Dungeons and Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons (D&D or DnD) is a fantasy role-playing game 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. D&D's publication is widely regarded as the beginning of modern role-playing games and the role-playing game industry. D&D itself is part role-playing, part storytelling, part socialization, part battles, and part dice rolling and a lot of chance.

D&D gives each player a specific character to play and allows them to completely make them their own. They are given many choices in race and allowed to make their character more Human, or Gnomish if they would like, by giving them a back story and a physical description. They are then to pick a class, such as a priest or a wizard, and expand on them by picking talents and abilities. These characters then embark upon imaginary adventures within a fantasy setting of the Dungeon Masters choosing. A Dungeon Master serves as the game's storyteller and keeps the players in check, while also maintaining the setting in which the adventures occur. The characters form a party that interacts with the setting's inhabitants (and each other). Together they solve dilemmas, engage in battles, gather treasure and knowledge and encounter creatures of all shapes and sizes along their adventure. In the process the characters earn experience points to become increasingly powerful over a series of sessions, pre-determined or not, and can make their characters skills and attributes increase.

As of 2006, Dungeons & Dragons remains the best-known and best-selling role-playing game, with an estimated 20 million people having played the game and more than $1 billion US dollars in book and equipment sales. Dungeons & Dragons is known for other D&D-branded products, references in popular culture and some of the controversies that have surrounded it, as well as the many awards it has won. It has influenced many games outside of general D&D-branded products as well and is used as a reference for a majority of current role-playing video games. Most hobby and game shops sell products based off of D&D aids, such as dice, miniatures, adventure manuals and large scale battle grids.