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DND-NLP

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all of its challenges - monsters, magic, and unnamed menaces. As is

typical for most of us in real life, each character begins at the bottom of his

or her chosen class (or profession). By successfully meeting the challenges

posed, they gain experience and move upwards in power, just as actual

playing experience really increases playing skill. Imagination,

intelligence, problem solving ability, ond memory are all continually

exercised by participants in the game.

Although the masculine form of appellation is typically used when listing

the level titles of the various types of characters, these names can easily

be changed to the feminine if desired. This is fantasy - what's in a name?

In all but a few cases sex makes no difference to ability!

As with most other role playing games, this one is not just a singleexperience contest. It is an ongoing campaign, with each playing session

related to the next by results and participant characters who go from

episode to episode. As players build the experience level of their

characters and go forth seeking ever greater challenges, they must face

stronger monsters and more difficult problems of other sorts (and here the

Dungeon Master must likewise increase his or her ability and

inventiveness). While initial adventuring usually takes place in an

underworld dungeon setting, play gradually expands to encompass other

such dungeons, town and city activities, wilderness explorations, and

journeys into other dimensions, planes, times, worlds, and so forth. Players

will add characters to their initial adventurer as the milieu expands so that

each might actually have several characters, each involved in some

separate and distinct adventure form, busily engaged in the game at the

same moment of "Game Time". This allows participation by many players

in games which are substantially different from game to game as

dungeon, metropolitan, and outdoor settings are rotated from playing to

playing. And perhaps a war between players will be going on (with battles

actually fought out on the tabletop with minature figures) one night, while

on the next, characters of these two contending players are helping each

other to survive somewhere in a wilderness.

Each individual campaign has its awn distinct properties and "flavor". A

7

THE GAME CREATING THE PLAYER CHARACTER

good Dungeon Master will most certainly make each game a surpassing

challenge for his or her players. Treasure and experience gained must be

taken at great risk or by means of utmost cleverness only. If the game is

not challenging, if advancement is too speedy, then it becomes staid and

boring. Conversely, a game can be too deadly and become just as boring,

for who enjoys endlessly developing new characters to march off into

oblivion in a single night of dungeon adventuring?!

Sometimes, however, because of close interaction (or whatever other

reason) two or more Dungeon Masters will find that their games are

compatible to the extent that participants in these individual campaigns

can use the characters created in one to adventure in the others. In such

cases the Dungeon Masters have created a very interesting "world"

indeed, for their milieux will offer interesting differences and subtle shifts

which will pose highly challenging problems to these players.

Ultimately, despite the fact that this is a game system created by someone

else, the game's viability rests principally with the referee. The Dungeon

Master must design and map out the dungeon, town, city, and world maps.

He or she must populate the whole world, create its past history, and even

devise some rationale for what transpired (and will probably happen). As

players, you help immeasurably by participating, by letting the referee

know that you appreciate his or her efforts, and by playing well and in a

sportsmanly fashion. Good play inspires better creations to challenge that

play.

Skilled players always make a point of knowing what they are doing, i.e.

they have an objective. They co-operate - particularly at lower levels or

at higher ones when they must face some particularly stiff challenge - in

order to gain their ends. Superior players will not fight everything they

meet, for they realize that wit is as good a weapon as the sword or the

spell. When weakened by wounds, or nearly out of spells and vital

equipment, a clever party will seek to leave the dungeons in order to rearm themselves. (He who runs away lives to fight another day.) When

faced with a difficult situation, skilled players will not attempt endless

variations on the same theme; when they find the method of problem

solving fails to work, they begin to devise other possible solutions. Finally,

good players will refrain from pointless argument and needless

harassment of the Dungeon Master when such bog the play of the game

down into useless talking. Mistakes are possible, but they are better

righted through reason and logic, usually at the finish of play for the day.

This game is unlike chess in that the rules are not cut and dried. In many

places they are guidelines and suggested methods only. This is part of the

attraction of ADVANCED DUNGEONS 8 DRAGONS, and it is integral to the

game. Rules not understood should have appropriate questions directed to

the publisher; disputes with the Dungeon Master are another matter

entirely. THE REFEREE IS THE FINAL ARBITER OF ALL AFFAIRS OF HIS OR HER

CAMPAIGN. Participants in a campaign have no recourse to the publisher,

but they do have ultimate recourse - since the most effective protest is

withdrawal from the offending campaign. Each campaign is a specially

tailored affair. While it is drawn by the referee upon the outlines of the

three books which comprise ADVANCED DUNGEONS 8 DRAGONS, the

players add the color and details, so the campaign must ultimately please

all participants. It is their unique world. You, the reader, as a member of

the campaign community, do not belong if the game seems wrong in any

major aspect. Withdraw and begin your own campaign by creating a

milieu which suits you and the group which you must form to enjoy the

creation. (And perhaps you will find that preparation of your own milieu

creates a bit more sympathy for the efforts of the offending referee. . . )

One of the most important items you must have to play the game is a

character record. This can be a specially printed sheet done by TSR and

available in pads, or you can simply use a note pad and design your own

record sheet for your character if your Dungeon Master is agreeable, far he

or she will usually retain at least a copy of all such records.

As information is developed for your character- his or her abilities, race,

class, alignment - it must be accurately recorded. All details of the

capabilities and possessions of the character must be noted. Where

equipment and weapons are carried must be listed. Spells known and

spells memorized for an adventure have to be kept track of. A running

total of experience points must be maintained. All of these subjects are