What if you lived the adventures of the film inspired by the role-playing game for yourself Dungeons & Dragons? Follow the guide to discover the workings and the universe behind the cinematographic license taken from the very first role-playing game.
Even if everything is not perfect, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor of Thieves, released in theaters this Wednesday, April 12, is a good surprise. Especially after the first film adaptation of the license, catastrophic.
Perhaps you want, after the session, to experience for yourself the adventures you have seen on the screen. That’s good, since we present to you the French range of Dungeons & Dragonsthe oldest and best-known role-playing game, which served as the inspiration for the film.
But by the way, what is a role-playing game?
Abbreviated “JdR”, suffixed “on table” or “paper” to differentiate it from its digital counterpart, a role-playing game is a cooperative board game in which each participant plays a character from a collective fiction. One of the players plays a particular role: the leader, or master, of the game.
The latter offers an adventure to other players, through the characters they embody. Warrior, thief, starship pilot, librarian, vampire, elf, alien… it all depends on the game.
The equipment is quite basic. A rules and context book, a scenario, pencils, character sheets detailing the characteristics of the players’ avatars (strength, intelligence, skills, etc.), and a few dice, with more or less many faces, to check the success or failure of their actions.
A scenario can last from one to several hours, be played in a single session or in a campaign, keeping the same characters, who evolve (thanks to the famous experience points ).
Rather than a film in which the players are the actors, a role-playing game is closer to an improvisation show. The leader sets the context and the initial plot, and the players do what they want, following a path more or less compartmentalized by the game master.
Stigmatized in the early 90s, the practice of role-playing has been reborn from its ashes for some time, thanks to an abundant production and a highlight in popular culture (hello The Big Bang Theory and Stranger Things). In particular through Dungeons & Dragons(abbreviated ” D&D), the oldest role-playing game, first published in 1974.
If you wish to discover the subject in more depth, we can highly recommend the excellent book The great role-playing adventureby Julien Pirou published by Ynnis.
Initiation kits D&D
The initiation kits are the ideal purchase for anyone who wants to get started in the game (no kidding!). Presented in the form of a box, they contain everything you need to get started: the rules, of course (at least a simplified version for playing your first games), ready-to-play characters, an introductory scenario, and dice. All you need are pencils, crisps, drinks… and a few friends.
Two sets are available: The essentialwhich we have already presented to you, and The starter box released at the end of last year.
Difficult to recommend one over the other, the two boxes are of an equivalent level (and we see a big dragon on the cover). Whatever your choice, you will not be disappointed, especially since they are offered at a rather attractive price, given their content.
At the moment, Philibert is offering a 25% reduction on the initiation box The Dragons of Storm Island dropping it from €19.99 to €14.99.
The basic books D&D
If you like the experience, it is possible to deepen all the concepts presented in these initiation boxes thanks to the basic books.
Starting with the Players Handbook , the reference book for creating and playing your character. It contains the rules related to the creation and evolution of the character, its origins and skills, exploration and combat, equipment, spells, etc.
THE Master’s Guideis a source of advice and inspiration for the player taking on the role of the game master, to carry out his adventures.
THE Manual of Monsters is a kind of catalog of creatures to offer to your players. Dragons, giants, mind flayers, owl bears… you have plenty to do. It is also reserved for the game master, but it is by far the most dispensable of the three.
Finally, to be complete, a game master must have a screen on the back of which the most important rules are summarized, and above all behind which he can hide the results of his dice rolls.
Supplements D&D
Additional books come to extend the experience of the basic books. Three types can be distinguished.
Rule Supplements
They add additional rules to the basic ones. New races for characters, new archetypes, new spells, new weapons, new monsters, etc. This is, apart from small flavor texts, purely technical content.
- The Complete Guide to Xanathar : customization options for players (new subclasses, new spells) and tools for the leader (traps, encounters, magic items, character name ideas, etc.).
- Tasha’s Cauldron of Wonders: a whole bunch of novelties centered around the character of Tasha. New classes, new gifts, puzzles, traps, spells, magic items… we presented it to you in preview.
- Mordenkainen presents the monsters of the multiverse : new races that can be embodied by the players, and a bestiary of monsters from the four corners of the multiverse. In a way, the continuation of Manual of monsters.
- Fizban’s Dragon Treasure(to be published in May): the reference work for everything directly or indirectly related to the dragons of the universes of D&D.
The universe supplement
They describe a specific world (a universe in the multiverse of D&D), its history, its geography, its culture, its peoples, its remarkable characters, its peculiarities, etc. They are often accompanied by a scenario taking place in this universe.
- Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft: everything you need to travel on Ravenloft, the gothic and vampiric universe of D&D one of the most appreciated in the gaming community.
Adventure Supplements
They are entirely devoted to a scenario, or a series of several nested scenarios, in a particular universe.
- Strahd’s Curse : Count Strahd von Zarovich, master of Ravenloft Castle, has hosted a dinner party, and guess who’s invited… A fantasy horror adventure that makes use of the information offered by Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft.
- Beyond Witchcraft Carnival : Every eight years, the Carnival of Sorcelume lands on your world. It serves as a gateway to the strange Faerie domain. An original adventure, populated by magical creatures.
In short, you have plenty to spend dozens and dozens of hours around a table with your friends. And likeD&Dis the oldest role-playing game, the resources available online are limitless. You no longer have any excuse not to get started…
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