Dungeons & Dragons making comeback among those seeking old school quests for adventure

“Roll for initiative!” the dungeon master bellows. The players scramble for their 20 sided dice and begin their rolls. The wood elf ranger rolls a natural 20 and cheers in joy. The dark elf warlock rolls a 17 and the tiefling paladin rolls a seven. However, the dragonborn barbarian rolls a one and cries in pain. This is your typical combat encounter in the tabletop role playing game Dungeons & Dragons.

Dungeons & Dragons (or DnD) has been around since 1974 and has lain the groundwork for all RPGs today. From the nuclear wastelands of “Fallout” to the sci-fiction backdrop of “Mass Effect,” they can all trace their roots back to DnD. Even “Call of Duty” has a leveling system that can trace it’s roots to DnD.

However, many people who try DnD are put off by the many die and rules that the game has, but these rules are quite easy to grasp after you do the research.

First thing people have to do is to create a character to play throughout the game . This process involves choosing a race and class. There are nine base races to pick from, each with their own lore and benefits.

Dwarves are a short and hardy race of mountain folk. Elves are the tall and cultured people of the woodlands; however, there are elves that live underground in a place called the underdark called drow or dark elves. The curious yet practical halflings who are known to be very lucky. The humans are versatile at just about everything. The monstrous dragonborn are humanoid dragons who are very proud of their people. The joyful Gnomes love to tinker with items. The half-elves share the best of the humans and elves, but you don’t have to be half-human if you don’t want to. The brutal tribal half-orcs are shunned into living in the wilderness or city slums. The tieflings have red skin and horns which can be traced to the demonic blood coursing through their veins.

Don’t worry too much about which race will fit your play style because there are always exceptions. For example, you can be a tiefling who fights for good and strives to serve her holy god, or you can play as a evil gnome who does sick experiments with the dead.

Your race, however, is only one part of the puzzle. The next step is choosing one of the 12 base classes that will define the gameplay experience.

The barbarian class is the hardiest class and charges into a fight with a battle rage. Bards use music to help allies in battle and are the jacks of all trades in terms of skills. The clerics are priests who are some of the best healers in the game. Druids are people who wield the power of nature and can turn into animals. Fighters are masters of combat and are great for anyone who wants to play as a warrior. Monks use martial arts and the power of the soul to beat their enemies into a bloody pulp. Being a paladin makes you a holy crusader who is bound by an oath. Rangers are masters of the bow and harness the magic of nature. The rogue uses stealth to gain the upper hand. Sorcerers are mages who harness their power from an ancient bloodline. The warlock uses magic that they gained from deals with an unholy deity, and wizards are the masters of magic who seek knowledge.

If you think all of these races and classes are boring, don’t fret, for there are homebrew races and classes that the community has made, which can fit any play style. Also, if you are feeling adventurous you can make your own homebrew.

Most of the information here can be found in the player’s handbook, which you can buy or find online.

However, if you are someone who likes creating stories rather than playing, then being a dungeon master (or DM) may be better for you. The DM creates and dictates everything the players encounter. Whether that be the lore of the world or the boss fights players will have to encounter.

Being a DM can be a very rewarding experience because you are also fighting for the enemies that the players encounter. However, taking up of title of DM takes up a lot of time and effort, so it is also advised to have knowledge of the game beforehand.

Lastly, whether you are are a DM or player, you will have to do your homework about the rules. However, after this you will be playing like a pro. Have fun in DnD and always remember to roll for perception.

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