History: Forty Years of Adventure | Dungeons & Dragons Shares Tweets + Forty Years of Adventure Dungeons & Dragons influenced so many games that followed in different media and genres, but it has remained a vital product in its own right, appearing in diverse editions, media, and languages, as well as spinning off into literature, film, television, and the Internet. It has been a source of inspiration for artists of many kinds, but more importantly it has enriched the lives of tens of millions around the globe, offering a chance for anyone to experience fantastic roles and situations very different from everyday life. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, and the release of an eagerly-awaited new edition, this timeline shows some important dates in the development, elaboration, and the triumph of Dungeons & Dragons. 1967 The International Federation of Wargaming (IFW), founded by Gary Gygax and others, provides a venue for wargame fans to exchange ideas and amateur game designs. 1968 Gygax hosts the first Lake Geneva Wargames Convention, or Gen Con, in the Horticultural Hall of his home town of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, as an IFW event.

1969 Gygax meets Dave Arneson at the second Gen Con, and the two express a mutual interest in collaborating on game rules. 1970 The Lake Geneva Tactical Studies Association, a small local wargames club, is founded. Initial membership includes Gygax and Don Kaye. Due to his growing interest in the medieval period, Gygax forms the Castle & Crusade Society, a subgroup of the IFW focused on medieval wargaming. Members are assigned property in an imaginary continent called the Great Kingdom. Arneson joins shortly thereafter. 1971 Chainmail, written by Gygax and Jeff Perren, is published by Guidon Games. It details fantastic medieval miniature warfare including wizards, heroes, and dragons. Arneson uses Chainmail as rules for his Blackmoor fantasy campaign situated in the Great Kingdom, including forays into a dungeon of monsters and treasure. 1972 In the summer, Arneson publishes “Facts about Black Moor” via issue #13 of the Castle & Crusade Society newsletter, the Domesday Book, which brings his activities to a wider audience.

Later in the year, Arneson demonstrates the Blackmoor game for Gygax in Lake Geneva; Dave Megarry then demonstrates his own “Dungeons of Pasha Cada,” later to be published as Dungeon! 1973 Gygax and Arneson collaborate on drafts of Dungeons & Dragons. Gygax and Kaye form a partnership called Tactical Studies Rules. Brian Blume joins Tactical Studies Rules to help produce the Dungeons & Dragons game. 1974 Dungeons & Dragons is first published in January as three booklets shipping in a woodgrain-colored cardboard box: Men & Magic, Monsters & Treasure, and Underworld & Wilderness Adventures. Within eleven months, the entire hand-assembled print run of 1,000 games sells out. 1975 Tactical Studies Rules dissolves and a new company forms: TSR Hobbies, Inc. A second 1,000 set printing of Dungeons & Dragons sells out in just under six months, followed quickly by a third printing of 2,000, all sold before the new year. The Dungeons & Dragons supplement Greyhawk specifies the Thief and Paladin classes; its sequel Blackmoor introduces the Monk and Assassin.

Origins I hosts the first major Dungeons & Dragons convention tournament, later to be published as the adventure module S1: Tomb of Horrors. TSR Hobbies sponsors Gen Con for the first time. 1976 For a fourth printing of 5,000 copies, Dungeons & Dragons switches to the white box that will be used for future printings of the original game. The first professional magazine devoted to fantasy and science fiction gaming is published: The Dragon, which begins bi-monthly publication in June. D&D supplements III and IV—Eldritch Wizardry and Gods, Demi-Gods, and Heroes—are introduced. 1977 Dungeons & Dragons is divided into Basic and Advanced versions. The D&D Basic Set edited by J. Eric Holmes becomes the first Dungeons & Dragons boxed set to ship with dice included. TSR Hobbies publishes the Monster Manual, the first book in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons product line. Its 350 monsters exert a huge influence over subsequent fantasy gaming, both on the tabletop and computers. 1978 The Players Handbook, the second Advanced Dungeons & Dragon hardcover, is released. The Dragon moves to monthly publication as of April.

TSR Hobbies produces a series of six adventure modules that were used for convention tournaments, beginning with the Origins tournament combating hill, frost and fire giants (G1–G3), and then the Gen Con tournament exploring an underworld of kuo-toa and drow elves (D1-D3). Gen Con leaves Lake Geneva for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside campus, where it remains for the next seven years. 1979 TSR Hobbies releases the Dungeon Masters Guide, the third and final core Advanced Dungeons & Dragons hardcover rulebook. Shortages in the supply chain lead to some copies of the Basic Set shipping with a cardboard chit sheet instead of dice. 1980 Around 250,000 units of Dungeons & Dragons products were sold prior to the beginning of the year. By summer, sales of the Basic Set alone reach 12,000 copies per month. To meet growing international demand, TSR Hobbies UK, Ltd. is formed in England. The initial release of the World of Greyhawk folder marks the first campaign setting produced by TSR, providing a context for the action in modules which harkens back to the original Great Kingdom of the Castle & Crusade Society.

TSR Hobbies unveils the Deities & Demigods cyclopedia for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. 1981 Tom Moldvay revises the Basic Set, and David “Zeb” Cook produces the sequel Expert Set. The Isle of Dread, the module shipping with the Expert Set, introduces the campaign world of Mystara. The Fiend Folio tome for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons highlights creatures submitted to the pages of White Dwarf magazine. The Role Playing Game Association (RPGA) is formed to promote quality role playing and unite gamers across the nation, aided by its flagship Polyhedron magazine. 1982 TSR releases its first video game products, including a version of the Dungeon! board game for the Apple II computer system. Now a cultural icon, Dungeons & Dragons appears in numerous mainstream media, even inspiring a scene in the film E.T. 1983 TSR Hobbies reorganizes into TSR, Inc. TSR releases the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual II. Frank Mentzer begins the three year process of revising and expanding Basic D&D with new versions of the Basic and Expert Set. A new subsidiary, the Dungeons & Dragons Entertainment Company, premieres its Dungeons & Dragons cartoon series on September 17.

This series spawns more than 100 different licenses and enjoys a positive reception. French is the first foreign language adaptation of the D&D game, and many other translations follow: Danish, Finnish, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Swedish, and more. 1984 The Companion Set continues Mentzer’s revision of Basic D&D. For the tenth anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, TSR publishes a collector’s boxed set including the Basic, Expert and Companion Set rules along with modules and character sheets. TSR, Inc. releases the first novel in the Dragonlance saga after two years of development. Dragonlance makes TSR the number one publisher of fantasy and science fiction novels in the nation. 1985 The new hardbound AD&D titles Unearthed Arcana and Oriental Adventures are released. The former Deities & Demigods is retitled Legends & Lore for a reissue. TSR publishes Mentzer’s Masters Set for high-level adventuring based on Basic D&D. Gen Con relocates to Milwaukee, where it will stay through 2002. 1986 TSR introduces Dungeon Adventures magazine, an all-adventure bi-monthly.

The Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeoneer’s Survival Guide and Wilderness Survival Guide are published. For the ultimate adventuring in Basic D&D, Mentzer finishes his expansions with the Immortals Set. 1987 The immense Forgotten Realms campaign setting is released; it will be the setting of numerous modules, novels and computer games. TSR publishes the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Manual of the Planes. A small team of designers starts work on the second edition of the AD&D game. 1988 Strategic Simulations Incorporated (SSI) releases the personal computer game Pool of Radiance, the first licensed computer adaptation of the AD&D system, and the first computer game set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. A number of “Gold Box” games based on the same AD&D engine follow. 1989 Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Second Edition is released, under lead designer David “Zeb” Cook. Releases for Second Edition include: the Dungeon Master Guide; Player's Handbook; Monstrous Compendiums Volumes 1, 2, and 3; Complete Fighter's Handbook; and Complete Thief's Handbook. The RPGA Network branches out into Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the U.K., Israel, and Australia.

1990 The Ravenloft campaign setting is released, featuring Count Strahd Von Zarovich, one of the most popular and enduring villains of the AD&D game. TSR publishes the Hollow World campaign set. Dragonlance comes to the computer in the SSI “Gold Box” title Champions of Krynn. 1991 TSR releases the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia designed by Aaron Allston, integrating systems from the Basic, Expert, Companion, and Master Set rules. The Neverwinter Nights online graphical multiplayer role-playing game begins on the AOL network, in collaboration with SSI, Stormfront and TSR. The savage world of Athas features in the new Dark Sun campaign setting. An introductory Dungeons & Dragons game, produced by Troy Denning and Tim Brown, aims to attract beginners to the game. 1992 The first Al Qadim campaign setting product is released, Arabian Adventures. TSR's first hardcover novel is published: The Legacy, by R.A. Salvatore, which debuts in the top ten of the New York Times bestseller list. The 25th anniversary of Gen Con, co-located with Origins, breaks all previous attendance records for any U.S. gaming convention.

1993 The early Monstrous Compendiums are repackaged as the hardcover Monstrous Manual tome. The release of the Dragon Strike Entertainment product, which includes a thirty minute video dramatizing a unique perspective on tabletop role-playing. 1994 In response to the success of trading card games, TSR publishes Spellfire: Master the Magic, a trading card game featuring the well-known names and settings of the AD&D game. The dark and rich Planescape campaign setting is introduced. The first TSR game products incorporating an audio compact disc are released. 1995 TSR marks its 20th anniversary with revised versions of the Second Edition Player’s Handbook and Dungeon Master Guide. Experienced Second Edition fans find new ideas in the Player's Option and Dungeon Master Option rulebooks. The Birthright campaign setting introduces blood magic, the power of the land, and the divine right of kings. 1996 TSR sells a digital version of its Dungeons & Dragons rules for the first time: the AD&D Core Rules CD-ROM. The Wizard Spell Compendiums, a new book series, is launched, compiling all wizard spells into four volumes.

The Dragonlance: Fifth Age role-playing game is released, bringing the popular setting to the card-based SAGA System. 1997 A new era in gaming commences as Wizards of the Coast—purchases TSR in June. 1998 Wizards resurrects the Greyhawk setting for the Return of the Eight. Baldur’s Gate, the first computer game in the Forgotten Realms developed by BioWare, is released. The “Infinity Engine” used for Baldur’s Gate would serve as the basis for several other Second Edition AD&D computer adaptations. 1999 Wizards celebrates the 25th birthday of Dungeons & Dragons with the Silver Anniversary Tour of game stores throughout the United States, as well as the release of the Silver Anniversary retrospective boxed set of Dungeons & Dragons. The acclaimed Planescape: Torment brings the Planescape setting to computer games. 2000 Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons is released by Wizards of the Coast, under the core design team of Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams, with new revisions of the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide and Monster Manual. Wizards no longer refers to these flagship releases as “Advanced” D&D.

With the initial publication of the Open Game License (OGL), and the first System Reference Document (SRD), the industry is transformed by opportunities for third-party products based on the Third Edition D&D rules. A feature film based on D&D appears in theaters, starring Jeremy Irons and including a cameo appearance as a magic-user by game co-creator Dave Arneson. Gary Gygax guest-stars in the “Anthology of Interest” episode of Futurama, wherein he plays D&D with Al Gore, Stephen Hawking, and others. 2001 The Dungeons & Dragons Chainmail miniatures game is released in October, bringing gameplay back to its roots in fantastic medieval wargaming. The Pool of Radiance computer game series returns with the Ruins of Myth Drannor produced by Ubisoft. 2002 Gen Con is purchased by the Wizards' founder and former CEO, Peter Adkison, who the following year would move the convention to its current home in Indianapolis. BioWare releases a new Neverwinter Nights computer game, which includes an Internet-based multiplayer mode. The system is based on Third Edition D&D, and the campaign is set in the Forgotten Realms.

Bestselling novels continue to emerge from the Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms settings, including this year’s Dragons of a Vanished Moon: The War of Souls, Vol. III and The Thousand Orcs, both of which debut on the New York Times bestseller’s list. 2003 A revision to Third Edition D&D, known as v 3.5, appears in new versions of the core rulebooks. The Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures Game debuts with the first in a series of collectible miniatures for tactical combat based on D&D. The classic super-module the Temple of Elemental Evil set in Greyhawk jumps to computer games in a version developed by Troika Games. 2004 Wizards releases the Eberron campaign setting, which had won their 2002 contest to design a new campaign setting for Dungeons & Dragons. The 30th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons is honored with a retrospective book on the game’s history, 30 Years of Adventure. A new Dungeons & Dragons Basic Game is released, designed by Jonathan Tweet. The first Worldwide Dungeons & Dragons Game Day is held October 16.

2005 Three-Dragon Ante, a non-collectible Wizards card game, provides a system for incorporating its use into the play of Dungeons & Dragons. 2006 The massively-multiplayer online role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons Online is released by Turbine Entertainment. Wizards holds a Dungeons & Dragons fan film contest. Obsidian Entertainment releases Neverwinter Nights 2, a sequel to the prior BioWare title, which incorporates Dungeons & Dragons edition 3.5 rules. 2007 Fourth Edition Dungeons & Dragons is announced at Gen Con. Wizards launches D&D Insider, an online subscription service that provides character and adventure management tools. The Dragon and Dungeon Adventure magazines relaunch as online publications for D&D Insider subscribers. The traditional “Winter Fantasy” convention is renamed the “D&D Experience” up to 2013. 2008 Wizards publishes the core Fourth Edition Dungeons & Dragons sourcebooks, under lead designer Rob Heinsoo: a Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, Monster Manual and also a new Adventurer’s Vault containing equipment and treasure. Release of the Game System License (GSL) enables third-party publishers to produce Fourth Edition compatible products.

The Dungeons & Dragons Miniature Game rules change to permit use with Fourth Edition D&D. 2009 Fourth Edition expands on its core rulebooks with sequels: the Players Handbook II, Dungeon Master’s Guide II, Monster Manual II and Adventurer’s Vault II. Select articles from The Dragon are compiled into a hardcover annual. 2010 The Dungeons & Dragons Essentials product line offers a streamlined rendition of the rules through its introductory Starter Set as well as the Dungeon Master’s Kit, Rules Compendium and Monster Vault. The first season of Organized Play’s D&D Encounters series of adventures begins in March with Undermountain: Halaster’s Lost Apprentice. The release of the Dungeons & Dragons: Castle Ravenloft board game launches a series of Dungeons & Dragons Adventure System cooperative board games. 2011 A series of Player’s Option books returns with yet more new classes, races, feats and powers. The first “Advanced Dungeons & Dragons” episode of the show Community airs. 2012 Wizards launches the open playtest of “D&D Next,” which will ultimately include over 175,000 playtesters. Wizards’s Dungeon Command skirmish combat game provides fast-based tactical miniature warfare on configurable boards.

The board game Lords of Waterdeep brings a competitive dimension of play to the Forgotten Realms setting. 2013 The 1974 original boxed set Dungeons & Dragons game with its supplements is reprinted with new cover art in a deluxe collector’s edition. Lords of Waterdeep appears in an iOS version for the iPad. Beta for the Neverwinter MMO, developed by Cryptic Studios, begins in February. The game officially releases in June. 2014 The second “Advanced Dungeons & Dragons” episode of Community airs. Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons is released, under lead designer Mike Mearls. The initial product is a free online version of the D&D Basic Rules, and helps mark the 40th anniversary of the publication of the game. A cross-platform campaign—Tyranny of Dragons—begins in August/Gen Con, with a storyline impacting both tabletop and digital play. About the Author Jon Peterson is the author of Playing at the World , a history of role-playing games and wargames. Where to Play and Buy Find a location to buy and play Dungeons & Dragons near you. Country Dungeons & Dragons - history, versions, and revisions Dungeons & Dragons [ games ] What are the versions of D&D?

What is the history? Dungeons & Dragons (commonly known as D&D) is a fantasy role-playing game (RPG) first designed by Gary Gygax and David Arneson in the early 1970s. It was published by Gygax's company, Tactical Studies Rules (TSR). For more on what D&D (or AD&D) is, see the sources section at the bottom of the page. Original Dungeons & Dragons (OD&D) 1971 - Chainmail (by Gary Gygax & Jeff Perren) Chainmail was not a role-playing game (RPG). However, Chainmail's second and third editions contained supplemental fantasy-setting rules, as well as alternate rules that show similarities to later D&D rules. 1974 - "Dungeons & Dragons" The most memorable published result of the Arneson-Gygax hobby crossover appeared at GenCon, 1974, in a thousand-copy print run, as Dungeons & Dragons, 1974, by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. It consisted of three roughly digest-sized brown pamphlets in a deepish brown box with white labels.

(People are often confused because a very-nearly identical product, marked with "Original Collector's Edition," was released in 1978 in a white cardboard box, hence the mistaken name "white box D&D" to refer to the 1974 product.) [ view details on OD&D versions ] The Sixth printing (OCE: 1977-1979), in a white box showing a wizard and some orcs, was labeled "Original Collectors Edition" to differentiate it from the D&D Basic Set, which had just been released. Many, many rules and play ideas proliferated in TSR's magazine The Dragon , renamed from its precursor The Strategic Review. The RPGA (Role-Playing Games Association) also became active around the late 1970s, and started publishing the magazine Polyhedron. Basic D&D, Expert D&D The "Basic Set" was reportedly "Developed chiefly because of disagreements with Gary Gygax over the direction D&D should take; Gygax favored a far more structured and complicated system (AD&D)." Check out this page for the history and evolution of the covers.

The Expert set was released in 1981 as the obvious sequel to the D&D Basic Set, which left characters hanging at level 3. For characters levels 4 - 14. The Basic and Expert sets are sometimes referred to as "red-box" and "blue-box" D&D. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D), 1st Edition The AD&D books were first published between 1977 and 1979. (Note that is was not named "1st Edition" until after the 2nd Edition came out in the late 1980s.) AD&D had multiple printings; after the 10th printing, the books got new covers. The Players Handbook 2nd cover (10th printing) is shown at right (Hardback 1987; TSR2010) Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd Edition During the late 1980s, AD&D Second Edition was published, which revised the rules again, consolidating the character classes, and revised the combat system somewhat. AD&D 2nd Edition changed the name of the Monster Manual to the "Monstrous Manual"...

"The most changes between AD&D 1st and 2nd editions can be found here. Monsters got a face lift and the Monsterous Manual is the result. One monster per page, expanded stats, a color picture from every monster. This is stuff we only dreamed of in 1st edition days. This book was also a big improvement over the early Monsterous Compendium binders." There was also a revision published for the 2nd Edition (shown at right). In my option, the cover art was better on the 1st one. Note that they are moving towards the "simplification" by no longer labeling the books with the words "2nd Edition"... [ more about the Revision to the 2nd Edition ] (By the way, the computer games Baldur's Gate (1 and 2) and IceWind Dale use 2nd edition AD&D rules, while Icewind Dale II uses the Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons rule set.) 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons (3rd Edition D&D; "3E D&D") In 2000, Wizards of the Coast (who had purchased TSR two years earlier) decided to reinvent the franchise, and they released a whole new revision of AD&D.

As part of an effort to simplfy the game, they dropped the word "Advanced," and simply called it "Dungeons & Dragons." (There was no reason to call it "Advanced" anymore, as the "basic" version was dropped.) This version has informally been referred to by fans and players as a "third" edition of D&D, often abbreviated as "3E D&D." 3E D&D is based on a role-playing system designed around 20-sided dice, called the d20 system. It rationalizes movement and combat (especially ranged combat), removes lots of arbitrary restrictions (now players can use previously forbidden classes, such as a half-orc monk), and incorporates skills and feats to allow players to customize their characters. The d20 system is what Wizards of the Coast calls an "open source" version of the D&D core rules. The idea is that the "open source" rules allows others to create D&D-compatible content, or entirely different games using the "game engine" (for a licensing fee, or course). Dungeons & Dragons, Edition 3.5 In July of 2003 errata was incorporated and a new set of core rulebooks was released as system 3.5.

(Just like software, they have to keep putting out new versions so that you will buy something.) Dungeons & Dragons | eBay Dungeons & Dragons Share July 7, 2009 Dungeons & Dragons (abbreviated as D&D or DnD)[1] is a fantasy role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TSR). The game is currently published by Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro. It was derived from miniature wargames with a variation of the Chainmail game serving as the initial rule system.[2] D&D's publication is widely regarded as the beginning of modern role-playing games and, by extension, the entire role-playing game industry.[3] Players of D&D create characters that embark upon imaginary adventures within a fantasy setting. A Dungeon Master (abbreviated as DM, also known as a Game Master or GM) serves as the game's referee and storyteller, while also maintaining the setting in which the adventures occur.

During each game session, the players listen to descriptions of their characters' surroundings, as well as additional information and potential choices from the DM, then describe their actions in response. The characters form a party that interacts with the setting's inhabitants (and each other). Together they solve dilemmas, engage in battles and gather treasure and knowledge.[3] In the process the characters earn experience points to become increasingly powerful over a series of sessions. D&D departs from traditional wargaming and assigns each player a specific character to play instead of a military formation. Miniature figures or markers, placed on a grid, are sometimes used to represent these characters. The early success of Dungeons & Dragons led to a proliferation of similar game systems, such as Tunnels and Trolls,[4] Traveller and RuneQuest.[5] Despite this competition, D&D dominates the role-playing game industry, enjoying a nearly unassailable market position.[6] In 1977, the game was split into two versions: the simpler Dungeons & Dragons and the more complex Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (abbreviated as AD&D or ADnD).[1][7] AD&D 2nd Edition was published in 1989.

In 2000, the simpler version of the game was discontinued and the complex version was renamed simply Dungeons & Dragons with the release of its 3rd edition.[8] Dungeons & Dragons version 3.5 was released in June 2003, with a 4th edition in June 2008.[9] As of 2006, Dungeons & Dragons remains the best-known[10] and best-selling[11] role-playing game, with an estimated 20 million people having played the game and more than US$1 billion in book and equipment sales.[12] Dungeons & Dragons is known beyond the game for other D&D-branded products, references in popular culture and some of the controversies that have surrounded it, particularly a moral panic in the 1980s falsely linking it to Satanism and suicide.[13] Dungeons & Dragons is a structured yet open-ended role-playing game. It is normally played indoors with the participants seated around a table-top.

Typically, each player controls only a single character, which represents an individual in a fictional setting.[14][15] As a group, these player characters (PCs) are often described as a ‘party’ of adventurers, with each member often having his or her own areas of specialty.[16] During the course of play, each player directs the actions of his or her character and its interactions with the other characters in the game.[17][18] A game often continues over a series of meetings to complete a single adventure, and longer into a series of related gaming adventures, called a ‘campaign’.[19] The results of the party's choices and the overall storyline for the game are determined by the Dungeon Master (DM) according to the rules of the game and the DM's interpretation of those rules.[20] The DM selects and describes the various non-player characters (NPCs) the party encounters, the settings in which these interactions occur, and the outcomes of those encounters based on the players' choices and actions.[18][21] Encounters often take the form of battles with 'monsters' – a generic term used in D&D to describe potentially hostile beings such as animals or mythical creatures.

The game's extensive rules – which cover diverse subjects such as social interactions,[22] magic use,[23] combat,[24] and the effect of the environment on PCs[25] – help the DM to make these decisions. The Dungeon Master may choose to deviate from the published rules[20] or make up new ones as he or she feels necessary.[26] Release 3.5 of the three core rulebooksThe most recent versions of the game's rules are detailed in three core rulebooks: The Player's Handbook, the Dungeon Master's Guide and the Monster Manual. A Basic Game boxed set contains abbreviated rules to help beginners learn the game.[27] The only items required to play the game are the rulebooks, a character sheet for each player and a number of polyhedral dice. The current editions also assume, but do not require, the use of miniature figures or markers on a gridded surface.

Earlier editions did not make this assumption.[28] Many optional accessories are available to enhance the game, such as expansion rulebooks, pre-designed adventures and various campaign settings.[29] Before the game begins, each player creates his or her player character and records the details (described below) on a character sheet. First, a player determines his or her character's ability scores,[30] which consist of Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.

Each edition of the game has offered differing methods of determining these statistics; as of 4th Edition, players generally assign their ability scores from a list or use points to "buy" them.[31] The player then chooses a race (species) such as Human or Elf, a character class (occupation) such as Fighter or Wizard, an alignment (a moral and ethical outlook which may have a Good or Evil component, a Lawful or Chaotic component, or something in between), and a number of powers, skills and feats to enhance the character's basic abilities.[32] Additional background history, not covered by specific rules, is often also used to further develop the character.[33] During the game, players describe their PC's intended actions, such as punching an opponent or picking a lock, and converse with the DM in character – who then describes the result or response.[34] Trivial actions, such as picking up a letter or opening an unlocked door, are usually automatically successful.

The outcomes of more complex or risky actions are determined by rolling dice.[18] Factors contributing to the outcome include the character's ability scores, skills and the difficulty of the task.[35] In circumstances where a character does not have control of an event, such as when a trap or magical effect is triggered or a spell is cast, a saving throw can be used to determine whether the resulting damage is reduced or avoided.[36][37] In this case the odds of success are influenced by the character's class, levels and (with the 3rd edition) ability scores.[36][38] As the game is played, each PC changes over time and generally increases in capability.

Characters gain (or sometimes lose) experience, skills[39] and wealth, and may even alter their alignment[40] or add additional character classes.[41] The key way characters progress is by earning experience points (XP/EXP), which happens when they defeat an enemy or accomplish a difficult task.[42] Acquiring enough XP allows a PC to advance a level, which grants the character improved class features, abilities and skills.[43] XP can also be lost in some circumstances, such as encounters with creatures that drain life energy, or by use of certain magical powers that require payment of an XP cost.[44] Hit points (HP) are a measure of a character's vitality and health and are determined by the class, level and constitution of each character. They can be temporarily lost when a character sustains wounds in combat or otherwise comes to harm, and loss of HP is the most common way for a character to die in the game.[45] Death can also result from the loss of key ability scores[46] or character levels.[47] When a PC dies, it is often possible for the dead character to be resurrected through magic, although some penalties may be imposed as a result.

If resurrection is not possible or not desired, the player may instead create a new PC to resume playing the game.[48] [edit] Adventures, campaigns and modules Main article: Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons) A typical Dungeons & Dragons game consists of an 'adventure', which is roughly equivalent to a single story.[49] The DM can either design an adventure on his or her own, or follow one of the many additional pre-made adventures (previously known as "modules") that have been published throughout the history of Dungeons & Dragons. Published adventures typically include a background story, illustrations, maps and goals for PCs to achieve. Some also include location descriptions and handouts. Although a small adventure entitled 'Temple of the Frog' was included in the Blackmoor rules supplement in 1975, the first stand-alone D&D module published by TSR was 1978’s Steading of the Hill Giant Chief, written by Gygax.

A linked series of adventures is commonly referred to as a 'campaign'.[50] The locations where these adventures occur, such as a city, country, planet or an entire fictional universe, are also sometimes called 'campaigns' but are more correctly referred to as 'worlds' or 'campaign settings'.[51] D&D settings are based in various fantasy subgenres and feature varying levels of magic and technology.[52] Popular commercially published campaign settings for Dungeons & Dragons include Greyhawk, Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Mystara, Spelljammer, Ravenloft, Dark Sun, Planescape, Birthright and Eberron.[53] Alternatively, DMs may develop their own fictional worlds to use as campaign settings. The wargames from which Dungeons & Dragons evolved used miniature figures to represent combatants. D&D initially continued the use of miniatures in a fashion similar to its direct precursors. The original D&D set of 1974 required the use of the Chainmail miniatures game for combat resolution.[54] By the publication of the 1977 game editions, combat was mostly resolved verbally.

Thus miniatures were no longer required for game play, although some players continued to use them as a visual reference.[55] In the 1970s, numerous companies began to sell miniature figures specifically for Dungeons & Dragons and similar games. Licensed miniature manufacturers who produced official figures include Grenadier Miniatures (1980–1983),[56] Citadel Miniatures (1984–1986),[57] Ral Partha,[58] and TSR itself.[59] Most of these miniatures used the 25 mm scale, with the exception of Ral Partha’s 15 mm scale miniatures for the 1st edition Battlesystem.[60][61] Periodically, Dungeons & Dragons has returned to its wargaming roots with supplementary rules systems for miniatures-based wargaming. Supplements such as Battlesystem (1985 & 1989) and a new edition of Chainmail (2001)[62] provided rule systems to handle battles between armies by using miniatures.

Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition (2000) assumes the use of miniatures to represent combat situations in play, an aspect of the game that was further emphasized in the v3.5 revision. The Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures Game (2003) is sold as sets of plastic, randomly assorted, pre-painted miniatures, and can be used as either part of a standard Dungeons & Dragons game or as a stand-alone collectible miniatures game.[63] The immediate predecessor of Dungeons & Dragons was a set of medieval miniature rules written by Jeff Perren. These were expanded by Gary Gygax, whose additions included a fantasy supplement, before the game was published as Chainmail. Dave Arneson used Chainmail to run games where players controlled a single character instead of an army, an innovation that inspired D&D.[2] Developed with Arneson's help from his modified version of Chainmail for his Blackmoor campaign,[64] Gygax wrote "The Fantasy Game", the role-playing game (RPG) that became Dungeons & Dragons (D&D).[1][65] Many Dungeons & Dragons elements also appear in hobbies of the mid- to late twentieth century (though these elements also existed previously).

Character-based role playing, for example, can be seen in improvisational theatre.[66] Game-world simulations were well-developed in wargaming. Fantasy milieus specifically designed for gaming could be seen in Glorantha’s board games among others.[5] Ultimately, however, Dungeons & Dragons represents a unique blending of these elements. The theme of D&D was influenced by mythology, pulp fiction, and contemporary fantasy authors of the 1960s and 1970s. The presence of halflings, elves, dwarves, half-elves, orcs, dragons, and the like, often draw comparisons to the work of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Gygax maintained that he was influenced very little by The Lord of the Rings (although the owners of that work’s copyright forced the name changes of hobbit to 'halfling', ent to 'treant', and balrog to 'Type VI demon [balor]'), stating that he included these elements as a marketing move to draw on the popularity of the work.[67][68] The magic system, in which wizards memorize spells that are used up once cast (and must be re-memorized the next day), was heavily influenced by the Dying Earth stories and novels of Jack Vance.[69] The original alignment system (which grouped all players and creatures into ‘Law’, ‘Neutrality’ and ‘Chaos’) was derived from the novel Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson.[70] A troll described in this work also influenced the D&D definition of that monster.[68] Other influences include the works of Robert E. Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, A. Merritt, H. P. Lovecraft, Fritz Leiber, L.

Sprague de Camp, Fletcher Pratt, Roger Zelazny, and Michael Moorcock.[71] Monsters, spells, and magic items used in the game have been inspired by hundreds of individual works ranging from A. E. van Vogt’s “Black Destroyer”, Coeurl (the Displacer Beast), Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky” (vorpal sword) to the Book of Genesis (the clerical spell ‘Blade Barrier’ was inspired by the “flaming sword which turned every way” at the gates of Eden).[70] The immediate predecessor of Dungeons & Dragons was a set of medieval miniature rules written by Jeff Perren. These were expanded by Gary Gygax, whose additions included a fantasy supplement, before the game was published as Chainmail.

Dave Arneson used Chainmail to run games where players controlled a single character instead of an army, an innovation that inspired D&D.[2] Developed with Arneson's help from his modified version of Chainmail for his Blackmoor campaign,[64] Gygax wrote "The Fantasy Game", the role-playing game (RPG) that became Dungeons & Dragons (D&D).[1][65] Many Dungeons & Dragons elements also appear in hobbies of the mid- to late twentieth century (though these elements also existed previously). Character-based role playing, for example, can be seen in improvisational theatre.[66] Game-world simulations were well-developed in wargaming. Fantasy milieus specifically designed for gaming could be seen in Glorantha’s board games among others.[5] Ultimately, however, Dungeons & Dragons represents a unique blending of these elements. The theme of D&D was influenced by mythology, pulp fiction, and contemporary fantasy authors of the 1960s and 1970s. The presence of halflings, elves, dwarves, half-elves, orcs, dragons, and the like, often draw comparisons to the work of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Gygax maintained that he was influenced very little by The Lord of the Rings (although the owners of that work’s copyright forced the name changes of hobbit to 'halfling', ent to 'treant', and balrog to 'Type VI demon [balor]'), stating that he included these elements as a marketing move to draw on the popularity of the work.[67][68] The magic system, in which wizards memorize spells that are used up once cast (and must be re-memorized the next day), was heavily influenced by the Dying Earth stories and novels of Jack Vance.[69] The original alignment system (which grouped all players and creatures into ‘Law’, ‘Neutrality’ and ‘Chaos’) was derived from the novel Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson.[70] A troll described in this work also influenced the D&D definition of that monster.[68] Other influences include the works of Robert E. Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, A. Merritt, H. P. Lovecraft, Fritz Leiber, L.

Sprague de Camp, Fletcher Pratt, Roger Zelazny, and Michael Moorcock.[71] Monsters, spells, and magic items used in the game have been inspired by hundreds of individual works ranging from A. E. van Vogt’s “Black Destroyer”, Coeurl (the Displacer Beast), Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky” (vorpal sword) to the Book of Genesis (the clerical spell ‘Blade Barrier’ was inspired by the “flaming sword which turned every way” at the gates of Eden).[70] Tags: 'Dungeons & Dragons' Legal Settlement Paves Way for New Movie | Hollywood Reporter 10:32am PT by Eriq Gardner 'Dungeons & Dragons' Legal Settlement Paves Way for New Movie Courtesy of Wizards of the Coast; iStock Warner Bros. makes a big gamble, and after a trial held last year, gets a deal for a new project to be produced by Roy Lee ('The Lego Movie').

Nearly a year after a six-day trial was held on the past and future of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise, Warner Bros., Hasbro and Sweetpea Entertainment have worked out a deal that will usher in a new film and avoid a judge's intervention. The upcoming Warner Bros motion picture will be based on a script by David Leslie Johnson (Wrath of the Titans) and produced by Roy Lee (The Lego Movie, How To Train Your Dragon) with the involvement of Hasbro chief executive Brian Goldner and chief content officer Stephen Davis. It will take place in the popular D&D campaign setting of the Forgotten Realms. "We are so excited about bringing the world of Dungeons & Dragons to life on the big screen," said Greg Silverman, president of creative development and worldwide production at Warner Bros. Pictures. "This is far and away the most well-known brand in fantasy, which is the genre that drives the most passionate film followings. D&D has endless creative possibilities, giving our filmmakers immense opportunities to delight and thrill both fans and moviegoers new to the property." An announcement was made after parties filed papers in California federal court dismissing a lawsuit with prejudice. Four years ago, Warner Bros.

Pictures rolled the dice by commissioning a screenplay based on the fantasy game first published in 1974. This was a particular risk because the studio didn't have rights lined up. When Johnson delivered Chainmail, based on board game from D&D designer Gary Gygax, Warners began investigating the possibility of acquiring rights from Hasbro. Warners offered $5 million to purchase rights and 5 percent gross, but Hasbro made a deal with Universal Pictures instead. This didn't end the matter, however, because Warners was quite enthusiastic about Johnson's script and D&D rights turned out to be complicated. In 1994, Courtney Solomon's Sweetpea optioned D&D from a company later acquired by Hasbro for a mere $15,000 and eventually produced a film released in 2000 that was both a commercial and critical flop. Sweetpea deal — actually an amendment to the contract to resolve prior litigation — gave Sweetpea sequel rights so long as it produced one in a timely fashion. And so, two more D&D films came out.

The first, Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God, premiered on the SyFy Channel in 2005 and the second, Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness, aired on the SyFy Channel in 2012. After Universal beat Warner Bros. to a deal with Hasbro for a new film, Warners began investigating the possibility of getting rights through Sweetpea. Hasbro contended that Sweetpea's rights had reverted, and that its TV films didn't constitute proper sequels. The issue was brought to trial last September in a proxy war of sorts between two big studios. Before trial, Warners invested $5 million acquiring Sweetpea rights and covering legal costs. In October, the parties delivered post-trial arguments . Since then, U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee has held back on issuing a ruling. Instead, she has urged the two sides to settle. On Monday, after months of negotiation, the parties were finally able to reveal they had come to an undisclosed arrangement to end the lawsuit, but one that will give Warner Bros. confidence in moving forward with its film. It's unclear whether Universal has signed off on this deal.

Maura Wogan and Jeremy Goldman of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz acted as lead counsel for Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast, and issued a statement: "This settlement accomplished our overarching goal of unifying all Dungeons & Dragons rights under Hasbro's control, paving the way to make a blockbuster film. It's a great outcome for those involved — especially Dungeons & Dragons fans who will now get to see D&D on the big screen. Patty Glaser and Jill Basinger of Glaser Weil Fink Howard Avchen & Shapiro acted as lead counsel for Sweetpea and tried the case with Chris Caldwell of Caldwell Leslie & Proctor. As part of the agreement, Sweetpea's Solomon and Allan Zeman are also attached as producers of the new film. Eriq Gardner Obituary: Gary Gygax | Technology | The Guardian The Guardian Founding father of fantasy computer games and co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons Laura Parker Share on Messenger Close The father of role-playing games, Gary Gygax, who has died aged 69 after being diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm, was one of America's most talented writers and game designers.

Best known for his role in creating gaming history's most popular fantasy role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), first published in 1974, Gygax also founded the publishing company Tactical Studies Rules (TSR). Still active in the gaming community until his death, Gygax wrote a series of fantasy novels, periodicals and short stories throughout his life and inspired generations of gamers worldwide to follow a career in the industry, taking his ideas forward into the era of personal computers. In 1966 he helped to create the International Federation of Wargamers, an organisation made up of different war-gaming clubs which promoted medieval interests and served as a meeting ground for international wargamers to share ideas. Gygax began his career by bringing 20 people together in the basement of his home in 1967. Later to be known as Gen Con 0, this meeting gave birth to what is now the world's largest annual hobby-game gathering, the Gen Con Gaming Convention - last year 26,000 people attended. At the original event, Gygax encountered Brian Blume and designer Dave Arneson, who later helped him create and work on D&D.

In 1971 Gygax created his own miniature war game called Chainmail, which would later serve as the blueprint for D&D. Gygax was born in Chicago, Illinois. His father was a Swiss immigrant. At the age of five, Gygax began playing pinochle (a bezique-related card game) and chess with a dedicated passion, which led to his discovery of science fiction. In 1953 Gygax began playing miniature war games with longtime friend Don Kaye, who would later help him start TSR. At that stage, Gygax became particularly interested in the game Gettysburg, which he ordered from an Avalon Hill company. He then began ordering blank hexagon mapping sheets so that he could create his own games, and soon was looking for innovative ways to do so - he introduced the use of dice of all five platonic solid shapes in addition to the common dice. Gygax and Kaye founded TSR in 1973 and published the first version of D&D the following year. Gygax drew on the work of fantasy authors Robert E Howard, L Sprague de Camp and Fritz Leiber when creating the game.

Not dependent on a board, it captured players' imaginations by introducing a dimension of dragons, wizards, trolls, dwarves, goblins and elves to quests in search of treasure or to defeat the forces of evil. All this was achieved with just graph paper, pencils, the polygonal dice and a set of complex rules. Often there was no obvious winner to the open-ended, and highly sociable, activity. While Gygax accepted the inevitability of the later electronic and online versions, he felt that computer graphics dulled the experience. "Your imagination is not there the same way it is when you're actually together with a group of people." The first hand-assembled print run of 1,000 copies sold out within the first nine months and, in the same year, Gygax hired Tim Kask to assist in the transition of the magazine the Strategic Review into the fantasy periodical, the Dragon, with Gygax as author and later columnist. But Gygax's history with TSR was not altogether a happy one. After Kaye's death in 1976, his widow sold her shares to Gygax, who was now in control of the whole company and created TSR Hobbies Inc.

Gygax soon found himself in financial difficulties and was forced to sell it to Blume and his brother Kevin, who would own two-thirds of the company by late 1976. In 1977 a new version of D&D was created, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, a game whose rules were not compatible with those of the original and, as a result, new product lines and expansions at TSR took place. Gygax left the company in 1985, citing his increased concern at being sidelined from running the business. He began work on a CBS cartoon series version of D&D. In 1995 Gygax started developing a new role-playing game, originally intended for computers: it was released in 1999 as Lejendary Adventure. A key goal of its design was to keep the gaming rules as simple as possible. Gygax felt that role-playing games were becoming discouragingly complex to new users. In 2005, he returned to work on D&D with his involvement in the creation of Castles & Crusades with Troll Lord Games .

Gygax became an icon to gamers, making several television appearances as himself in episodes of Futurama and Code Monkeys and participating in discussions on role-playing-related message boards. From the age of eight until his death, he lived in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. In 1987, he married his second wife, Gail Carpenter. She survives him, as do three sons and three daughters. · Ernest Gary Gygax, writer and game designer, born July 27 1938; died March 4 2008 Playing at the World: A Precursor to the Chainmail Fantasy Supplement Wednesday, January 20, 2016 A Precursor to the Chainmail Fantasy Supplement Chainmail (1971) is correctly regarded as the first commercially-available fantasy wargame system. The Fantasy Supplement that Gary Gygax and Jeff Perren tacked on to the end of Chainmail inspired Dave Arneson as he created the Blackmoor setting, and formed the basis for the original set of monsters and spells underlying Dungeons & Dragons. Something has been forgotten, however, in the forty-five years since Chainmail was published.

Chainmail itself drew on a two-page set of rules developed for a late 1970 game run by the New England Wargamers Association (NEWA), which were designed by one Leonard Patt. Patt’s system shows us the first fantasy game with heroes, dragons, orcs, ents, and wizards who cast fireballs at enemies, though his contribution today goes entirely unacknowledged. The picture above shows this system in play at a Miniature Figure Collectors of America convention in October 1970 representing the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, a demonstration that won a “Best in Show” award. [Updated: Now read Jon's conversation with Len Patt about these rules!] I was aware of the existence of Patt’s game when I wrote Playing at the World; in fact, I speculated in a footnote that, “It is certainly possible that news of the positive reception of NEWA’s Tolkien game influenced Gygax’s decision to include fantasy rules in Chainmail” (pg44). Fantasy rules were, at the time, virtually unheard of.

But until now, I had erroneously supposed that NEWA “opted not to publish their system,” when in fact it simply appeared in a place I hadn’t yet been able to unearth. Patt's rules appeared in the NEWA magazine The Courier, which would briefly merge with TSR's Little Wars later in the 1970s. Because early issues of the Courier are quite scarce, this relationship has escaped the attention of posterity until now: even the New England Wargamers Association’s web timeline , which presents a somewhat overgenerous account of NEWA's role in the history of gaming, does not at the time of this writing mention Patt or the publication of his rules - though it does note the MFCA award for the Philadelphia convention game, which were widely written up in places like the MFCA’s Guidon: The Rules Like the Fantasy Supplement of Chainmail, Patt structured his fantasy rules as a modular adjunct that he “set up to fit within most Ancient or Medieval rules and were simply an addendum.” Broadly, the system in first edition Chainmail reflects an expansion and an edit of the Patt rules.

Patt covers Wizards, Heroes, Antiheroes, dragons, ents, and orcs; he also alludes to dwarves, elves, hobbits, and trolls. Chainmail significantly expands this list, as Chainmail considers a scope of fantasy simulation beyond that of Tolkien. Nonetheless, in the overlapping components of the system, we find many elements in Chainmail that unmistakably derive from Patt. Patt’s naming of his fighter units as “Heroes” and “Antiheroes” alone should immediately alert us to a potential influence on Chainmail. While Patt does not include the “Super-Hero” of Chainmail, intriguingly he does say of Heroes that “they had fighting power that approached that of supermen,” which may have influenced the later naming of the rank above them. Patt explains of Heroes and Antiheroes that “they are the last man to be killed in any melee;” Chainmail similarly says of them that “they are the last figure in a unit that will be killed by regular missile fire or melee.” Most strikingly, however, Patt’s rules contain a system that is a clear precursor to the hit point mechanic of Chainmail.

Patt’s Heroes are equivalent to 5 men, and “hits against them are not cumulative” so “it takes a melee kill by the enemy of 10 points [i.e. 5 men] in one melee throw” to kill them. Famously, in Chainmail a Hero fights as four men, so they are slightly less powerful than their ancestors in Patt. The precedent that hits against Heroes must be “not cumulative” and occur in the same round is followed by Chainmail; in Chainmail “four simultaneous kills must be scored against Heroes (or Anti-Heroes) to eliminate them. Otherwise, there is no effect upon them.” Elsewhere in Chainmail, we see the term “cumulative” hits used as an antonym for “simultaneous” hits. Chaimail’s Wizards, the precursor to the Magic-user class of Dungeons & Dragons, draw significantly on Patt’s rules as well.

Where in Chainmail Wizards “are themselves impervious to normal missile weapons,” in Patt, “Wizards cannot be killed by missile fire.” But by far Chainmail's most historically-significant borrowing from Patt is how Wizards “can cast a fire ball.” Fireball, which is indeed given as “fire ball” in first edition Chainmail, is one of the signature mechanisms of fantasy gaming, and to find it articulated prior to Chainmail is a stunning revelation. As in Chainmail, the “fire ball” of Patt is a burst effect which a Wizard casts at up to a distance of 24” in game; the burst area of effect is however an inch larger in Chainmail than in Patt. And as they later would in Chainmail, Heroes and Anti-heroes get a saving throw against a fireball in Patt: they “are saved by a throw of 5 or 6.” While saving throws were not an uncommon element in games of the time, the notion that making a saving throw against spells originated prior to Chainmail is also a significant revision to our historical understanding.

Chainmail would dramatically expand the capabilities of Wizards, in its first edition adding a “lightning bolt” as a damage spell and eight utility spells, but “fire ball” is not altered in any significant particular from how it appears in Patt. We can find also various relationships between the language on monsters in Patt and Chainmail. We see combat against monsters resolved by rolling two six-sided dice: after prospective dragon-slayers fire missile weapons at their target they “cast two dice,” on which “a roll of 11 or 12 will kill the dragon”; whereas in Chainmail, arrow fire at a dragon “kills it on a two dice roll of 10 or better.” But one of the starkest points of appropriation from Patt in the Chainmail rules is in how fireballs interact with dragons. In both systems, dragons do not roll a saving throw against the spell.

In Patt, “a dragon hit by a fire ball is driven away and will not attack the wizard’s side for one turn.” In Chainmail, the table for fireball effects reads for the dragon: “drives dragon back 1 move.” It is by looking at these details, where beyond the mere presence in Patt of dragons and Wizards who cast fireballs, we have this “driving” language and the single turn penalty, that we see commonalities far too specific to be a coincidence: it must be a direct borrowing. With this introduction on the linkage of Chainmail to Patt, take a look for yourself at his original two page rules from the Courier: Readers may detect other, subtler points of connection between Patt and Chainmail. For example, the orcs depicted in Patt are divided into two groups, the Orcs of the Red Eye and the Orcs of the White Hand. Chainmail has five groups listed, of which those two appear as the first and fourth group; Chainmail calls the former the “Orcs of the (Red) Eye,” where that parenthetical tentativeness perhaps reflects lukewarm adoption of Patt’s nomenclature.

Patt explains that “Orcs were basically very obnoxious and disagreeable even to each other” and thus when they “approach within four inches of one another, 1 die is thrown to see how they react.” On a roll of 1, the orcs will fall on each other. In Chainmail, “if Orcs of different kinds approach within a charge move of each other, and they are not meleed by the enemy, they will attack each other unless a score of 4 or better is rolled on an ‘obedience die.’” The common “approach within” terminology there shows vestiges of Patt’s original language. I will leave finding further chestnuts along these lines as an exercise to the reader: but detectives should remember that Chainmail differed substantially in its first, second and third editions, and thus many mechanisms in the grey-covered third edition, most notoriously “spell complexity,” did not manifest in the earliest form of the system, where the borrowing from Patt is clearest. Recognizing Leonard Patt It thus appears that we have owed an unacknowledged debt to an obscure author for decades – so who was he?

Leonard Patt was a miniature wargamer affiliated with the New England Wargamers Association who wrote largely about ancient rules: in 1970, he also penned an article for the Courier on the “Arms & Equipment of the Roman Soldier.” However, Patt seems to have had only a fleeting interest in wargames, as his name drops out of fanzines of the time within a year. Patt, should he still be with us, would surely be unaware of how Chainmail followed his work, let alone the profound influence that concepts like “fire ball” and saving versus spells have had on numberless games over the decades that followed. If these rules were so obscure it took me this long to find them, how do we know for sure that the authors of Chainmail saw them, and saw them during the time Chainmail was in development? Because they subscribed to that newsletter and even contributed to it. Handily, the very issue of the Courier carrying these fantasy rules also contains an article by S. Manganiello on “French Uniforms of the Seven Years War” which, in the following issue of the Courier, Jeff Perren attacks in a letter.

This proves that at least one of the two authors of Chainmail received and studied the very issue of the Courier containing these fantasy rules at the time, and surely could have shared it with his co-designer. Although these rules came out not long before Chainmail, we know from Gygax’s own account that the Fantasy Supplement was a last-minute addition to Chainmail: he later called it an “afterthought.” In the early, pre-commercial days of miniature wargaming, the environment was very loose and collaborative, and these kinds of borrowings were not uncommon - but attribution was still an assumed courtesy. Gary Gygax has something of a reputation for adapting and expanding on the work of the gaming community without always attributing his original sources. The case of the Thief class is probably the most famous: the first draft of Gary’s rules do note their debt to the Aero Hobbies crowd, but as the published version of the rules in Greyhawk (1975) did not, the obligation of the Thief rules to Gary Switzer and the others at Aero Hobbies long went unacknowledged.

Regarding Chainmail, Gary in late interviews says nothing to suggest that concepts like fireball were not of his own invention ; Patt’s rules compel us to reevaluate those claims. Nonetheless, we must acknowledge that Gary had a singular gift for streamlining, augmenting and popularizing rules originally devised by others: certainly we wouldn’t say that Patt’s original rules could have inspired Blackmoor, and thus Dungeons & Dragons, without Gary’s magic touch and the elaboration we find in the Chainmail Fantasy Supplement. But if you ever vanquished an enemy with a fireball in Dungeons & Dragons, or Magic: the Gathering, or Dragon Age, and especially if you ever made a saving throw against a fireball, thank Leonard Patt! Posted by "Dungeons & Dragons" Legal Settlement Paves Way for New Movie "Dungeons & Dragons" Legal Settlement Paves Way for New Movie Tweet Share Nearly a year after a six-day trial was held on the past and future of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise, Warner Bros., Hasbro and Sweetpea Entertainment have worked out a deal that will usher in a new film and avoid a judge's intervention.

The upcoming Warner Bros motion picture will be based on a script by David Leslie Johnson (Wrath of the Titans) and produced by Roy Lee (The Lego Movie, How To Train Your Dragon) with the involvement of Hasbro chief executive Brian Goldner and chief content officer Stephen Davis. It will take place in the popular D&D campaign setting of the Forgotten Realms. “We are so excited about bringing the world of Dungeons & Dragons to life on the big screen,” said Greg Silverman, president of creative development and worldwide production at Warner Bros. Pictures. “This is far and away the most well-known brand in fantasy, which is the genre that drives the most passionate film followings. D&D has endless creative possibilities, giving our filmmakers immense opportunities to delight and thrill both fans and moviegoers new to the property.” An announcement was made after parties filed papers in California federal court dismissing a lawsuit with prejudice. Four years ago, Warner Bros. Pictures rolled the dice by commissioning a screenplay based on the fantasy game first published in 1974. This was a particular risk because the studio didn't have rights lined up.

When Johnson delivered Chainmail, based on board game from D&D designer Gary Gygax, Warners began investigating the possibility of acquiring rights from Hasbro. Warners offered $5 million to purchase rights and 5 percent gross, but Hasbro made a deal with Universal Pictures instead. This didn't end the matter, however, because Warners was quite enthusiastic about Johnson's script and D&D rights turned out to be complicated. In 1994, Courtney Solomon's Sweetpea optioned D&D from a Hasbro subsidiary for a mere $15,000 and eventually produced a film released in 2000 that was both a commercial and critical flop. The deal between Sweetpea and Hasbro — actually an amendment to the contract to resolve prior litigation — gave Sweetpea sequel rights so long as it produced one in a timely fashion. And so, two more D&D films came out. The first, Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God, premiered on the SyFy Channel in 2005 and the second, Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness, aired on the SyFy Channel in 2012. After Universal beat Warner Bros.

to a deal with Hasbro for a new film, Warners began investigating the possibility of getting rights through Sweetpea. Hasbro contended that Sweetpea's rights had reverted, and that its films didn't constitute proper sequels. The issue was brought to trial last September in a proxy war of sorts between two big studios. Warners invested $5 million acquiring Sweetpea rights and covering legal costs. In October, the parties delivered post-trial arguments in October. Since then, U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee has held back on issuing a ruling. Instead, she has urged the two sides to settle. On Monday, after months of negotiation, the parties were finally able to reveal they had come to an undisclosed arrangement to end the lawsuit, but one that will give Warner Bros. confidence in moving forward with its film. It's unclear whether Universal has signed off on this deal. Maura Wogan and Jeremy Goldman of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz acted as lead counsel for Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast, and issued a statement, "This settlement accomplished our overarching goal of unifying Dungeons & Dragons rights under Hasbro's control, paving the way to make a blockbuster film.

It's a great outcome for those involved, especially Dungeons & Dragons fans who will now get to see D&D on the big screen. Patty Glaser and Jill Basinger of Glaser Weil Fink Howard Avchen & Shapiro acted as lead counsel for Sweetpea. Reblog Dungeons & Dragons – Game On Games and Comics Dungeons & Dragons Dungeons & Dragons (abbreviated as D&D[2] or DnD) is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TSR). The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast (now a subsidiary of Hasbro) since 1997. It was derived from miniature wargames with a variation of the Chainmail game serving as the initial rule system.[3] D&D’s publication is commonly recognized as the beginning of modern role-playing games and the role-playing game industry.[4] D&D departs from traditional wargaming and assigns each player a specific character to play instead of a military formation. These characters embark upon imaginary adventures within a fantasy setting.

A Dungeon Master serves as the game’s referee and storyteller, while also maintaining the setting in which the adventures occur and playing the role of the inhabitants. The characters form a party that interacts with the setting’s inhabitants (and each other). Together they solve dilemmas, engage in battles and gather treasure and knowledge.[4] In the process the characters earn experience points to become increasingly powerful over a series of sessions. The early success of Dungeons & Dragons led to a proliferation of similar game systems. Despite this competition, D&D remains the market leader in the role-playing game industry.[5] In 1977, the game was split into two branches: the relatively rules-light game system of Dungeons & Dragons and the more structured, rules-heavy game system of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (abbreviated as AD&D or ADnD).[1][2][6] AD&D 2nd Edition was published in 1989. In 2000, the original line of the game was discontinued and the AD&D version was renamed Dungeons & Dragons with the release of its 3rd edition with a new system.

These rules formed the basis of the d20 System which is available under the Open Game License (OGL) for use by other publishers. Dungeons & Dragons version 3.5 was released in June 2003, with a (non-OGL) 4th edition in June 2008.[7][8] A 5th edition was released during the second half of 2014.[9] As of 2004, Dungeons & Dragons remained the best-known[10] and best-selling[11] role-playing game, with an estimated 20 million people having played the game and more than US$1 billion in book and equipment sales.[12] The game has been supplemented by many pre-made adventures as well as commercial campaign settings suitable for use by regular gaming groups. Dungeons & Dragons is known beyond the game for other D&D-branded products, references in popular culture and some of the controversies that have surrounded it, particularly a moral panic in the 1980s falsely linking it to Satanism and suicide.[13] The game has won multiple awards and has been translated into many languages beyond the original English.

Question: Chainmail was a precursor to what popular board game first published in 1974?
Answer: Dungeons and Dragons