dungeons & dragons Single Volume Edition By Gary Gygax & Dave Arneson Dedicated to all the fantasy wargamers who have enthusiastically played and ex- panded upon the CHAINMAIL Fantasy Rules, with thanks and gratitude. Here is something better! Special thanks to the Midwest Military Simulation Association, the Lake Geneva Tactical Studies Association, Rob Kuntz and Tom Keogh (in memoriam). Compiled by Greyharp Edited by Il Male™ Illustrations by Frank Frazetta © 1974 ◆ TACTICAL STUDY RULES FOREWORD 1974 saw the release of the first ever roleplaying game – Dungeons & Dragons - three little brown booklets in a box. And so started a gaming revolution. That it became so popular so quickly, from the original hand-assembled 1,000 box sets to a few short years later selling mil- lions of units globally, is something of a miracle. Those 3LBBs (Three Little Brown Booklets) are infamous for amateur production values and poor organisation, with many rules scattered higgledy-piggledy throughout the booklets and some rules not explained at all – such as the two combat systems. For Dungeons & Dragons was a game written by wargamers, for wargamers, who, it was assumed, would have an intuitive grasp of the rules and mechanics of the game. It was also assumed that most readers would have a copy of Chainmail, the wargame rules for medieval miniatures with its “Fantasy Supplement”, the foundation and inspiration for D&D. References to Chainmail combat are sprinkled throughout, but recognizing that some would not own that rulebook, an alternative combat system was provided that went on to become the offi- cial combat system of D&D. Given the above factors, it is no wonder Original D&D has a reputation for being difficult, if not impossible to understand, and is believed by many to be an incomplete game. Another common belief is that the 3LBBs are more a toolkit than a complete game, that on their own the D&D rules are not enough to fully play the game, requiring the use of its various supplements or the referee’s imagination to flesh it out. It is my strong belief that this reputation is both unfounded and untrue, but I knew the only way to prove this was to reorganize the 3LBBs into a single document. In doing so it quickly became apparent to me that Original D&D could be played without possessing Chainmail, and so I re- moved references to that game. I also removed references to the Outdoor Survival board game, which as far as the rules are concerned provided only a diagram to indicate in which direction a lost party was headed. A small amount of information was imported from The Strategic Review (page 3 & 4 of Vol. 1, No. 2), being Gygax’s official answers to the most frequently asked ques- tions concerning the Dungeons & Dragons rules. Although some light editing was necessary in reformatting the 3LBBs into one volume, I kept it to an absolute minimum. A huge thank you to Il Male™ who has taken my document and edited it to produce a greatly improved, easier to read version. I can’t help but think of the quote from the movie Men in Black: “You know the difference between you and me? I make this look GOOD.” And so he has. He has chosen to remove some elements, such as the example of play and sample dungeon, as most who read this book will be experienced gamers with no need of such things. We live in a different world from that of the mid-70s. Most new gamers don’t come from a back- ground of wargaming. It is my sincere hope this work will give people a better understanding and appreciation of the game that started it all – Gygax and Arneson’s Original D&D. Given that after having read my reformatted 3LBBs some old hands have commented that they saw rules they’d never noticed before, I believe my goal of shedding light on the Original game has been a success. Greyharp January, 2011 FOREWORD TO THE ORIGINAL EDITION ONCE UPON A TIME, long, long ago there was a little group known as the Castle and Crusade Society. Their fantasy rules were published, and to this writer's knowledge, brought about much of the current interest in fantasy wargaming. For a time the group grew and prospered, and Dave Arneson decided to begin a medieval fantasy campaign game for his active Twin Cities club. From the map of the "land" of the "Great Kingdom" and environs - the territory of the C&C Soci- ety - Dave located a nice bog wherein to nest the weird enclave of "Blackmoor", a spot between the "Great Kingdom" and the fearsome "Egg of Coot". From the CHAINMAIL fantasy rules he drew ideas for a far more complex and exciting game, and thus began a campaign which still thrives as of this writing! In due course the news reached my ears, and the result is what you have in your hands at this moment. While the C&C Society is no longer, its spirit lives on, and we believe that all wargamers who are interested in the medieval period, not just fantasy buffs, will enjoy playing DUNGEONS and DRAGONS. Its possibilities go far beyond any previous of- ferings anywhere! While it is possible to play a single game, unrelated to any other game events past or future, it is the campaign for which these rules are designed. It is relatively simple to set up a fantasy cam- paign, and better still, it will cost almost nothing. In fact you will not even need miniature fig- ures, although their occasional employment is recommended for real spectacle when battles are fought. A quick glance at the Equipment section of this booklet will reveal just how little is re- quired. The most extensive requirement is time. The campaign referee will have to have sufficient time to meet the demands of his players, he will have to devote a number of hours to laying out the maps of his "dungeons" and upper terrain before the affair begins. The third booklet of this set will be of great help in this respect, for a number of helpful suggestions regarding how to ac- complish it all have been given in order to help you accomplish the task with a minimum of time and effort. There should be no want of players, for there is unquestionably a fascination in this fantasy game - evidenced even by those who could not by any stretch of the imagination be termed ardent wargamers. The longevity of existing campaigns (notably "Blackmoor" in the Twin Cities and "Greyhawk" in Lake Geneva) and the demand for these rules from people outside these campaigns point towards a fantastic future. Tactical Studies Rules believes that of all forms of wargaming, fantasy will soon become the major contender for first place. The section of this booklet entitled Scope will provide an idea of just how many possibilities are inherent in DUN- GEONS and DRAGONS. These rules are strictly fantasy. Those wargamers who lack imagination, those who don't care for Burroughs' Martian adventures where John Carter is groping through black pits, who feel no thrill upon reading Howard's Conan saga, who do not enjoy the de Camp & Pratt fantasies or Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser pitting their swords against evil sorceries will not be likely to find DUNGEONS and DRAGONS to their taste. But those whose imaginations know no bounds will find that these rules are the answer to their prayers. With this last bit of advice we invite you to read on and enjoy a "world" where the fantastic is fact and magic really works! E. Gary Gygax 1 November 1973 Tactical Studies Rules Editor Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Table of Contents Section 1: Introduction Losing Direction ..................................................28 Scope .......................................................................6 Hiring Retainers .....................................................28 Recommended Equipment .......................................6 Loyalty of Retainers ..............................................28 Preparation for the Campaign ..................................6 Hiring Specialists and Mercenaries .........................29 Kinds of Mercenaries ...........................................29 Section 2: Characters Kinds of Specialists ..............................................29 Creating a Character ................................................7 Awarding Experience ..............................................30 Character Abilities .................................................7 Ability Prime Requisites .........................................7 Section 5: Encounters and Combat Character Classes .....................................................8 Movement and Time in Encounters .........................31 Levels ....................................................................8 Monster Reactions.................................................. 31 Hit Dice and Hit Points ..........................................8 Morale ...................................................................31 Levels Above those Listed ......................................8 Dungeon Encounters ..............................................31 Fighting-Men .........................................................8 Chases in the Dungeon ........................................31 Magic-Users ..........................................................8 Wilderness Encounters ...........................................31 Clerics ...................................................................9 Chases in the Wilderness .....................................31 Dwarves ..............................................................10 Combat ..................................................................32 Elves ....................................................................10 Combat