Dungeons and Dragons Core Rules
This book list contains the basic rule books needed to play Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition as well as recommendations for libraries wanting to add the game to their collection.
Title List | Links | Library Recommendations
 Player’s Handbook  |
Dungeons and Dragons Player’s Handbook (Roleplaying Game Core Rules 4th ed.)Author: Heinsoo, Rob; Collins, Andy and Wyatt, James |
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The first of three core rulebooks for the 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons® Roleplaying Game. The Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying Game has defined the medieval fantasy genre and the tabletop RPG industry for more than 30 years. In the Dungeons and Dragons game, players create characters that band together to explore dungeons, slay monsters, and find treasure. The 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons rules offer the best possible play experience by presenting exciting character options, an elegant and robust rules system, and handy storytelling tools for the Dungeon Master. The Player’s Handbook presents the official Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying Game rules as well as everything a player needs to create Dungeons and Dragons characters worthy of song and legend: new character races, base classes, paragon paths, epic destinies, powers, more magic items, weapons, armor, and much more. |
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 Monster Manual  |
Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual (Roleplaying Game Core Rules 4th ed.)Author: Mearls, Mike; Schubert, Stephen and Wyatt, James |
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The second of three core rulebooks for the 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons® Roleplaying Game. The Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying Game has defined the medieval fantasy genre and the tabletop RPG industry for more than 30 years. In the Dungeons and Dragons game, players create characters that band together to explore dungeons, slay monsters, and find treasure. The 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons rules offer the best possible play experience by presenting exciting character options, an elegant and robust rules system, and handy storytelling tools for the Dungeon Master. The Monster Manual presents more than 300 official Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying Game monsters for all levels of play, from aboleth to zombie. Each monster is illustrated and comes with complete game statistics and tips for the Dungeon Master on how best to use the monster in Dungeons and Dragons encounters. |
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 Dungeon Master’s Guide  |
Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Master’s Guide (Roleplaying Game Core Rules 4th ed.)Author: Wyatt, James |
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The third of three core rulebooks for the 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons® Roleplaying Game. The Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying Game has defined the medieval fantasy genre and the tabletop RPG industry for more than 30 years. In the Dungeons and Dragons game, players create characters that band together to explore dungeons, slay monsters, and find treasure. The 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons rules offer the best possible play experience by presenting exciting character options, an elegant and robust rules system, and handy storytelling tools for the Dungeon Master. The Dungeon Master’s Guide gives the Dungeon Master helpful tools to build exciting encounters, adventures, and campaigns for the 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying Game, as well as advice for running great game sessions, ready-to-use traps and non-player characters, and more. In addition, it presents a fully detailed town that can serve as a starting point for any Dungeons and Dragons game. |
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 Character Record Sheets  |
Dungeons and Dragons Character Record Sheets (Roleplaying Game Character Sheets 4th ed.)Author: Wizards RPG Team |
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Official character sheets for the 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons® Roleplaying Game. Encased in a handy pocket folder, these official Dungeons and Dragons character sheets contain all the information players need to build, run, and track their 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying Game characters. Each character sheet is double-sided and designed for optimal playability. In addition, these character sheets are designed to support characters of all classes and levels. |
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 Dungeon Master’s Screen  |
Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Master’s Screen (Roleplaying Game Core Rules 4th ed.)Author: Wizards RPG Team |
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Official Dungeon Master’s screen for the 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons® Roleplaying Game This four-panel cardstock screen features new full-color artwork and allows Dungeon Masters to keep their campaign notes and die rolls private, without blocking their view of the game table. Easy-to-reference rules and tables appear on the inside panels of the screen; these are designed for the Dungeon Master’s eyes only and comply with the rules in the 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons core rulebooks. |
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 Core Rulebook Gift Set  |
Dungeons and Dragons Core Rulebook Gift Set (Roleplaying Game Core Rules 4th ed.)Author: Wizards RPG Team |
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All three 4th Edition core rulebooks in one handsome slipcase. The Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying Game has defined the medieval fantasy genre and the tabletop RPG industry for more than 30 years. In the Dungeons and Dragons game, players create characters that band together to explore dungeons, slay monsters, and find treasure. The 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons rules offer the best possible play experience by presenting exciting character options, an elegant and robust rules system, and handy storytelling tools for the Dungeon Master. This gift set provides all three 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons core rulebooks (Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual) in a handsome slipcase that looks great on any bookshelf. |
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 Player’s Handbook — Deluxe Ed.  |
Dungeons and Dragons Player’s Handbook — Deluxe Edition (Roleplaying Game Core Rules 4th ed.)Author: Heinsoo, Rob; Collins, Andy and Wyatt, James |
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The first of three core rulebooks for the 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons® Roleplaying Game. The Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying Game has defined the medieval fantasy genre and the tabletop RPG industry for more than 30 years. In the Dungeons and Dragons game, players create characters that band together to explore dungeons, slay monsters, and find treasure. The 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons rules offer the best possible play experience by presenting exciting character options, an elegant and robust rules system, and handy storytelling tools for the Dungeon Master. The Player’s Handbook presents the official Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying Game rules as well as everything a player needs to create Dungeons and Dragons characters worthy of song and legend: new character races, base classes, paragon paths, epic destinies, powers, more magic items, weapons, armor, and much more. This deluxe volume is a special leatherbound edition of the 4th Edition Player’s Handbook that every Dungeons and Dragons player and Dungeon Master can appreciate. |
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Monster Manual — Deluxe Ed.  |
Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual — Deluxe Edition (Roleplaying Game Core Rules 4th ed.)Author: Mearls, Mike; Schubert, Stephen and Wyatt, James |
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The second of three core rulebooks for the 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons® Roleplaying Game. The Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying Game has defined the medieval fantasy genre and the tabletop RPG industry for more than 30 years. In the Dungeons and Dragons game, players create characters that band together to explore dungeons, slay monsters, and find treasure. The 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons rules offer the best possible play experience by presenting exciting character options, an elegant and robust rules system, and handy storytelling tools for the Dungeon Master. The Monster Manual presents more than 300 official Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying Game monsters for all levels of play, from aboleth to zombie. Each monster is illustrated and comes with complete game statistics and tips for the Dungeon Master on how best to use the monster in Dungeons and Dragons encounters. This deluxe volume is a special leatherbound edition of the 4th Edition Monster Manual that every Dungeons and Dragons player and Dungeon Master can appreciate. |
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Dungeon Master’s Guide — Deluxe Ed.  |
Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Master’s Guide — Deluxe Edition (Roleplaying Game Core Rules 4th ed.)Author: Wyatt, James |
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The third of three core rulebooks for the 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons® Roleplaying Game. The Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying Game has defined the medieval fantasy genre and the tabletop RPG industry for more than 30 years. In the Dungeons and Dragons game, players create characters that band together to explore dungeons, slay monsters, and find treasure. The 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons rules offer the best possible play experience by presenting exciting character options, an elegant and robust rules system, and handy storytelling tools for the Dungeon Master. The Dungeon Master’s Guide gives the Dungeon Master helpful tools to build exciting encounters, adventures, and campaigns for the 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying Game, as well as advice for running great game sessions, ready-to-use traps and non-player characters, and more. In addition, it presents a fully detailed town that can serve as a starting point for any Dungeons and Dragons game. This deluxe volume is a special leatherbound edition of the 4th Edition Dungeon Master’s Guide that every Dungeons and Dragons player and Dungeon Master can appreciate. |
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Summary:
Title List:
1. Dungeons and Dragons Player’s Handbook
2. Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual
3. Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Master’s Guide
4. Dungeons and Dragons Character Record Sheets
5. Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Master’s Screen
Title List: Collector and Gift Sets
1. Dungeons and Dragons Core Rulebook Gift Set
2. Dungeons and Dragons Player’s Handbook — Deluxe Edition
3. Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual — Deluxe Edition
4. Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Master’s Guide — Deluxe Edition
Weblinks List:
Dungeons and Dragons Website
Library Recommendations: June 2008
Dungeons and Dragons is the granddaddy of all role-playing games so if you’re just beginning to build a gaming collection in your Teen or Adult section, then this would be the logical place to begin. This is a particularly good gaming system to start with for the younger crowd, as Wizards of the Coast works hard to keep their material family safe. On the two occasions that Wizards published mature content material in their Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 line, they were very vocal in their warnings.
As a library, here is your dilemma: As of this writing, Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 has been out for years and it is the game system most of your gamers will have. Dungeons and Dragons 4.0 just came out and it may be the next hot thing – that is what Wizards is banking on.
Big Libraries or libraries with a big budget: Go ahead and get the Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 core set and a copy of the Dungeons and Dragons 4.0 core set. Version 3.5 die-hards will either love you for stocking their favorite game system or love you for letting them get a look at the version 4.0 system before they sink a lot of money into it. Newcomers to the game will gravitate to version 4.0. It’s the system that Wizards will support from here on out and it has an internet component, although admittedly it’s too early to tell how that will play out and how libraries can use it to their advantage.
Small to Medium Libraries: Get Dungeons and Dragons 4.0. It’s the line that Wizards will be supporting from here on out. You should try to get a hold of at least Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 core rule set but try the unusual channels: ask for a donation of 3.5 materials from a new 4.0 adopter or keep your eyes open at used bookstores and in discount bins of new bookstores. Look for the bargain that would beat your normal book discount. Due to the economy and the relatively short number of years between version 3.0 to version 3.5 and then from version 3.5 to 4.0, there will be a lot of people, especially young people who don’t have a lot of disposable income, who will be reluctant to change their game systems. However, it doesn’t make financial sense to dwell on version 3.5 as Wizards of the Coast will be keen on pushing everybody forward.
All Libraries: These are the books you need to purchase: The Player’s Handbook (PH), The Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG) and The Monster Manual (MM). Purchase the regular editions. The Deluxe editions do not offer additional rules – they’re just pricy collector’s items. The Core Rulebook Gift Set is just the three books in a box set. If you can get a better deal with that over individual purchases, then go for it. Otherwise it offers nothing new except a neat storage box.
The Dungeon Master’s Screen is not a good idea for libraries. It’s basically a big cardboard screen to hide dice rolls and game notes. Many often used rules are printed on the inside but most Dungeon Masters either make their own screen or forgo it all together. It would not last long if circulated. The Character Record Sheets are another product that a gaming group might choose to purchase but would be a bad idea for a library. Furthermore, Wizards of the Coast offers character sheets in the back of the PH and on-line at their website. You’ll need Adobe Acrobat Reader and a program to unzip compressed files (Windows may have such a program on your computer, check with your network administrator if you’re uncertain).
If you are creating a set for in-house gaming use, purchase one Dungeon Master’s Guide, one Monster Manual and 1-5 Player’s Handbooks. Only the Dungeon Master needs the DMG and MM but every player (including the Dungeon Master) needs access to The Player’s Handbook in a game.
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