what is dungeons & dragons?

Answer 1

Dungeons & Dragons (abbreviated as D&D or DnD) is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) currently published by Wizards of the Coast. The original Dungeons & Dragons, designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, was first published in 1974 by Gygax's company Tactical Studies Rules (TSR). Originally derived from tabletop games (such as Chainmail) played with paper, pencil, and dice, D&D's publication is widely regarded as the beginning of modern role-playing games—and by extension, the entire role-playing game (RPG) and massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) industry.

Players of D&D invent fictitious characters who embark upon imaginary adventures in which they battle many kinds of fictional monsters, gather treasure, interact with each other, and earn experience points to become more and more powerful as the game progresses. D&D departs from traditional wargaming in this regard by assigning each player a specific character, as opposed to legions and armies. D&D uses the concept of a Dungeon Master (DM), a storyteller and referee responsible for creating the fictional setting of the game. The DM moderates the actions of the players' characters and roleplays a supporting cast of non-player characters (NPCs).

The early success of Dungeons & Dragons quickly led to a proliferation of similar game systems, such as RuneQuest, Tunnels and Trolls, Traveller, and Arduin. Despite this competition, D&D has continued to dominate the role-playing game industry throughout its existence, enjoying a nearly impenetrable market position. In 1977 the game was split into two slightly different versions: the simpler Dungeons & Dragons and the more complex Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (abbreviated as AD&D or ADnD). In 2000, the simplified version of the game was discontinued and the 3rd Edition of Dungeons & Dragons was released as a major revision of the AD&D game. The current version of the game, released in July 2003, is Dungeons & Dragons v3.5 (also known as the Revised 3rd Edition or D&D3.5).

As of 2006, Dungeons & Dragons remains the best-known and best-selling role-playing game, with an estimated 20 million players worldwide and over US$1 billion (roughly £507 million on 1/12/2006) in book and equipment sales (according to a BBC news report). Products branded Dungeons & Dragons made up over fifty percent of the RPG products sold in 2002[citation needed]. Outside of the gaming community, D&D has become a metonym used to refer to roleplaying games in general.

more:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons

Answer 2

DnD is a roll playing game. It is basically a war game where you play an individual character. It might also be described as interactive story telling, where the 'game master' presents a story line and the characters decide on the actions of their character within that story.

Also, DnD takes place in a medieval style world, where magic and monsters exist. However, there are many other roll playing games that are based in other genres, such as horror, modern day, super heroes, and alternate histories.

A couple of other comments:
- Not all people who play DnD (and other RPGs) are geeks. Yes, some are the steriotypical nerd living in their parent's basement. But, many are intelligent and successful people. I sometimes play with one group that includes a doctor, a millionaire, a Catholic priest, a Unitarian preacher, A PhD Political Scientist, etc.

- DnD is not devil worship or evil. Player's don't dress up or sacrifice cats. It is simply a game. Yes, some of the themes in the game can get very 'dark', but players are almost always 'good' fighting that evil.

Answer 3

Okay, you don't need a book for an answer. Simpley it is a fanatasy based board game that uses your imagination rather than normal means of playing.

There is a dungeon master who creates a journey for the other characters to go on and he is in charge. The other characters are all elves, dwarves, mages, yadda yadda and they have to reach the end of the journey alive and with more points I believe. Depending on how you role the dice depends on magic and abilities.

I've played it once, and as amusing as it was, I don't see how people get so into it. I do love fantasy books and games, but D&D was not for me!

Answer 4

The original D&D was a turn based RPG game that involved live humans, imagination and no computers.
It was basically an adventure game that relied on the rolls of various kinds of dice to determine an outcome.
I used to play for weeks during the winter when I was a teenager. Me and several friends......ah the days before computers :)

*Sepolavi gives an excellent overview*

Answer 5

it's a role playing game. you make up a character from the d&d book of stock characters, usually an elf or a dwarf or oracle or something similar. you flesh out your character, give it powers, etc. find other people to play with who also have characters, find or become a dungeon master, buy those funky 16 sided dice and a campaign book and off you go.

Answer 6

D&D (dungeons and dragons) is a RPG that youcan play if you know how to. People role play so you have to have a sense of humor and imagination.

Answer 7

Dungeons and Dragons is a vidoe game

Answer 8

It's a fantasy game that uses dice to determine the outcome of certain encounters.

Answer 9

a game where grown men pretend to be trolls and magicians, they roll dice to predict the outcome of imaginary "battles" between monsters etc. It can go on for hours.

Answer 10

It was originally a board game which later became famous as a video and online game.