Hello, fellow dungeon crawlers! I have decided to start a series on Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) for all those who have never played, as well as to bring more knowledge to avid players. To start it off, we are heading back to 1974, where it all began.
1974
Ernest Gary Gygax and David Arenson were the original creators behind the fantasy role-playing game. D&D originated from a medieval war game called Chainmail. Chainmail was a game that attempted to recreate medieval combat, and included a 14-page rule guide on how to play. When D&D was created, it came out with three module booklets. They were: Men & Magic, Monsters & Treasure, and Underworld & Wilderness Adventures. There were only 1,000 copies made, and it sold out within a year.
The game was set in medieval times, in which players chose characters from different classes and races. The characters were then led through an adventure led by a Dungeon Master (DM), determining the course of events by rolling dice. There were six different dice, all with a different number of sides (20, 12, 10, 8, 6, and 4), along with a percentile dice. In the original game setting, there were only three character classes: Cleric, Fighting-Man, and Magic user, with only four races: human, elf, dwarf, and hobbit.
1977- 1979
Three years later, D&D expanded to different types of experience levels, creating an advanced option for players. The first book available in the advanced version was the Monster Manual, adding over 350 different monsters into the gameplay. One year later, the first-ever Player's Handbook was created for advanced players, again expanding the world of D&D. Finally, in 1979, the Dungeon Master’s Guide was the final core handbook for the advanced version of D&D.
1997-2005
Tactical Studies Rules, inc. was the publisher of these books until 1997. Wizards of the Coast purchased the company and, in 2000, came out with Dungeons and Dragons 3rd Edition. With this transition, the company brought the advanced and beginner versions together as one. This was the first time where players got to customize their characters with skills and feats. After much feedback from the D&D community in 2005, Wizards of the Coast came out with Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition.
2012-2014
In 2012, Wizards of the Coast announced would be coming out with a Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition (This is the game's current format). Players did not see it out on shelves until 2014, which coincided with the 40th anniversary of the game.
2015-Now
As of now, there are over 50 million players who play Dungeons and Dragons. There have been many modules, adventures, and sourcebooks that Wizards of the Coast has released since the updated edition of the game. Recently, Wizards of the Coast announced that there will be significant updates to the format of the game, Monster Manual, and Player’s Handbook. The update will be called One D&D, which is set to be released in 2024 for the 50th anniversary of the game. We will have to wait and see what this new format will offer as next year comes around!
Social media and streaming have boosted the reach of D&D significantly. In 2016, the popular tv show Stranger Things was based on the famous role-playing game’s Monster Manual. There are also live streams of groups playing D&D campaigns. I am biased, but Critical Role is my favorite. You can follow and stream them on Twitch on Thursday nights at 7:00 pm PT. D&D recently released a movie called Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which will be getting a review later.
There are many more things to come in the world of D&D. Since it is still a massive role-playing fantasy game, I don’t see it going anywhere for a while. For now, I will be waiting to see what Wizards of the Coast comes up with next. I will see everyone next week, where we will go into the different types of dice used in the game and provide an in-depth explanation of how the game works.
Happy Rolling!
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