Dungeon Master's Guide
Encyclopedia
The Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG or DM's Guide; in earlier editions, the Dungeon Masters Guide or Dungeon Master Guide) is a book
of rules for the fantasy role-playing game
Dungeons & Dragons
. The Dungeon Master's Guide contains rules concerning the arbitration and administration of a game, and is intended for use primarily or only by the game's Dungeon Master
. The original Dungeon Master's Guide was published in 1979, and gave Dungeon Masters everything they needed to run a D&D game campaign.
It is intended as a companion book to the Player's Handbook
, which contains all of the basic rules of gameplay, and the Monster Manual
, which is a reference book giving statistics
and characteristics to various animal
s and monster
s. The Player's Handbook
, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual
are collectively referred to as the "core rules" of the Dungeons & Dragons game. Both the Dungeon Master's Guide and the Player's Handbook give advice, tips, and suggestions for various styles of play.
While all players, including the Dungeon Master, are expected to have at their disposal a copy of the Player's Handbook, only the Dungeon Master is expected to refer to the Dungeon Master's Guide or Monster Manual during gameplay.
The original Dungeon Masters Guide (sic) was written by Gary Gygax
, and published by TSR in 1979 as a 232-page hardcover with a cover by David C. Sutherland III
. The 1983 printing featured a new cover by Jeff Easley
.
Like other volumes of Dungeons & Dragons handbooks, the Dungeon Master's Guide has gone through several versions through the years. The original edition was written by Gary Gygax
and edited by Mike Carr, who also wrote the foreword. The original cover art was by D. A. Trampier
, and interior illustrations were provided by David C. Sutherland III
, Trampier, Darlene Pekul
, Will McLean, David S. LaForce
, and Erol Otus
.
The first edition Dungeon Masters Guide covered all the essential rules for the Dungeon Master
: creating and maintaining player character
s and managing non-player character
s, handling combat, and running adventures and multi-session campaigns. The book also included descriptions of magic items
and treasure, random monster encounters, and statistics for the basic monsters and creatures of the game.
The Dungeon Master's Guide contains scores of tables and charts for figuring damage and resolving encounters in a typical adventure, tables and rules for creating characters, and lists of the various abilities of the different classes of characters.
One supplement to the Guide was the Dungeon Master's Screen
: two heavy-duty tri-fold boards with the most frequently used tables printed on them for easy reference. The 1979 second edition of the screen describes its purpose as "useful for shielding maps and other game materials from the players when placed upright, and also provide[s] instant reference to the charts and tables most commonly used during play." The Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Second Edition screen came packaged with a brief adventure
; later editions of that screen, and screens produced for later editions, have instead included character sheet
s and general reference book
lets.
A feature of the first edition Dungeon Masters Guide was the random dungeon generator. The generator allowed the Dungeon Master, by the rolling of dice
, to generate a dungeon adventure "on the fly". A dungeon complete with passage
ways, rooms, treasure
, monsters, and other encounters
could easily and randomly be constructed as the player progressed. It could be used with several people or a single player. The generator was not included in the subsequent editions of the Dungeon Master's Guide.
The original Dungeon Masters Guide was reviewed by Don Turnbull in issue #16 of the magazine White Dwarf
(December 1979/January 1980). Turnbull commented mostly on the size of the book, "I would say that only the most severe critic could point at a minor omission, let alone a serious one."
The second edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide was released in 1989. This 192-page hardcover book was designed by David "Zeb" Cook
, with cover art by Jeff Easley
. The book featured interior illustrations by Easley, Clyde Caldwell
, John and Laura Lakey
, David Dorman
, Douglas Chaffee
, and Jean E. Martin.
This Dungeon Master's Guide featured revised second edition rules for the Dungeon Master, totally reorganized and streamlined. The book detailed options for character creation, handling alignment
, new money and equipment rules, treasure and magical items, encounters, time and movement, and handling non-player characters. The book is indexed, and contains many full-page color illustrations.
The second edition Dungeon Master's Guide is an ORIGINS and Gamer's Choice award-winner. In his 1991 book Heroic Worlds, Lawrence Schick commented that this book contained "lots of excellent new advice on how to run AD&D". A new version of the Dungeon Master's Guide, with new art and layout but the same text, was released in 1995, as part of TSR's 25th anniversary.
Monte Cook
, Jonathan Tweet
, and Skip Williams
all contributed to the 3rd edition Players Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual
, and then each designer wrote one of the books based on those contributions.
. In addition to a comprehensive look at how to DM a 4th Edition campaign or adventure, it contains information on building encounters, aquatic and mounted combat, skill challenges, traps and hazards, rewards, NPC creation, artifacts, monster creation, and template, along with a sample town and short adventure so that DMs can start running their first 4th Edition adventure right away. Although it does contain artifacts, it is the first Dungeon Master's Guide not to contain standard magic items, which were moved into the Player's Handbook for 4th Edition.
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
of rules for the fantasy role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
. The Dungeon Master's Guide contains rules concerning the arbitration and administration of a game, and is intended for use primarily or only by the game's Dungeon Master
Gamemaster
A gamemaster is a person who acts as an organizer, officiant for questions regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer game...
. The original Dungeon Master's Guide was published in 1979, and gave Dungeon Masters everything they needed to run a D&D game campaign.
It is intended as a companion book to the Player's Handbook
Player's Handbook
The Player's Handbook is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons . It does not contain the complete set of rules, but only those for use by players of the game...
, which contains all of the basic rules of gameplay, and the Monster Manual
Monster Manual
The Monster Manual is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It includes monsters derived from mythology, and folklore, as well as creatures created for D&D specifically...
, which is a reference book giving statistics
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
and characteristics to various animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s and monster
Monster
A monster is any fictional creature, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is somewhat hideous and may produce physical harm or mental fear by either its appearance or its actions...
s. The Player's Handbook
Player's Handbook
The Player's Handbook is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons . It does not contain the complete set of rules, but only those for use by players of the game...
, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual
Monster Manual
The Monster Manual is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It includes monsters derived from mythology, and folklore, as well as creatures created for D&D specifically...
are collectively referred to as the "core rules" of the Dungeons & Dragons game. Both the Dungeon Master's Guide and the Player's Handbook give advice, tips, and suggestions for various styles of play.
While all players, including the Dungeon Master, are expected to have at their disposal a copy of the Player's Handbook, only the Dungeon Master is expected to refer to the Dungeon Master's Guide or Monster Manual during gameplay.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
, and published by TSR in 1979 as a 232-page hardcover with a cover by David C. Sutherland III
David C. Sutherland III
David C. Sutherland III was an early Dungeons & Dragons artist. Sutherland was a prolific artist and his work heavily influenced the early development of Dungeons & Dragons.-Early life and inspiration:...
. The 1983 printing featured a new cover by Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork in the tradition of Frank Frazetta.-Early life:...
.
Like other volumes of Dungeons & Dragons handbooks, the Dungeon Master's Guide has gone through several versions through the years. The original edition was written by Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
and edited by Mike Carr, who also wrote the foreword. The original cover art was by D. A. Trampier
David A. Trampier
Dave A. Trampier is a former artist and writer who worked on some of the earliest editions of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and was the creator of the Wormy comic strip that ran in Dragon magazine...
, and interior illustrations were provided by David C. Sutherland III
David C. Sutherland III
David C. Sutherland III was an early Dungeons & Dragons artist. Sutherland was a prolific artist and his work heavily influenced the early development of Dungeons & Dragons.-Early life and inspiration:...
, Trampier, Darlene Pekul
Darlene Pekul
-Biography:Pekul graduated from Beloit College in 1976.After college Pekul dated Mike Carr, who was working as an editor at TSR Inc., the publisher of Dungeons & Dragons. As a result of this connection Pekul started to do freelance work for TSR...
, Will McLean, David S. LaForce
David S. LaForce
David S. LaForce is an artist, noted for his artwork in fantasy role-playing games.-Career:Along with Jeff Dee, Erol Otus, Jim Roslof, David C. Sutherland III and David A...
, and Erol Otus
Erol Otus
Erol Otus is an American artist and game designer, known internationally for his contributions to the fantasy RPG genre, most notably for the early Dungeons & Dragons franchise...
.
The first edition Dungeon Masters Guide covered all the essential rules for the Dungeon Master
Dungeon Master
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Dungeon Master is the game organizer and participant in charge of creating the details and challenges of a given adventure, while maintaining a realistic continuity of events...
: creating and maintaining player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
s and managing non-player character
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s, handling combat, and running adventures and multi-session campaigns. The book also included descriptions of magic items
Magic item (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, a magic item is any object that has magical powers inherent in it. These may act on their own or be the tools of the character in whose hands they fall into. Magic items have been prevalent in the game in every edition and setting, from the...
and treasure, random monster encounters, and statistics for the basic monsters and creatures of the game.
The Dungeon Master's Guide contains scores of tables and charts for figuring damage and resolving encounters in a typical adventure, tables and rules for creating characters, and lists of the various abilities of the different classes of characters.
One supplement to the Guide was the Dungeon Master's Screen
Dungeon Master's Screen
Dungeon Master's Screen is an accessory for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:The original 1979 Dungeon Masters Screen was a DM's screen for the first edition AD&D rules, and came in two pieces: one two-panel, and one four-panel. It included the most important combat rules...
: two heavy-duty tri-fold boards with the most frequently used tables printed on them for easy reference. The 1979 second edition of the screen describes its purpose as "useful for shielding maps and other game materials from the players when placed upright, and also provide[s] instant reference to the charts and tables most commonly used during play." The Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Second Edition screen came packaged with a brief adventure
Adventure (role-playing games)
An adventure is either a published or otherwise written collection of plot, character, and location details used by a gamemaster to manage the plot or story in a role-playing game. Each adventure is based upon a particular gaming genre and is normally designed for use with a specific game or gaming...
; later editions of that screen, and screens produced for later editions, have instead included character sheet
Character sheet
A character sheet is a record of a player character in a role-playing game, including whatever details, notes, game statistics, and background information a player would need during a play session. Character sheets can be found in use in both traditional and action role-playing games...
s and general reference book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
lets.
A feature of the first edition Dungeon Masters Guide was the random dungeon generator. The generator allowed the Dungeon Master, by the rolling of dice
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
, to generate a dungeon adventure "on the fly". A dungeon complete with passage
Passage
-Other meanings:* Passage , a long room or hall leading to other rooms* Passage , a form of trained slow, animated trot performed by a horse* Passage , the process of approving a proposed law...
ways, rooms, treasure
Treasure
Treasure is a concentration of riches, often one which is considered lost or forgotten until being rediscovered...
, monsters, and other encounters
Random encounter
A random encounter is a feature commonly used in various role-playing games whereby encounters with non-player character enemies or other dangers occur sporadically and at random...
could easily and randomly be constructed as the player progressed. It could be used with several people or a single player. The generator was not included in the subsequent editions of the Dungeon Master's Guide.
The original Dungeon Masters Guide was reviewed by Don Turnbull in issue #16 of the magazine White Dwarf
White Dwarf (magazine)
White Dwarf is a magazine published by British games manufacturer Games Workshop. Initially covering a wide variety of fantasy and science-fiction role-playing and board games, particularly the role playing games Dungeons & Dragons, RuneQuest and Traveller...
(December 1979/January 1980). Turnbull commented mostly on the size of the book, "I would say that only the most severe critic could point at a minor omission, let alone a serious one."
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition
David Cook (game designer)
David "Zeb" Cook is an American game designer best known for his work at TSR, Inc., where he was employed for over fifteen years.-Early life:...
, with cover art by Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork in the tradition of Frank Frazetta.-Early life:...
. The book featured interior illustrations by Easley, Clyde Caldwell
Clyde Caldwell
Clyde Caldwell is an American artist. Self described as a fantasy illustrator, he is best known for his portrayals of strong, sexy female characters.-Early life:...
, John and Laura Lakey
John and Laura Lakey
-Biography:John and Laura Lakey are a husband and wife team of illustrators. While each of them has produced solo artwork, they more commonly work together.-Works:...
, David Dorman
Dave Dorman
Dave Dorman is a science fiction, horror and fantasy illustrator.-Background:Dorman's parents are Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Jack N. Dorman and Phyllis Dorman. Both parents are deceased. Dorman is married to award-winning TV/video producer, writer and publicist Denise Dorman of WriteBrain Media...
, Douglas Chaffee
Douglas Chaffee
Douglas Stewart Chaffee was an artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games.-Career:Douglas Chaffee has worked for TSR on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, and the Magic: The Gathering collectible card game.Chaffee has also worked as head of IBM's Art Department, has done paintings...
, and Jean E. Martin.
This Dungeon Master's Guide featured revised second edition rules for the Dungeon Master, totally reorganized and streamlined. The book detailed options for character creation, handling alignment
Alignment (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, alignment is a categorization of the ethical and moral perspective of people, creatures and societies....
, new money and equipment rules, treasure and magical items, encounters, time and movement, and handling non-player characters. The book is indexed, and contains many full-page color illustrations.
The second edition Dungeon Master's Guide is an ORIGINS and Gamer's Choice award-winner. In his 1991 book Heroic Worlds, Lawrence Schick commented that this book contained "lots of excellent new advice on how to run AD&D". A new version of the Dungeon Master's Guide, with new art and layout but the same text, was released in 1995, as part of TSR's 25th anniversary.
Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition
The third edition Dungeon Master's Guide was published in 2000.Monte Cook
Monte Cook
Monte Cook is a professional table-top role-playing game designer and writer. He is married to Sue Weinlein Cook.-Roleplaying:Cook has been a professional game designer since 1988, working primarily on role-playing games. Much of his early work was for Iron Crown Enterprises as an editor and writer...
, Jonathan Tweet
Jonathan Tweet
Jonathan Tweet is a game designer who has been involved in the development of the role-playing games Ars Magica, Everway, Over the Edge, Talislanta and the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons, as well as the Collectible Miniatures Game Dreamblade.-Early life:Jonathan Tweet started playing D&D in...
, and Skip Williams
Skip Williams
Ralph Williams, almost always referred to as Skip Williams, is an American game designer. He is married to Penny Williams, who is also involved with the games industry...
all contributed to the 3rd edition Players Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual
Monster Manual
The Monster Manual is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It includes monsters derived from mythology, and folklore, as well as creatures created for D&D specifically...
, and then each designer wrote one of the books based on those contributions.
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition
The 4th edition Dungeon Master's Guide was released on June 6, 2008, at the same time as its companion volumes. It is a 224-page hardcover written by James WyattJames Wyatt (game designer)
James Wyatt is a game designer and a former United Methodist minister. He works for Wizards of the Coast, where he has designed several award-winning supplements and adventures for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game...
. In addition to a comprehensive look at how to DM a 4th Edition campaign or adventure, it contains information on building encounters, aquatic and mounted combat, skill challenges, traps and hazards, rewards, NPC creation, artifacts, monster creation, and template, along with a sample town and short adventure so that DMs can start running their first 4th Edition adventure right away. Although it does contain artifacts, it is the first Dungeon Master's Guide not to contain standard magic items, which were moved into the Player's Handbook for 4th Edition.
Additional reading
- "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Combat Tables", White DwarfWhite Dwarf (magazine)White Dwarf is a magazine published by British games manufacturer Games Workshop. Initially covering a wide variety of fantasy and science-fiction role-playing and board games, particularly the role playing games Dungeons & Dragons, RuneQuest and Traveller...
#13. - "Clerics Turning Undead", Footprints #7.
- "Expanded Secondary Skills", Footprints #8.
- "Master Encumbrance Guide: Lessening the Burden of Encumbrance", Footprints #7.
- "Sneak Preview: AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide", The DragonDragon (magazine)Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#22. - "The Complete Attack and Saving Throw Table", Footprints #10.