Introducing Gameplay

Introducing Gameplay is an experimental work, tentatively identified as 1 of 6 volumes, that attempts to provide an explanation of how the rules of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons is understood and played. It is being provided free through this wiki and no other source at this time. The text of this page should be sufficient for understanding the rules; links that appear lead to alternatives of AD&D rules that occur elsewhere in this wiki. This work is meant to take advantage of the still-existing Online Game License, though if the OGL is or becomes defunct, I'm not likely to take this down.

I dedicate this to all the would-be players who find themselves unable to understand the game's rules due to the haphazard and poor way that they have been presented these last many decades. Illustrations are included only to clarify, not as performative material.

Foreward

From the beginning of my gaming experience in September of 1979, the goal of explaining Dungeons & Dragons to someone who might wish to understand the game well enough to play without needing to observe others has long been the bane of D&D. Arguably, much of the problem is related to the cost of printing books, that requires that the whole of the game be explained within a set number of pages, with a limited number of diagrams, a limited size font for printing and the time required to fully produce a completely comprehensible set of rules. An alternate explanation for the failure these past decades comes from the lack of technical game comprehension within the designing community, which has always allowed itself to chase rabbits down holes that failed to provide contribute pathways to game payoffs, agency, feedback, tension, mastery and many other facets of game creation. In short, many "designers" were, in fact, amateurs throwing soup at a wall hoping it would improve the taste.

Another failing has been to retain aspects of game play that did not work for the sake of nostalgia or frank immovability, believing that change would somehow warp or lessen the effectiveness of game aspects that they preferred to leave warped or disfunctional, as one might with dogma. Also, a pervasive resistance to a logical order, or a resistance to explain ideas as they become relevant, preferring to shift such explanations into glossaries, indexes or other removed parts of the work, forcing readers to jump back and forth throughout the text with growing dispair and frustration. The belief remains that D&D cannot be explained linearly, that because multiple factors of the game influence each other simultaneously, that therefore the game can only be learned by looping through multiple experiences that must then be re-interpreted with later iterations of game play.

For the present, it's not desirable to state to what purpose these rules are designed to serve, beyond game play. Attempts to categorise the game's nature, or to state why the game is played, or to outline the game's organisation structure, only introduce terms that are unnecessary for learning the game's rules. So these will not be invoked at this time, so as not to pollute the discourse with terms that cannot, up front, be understood out of context. Nor would it benefit the reader to be told ahead of time under which headings this book is organised, since that too would only introduce ideas and terms that, again, could not be grasped anyway. Further, the existing iterations of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, of which there are many, would at this time be of no benefit to the reader. Therefore, they can be put aside until later, when their comprehensibility becomes practical to relate.

Participants

All persons who participate in the game, henceforth tagged either AD&D or D&D, the latter of which should be viewed as a shortened form of the former, at technically "players" in the game sense, according to a dictionary definition of the word. However, awkwardly, one of the "players" is not referred to in-game as such, and for our convenience we'll refer to this individual as the role this special participant serves: that of "dungeon master." Othe participants, and there may be any number, depending on how many can be managed by the dungeon master, are yet called "players" within the game's lexicon.

The dungeon master's role is to host the game, adjudicate and explain the rules, provide context for what the players experience, act on behalf of instruments in the game that can function as obstacles, reward the players and ultimately correct elements of the game's rules that prove insufficient over time. To understand how these functions are carried out, it must first be understood that most or potentially all of the game's play occurs without standard physical game pieces, a physical board or physical representations of any kind; the only tools that must be present are first, dice of a particular geometric design, generating random numbers between 1 to 4 (d4), 1 to 6 (d6), 1 to 8 (d8), 1 to 10 (d10), 1 to 12 (d12) and 1 to 20 (d20). The designation "d20," or die-20, indicates a die with 20 sides that is rolled to produce numbers between 1 and 20. The other tools require a means of taking notes, either with pen/pencil and paper or upon an electronic device.

The Dungeon Master

This participant, who we may abbreviate as the DM, hosts the game by providing a space, a table, chairs, vittles and whatever else a host would normally provide, while taking a place at the head of the table where access to all players is convenient and beneficial to personal communication. Adjudicating involves not only stipulating which rules are going to apply to the game, but also making a determination on play similar to that of a referee, who must be ready to resolve unexpected situations as they occur, within the expectations the rules provide. Because the rules are complex and multi-varied, the DM is expected to have an excellent, working grasp of their existence and function, if not their exact wording; the DM must be able, on demand, to seek out and express for the players the exact wording of the rules when these apply.

Providing context for game play requires the DM to verbally describe what the players "see" within the constraints of a fictional world, often called the "setting." The players are expected to imagine themselves at a specific place, the details and constraints of which are explained effectively and thoroughly enough by the DM that the players can feel, not individually, but as a group, that they are "there," just the same way a reader can picture a described scene in a text. That all the members of the group are able to see themselves in the same place, in the same way, is a testament to the explanatory skill of the DM. The importance and relative game value of the DM's depiction is of enormous consequence to gameplay, and shall be explained progressively as we move forward.

This setting is not populated by the players alone, but by an unknown number of other existing beings, with whom the players interact, that the DM must likewise provide context for. Some of these beings shall speak to the players, some shall act against the players or on their behalf, some will give the players additional exposition about the setting that describes places where the players are not at presently, all with the intention of adding to the players store of knowledge about the setting, while creating instances of tension and conflict which the players must, through their own stated actions, manage. Some of these other beings will impose their will upon the player, presenting themselves as the aforementioned obstacles which the players must overcome.

When the players succeed in overcoming obstacles, they are rewarded. The amount of the reward, and the manner of it, is determined by the DM also. The purpose of the reward is not only to enrich the players, but to expand the options they can draw upon a game play continues. In effect, to add to the store of choices a player individually has when attempting to resolve conflicts, and the store of overall options the collective players, or "party," has when resolving difficulties as a team.

Finally, because the games rules are perpetually insufficient for the complexity of situations and possibilities that the game setting allows, a good DM is one that takes the time to rewrite rules, with the confirmation and consent of the players, to provide logical and practical options and constraints for the players to experience and enjoy, while expanding the framework of the game they play. Often, this last choice of action is not pursued. The choice not to pursue it is not, in and of itself, evidence of a lacking DM, but failing to press the game further is limiting to the player's overall enjoyment in the long term.

Players

As stated, players are those participants who form a concept of what's been explained about the setting through the DM's description. The role of the player is to judge and interpret what's heard and then decide upon a course of action. Yet they cannot by the game's rules take any action that pleases them — they are limited in their choice by two factors: first, the constraints of physical reality, in the manner by which any human being is naturally checked — according to the familiar restrictions of time, ability to move and plausibly know things, as well as the need for air, water, food, shelter, sleep and clothing, within the natural threats to their health, resources, property and so on.

The other factor derives from the game itself as a list of boundaries and special benefits that accrue to players individually, dictated by a fabrication called the "character." The character is, essentially, the player's game piece. The details of the character, which are comprised of randomly rolled details complemented by personal choices made by the player within the game's rules, dictate which choices the player can undertake when playing the game. At this point, examples would be counter-beneficial — it is more important to understand how the player makes decisions about play based on what the "character" is, than it would be to introduce game terms that would have to be explained now, toward no good purpose. Rest assured that characters are not only initially complicated and requiring of player intuition, but that characters necessarily become more so as the game continues. This can be taken on faith until it is practical to explain it.

During play, the player listens to what the DM says before choosing an action. The player may wish to converses with other players before doing so. All the players are free to take their own actions within the limitations defined, either individually or conjointly. Often, especially in complex situations, players make a plan before any player takes an action. When an action is taken, the DM interprets the action, explains the effects of the action... and then players are free to take another action and so on.

This process goes on indefinitely. At any point the game can be suspended, the DM and players remembering or making notes about what they did last, so that the game can be set aside for any period of time that is convenient for the participants. When the game is reconvened, the last actions and the general situation are reviewed, then the process of the DM explaining the setting and the players reacting to that setting can continue. In this manner, over the course of week after week, a single game can literally continue for years at a time. This continuing game is commonly called a "campaign," but this is only a simplification of this concept in game terms, and we can revisit the word and its deeper definition later.

The Character

This describes the person-shaped puppet that is made to function by the player's will in game play — but before we can understand how this identity actually functions under the player, we must explain the character's structure. As a device, the character is made up of qualities that variously manifest in two forms: as constraints against the player's wishes and as "affordances" — an unfamiliar word that describes rules and structures that allow the player to attempt actions in a meaningful and potentially successful manner. Just as a door with a handle allows it to be pulled open, a game affordance allows the use of tools and abilities in order to afford benefits in game terms.

Attributes

We begin by establishing the character's physical and mental capacities. These are managed through six "attributes," which are also sometimes described as "ability stats" or even simply "stats." The multiplicity of terms indicates their importance in D&D. We should take a moment to remember that for our purposes, these attributes exist as game terms — over the years, all have accumulated cultural interpretations, but these must be directly set aside as they are irrelevant to understanding game play.

Four of these stats describe physical characteristics: strength, constitution, dexterity and charisma. Strength is best described as prowess, boldness or spirit, as well as being physically brawny or muscular. Constitution describes health and, loosely, endurance — though parts of the latter are better attributed to strength. Dexterity best describes agility or nimbleness; the word's relationship to craft, skill or common sense should be discounted in this context. Charisma describes attractiveness and magnetism; in context, it can relate to the loyalty engendered in others, but that should be treated as secondary to the attribute's direct meaning.

Two of these stats describe mental characteristics: intelligence and wisdom. Intelligence can be understood as comprehension and problem-solving. Wisdom, in turn, conveys sagacity, knowledge and good judgment. Because these terms refer to esoteric aspects, much time has been taken in rehashing or debating exactly which ability accounts for what kind of thinking process — what we must do, however, is remember that the specific meaning is less relevant than how it applies in-game, within the scope of constraints and affordances to which each pertains.

Attributes are determined by random generation. In AD&D, this is accomplished by rolling four six-sided dice (commonly shortened to "4d6") then discarding the lowest die — or one of the lowest dice — so that only three dice that have been rolled are counted and added together. The total produces a result between 3 to 18. In all, six totals are created, one for each of the six attributes we've described. The attributes are arranged in a column, typically in the upper left corner of a piece of paper, conveniently abbreviated thusly: Str, Int, Wis, Con, Dex, Chr. The player then assigns one total to each attribute, or ability stat, so that each has a number beside it that numbers range between 3 and 18.

The arrangement of the stats itself is a form of game-play, as the player is faced with deciding which mode of existence the character is going to inhabit with the game setting. This "mode" can be seen as a profession, or a way of life; in AD&D, it is termed a "character class," carrying with it a specific and largely unique set of affordances that the "class" allows.

Note: Any ability stat below 7 will impose penalties to die rolls, comprehension or social status that may seriously threaten the survival of the character. If a very low ability stat is generated, where it is placed matters against the choices the player makes in how to "play," or puppet-master the character. Characters who wish to engage in fighting — as the game involves "combat" that's carried out against the character's enemies — should steer clear of adopting a low stat as their strength, constitution or dexterity. Those who wish to do a lot of speaking on behalf of their character, as a means of swaying the opinions of persons met within the setting, should not adopt a low charisma. Those who plan to use their character to read, problem solve or invent should not adopt a low mental stat, either wisdom or intelligence.

As a fixed rule, no stat generation that includes more than one result of 5 or less can be left stand; should this occur, the result should be discounted at once and the four dice rolled again.

Character Class

Once the stats are rolled, and before they are assigned, the player chooses the character class they wish to play. Each class permits affordances, or "special abilities," which the player is able to perform. Each class also imposes limitations upon the character with respect to self-defense, freedom of choice — even the fictional belief system the player is expected to embrace on behalf of the class. The classes range from those with a greater capacity to fight to those that are able to quite literally perform magic in the way of spells and also in distinct class-based talents. The enumeration of all skills related to all classes would be a ponderous, at this point unnecessary exercise; rest assured, all shall be explained when it becomes necessary to do so.

There are ten character classes for the participants to choose from in original AD&D, describing the game as published before the year 1980. These are, listed alphabetically, assassin, cleric, druid, fighter, illusionist, magic-user, monk, paladin, ranger and thief. At this time, an overview of each must be given with respect to the placement of ability stats; later, additional details about each will be provided when that information becomes necessary for learning how different aspects of the game work. The original game books organise these classes in their entirety, so they may be viewed by players... but our goal is to teach the game, not provide material collections that can later be put into appendices, when all the rules regarding the character class, and any other part of D&D, are fully understood.

Generally speaking, for the character to receive direct affordances, or "benefits," from their ability stats, the stat must be above 14 and, in the case of strength, higher than 15. In such cases, the stat is described as "high." Exceptions are included depending upon the character class. All character classes presumptively dictate that minimum numbers must be assigned to specific attributes. This is explained below.

Assassins are professional murderers who are assumed to be unconcerned with malevolence; their skill set tends toward criminal or subversive activities. A high dexterity is desirable, as it improves the use of missile attacks; a minimum of 12 dexterity is required. Strength is also beneficial and must be at least 12; intelligence must be at least 11. Aside from these, a high constitution is of the most benefit. Wisdom is generally ill-considered for an assassin, as a player choice. Both constitution and wisdom must be 6 or higher. Charisma can be as low as 3, with the presumption that most assassins are unlikable.

Clerics are religious crusaders or leaders who are able to cast spells. The number of spells available to the cleric increases with wisdom — therefore the higher the wisdom, the better; but take note, the character must have a wisdom of 9 or greater. Because the cleric's spells tend to be defensive or non-combative in nature, clerics will often engage in hand-to-hand fighting, called "melee," which benefits from a high strength or constitution. Dexterity can also be a help, though clerics are limited in the use of missile weapons, which dexterity affects. Charisma is useful to a cleric should they decide to manage a church someday. All stats, with the exception of dexterity, must number 6 or more.

Druids are nature-based spellcasters who are perceived as being more concerned about flora and fauna than for traditional civilisation. Like clerics, their spells also increase with wisdom points; however, because the druid must have a minimum charisma of 15 and a wisdom of 12, choosing to be a druid without having at least two generated results above 14 would be a poor gaming choice for the player. Druids have greater restrictions upon their combat ability than clerics, but strength, constitution and dexterity can still afford benefits. Intelligence is often viewed as a "dump stat" of the class, a colloquial term meaning the place where the lowest generated number is placed. All attributes for a druid must be 6 or more.

Fighters are a combat-focused class with wide affordances in weapons and armour. They hit more easily, are harder to kill and act as protectors of the other weaker classes. The example of Liam above shows typical placement for the fighter: strength first, followed by constitution, with dexterity a typical third. Swapping dexterity for constitution is common. Distribution between charisma, intelligence and wisdom depends upon personal choice, with the exception that an attribute less than 6 must be placed as intelligence. Fighters need a minimum strength of 9, a constitution of 7 and all other attributes except for intelligence must be at least 6.

Illusionists are a focused spellcaster character class with spells balanced toward misdirection and the creation of illusion; they are weak in combat. Though by the rules the attribute has no effect upon their spellcasting, an illusionist must have a minimum intelligence of 15. The illusionist must also have a minimum dexterity of 16, which in turn is their most beneficial attribute. Because the character will largely avoid fights, wisdom and charisma are usually chosen, followed by strength; these three stats must all be at least 6. Constitution can be as low as 3.

Magic-users are likewise spellcasters, with spells that tend more toward the manipulation of elemental forces and matter. They are also weak in combat. Their minimum attribute requirements are far less, with the class needing a 9 intelligence and a minimum of 6 in all other attributes except strength, which can be as low as 3. However, the higher the intelligence that a mage has, the more versatile and effective they are as a class, so placing the highest possible generated number upon a would-be mage's intelligence is key to the class's success.

Monks resemble warriors of Eastern culture, with a distinct similarity to medieval Wuxia adventurers, more commonly recognised today as masters of kung fu and related martial arts. The requirements to become a monk are high: the player must generate three numbers which are 15 or higher, to be placed as the character's strength, wisdom and dexterity, and an 11 for the character's constitution. Charisma and intelligence must be a minimum of 6. These characters have unusual powers that some players may find worth the difficulty of achieving such a character.

Paladins are unusually powerful fighters possessing unique magical aspects while embodying the spirit of fictional medieval heroes such as Siegfried, Lancelot and Parsifal. They are restricted in their behaviour, as they must be true of heart and deed, else they risk tumbling to the status of mere fighters should they grievously sin. As a class, their attribute minimums are harsh: a 17 charisma, a 12 strength, an intelligence of 9, a wisdom of 13, a constitution of 9 and a dexterity of 6. Because they are fighters, a high strength and constitution greatly improve the paladin's chance of survival.

Rangers are unusually strong and resilient fighters who possess unusual skill when acting in wilderness environments, suggestive of Robin Hood or William Tell. They are more mildly restricted in their behaviour and are expected to be generous and kind; as a class, their attribute minimums are also difficult to achieve: a strength and intelligence of 13, and a wisdom and constitution of 14. Both dexterity and charisma must be at least 6.

Thieves are criminals with great skill in concealment, robbery and striking from behind; as a class, they benefit from not being seen, which balances their drawbacks as combatants, placing their fighting abilities above illusionists and magic-users, but weaker than everyone else. Thieves need only a minimum dexterity of 9, with a minimum of 6 in every other attribute except wisdom, which can be as low as 3.

There is a great deal more to be said about character classes and the options they open up for players, but for the moment those specifics are better set aside. Before narrowing the focus to class-based abilities, it is more useful to establish a clearer view of the player's character as a whole. To that end, attention can shift to other elements that apply to every character, apart from class. Addressing these shared details better allows a complete picture to emerge, so that when further details about class are provided, they may be understood more thoroughly.