Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) where players create and assume the roles of characters in a fictional world filled with magic, mythical creatures, and quests. It was first published in 1974 by TSR, Inc. (later acquired by Wizards of the Coast) and has since become a seminal part of geek and gamer culture.
D&D was first created in 1974 by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and it was published by Tactical Studies Rules (TSR), Inc.
TSR was later acquired by Wizards of the Coast in 1997, which is now a subsidiary of Hasbro.
D&D has gone through many different editions over the years, with the most recent being the 5th edition, which was released in 2014.
Pathfinder is a tabletop RPG created by Paizo Publishing that is heavily influenced by the earlier editions of Dungeons & Dragons. It has a similar gameplay style and setting but with a different rule system.
Shadowrun is a science fantasy tabletop RPG that mixes cyberpunk and magic. Players take on the roles of characters who live in a dystopian future and are trying to survive in a world ruled by megacorporations and mysterious beings.
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay is a tabletop RPG that is set in the Warhammer world, a high-fantasy setting created by Games Workshop. Players create characters who go on quests and adventures in a world filled with magic, monsters, and political intrigue.
This is the core rulebook for D&D and includes all of the information players need to create and play their characters.
This is a guidebook of creatures and monsters that players may encounter during their adventures.
This is a guidebook for the dungeon master who runs the game and includes advice on how to create and run adventures and campaigns.
Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) where players create and assume the roles of characters in a fictional world filled with magic, mythical creatures, and quests.
You need a character sheet, a set of polyhedral dice, a player's handbook, and a dungeon master's guide to play D&D. You may also want to use miniatures and battle maps to visualize combat.
The length of a D&D game varies, but a typical game session can last anywhere from 2 to 6 hours depending on the group and the complexity of the adventure.
While D&D has a steep learning curve at first, it becomes easier with practice. The core mechanics are not too complicated, and the most important thing is to have fun and be creative.
The dungeon master (DM) is the person who runs the game and creates the story and challenges for the players. They are responsible for playing all the non-player characters, designing the dungeons and encounters, and enforcing the rules.