whether you want to be a brave hero, a cunning wizard, or an elusive rogue, Dungeons & Dragons has it all. Although it tends to be more about dungeons than about dragons, this website would not be complete without mentioning it. google_protectAndRun("ads_core.google_render_ad", google_handleError, google_render_ad); Dungeons & Dragons (often referred to as D&D or DnD) was designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974. It has defined the entire genre of modern role-playing games, and set the trend for many other games which came after. D&D has its roots in tabletop wargaming. In the late 1960s, Gary Gygax and Jeff Perren developed a wargaming system called Chainmail, with which they played out battles with miniature figurines. Dave Arneson created a specialized Chainmail scenario involving individual heroes moving through an underground dungeon, instead of playing with groups of soldiers on a battlefield, as was typical. This scenario became so popular that the group decided to develop a set of rules for these heroes, allowing them to evolve from session to session. These rules eventually morphed into what we now know as Dungeons & Dragons, which was the first modern RPG (Role-Playing Game.) D&D is typically played by a group of about five players, one of whom is called the Dungeon Master, or DM. The Dungeon Master acts as a kind of moderator for the game, taking upon himself the role of monsters, enemies, and non-player characters (NPCs), as well as describing the game environment, reading room descriptions, and managing the overall game. The other players each control an imaginary character, who has a class, such as wizard, rogue, fighter, or cleric, and attributes such as strength, dexterity, and charisma. The players use polyhedral dice to determine various outcomes in the game, like whether they were able to hit a monster in combat, or whether they were successful into sweet-talking a guard out of his keys. Dungeons & Dragons has also made its way into movies, board games, novels, and video games such as Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights. It has undergone several revisions, the most current edition being 3.5. The core game rules have been named the "d20 system," and released into the public domain. Other supplemental rules, which add some flavor and customizability into the game, are sold only as rule books. If you want to play as a dragon or a half-dragon, you will probably want to pick up the Draconomicon, which contains detailed game rules for that very thing. If you would like to get started in your own epic fantasy adventure, Dungeons & Dragons might just be the game for you.