Dungeon Master’s Guide Version 2.1 Credits D&D Organized Play: Christopher Lindsay D&D Adventurers League Administrators: Robert Adducci, Bill Benham, Claire Hoffman, Greg Marks, Alan Patrick, Travis Woodall Effective August 26, 2016 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers League, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast. ©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK. Not for resale. Permission granted to print and photocopy this document for personal use only. Michele Bonelli di Salci (order #9799780) What is the D&D Adventurers League? The D&D Adventurers League is the official organized play system for Dungeons & Dragons. Players can create characters and participate in any adventure allowed as a part of the D&D Adventurers League. As characters adventure, players track those characters’ experience, treasure, and other rewards, and can take those characters through other adventures that will continue their personal story. Storyline Seasons D&D Introductory Adventures D&D Adventurers League play is broken up into These adventures premiere at your local core hobby storyline seasons. When players create characters, retail store and are meant to introduce you to the they can continue to play their characters after the content of a new D&D print product, published by storyline season has finished, possibly participating Wizards of the Coast. This free content typically in a second or third storyline with those same supports twelve to sixteen hours of D&D play, and is characters. A character’s level is the only limitation made available for anyone to download from the for adventure play. A player cannot use a character of Dungeon Masters Guild after its initial premiere. It is a level higher or lower than the level range of a given important to note that there will be an introductory D&D Adventurers League adventure. adventure for each new release, not just D&D adventure releases. The Setting D&D Adventurers League adventures are set in the D&D Premiere Play Forgotten Realms, on the continent of Faerûn. The D&D Premiere Play adventures support Wizards of storyline for season 4 was set in Ravenloft, though the Coast storyline product releases. They can be characters traversed the mists from the Forgotten purchased from the Dungeon Masters Guild, and Realms to Ravenloft, and back again as part of that played as official D&D Adventurers League play. season’s story. Hardcover adventures for previous Once purchased by a Dungeon Master, Premiere seasons are set in the Sword Coast region—a savage Play content can be run as often as that DM likes in wilderness dotted with powerful and iconic cities support of a given D&D storyline season. D&D such as Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter, and Waterdeep. Premiere Play can take place anywhere, both at a Adventures created for previous seasons of D&D public venue such as a local core hobby retail store, Adventurers League play are set in the Moonsea or privately in your home or other location of your region—a brutal land beset by bandits, monstrous choosing. hordes, and tyrants. Going forward, the adventures Being a Dungeon Master created to compliment the current story will also be set in the Sword Coast region in order to bring their Playing D&D Adventurers League adventures as the story focus closer to that of the for-sale print DM is easy and fun. The adventures can be prepared products crafted by the D&D team at Wizards of the in a short period of time, and you don’t have to worry Coast. about creating all sorts of background material. D&D Adventurers League Play What You Need to Run a Game Dungeon Masters and players can engage with the In order to run a game as a DM in D&D Adventurers D&D Adventurers League in many ways. These League games, you’ll need the following. currently include D&D introductory adventures, D&D The D&D Basic Rules. This PDF document is premiere play and playing through the published available for free on the Wizards of the Coast D&D adventure for any given storyline. Additionally, website. It contains all the basic rules of the come convention organizers have been sanctioned game, and you can create a character with it. to create approved D&D Adventurers League More options for characters are available in the adventures that premiere specifically at their Player’s Handbook and the Sword Coast conventions. These adventures are set in the Adventurer’s Guide. Moonsea region of the Forgotten Realms. This list of options may continue to change to meet the needs An Adventure. If you’re running games in a game of D&D fans and event organizers. store or at a convention, check with the organizer to see what adventures are available. The 2 Not for resale. Permission granted to print and photocopy this document for personal use only. Michele Bonelli di Salci (order #9799780) organizer may be able to provide you with access help run games if they so choose. However, D&D to a copy of the adventure. Adventures are Adventurers League play does not use any other designed for a table of five players, but can be optional or variant rules as presented in the adjusted for three to seven players. Tables smaller Dungeon Master’s Guide. or larger than those limits are not allowed. Preparing the Adventure Dice, Pens or Pencils, and Paper. Don’t leave Before you show up to run a D&D Adventurers them at home! League adventure for a group of players, you should do the following to prepare. A DCI number (OPTIONAL). This is an official Wizards of the Coast organized play number. It is Make sure to have a copy of the D&D Basic obtainable at public events; ask the organizer for Rules or the Player’s Handbook. one the first time you play, or it can be obtained Read through the adventure, taking notes of online. anything you’d like to highlight or remind Optional Items yourself while running the adventure, such as a way you’d like to portray an NPC or a tactic These things aren’t necessary to run D&D you’d like to use in combat. Adventurers League games, but might be nice to Get familiar with any monster statistics in the have. adventure or its appendices. Dungeon Master’s Guide™. This book contains Gather together any resources you’d like to use indispensable advice on running games. It’s great to aid you in running the adventure, such as during preparation, but you don’t have to bring it note cards, a DM screen, miniatures, battle along to the game. The Dungeon Master’s Guide maps, and so forth. also contains descriptions of magic items that If you know the composition of the group of might be awarded during the course of play, so it characters beforehand, you can make is suggested that you bring that information with adjustments as noted throughout the you to the table if it is not provided in the adventure. adventure. Before Each Play Session Monsters. The adventure will specify where you If you are new to being a Dungeon Master, here is a can find statistics for the monsters you’re using. useful guide to preparing. Before you start the Most monsters can be found in the Monster adventure, spend some time familiarizing yourself Manual or the D&D Basic Rules. Special monsters with the locations, events, and characters. You’ll also created specifically for a given season’s published want to review the relevant statistics for any adventure are found in that product. monsters or nonplayer characters (NPCs). Note Cards. Great for writing down initiative, After introducing yourself to the players, ask them to handing notes to players, and as cheap table provide you with a small amount of relevant tents. character information. This typically includes (but is not limited to) the following. Miniatures and Map Surfaces. If you and your players enjoy playing a more tactical game of Character name D&D, you can use these to help depict combats Character race, class, and level and detailed areas. Character faction Passive Perception—the most common Dungeon Master Screen. Helpful to hide the passive ability check adventure and conceal your notes from the other Anything notable as specified by the adventure players. Rules for Dungeon Masters The variant (such as backgrounds, traits, flaws, and so on) rules for “Playing on a Grid” in the D&D Basic Rules and Player’s Handbook can be used if you Players can play an adventure they previously played and your players wish. Dungeon Masters should as a Player or Dungeon Master, but not with the feel free to use the Dungeon Masters Guide to same character (if applicable). Ensure that each 3 Not for resale. Permission granted to print and photocopy this document for personal use only.