Imagination is a key ingredient of Dungeons & Dragons, a cooperative game in which the characters that you roleplay embark on adventures together in fantasy worlds filled with monsters and magic.
In D&D, the action takes place in the imaginations of the players, and it’s narrated by everyone together. Here’s a glimpse at what that looks like:
Jared (as Dungeon Master): After your long journey, Castle Ravenloft towers before you. Crumbling towers of stone—perhaps abandoned guardhouses—loom over the approach. Beyond them, you see a gaping chasm disappearing into deep fog below. A lowered drawbridge spans the chasm, its chains creaking in the wind. Stone gargoyles stare down at you from the high walls, and a pale light spills into the courtyard from the open castle doors beyond.
Phillip (as Gareth): I examine the gargoyles. I have a feeling they’re not just statues!
Maeve (as Mirabella): I want to see how sturdy the drawbridge is. Do I think we can cross it, or is it going to collapse under our weight?
Jared: All right, one at a time. Phillip, Gareth’s looking at the gargoyles?
Phillip: Yeah. Is there any hint they might be creatures and not just decorations?
Jared: Make an Intelligence check.
Phillip: Does my Investigation skill apply?
Jared: Sure!
Phillip (rolling a d20): Ugh. Seven.
Jared: They look like decorations to you. And Maeve, Mirabella is examining the drawbridge?
The adventure continues from there, relying on the DM’s descriptions to set the scenes. Later in the chapter, other examples of play focus on certain aspects of D&D play: social interaction, exploration, and combat.
Rules Glossary
If you read a rules term in this book and want to know its definition, consult the rules glossary (see "Glossary Conventions" and "Rules Definitions"). This chapter provides an overview of how to play D&D and focuses on the big picture. Many places in this chapter reference that glossary.