Dungeons and Dragons Tutorial Pt 1:

The table top role playing game, Dungeons and Dragons, has been enjoyed by players since its emergence in the mid 1970s. Despite this, many new players are prevented from partaking in the game itself due to the intricate rules system based off of dice roles and character stats.

However, once you learn the basics, the game can be relatively simple and easy to master. From there, players can begin to incorporate the more complex mechanics.

This will be an abridged tutorial on how to understand the base line rules of Dungeons and Dragons broken up into 3 parts. Part 1 will cover character creation; Part 2 will cover character classes; and Part 3 will cover in game combat.

Pt. 1 Making your Character

The first thing you need to understand about Dungeons and Dragons is ability scores.

Each character has 6 different ability scores. Each score has a number value that generally ranges between 0-20, which then translate into an ability modifier. Throughout the game the Dungeon Master will ask the players to roll a 20 sided dice (or a d20) and add their ability modifier depending on what the player is trying to accomplish.

Strength: Used for actions based off of physical strength or power.

Dexterity: Used for actions based off of physical prowess, agility, or coordination.

Constitution: Used for actions based off of mental fortitude.

Intelligence: Used for actions based off of intellect and knowledge

Wisdom: Used for actions based off of perception, insight, and general awareness of the world around them.

Charisma: Used for actions based off of social interactions.

In order to determine what the ability modifier is, you can either roll dice, however the easiest method for beginners is to choose form the standard array of ability scores: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8. Each of these values should be assigned to the appropriate abilities depending on the character’s class and overall personality, which will be covered in the next part.