Player's Handbook · Chapter 1

Welcome to the Table

This is Dungeons & Dragons, fifth edition, as it was published in 2014 — the classic rules, complete. You play an adventurer in a world of monsters, magic, and buried history; the Game Master describes that world, you say what you do, and a twenty-sided die settles what neither of you can.

How a session runs

Play moves in a simple loop: the GM describes the environment, you describe what you want to do, and the GM narrates what happens — rolling dice only when the outcome is genuinely uncertain. The full statement of that loop is in @Missing file. Three modes share the table: exploration (the dungeon, the road, the ruin), social interaction (everything words can win), and combat (everything they can't). The rules weigh combat heaviest, but nothing says a session needs any.

What to expect

  • One die decides. Nearly everything you attempt is a d20 plus a modifier against a target number. Learn one roll and you have learned the game — it's next chapter, and it's short.
  • Your build is a promise. Race, class, and background aren't cosmetic: they decide what you're proficient at, what resources you spend, and what you get back when you rest. Fifth edition rewards playing to your sheet — and playing your sheet boldly.
  • Death is real but negotiable. Hit points fall fast at low levels. At zero you're dying, not dead — death saving throws, a healer's word, or a stubborn constitution can pull you back. Caution and a lit torch remain the best armor ever printed.

Where things live

The complete rules sit in the Rules folder — @Missing file compresses the core mechanics into one page, the Core Rules chapters go deep, and the Glossary answers questions alphabetically, from Ability Check to Unarmed Strike. Everything you can play — every class, race, spell, monster, and mace — exists as a record in this project, ready to drop onto a sheet. Character creation is next.

Manual updated Jul 29, 2026.