but definately not all of it. Having bought over 40 different resource books, I would rank this among my top 10.
Another very, very obvious use for this book is the benefit it gives newcomers to the game. When 3rd edition first came out, my gaming group drudged through the book for many a session before we finally started to understand the new concepts. D&D for Dummies puts the new ideas, combat maneuvers, some spells, and the confusing Attack of Opportunities in true Dummy book plain English. It is becoming a semi-mandatory read for newbies in my gaming group, it is that useful. It gives a great foundation before attacking the more detailed Players Handbook.
My review is slightly biased, but not overmuch. I am a fan of both authors, the Books for Dummies series (of which I own 8), and obviously D&D. I will say, that if the book was a waste of money, like about 10 D&D resource books I own, I would definately give a negative review. I am glad, however, to give this a high review.

18 of 21 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 (REAL NAME)

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).