dungeons and dragons 4th edition for dummies

by Bill Slavicsek and Richard Baker
Foreword by Mike Mearls
Lead Game Developer for the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game
Dungeons &
Dragons
®
4th Edition
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
01_292907 ffirs.qxp 6/9/08 2:49 PM Page iii
Dungeons & Dragons
®
4th Edition For Dummies
®
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted
under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permis-
sion of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright
Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to
the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475
Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4355, or online at http://www.
wiley.com/go/permissions.

Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the
Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, and related trade
dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United
States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. Dungeons & Dragons is a
registered trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respec-
tive owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF W
ARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REP-
RESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE
CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT
LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CRE-
ATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CON-
TAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE
UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR
OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A
COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE
AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION
OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FUR-
THER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE
INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY
MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK
MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT
IS READ. FULFILLMENT OF EACH COUPON OFFER IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OFFEROR.
For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care
Department within the U.S. at 800-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.
For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport.
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may
not be available in electronic books.
Library of Congress Control Number:
ISBN: 978-0-470-29290-7

Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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Dungeons &
Dragons
®
4th Edition
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
01_292907 ffirs.qxp 6/9/08 2:49 PM Page i
01_292907 ffirs.qxp 6/9/08 2:49 PM Page ii
by Bill Slavicsek and Richard Baker
Foreword by Mike Mearls
Lead Game Developer for the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game
Dungeons &
Dragons
®
4th Edition
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
01_292907 ffirs.qxp 6/9/08 2:49 PM Page iii
Dungeons & Dragons
®
4th Edition For Dummies
®
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River Street

Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted
under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permis-
sion of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright
Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to
the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475
Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4355, or online at http://www.
wiley.com/go/permissions.
Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the
Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, and related trade
dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United
States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. Dungeons & Dragons is a
registered trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respec-
tive owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF W
ARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REP-
RESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE
CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT
LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CRE-
ATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CON-
TAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE
UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR
OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A
COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE
AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION

OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FUR-
THER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE
INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY
MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK
MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT
IS READ. FULFILLMENT OF EACH COUPON OFFER IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OFFEROR.
For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care
Department within the U.S. at 800-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.
For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport.
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may
not be available in electronic books.
Library of Congress Control Number:
ISBN: 978-0-470-29290-7
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
01_292907 ffirs.qxp 6/9/08 2:49 PM Page iv
About the Authors
Bill Slavicsek began playing the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS roleplaying game with
his friends during his formative teenage years in New York City. This was in
1977, the same year that Star Wars and Terry Brooks’s The Sword of Shannara
debuted. This trilogy of epic fantasy combined with comic books and horror
novels to forever influence Bill’s outlook on life and entertainment. In 1986,
Bill’s hobby became his career when he joined the staff of West End Games.
There, as an editor and game designer, Bill worked on a number of board
games and roleplaying games, including Ghostbusters, Paranoia, Star Wars:
The Roleplaying Game, and Torg: Roleplaying the Possibility Wars. Later, Bill
went on to use his vast knowledge of the Star Wars films and associated
extensions to write two editions of A Guide to the Star Wars Universe for
Lucasfilm, Ltd. (published by Del Rey Books).
1n 1993, Bill joined the staff of TSR, Inc., then publishers of the D

UNGEONS &
D
RAGONS game lines, as a game designer and editor. His design credits for the
company include the Alternity Science Fiction Game (which he co-designed
with Richard Baker), the d20 Modern Roleplaying Game, the d20 Star Wars
Roleplaying Game, the Star Wars Miniatures Game, Urban Arcana, Council of
Wyrms, and the E
BERRON Campaign Setting.
Since 1997, Bill has been the R&D Director for Roleplaying Games, Book
Publishing, and D&D Games for Wizards of the Coast, Inc., the company that
now publishes all D
UNGEONS & DRAGONS novels and game products. He oversaw
the creation of the d20 Roleplaying Game System and the newest edition of
the D
UNGEONS & DRAGONS game. Bill leads a talented staff of game designers,
developers, and editors who produce award-winning game products for
D
UNGEONS & DRAGONS and other d20 System game lines, including roleplaying
game supplements and accessories, adventures and campaign books, and
prepainted plastic miniatures. He lives with his wife Michele, their cat Pooh,
and more comics, toys, and books than he knows what to do with — and
that’s okay by him.
Richard Baker is an award-winning game designer and a best-selling author.
He’s worked on the D
UNGEONS & DRAGONS game lines since 1991. Rich traces his
D&D experience back to 1979, when he began playing the D
UNGEONS & DRAGONS
game as a 7th-grader. He spent a significant amount of his high school and
college years playing D&D at every opportunity, and after serving as a sur-
face warfare officer in the United States Navy, Rich decided to take a shot at

working on the game he grew up playing — and so he joined the staff of TSR,
Inc. and became a game designer.
Rich’s list of D&D design credits numbers over 60 game products, including
the Origins Award–winning Birthright Campaign Setting, the Alternity Science
Fiction Roleplaying Game (which he co-designed with Bill Slavicsek), and the
01_292907 ffirs.qxp 6/9/08 2:49 PM Page v
3rd Edition DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game. He has also served as creative director
for the Alternity and F
ORGOTTEN REALMS game lines. As an author, Rich has
published ten fantasy and science fiction novels, including Swordmage, the
Last Mythal trilogy, and the New York Times bestseller Condemnation.
Rich is currently employed as a senior game designer at Wizards of the Coast,
Inc. and works every day on new products for the D
UNGEONS & DRAGONS game.
He married his college sweetheart Kim in 1991; they have two daughters, Alex
and Hannah. When he’s not writing (a rare occurrence), Rich likes to hike in
the Cascades, play wargames, and root for the Philadelphia Phillies —
because somebody has to.
Dedication
Bill Slavicsek: To everyone who ever imagined an amazing adventure, I offer
this key to D&D. When I first found the game, it helped focus and expand my
imagination and creativity. And it was a lot of fun. Today, I still have fun play-
ing the game, and my gaming group meets every Thursday evening to brave
whatever new challenges I dream up for them. I hope you’ll find the same
outlet for imagination and fun as I’ve enjoyed for more than 30 years.
Richard Baker: To Kim, Alex, and Hannah for being patient with me through
nigh-constant work in evenings and on weekends for many months now. I
promise that I’m going to take my computer for a drive deep into the woods
sometime soon and leave it there so it can’t ever find its way home again.
Author’s Acknowledgments

Bill Slavicsek: The newest edition of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game owes its
existence to a lot of talented people. The work that Rich and I have done on
this For Dummies book would not have been possible if not for the original
effort of a formidable team of creatives and business people. Thank you to my
creative team on the massive redesign project, which included Rob Heinsoo,
Andy Collins, James Wyatt, Mike Mearls, Chris Perkins, Kim Mohan, Michele
Carter, and Jeremy Crawford. Also thank you to the brand team, who help
bring D&D products to market, which includes Liz Schuh, Scott Rouse, Kieren
Chase, Sarah Girard, Linae Foster, and Martin Durham.
I have to also acknowledge the efforts of the rest of my game design staff. This
amazing collection of designers, developers, and editors work every day to
push the envelope and expand the horizons of our products, and as much as
01_292907 ffirs.qxp 6/9/08 2:49 PM Page vi
I lead them, they influence the way I think about and approach game design
and D&D. Every part of this For Dummies book owes at least a little to the
ideas and work of Richard Baker, Greg Bilsland, Logan Bonner, Bart Carrol,
Bruce Cordell, Peter Lee, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Julia Martin, David
Noonan, Peter Schaefer, Stephen Schubert, Chris Sims, Rodney Thompson,
Rob Watkins, Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Steve Winter, and Chris Youngs.
Finally, thanks to everyone at Wiley Publishing who worked with us on this
book, including Amy Fandrei, Jean Nelson, and Virginia Sanders, and to every-
one at Wizards of the Coast, Inc. who help us make great games and other
great products on a regular basis.
Richard Baker: Many people of exceptional creativity have worked on the
D&D game over the years. Without the work of game designers, editors, and
artists such as Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson, Jim Ward, Kim Mohan, Zeb Cook,
Jeff Grubb, Steve Winter, Bruce Nesmith, Tim Brown, Troy Denning, Roger
Moore, Ed Greenwood, Mike Carr, Harold Johnson, Andrea Hayday, Jon
Pickens, Lawrence Schick, Skip Williams, Dave Sutherland, Jeff Easley, Larry
Elmore, and countless others, D&D would not have grown into the beloved

hobby of millions of fans across the world. Countless other authors, artists,
developers, and editors have contributed over the years; we’re sorry that
we can’t thank them all.
A special acknowledgment is in order for Peter Atkinson, Ryan Dancey, and
other folks who were instrumental in bringing the D&D game and many of its
designers to Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Through their efforts, they reinvented
and reinvigorated the game at a difficult and crucial time in its life cycle.
I’d like to add a special thank you to good friends and colleagues who have
shared in my own D&D games over the years, including Ed Stark, John Rateliff,
David Eckelberry, Shaun and Miranda Horner, David Wise, Thomas Reid, David
Noonan, James Wyatt, Warren Wyman, Duane Maxwell, Andy Weedon, and
Dale Donovan. I’ve had a lot of fun saving the world with you guys!
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Publisher’s Acknowledgments
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our online registration form
located at www.dummies.com/register/.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions and Editorial
Project Editor: Jean Nelson
Acquisitions Editor: Amy Fandrei
Copy Editor: Virginia Sanders
Technical Editor: Christopher Perkins
Editorial Manager: Kevin Kirschner
Editorial Assistant: Amanda Foxworth
Sr. Editorial Assistant: Cherie Case
Cartoons: Rich Tennant
(www.the5thwave.com)
Composition Services
Project Coordinator: Erin Smith
Layout and Graphics: Reuben W. Davis,

Alissa D. Ellet, Joyce Haughey,
Tobin Wilkerson, Christine Williams
Proofreader: Mary Lagu
Indexer: Potomac Indexing, LLC
Art Credits: William O’Connor, David Griffith,
Wayne Reynolds, Lars Grand-West,
Wayne England, Adam Gillespie,
Thomas M. Baxa, Jim Nelson,
Steve Prescott, Eva Widermann,
Anne Stokes, Fred Hooper, James Zhang,
Lee Moyer, Stephen Crowe
Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies
Richard Swadley, Vice President and Executive Group Publisher
Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher
Mary Bednarek, Executive Acquisitions Director
Mary C. Corder, Editorial Director
Publishing for Consumer Dummies
Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher
Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director
Composition Services
Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services
Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services
01_292907 ffirs.qxp 6/9/08 2:49 PM Page viii
Contents at a Glance
Foreward xxiii
Introduction 1
Part I: D&D Crash Course 7
Chapter 1: Preparing for Adventure 9
Chapter 2: Your First Character 21
Chapter 3: Starting Out as a Fighter 31

Chapter 4: Starting Out as a Rogue 41
Chapter 5: Starting Out as a Wizard 51
Chapter 6: Starting Out as a Cleric 61
Chapter 7: Playing the Game 71
Chapter 8: Practice Session 91
Chapter 9: Finding a D&D Game to Join 99
Part II: Building a D&D Character 109
Chapter 10: Defining Your Character 111
Chapter 11: Choosing a Class 127
Chapter 12: Picking a Race 143
Chapter 13: Figuring Out Your Character’s Ability Scores 151
Chapter 14: Choosing Powers 159
Chapter 15: Selecting Feats 185
Chapter 16: Picking Skills 199
Chapter 17: Choosing Armor, Weapons, and Gear 209
Chapter 18: Advancing Your Character 223
Part III: Playing Your Best Game 229
Chapter 19: Handling Yourself in a Fight 231
Chapter 20: Making the Most of Magic 251
Chapter 21: Roleplaying and Working Together 275
Chapter 22: Character Building for Experts 291
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Part IV: The Art of Dungeon Mastering 301
Chapter 23: Running the Game 303
Chapter 24: Building a Dungeon 323
Chapter 25: Keeping Your Players Happy 345
Part V: The Part of Tens 355
Chapter 26: The Ten Best Fighter Powers 357
Chapter 27: The Ten Best Rogue Powers 363
Chapter 28: The Ten Best Wizard Powers 369

Chapter 29: The Ten Best Cleric Powers 373
Chapter 30: The Ten Best Low-Level Monsters 377
Chapter 31: The Ten Best Mid-Level Monsters 383
Chapter 32: The Ten Best High-Level Monsters 389
Chapter 33: The Ten Best D&D Novels 393
Appendix A: Glossary 397
Index 411
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Table of Contents
Foreward xxiii
Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Why You Need This Book 2
How to Use This Book 2
How This Book Is Organized 3
Part I: D&D Crash Course 3
Part II: Building a D&D Character 3
Part III: Playing Your Best Game 4
Part IV: The Art of Dungeon Mastering 4
Part V: The Part of Tens 4
Icons Used in This Book 4
Where Do I Go From Here? 5
Part I: D&D Crash Course 7
Chapter 1: Preparing for Adventure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
What Is D&D? 10
Objectives of the D&D Game 12
Storytelling 12
Adventure goals 12
Character victories 12
Looking at the Components of the Game 13

Players and characters 13
The Dungeon Master 14
The adventure 14
Supplies you need 15
One Game Rule to Rule Them All 17
Joining a D&D Game 19
Chapter 2: Your First Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Defining Your Character 21
Name 22
Race 22
Class 23
Level and XP 24
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Dungeons & Dragons4th Edition For Dummies
xii
Ability scores 24
Special abilities 25
Key statistics 25
Feats 26
Skills 26
Gear 26
Powers 27
Playing Your Character 27
Taking turns 27
Roleplaying 28
Your imagination is the limit 29
Character Roles 29
Choosing Your Character 30
Chapter 3: Starting Out as a Fighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Who Should Play a Fighter? 31

How to Play a Fighter 32
Fighter builds 32
The fighter’s role 32
Selecting a Fighter 33
Regdar, 1st-Level Human Fighter 34
Tordek, 1st-Level Dwarf Fighter 36
Calia, 1st-Level Elf Fighter 38
Chapter 4: Starting Out as a Rogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Who Should Play a Rogue? 41
How to Play a Rogue 42
Rogue builds 42
The rogue’s role 43
Selecting a Rogue 43
Jax, 1st-Level Human Rogue 44
Shadow, 1st-Level Human Rogue 46
Lidda, 1st-Level Halfling Rogue 48
Chapter 5: Starting Out as a Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Who Should Play a Wizard? 51
How to Play a Wizard 52
Wizard builds 52
The wizard’s role 53
Selecting a Wizard 53
Beryn, 1st-Level Human Wizard 54
Dreggu, 1st-Level Dwarf Wizard 56
Telsa, 1st-Level Elf Wizard 58
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Chapter 6: Starting Out as a Cleric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Who Should Play a Cleric? 61
How to Play a Cleric 62
Cleric builds 62

The cleric’s role 63
Selecting a Cleric 63
Thomm, 1st-Level Human Cleric 64
Chenna, 1st-Level Halfling Cleric 66
Eberk, 1st-Level Dwarf Cleric 68
Chapter 7: Playing the Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Understanding the D&D Game 71
Rolling Dice 72
Exploring the Dungeon 73
What can you do while exploring? 74
Ability checks 75
Combat Basics 75
Determining who goes first 76
Taking your turn 76
Engaging in Combat 78
Combat sequence 78
Attacking with a weapon 79
Other defenses 79
Attacks and damage 80
Critical hits 80
Flanking 80
Combat advantage 80
Other actions in combat 81
Using Powers in Combat 81
Types of powers used in combat 81
Power attack types 83
Movement in Combat 84
Move actions 84
Forced movement 85
Distance and movement 85

Occupied squares 85
Difficult terrain 86
Obstacles 86
Spending and Gaining Action Points 86
Facing Skill Challenges 87
Hit Points, Healing, and Dying 87
Healing in combat 88
Healing the dying 88
Rest and Recovery 88
Conditions That Affect Combat 88
xiii
Table of Contents
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Dungeons & Dragons4th Edition For Dummies
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Chapter 8: Practice Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
The Battle Grid and Markers 91
Markers 92
Moving on the battle grid 92
A Practice Combat 93
Placing characters on the battle grid and rolling initiative 93
What to do on a turn 94
The Dungeon Master 95
Example of player versus monster combat 95
Adding Story Elements 97
Chapter 9: Finding a D&D Game to Join . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
A Typical Game Session 99
Finding Someone to Play With 100
Joining someone else’s game 101
Organizing your own game 102

Starting Off with a High-Level Character 103
Regdar, 4th-Level Human Fighter 104
Regdar, 8th-Level Human Fighter 106
Part II: Building a D&D Character 109
Chapter 10: Defining Your Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Your Character Sheet 111
Filling Out the Character Sheet 112
Names 112
Class and level 113
Level modifier 113
Path and destiny 114
Race and size 114
Alignment, deity, and personality 115
Character description 117
Ability scores 117
Hit points and healing surges 117
Senses 118
Initiative 119
Defenses 119
Speed 121
Action points 121
Basic attacks 121
Skills 122
Feats 123
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Table of Contents
Race and class features 123
Powers 124
Magic items 124

Other equipment 125
Chapter 11: Choosing a Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
Character Roles 128
The controller 128
The defender 129
The leader 129
The striker 130
Class Descriptions 130
The fighter is the best class 131
The rogue is the best class 134
The wizard is the best class 136
The cleric is the best class 139
Other classes 141
Chapter 12: Picking a Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
Humans 143
Ability adjustments 144
Special traits 144
Best class 145
Dwarves 145
Ability adjustments 146
Special traits 146
Best class 146
Elves 147
Ability adjustments 147
Special traits 147
Best class 148
Halflings 148
Ability adjustments 148
Special traits 149
Best class 150

More Races to Choose From 150
Chapter 13: Figuring Out Your Character’s Ability Scores . . . . . . . . .151
How the Ability Scores Work 151
Generating Ability Scores 155
The standard array 155
The customizing scores method 156
Assigning Ability Scores by Class 157
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Dungeons & Dragons4th Edition For Dummies
xvi
Chapter 14: Choosing Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159
Navigating through Powers 160
Powers you don’t choose 161
Learning new powers 162
Replacing powers 162
Choosing Fighter Powers 163
The Great Weapon Fighter 164
The Guardian Fighter 166
Choosing Rogue Powers 168
The Brawny Rogue 169
The Trickster Rogue 170
Choosing Wizard Powers 172
The War Wizard 173
The Control Wizard 175
Choosing Cleric Powers 177
The Battle Cleric 178
The Devoted Cleric 180
Chapter 15: Selecting Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
What’s a Feat? 186
The Basics of Acquiring Feats 187

Planning Your Feat Choices 187
Choosing fighter feats 188
Choosing rogue feats 190
Choosing wizard feats 193
Choosing cleric feats 195
Chapter 16: Picking Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199
All about Skills 199
Using skills 201
Choosing your character’s skills 202
Quick Picks: Using Skill Packages 203
Fighter skill packages 204
Rogue skill package 204
Wizard skill package 205
Cleric skill package 207
Chapter 17: Choosing Armor, Weapons, and Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209
Going Shopping 210
Choosing the Right Weapon 212
Fighter weapons 213
Rogue weapons 214
Cleric weapons 214
Wizard weapons 215
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Choosing Armor 215
Shield or no shield? 216
Light versus heavy 216
Everything Else Your Character Is Carrying 218
Useful gear 218
Write it down and forget it 219
Improving Weapons and Armor 220
Masterwork armors 220

Magical arms and armor 221
Chapter 18: Advancing Your Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223
Gaining Experience Points 223
Where do XP come from? 224
For the Dungeon Master 224
Gaining Levels 225
Ability score increases 226
Level modifier 226
New powers 226
Feats 227
Advancing a Level 227
Part III: Playing Your Best Game 229
Chapter 19: Handling Yourself in a Fight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231
Choosing the Right Weapon for the Job 231
Killing ’em quickly: Attacking hit points 232
Playing for time: Action-denial powers 232
Beating ’em with footwork: Maneuver 233
Winning with a smile: Negotiation 233
Bugging out: Knowing when to retreat 234
Managing Expendable Powers and Resources 235
Fire away: Using encounter powers 235
Hold on, there: Using daily powers 236
Putting It All Together: Developing Your Combat Strategy 237
Step 1: Define the situation 237
Step 2: Evaluate your foes 239
Step 3: Choose the right tactic 239
Step 4: Rethink your assumptions 241
Using Advanced Tactics 241
Flanking 241
Beating the initiative order 241

Charging 242
Avoiding opportunity attacks 243
Concentrating on defense 244
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Setting up opportunity attacks 245
Adapting Your Tactics to Your Foes 247
Beating ranged controllers 247
Handling numerous foes 248
Fighting monsters your character can’t hurt 248
Chapter 20: Making the Most of Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251
Selecting Wizard Spells for the Adventure 252
Casting in Combat 254
Rituals: The Magic You Didn’t Know You Had 255
Learning rituals 256
Using rituals 257
Powering Up with Magic Items 257
Types of magic items 259
Acquiring magic items 261
Defining the Magic Item Baseline 262
Fighter magic items 264
Rogue magic items 267
Cleric magic items 268
Wizard magic items 271
Chapter 21: Roleplaying and Working Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .275
Roleplaying with Style 275
Choosing your character’s alignment 276
Building a persona 277
Creating mannerisms 278

Knowing when to stop 280
Working Together 280
Cooperating in a fight 281
Buffing your teammates 282
Saving downed characters 284
Minding Your Table Manners 285
Five do’s 285
Five don’ts 287
Chapter 22: Character Building for Experts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .291
Min-Maxing Your Character 291
Min-maxing strategies 293
Exploiting good interactions 293
Choosing a Paragon Path 294
Epic Destiny for the Win! 296
Multiclassing: Maxing Out Your Choices 297
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Part IV: The Art of Dungeon Mastering 301
Chapter 23: Running the Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .303
DMing: The Best Role in the Game 304
Preparing an adventure 304
Building the world 304
Playing NPCs 305
Running monsters 306
Adjudicating results 307
Keeping up with the characters 308
Choosing an Adventure to Run 308
Task-Oriented DMing 309
The exploration task 312

The conversation task 313
The combat task 314
The free time task 317
Getting the Most out of Your Monsters 318
Figuring out monster stats 318
Deciding what the bad guys do 320
Fighting smart, fighting dumb 321
Chapter 24: Building a Dungeon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .323
Creating a D&D Adventure 323
Parts of an adventure 324
An adventure-builder checklist 327
Sample Dungeon: Hall of the Spider God 328
Adventure premise 328
Using the battle grid 329
Using the character and monster markers 329
Adventure key 329
Starting the adventure 330
Wrapping up the adventure 342
Chapter 25: Keeping Your Players Happy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .345
Figuring Out Your Players 345
Narrating the Adventure 348
Getting ready, getting organized 349
Creating evocative scenes 349
Using the cut-scene 350
Running a Fun Game 351
Using props 351
Table rules 352
Game balance 353
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Part V: The Part of Tens 355
Chapter 26: The Ten Best Fighter Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .357
10. Anvil of Doom 358
9. Reaping Strike 358
8. Precise Strike 358
7. Serpent Dance Strike 359
6. Unbreakable 360
5. Sweeping Blow 360
4. Dizzying Blow 360
3. Come and Get It 361
2. Comeback Strike 361
1. Tide of Iron 362
Chapter 27: The Ten Best Rogue Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .363
10. Tornado Strike 363
9. Sly Flourish 364
8. Crimson Edge 364
7. Leaping Dodge 365
6. Cloud of Steel 365
5. Blinding Barrage 365
4. Bait and Switch 366
3. Tumble 367
2. Slaying Strike 367
1. Piercing Strike 367
Chapter 28: The Ten Best Wizard Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .369
10. Magic Missile 369
9. Dispel Magic 370
8. Ice Storm 370
7. Mirror Image 370
6. Sleep 371

5. Lightning Bolt 371
4. Fireball 371
3. Shield 372
2. Thunderlance 372
1. Cloud of Daggers 372
Chapter 29: The Ten Best Cleric Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .373
10. Cure Light Wounds 373
9. Lance of Faith 374
8. Flame Strike 374
7. Cure Serious Wounds 374
6. Awe Strike 374
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5. Healing Strike 375
4. Daunting Light 375
3. Mantle of Glory 375
2. Mass Cure Light Wounds 375
1. Sacred Flame 376
Chapter 30: The Ten Best Low-Level Monsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .377
10. Stirge (Level 1 Lurker) 377
9. Hell Hound (Level 7 Brute) 378
8. Young White Dragon (Level 3 Solo Brute) 378
7. Deathjump Spider (Level 4 Skirmisher) 378
6. Werewolf (Level 8 Brute) 379
5. Ghoul (Level 5 Soldier) 379
4. Dire Rat (Level 1 Brute) 379
3. Ogre Skirmisher (Level 8 Skirmisher) 380
2. Blazing Skeleton (Level 5 Artillery) 380
1. Orc Raider (Level 3 Skirmisher) 380

Chapter 31: The Ten Best Mid-Level Monsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .383
10. Cyclops Impaler (Level 14 Artillery) 383
9. Flesh Golem (Level 12 Elite Brute) 383
8. Wailing Ghost (Level 12 Controller) 384
7. Umber Hulk (Level 12 Elite Soldier) 384
6. Beholder Eye of Flame (Level 13 Elite Artillery) 384
5. Mummy Lord (Level 13 Elite Controller) 385
4. Mind Flayer Mastermind (Level 18 Elite Controller) 385
3. Vrock Demon (Level 13 Skirmisher) 385
2. War Troll (Level 14 Soldier) 386
1. Adult Red Dragon (Level 15 Solo Soldier) 387
Chapter 32: The Ten Best High-Level Monsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .389
10. Yuan-ti Anathema (Level 21 Elite Skirmisher) 389
9. War Devil (Level 22 Brute) 389
8. Voidsoul Specter (Level 23 Lurker) 390
7. Elder Purple Worm (Level 24 Solo Soldier) 390
6. Death Knight (Level 25 Elite Soldier) 390
5. Pit Fiend (Level 26 Elite Soldier) 390
4. Storm Giant (Level 24 Elite Controller) 391
3. Ancient Blue Dragon (Level 28 Solo Artillery) 391
2. Tarrasque (Level 30 Solo Brute) 391
1. Orcus (Level 33 Solo Brute) 392
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Chapter 33: The Ten Best D&D Novels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .393
Dragonlance Chronicles 393
Dragonlance Legends 393
Icewind Dale Trilogy 394
R.A. Salvatore’s War of the Spider Queen 394

A Practical Guide to Dragons 394
Storm Dragon 394
Swordmage 395
The Orc King 395
The Sword Never Sleeps 396
Appendix A: Glossary 397
Index 411
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Foreword
Y
ou have to realize that, if you've never played DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
before, I am incredibly jealous of you on two counts.
For one thing, you're about to experience a whole truckload of awesome firsts.
Your first dungeon, your first critical hit, your first dragon slain, your first go
at saving the world — all these await you. D&D is more than a game. It's an
operating system for the imagination, a tool to craft and share dreams of epic
battles, horrific villains, and noble heroes with your friends. If you've never
played the game before, you are in for a wild ride.
For another, you have a pair of experts showing you the ropes. Between the
two of them, Bill Slavicsek and Rich Baker have put more time into thinking,
writing, and building D&D than any other pair of game designers you could
name. Back in the day, learning D&D consisted primarily of getting the rules
wrong, arguing over what was supposed to happen next, and making things
up on the fly. If D&D is the imagination's operating system, then this book is
your user's manual.
You might be intimidated by the size of this book or the sheer length of D&D's
three core rulebooks: the Player's Handbook, the Dungeon Master's Guide, and
the Monster Manual. Unlike many games, D&D isn't about memorizing the rules

and following them to the letter. Having a good time, telling an exciting story,
and hanging out with your friends is more important than getting everything
right. D&D is a cooperative game where you and your friends work together.
That applies equally to fighting a dragon and to learning the rules. So, if you
have any worries about memorizing the entire game, set them aside. The rules
are there to keep everything organized, make things fair for everyone, and help
determine what happens next. They're guidelines, not inalterable, unquestion-
able laws.
As you set out on your career as a D&D player, allow me to offer my own little
contribution to your growing understanding of the game. The nice thing about
writing a foreword is that I get in a word before Bill and Rich. So, here's my bit
of advice:
Thou shalt be a hero. If there is a dragon that needs slaying, a kingdom that
needs liberating, or a demon that needs to be chased back to the Abyss, draw
your sword, ready your spells, and leap to action. All of us are great in our
dreams, and D&D is where our dreams come a little bit closer to life.
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