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INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTIONEven if you are not familior with fantasy role playing games in general,and DUNGEONS& DRAGONS in particular, you will find this work (with itscompanion volumes, MONSTER MANUAL and DUNGEON MASTERSGUIDE) is a complete game system in itself. It will stand alone, and it hasbeen written and edited in order to moke the whole as easily understoodas possible without taking anything away from its complexity andcompleteness. If, on the other hand, you are a veteran adventurer of manyswords & sorcery campaign games, ADVANCED DUNGEONS 8 DRAGONSwill prove to be superior to any past offerings in the fantasy role playinggame field. You will find it easy to integrate your existing character orcharacters into the new system, and at the same time the game will beboth familiar and different. There are nuances not found in previousefforts. All the necessary information is presented in clear and conciseterms, in a format which logically follows the flow of play.The characters and races from which the players select are carefullythought out and balanced to give each a distinct and different approach tothe challenges posed by the game. Advantages and disadvantages,advancement in level, characteristics and abilities are all detailed andexplained so that selection of a ployer-character type - or the integrationof an existing character - can be done with foreknowledge andprojection. In a similar vein, the individuals running the campaign games,the Dungeon Masters, will have available more data and guidelines uponwhich to build more interesting and detoiled milieux.Clerics and fighters have been strengthened in relation to magic-users,although not overly so. Clerics have more and improved spell capability.Fighters are more effective in combat and have other new advantages aswell. Still, magic-users are powerful indeed, and they have many newspells. None of these over-shadow thieves. I1 recommended sub-classes- druids, paladins, rangers, illusionists, an 6 assassins - as well as thespecial monk class of character, are included in order to assure as muchvariety of approach as possible. Non-human races - dwarven, elven,gnome, half-elven, half-orcish, and halfling - ore likewise included. Eachoffers some advantage and difference, yet has distinct disadvantages, justas human characters do. But some readers might still be wondering whatfantasy role playing games are all about, so enough about contents and onto explanations.ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is a world. Of course, this world isnot complete. It needs organizers and adventurers to order and explore it.It needs you1 A fantasy role playing game is an exercise in imaginationand personal creativity. The organizer of the campaign, the DungeonMaster, must use the system to devise an individual and unique world. Intothis world of weird monsters, strange peoples, multitudinous states, andfabulous treasures of precious items and powerful magic stride fearlessadventurers - you and your fellow players. Inexperienced and of butsmall power at first, by dint of hard fighting and clever deeds, theseadventurers advance in ability to become forces to be reckoned with -high priests or priestesses, lords, wizards and arch-magi, master thieves.The abilities of each adventurer are fixed, but even such characteristics asstrength, intelligence, and wisdom are mutable in a fantasy world. Bymeans of group co-operation and individuol achievement, an adventurercan become ever more powerful. Even death loses much of its sting, foroften the character can be resurrected, or reincarnated. And should thatfail there is always the option to begin again with a new character. ThusADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is, as are most role playing games,open-ended. There is no "winner", no final objective, and the campaigngrows and changes as it matures.This new system provides the Dungeon Master with more and bettermaterial from which to devise the campaign milieu, and that in turn meansa more interesting and imaginative game for the players. A word of adviceis in order here regarding this new system:Considerable enjoyment and excitement in early play stems from notknowing exactly what is going on. Being uncertain of how a givensituation will turn out, not knowing every magic item available, and soforth, adds spice to the game. Later, this knowledge simulates actualexperience, for the seasoned campaigner will have learned through gameplay. Under the circumstances, it is strongly urged that players do notpurchase or read the DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE. Leave discovery of theinformation therein to actual adventuring, and you will find that the gameis even more fun! Some of the details of the campaign milieu - worldlyknowledge common to a typical adventurer- will be given to you by yourDungeon Master. Exploration, travel, and adventure in the "world" willTHE GAMEeventually reveal the secrets heretofore hidden, and the joy of actuallyearning them will be well worth the wait.Enjoy the game, and always bear in mind that it is fantasy. Magical worldshave a strange way of differing, but while yours may not be quite thesame as the one described here, it is ripe for adventure and plunder.Cleverness and imagination, along with a bit of luck, will -always prevail-won't they?THE GAMESwords 8 sorcery best describes what this game is all about, for those arethe two key fantasy ingredients. ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS isa fantasy game of role playing which relies upon the imagination ofparticipants, for it is certainly make-believe, yet it is so interesting, SOchallenging, so mind-unleashing that it comes near reality.As a role player, you become Falstaff the fighter. You know how strong,intelligent, wise, healthy, dexterous and, relatively speaking, howcommanding a personality you have. Details as to your appearance yourbody proportions, and your history can be produced by you or the DungeonMaster. You act out the game as this character, staying within your "godgivenabilities", and as molded by your philosophical and moral ethics(called alignment). You interact with your fellow role players, not as Jimand Bob and Mary who work at the office together, but as Folstaff thefighter, angore the cleric, and Filmar, the mistress of magic! The DungeonMaster will act the parts of "everyone else", and will present to you avariety of new characters to talk with, drink with, gamble with, adventurewith, and often fight with! Each of you will become an ortful thespian astime goes by - and you will acquire gold, magic items, and great renownas you become Falstaff the Invincible!This game lets all of your fantasies come true. This is a world wheremonsters, dragons, good and evil high priests, fierce demons, and eventhe gods themselves may enter your character's life. Enjoy, for this game iswhat dreams are made of!!The game is ideally for three or more adult players: one player must serveas the Dungeon Master, the shaper of the fantasy milieu, the "world" inwhich all action will take place. The other participants becomeadventurers by creating characters to explore the fantastic world and faceall of its challenges - monsters, magic, and unnamed menaces. As istypical for most of us in real life, each character begins at the bottom of hisor her chosen class (or profession). By successfully meeting the challengesposed, they gain experience and move upwards in power, just as actualplaying experience really increases playing skill. Imagination,intelligence, problem solving ability, ond memory are all continuallyexercised by participants in the game.Although the masculine form of appellation is typically used when listingthe level titles of the various types of characters, these names can easilybe 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 singleexperiencecontest. It is an ongoing campaign, with each playing sessionrelated to the next by results and participant characters who go fromepisode to episode. As players build the experience level of theircharacters and go forth seeking ever greater challenges, they must facestronger monsters and more difficult problems of other sorts (and here theDungeon Master must likewise increase his or her ability andinventiveness). While initial adventuring usually takes place in anunderworld dungeon setting, play gradually expands to encompass othersuch dungeons, town and city activities, wilderness explorations, andjourneys into other dimensions, planes, times, worlds, and so forth. Playerswill add characters to their initial adventurer as the milieu expands so thateach might actually have several characters, each involved in someseparate and distinct adventure form, busily engaged in the game at thesame moment of "Game Time". This allows participation by many playersin games which are substantially different from game to game asdungeon, metropolitan, and outdoor settings are rotated from playing toplaying. And perhaps a war between players will be going on (with battlesactually fought out on the tabletop with minature figures) one night, whileon the next, characters of these two contending players are helping eachother to survive somewhere in a wilderness.Each individual campaign has its awn distinct properties and "flavor". A7