What is D&D?


Dungeons and Dragons, or simply D&D, is a fantasy roleplaying game which is played at a table of two to sometimes even eight people. Using a set of dice and your own character sheet you explore a fantastical world. A Dungeon Master (also known as DM or GM) is always present to describe a world ripe for the players to explore, experience and fight in. They might for example describe a small and dark tavern with a few shadowy figures wandering about. One of them looks up to you with purple eyes and beckons you to come over. What do you do?

The description above could be the start of an amazing adventure, and what happens is for a large part up to you. Every conceivable action is yours to try. D&D even allows for stories in any world and timeframe; futuristic settings or horror worlds with werewolves and vampires are not unheard of. Almost anything is possible, which is what makes the game so incredibly fun!

Glossary

Polydice A set of seven different types of dice necessary to play the game.
D20     arguably the most important die in the game, which you will use most often to decide whether your character succeeds at a particular action. It is a die with 20 sides, which is where it got its name.
GM A Game Master, sometimes also called a Dungeon Master (DM). This person guides the players through the story and describes the world.
Character sheet A piece of paper which describes your character's characteristics, for example how strong or charismatic they are, or what gear they carry with them.
Race there are many fantastical races to play in D&D; from the famous elf and dwarf to the lesser known satyr, vedalken, or aasimar.
Class   

in addition to a race, you will choose a class for your character. These consist of the eagle-eyed ranger, the nature-loving druids, and many more. 

 Initiative

Initiative is when a battle starts and the turn order is decided by rolling dice. The turn order is also called the 'initiative order'. 

 Skill check

Skill checks are rolls made to determine whether a character succeeds at a challenging task. For example, you may be asked to roll a Perception check to see how well your character can see, listen, or smell, or a Stealth check to see how quiet they are. The skills can be found on your character sheet. 

Saving throw

Saving throws are rolls made to determine whether a character succeeds in a last-ditch effort to prevent something bad from happening. Dodging a fireball, prevent drowning, or resisting poison are good examples of this. Your Saving Throws are also found on your character sheet.

 Armor Class

Your Armor Class (or AC) indicates how difficult your character is to hit. A higher number means you are less likely to be hit. This could be due to a character's quick reflexes, the armor they wear, or a combination of both.

 Spells

Not all characters and classes have spells. There is a difference between 'divine magic' (magic of divine origin) and 'arcane magic' (from a deal with a fey, your ancestry, or from books). For example, a Cleric has different spells than a Wizard. 

How we use D&D

The game D&D has been played as a game since the 1980s, but Mythemakers uses it as a tool. Research shows that roleplaying games have a lot of influence on social development. In addition, it is also fun and interesting! Playing D&D and other roleplaying games allows you to:

 - Learn to express yourself
 - Build confidence
 - Learn to collaborate with other participants
 - Become more assertive
 - Learn to think creatively
 - Develop an understanding for each other
 - Learn how to problem-solve

We believe this is the power of D&D and why we use it as a resource. Do you also want to play or meet other players? Join us!