Alignment is a founding tradition of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). Present since 1974, it defines the moral compass of player characters, non-player characters, and monsters. By indicating who aligns with Good, Evil, Law, or Chaos — or who chooses Neutrality — alignment distinguishes heroes from villains and permeates the game’s cosmology.

Gary Gygax’s afterword to the Dungeon Masters Guide (DMG) begins with the well-known quote, “IT IS THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME, NOT THE LETTER OF THE RULES, WHICH IS IMPORTANT.” The focus of this discussion is the intended meaning of the “spirit of the game.”

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) is a gloriously sprawling game, and with that scope comes more than a few puzzling, oddly phrased, or hard-to-find rules. Some of these quirks stem from old printing errors, some from vague wording, and others from information tucked away in unexpected corners of the books.

This article explores the duties and responsibilities of the players in a Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) gaming group. Anyone who has played D&D — or any tabletop role-playing game — knows that the Dungeon Master (DM) has an outsized role compared to the players. In addition to managing the game, the DM must prepare an adventure or scenario in advance. This often means spending several hours finding and reading a published adventure or creating one of their own, whether fully writt

People play Dungeons & Dragons and other RPGs to have fun, but sometimes — usually in stressful situations — emotions can run high. Players may say and do things around the gaming table that are not in the spirit of camaraderie. This can quickly shift the tone of the game from “fun” to “not fun.”

In 1983, TSR updated its Advanced Dungeons & Dragons hardcover books with new cover art and the iconic orange-spine design. However, they did so for only four of the five books available at the time: Monster Manual, Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Deities & Demigods (the latter of which was retitled Legends & Lore).

This article offers suggestions and tips for Dungeon Masters who are starting a new campaign for their D&D gaming group.

This article takes an in-depth look at the attributes and resistances of undead in the 1st edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game.