All versions of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) feature illusions. Some monsters, such as lamias and djinn, and spellcasters—primarily illusionists and, to a lesser degree, magic-users—have the power to create illusions. Illusions often appear in dungeons to conceal something or discourage investigation, such as an illusory wall. They can be used for subterfuge or distraction. Some traps can produce illusory monsters that attack like real ones or simulate magical effects, such as dr

This is the fourth installment of Confounded Rules! Once more, it takes a close look at difficult, ambiguous, and little-known rules in First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D). Some rules suffered from obtuse or incomplete language, making it difficult for Dungeon Masters (DMs) and players to determine how they were intended to work. Over the game’s 12-year run, many rules evolved or were clarified in later books.

Welcome to the campaign journal chronicling the battle against the stone giant clans of Flóndisheim. This adventure became the DUNGEON DELVE module DDS5 Valley of the Stone Giant Clans. The journal features the main characters from my weekly Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) group, who began their careers a few years ago as 1st-level characters.

Welcome to the campaign journal chronicling the battle against the stone giant clans of Flóndisheim. This adventure became the DUNGEON DELVE module DDS5 Valley of the Stone Giant Clans. The journal features the main characters from my weekly Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) group, who began their careers a few years ago as 1st-level characters.

Welcome to the campaign journal chronicling the battle against the stone giant clans of Flóndisheim. This adventure became the DUNGEON DELVE module DDS5 Valley of the Stone Giant Clans. The journal features the main characters from my weekly Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) group, who began their careers a few years ago as 1st-level characters.

Welcome to the campaign journal chronicling the battle against the stone giant clans of Flóndisheim. This adventure became the DUNGEON DELVE module DDS5 Valley of the Stone Giant Clans. The journal features the main characters from my weekly Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) group, who began their careers a few years ago as 1st-level characters.

Welcome to the campaign journal chronicling the battle against the stone giant clans of Flóndisheim. This adventure became the DUNGEON DELVE module DDS5 Valley of the Stone Giant Clans. The journal features the main characters from my weekly Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) group, who began their careers a few years ago as 1st-level characters.

The Character Class Compendium has everything you need in one place. It covers every official First Edition character class—cavaliers, druids, magic-users… even two paladins: the original fighter subclass and the revised cavalier subclass.

These guidelines provide the DM with a clear, practical system for magic-item creation that is both balanced and logical. The system’s underlying philosophy assumes that magic items are not commonplace in most campaigns and are therefore difficult and costly to create, both in time and in money.

This article presents a detailed, step-by-step walkthrough of the First Edition combat process, using a sample dungeon encounter to illustrate how surprise, initiative, spellcasting, movement, and combat resolution function in play. Where appropriate, notes identify the specific rulebook sections from which each procedure is drawn.

Combat is a central feature of every edition of Dungeons & Dragons. In a melee round, combatants jockey for position, missiles streak toward their targets, and spells are unleashed amid the chaos. The rulebooks present this process as orderly and well-defined.

As most players know, many rules in AD&D are notoriously difficult to grasp. The causes range from unclear writing to typographical errors to poor organization. This article sheds light on some of the game’s more arcane and perplexing rules, explaining how they function and, in some cases, the rationale for their inclusion. Often, multiple sources must be consulted to uncover the official answer. To facilitate this, page numbers are cited throughout the text.

Psionics in First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) are an optional subsystem of mental powers drawn from the minds of creatures. Their inclusion adds a rare and unconventional dimension to a campaign.

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.

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.