Course outline
Module 1
Module 1: Origins of Dungeons and Dragons
Origins of Dungeons and Dragons
Knowledge check
Q1. In what year was Dungeons & Dragons first published?
- A. 1964
- B. 1974 ✓
- C. 1984
- D. 1979
Why: Dungeons & Dragons was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules (TSR), co-created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
Q2. Who were the two primary co-creators of Dungeons & Dragons?
- A. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson ✓
- B. Ed Greenwood and Richard Garriott
- C. Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis
- D. Brian Blume and Jeff Perren
Why: Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson are credited as the co-creators of D&D, building on earlier wargaming and fantasy rules they developed together.
Q3. What was the name of the company that originally published Dungeons & Dragons?
- A. Wizards of the Coast
- B. Games Workshop
- C. Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) ✓
- D. White Wolf Publishing
Why: Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TSR) was the company founded by Gygax and Brian Blume to publish D&D. Wizards of the Coast acquired the game later, in 1997.
Q4. Which earlier wargame, created by Gary Gygax, heavily influenced the development of D&D?
- A. Chainmail ✓
- B. Warhammer
- C. Civilization
- D. Diplomacy
Why: Chainmail, a medieval miniatures wargame published in 1971, included fantasy supplement rules that directly inspired the creation of D&D.
Q5. What was the primary role of the player who guides the story and adjudicates the rules in D&D?
- A. The Player Character
- B. The Dungeon Master ✓
- C. The Game Designer
- D. The Narrator Bard
Why: The Dungeon Master (DM), also called the Game Master in other systems, creates the world, controls non-player characters, and interprets the rules during play.
Module 2
Module 2: Tabletop Roleplaying and Storytelling
Tabletop Roleplaying and Storytelling
Knowledge check
Q1. In Dungeons and Dragons, who is responsible for describing the world, narrating events, and controlling non-player characters?
- A. The players
- B. The Dungeon Master ✓
- C. The dice
- D. The character sheet
Why: The Dungeon Master (DM) acts as the game's narrator and referee, setting the scene, portraying NPCs, and adjudicating the rules, while the players control their own player characters.
Q2. What is the standard polyhedral die most commonly associated with making attack rolls and saving throws in D&D?
- A. The four-sided die (d4)
- B. The six-sided die (d6)
- C. The eight-sided die (d8)
- D. The twenty-sided die (d20) ✓
Why: The d20 is the core die of D&D's resolution system. Players typically roll it, add modifiers, and compare the total to a target number to determine success.
Q3. What term describes the collaborative storytelling style where players make choices and the story unfolds based on those decisions?
- A. Improvisational theater
- B. Emergent narrative ✓
- C. Linear scripting
- D. Serialized fiction
Why: Emergent narrative refers to stories that arise organically from player choices and interactions rather than being fully predetermined, which is a defining feature of tabletop roleplaying.
Q4. What is a 'campaign' in tabletop roleplaying games?
- A. A single, one-off game session
- B. A series of connected game sessions that form a continuing story ✓
- C. A rulebook supplement with new monsters
- D. A competitive tournament between groups
Why: A campaign is an ongoing series of sessions linked by a shared story, world, and characters, allowing player actions to have lasting consequences across many sessions.
Q5. In D&D, what does a player character's 'backstory' provide?
- A. Automatic victory in combat
- B. Background about the character's history, motivations, and personality to guide roleplaying ✓
- C. A fixed number of hit points
- D. Permission to skip dice rolls
Why: A backstory gives a character depth, explaining where they came from and what drives them, which helps players roleplay consistently and creates hooks for the DM to build story around.
Module 3
Module 3: Dice, Rules, and Game Mechanics
Dice, Rules, and Game Mechanics
Knowledge check
Q1. Which polyhedral die is most commonly used to determine the result of an attack roll in Dungeons and Dragons?
- A. d4
- B. d6
- C. d20 ✓
- D. d100
Why: The d20 is the primary die in D&D. Most attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws are resolved by rolling a twenty-sided die and adding modifiers.
Q2. What does a player typically add to a d20 roll when attempting an action?
- A. Their character's level only
- B. Their experience points
- C. A modifier derived from the relevant ability score ✓
- D. The number of hit points they have remaining
Why: Players add a modifier based on the relevant ability score (such as Strength or Dexterity) plus their proficiency bonus when applicable. This modifier reflects the character's natural aptitude for the action.
Q3. What is a 'natural 20' in D&D?
- A. A roll of 20 after modifiers are added
- B. A die roll where the d20 itself shows a 20 before any modifiers ✓
- C. The highest possible total a character can achieve in a session
- D. A roll that automatically succeeds regardless of the target number
Why: A natural 20 means the raw d20 result is 20, before modifiers are applied. It is typically treated as a critical success on attack rolls, though it does not automatically succeed on every type of check.
Q4. Which die is used to roll the damage for a dagger, which deals 1d4 piercing damage?
- A. A twelve-sided die
- B. A four-sided die ✓
- C. A six-sided die
- D. An eight-sided die
Why: The notation 1d4 means roll one four-sided die. Damage notation always indicates the number of dice and their sides, so 1d4 uses a d4.
Q5. What is the Dungeon Master's role regarding the rules during play?
- A. To follow the rules exactly as written without any exceptions
- B. To serve as the final arbiter of rules and make rulings when the books don't cover a situation ✓
- C. To roll all dice secretly for every player
- D. To ensure players always win their encounters
Why: The Dungeon Master interprets and applies the rules, and makes on-the-spot rulings when a situation isn't clearly covered. The DM's judgment, guided by the spirit of the rules, keeps the game flowing.
Module 4
Module 4: Iconic Characters, Monsters, and Settings
Iconic Characters, Monsters, and Settings
Knowledge check
Q1. Which iconic D&D monster is known for its beholder-like eye tyrant appearance and is often described as a floating sphere with multiple eyestalks?
- A. Mind Flayer
- B. Beholder ✓
- C. Owlbear
- D. Displacer Beast
Why: The Beholder is a floating sphere with a large central eye and many smaller eyestalks, each with a different magical ray. It is one of the most recognizable monsters in D&D.
Q2. What is the name of the famous D&D setting known as the 'City of Splendors'?
- A. Waterdeep ✓
- B. Baldur's Gate
- C. Neverwinter
- D. Silverymoon
Why: Waterdeep, located on the Sword Coast of the Forgotten Realms, is widely called the City of Splendors because of its wealth, grand architecture, and bustling culture.
Q3. Which iconic D&D character is a wizard known for his long white beard, pointed hat, and staff, and is closely associated with the Forgotten Realms?
- A. Elminster ✓
- B. Drizzt Do'Urden
- C. Strahd von Zarovich
- D. Tasha
Why: Elminster Aumar is a legendary sage and archmage of the Forgotten Realms, famous for his wisdom, long life, and frequent appearances in campaign lore and novels.
Q4. Which D&D monster is a creature with a humanoid body and an octopus-like head that feeds on the brains of its victims?
- A. Gelatinous Cube
- B. Mind Flayer ✓
- C. Rust Monster
- D. Bulette
Why: The Mind Flayer, also called an Illithid, has a tentacled face and devours brains. It is one of the most feared and iconic villains in D&D lore.
Q5. Which iconic D&D character is a drow ranger known for his white hair, scimitars, and appearance in the Icewind Dale novels?
- A. Drizzt Do'Urden ✓
- B. Bruenor Battlehammer
- C. Regis
- D. Artemis Entreri
Why: Drizzt Do'Urden, created by R.A. Salvatore, is a drow ranger who rejected his evil upbringing and became one of the most beloved characters in D&D fiction.
Module 5
Module 5: Fandom, Conventions, and Community
Fandom, Conventions, and Community
Knowledge check
Q1. What is the term for large gatherings where D&D players, designers, and fans come together to play games, attend panels, and shop for gear?
- A. Hackathons
- B. Conventions ✓
- C. Symposiums
- D. Tournaments
Why: Conventions, often shortened to 'cons,' are large events centered on tabletop gaming and fandom. Events like Gen Con and D&D Beyond's celebrations bring together players and creators for games, panels, and community-building.
Q2. What does the abbreviation 'LFG' commonly mean in D&D community spaces?
- A. Legendary Field Guide
- B. Looking For Group ✓
- C. Lore Fan Gathering
- D. Level Final Goal
Why: 'LFG' stands for 'Looking For Group,' a common phrase in online forums, Discord servers, and game store bulletin boards where players seek others to join a campaign.
Q3. What is a 'one-shot' in the D&D community?
- A. A single combat roll that determines the outcome of a battle
- B. A complete adventure played in a single session ✓
- C. A type of character who can only attack once per turn
- D. A convention contest where players race to finish a dungeon
Why: A one-shot is a self-contained adventure designed to be completed in one play session. It is popular at conventions and for players who want to try the game without a long-term commitment.
Q4. What is the purpose of a 'session zero' in a D&D campaign?
- A. To fight the campaign's final boss before the story begins
- B. To let the group discuss expectations, safety tools, and character creation before play starts ✓
- C. To grade players on their knowledge of the rulebooks
- D. To sell official merchandise to new players
Why: Session zero is a pre-game meeting where the Dungeon Master and players align on tone, boundaries, character concepts, and house rules. It helps build a comfortable, collaborative group before the story begins.
Q5. Which term describes fan-created content such as stories, art, and comics based on D&D settings and characters?
- A. Errata
- B. Homebrew
- C. Fan works ✓
- D. Supplements
Why: Fan works are creative pieces made by fans that draw on existing D&D worlds, characters, or lore. They are a major part of fandom culture and are shared on platforms like tumblr, DeviantArt, and AO3.
Module 6
Module 6: D&D in Film, TV, and Video Games
D&D in Film, TV, and Video Games
Knowledge check
Q1. Which 2023 film, directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, brought Dungeons & Dragons to the big screen with Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez?
- A. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves ✓
- B. Dungeons & Dragons: The Dark Crusade
- C. Dungeons & Dragons: Realms of Shadow
- D. Dungeons & Dragons: The Lost Mines
Why: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) was produced by Paramount and Hasbro, and its story follows a band of misfit adventurers on a heist. The title is the one that was released, so it is the correct answer.
Q2. Which popular web series, starring a group of actors playing D&D with a dungeon master named Matt Mercer, began streaming on Geek & Sundry's YouTube channel in 2015?
- A. Critical Role ✓
- B. Stranger Things
- C. The Adventure Zone
- D. Dice Camera Action
Why: Critical Role features voice actors playing D&D with Matt Mercer as Dungeon Master, and it has since grown into a major media franchise including an animated series. The show's popularity helped drive a broader revival of D&D as a spectator activity.
Q3. In the 2016 Netflix series Stranger Things, which D&D-related item is a central object of the characters' hobby and a recurring symbol throughout the show?
- A. A twenty-sided die ✓
- B. A spellbook
- C. A character sheet
- D. A miniature dragon figure
Why: Stranger Things features a group of kids who play D&D, and the twenty-sided die is shown prominently as part of their game. The show highlights the hobby's social and imaginative appeal through its young protagonists.
Q4. Which 2000 Ridley Scott-era or related video game genre pioneer, often cited as a direct influence on D&D-style computer RPGs, was released by Blizzard and established the action RPG template?
- A. Diablo ✓
- B. Doom
- C. Myst
- D. SimCity
Why: Diablo (1996) by Blizzard North drew heavily on the dungeon-crawling structure and loot systems of tabletop RPGs, and it helped define the action RPG genre. Its dark fantasy setting and randomized dungeons echo D&D's core exploration loop.
Q5. Which early 1980s animated series, based on D&D and produced by Marvel Productions, is known for its catchphrase 'Hey, you guys!' and its group of kids who are transported into a fantasy world?
- A. Dungeons & Dragons ✓
- B. Thundercats
- C. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
- D. Transformers
Why: The Dungeons & Dragons animated series aired from 1983 to 1985 and followed kids magically transported into a fantasy realm. Its catchphrase 'Hey, you guys!' became one of the most recognizable phrases from the show.
Module 7
Module 7: Diversity, Inclusion, and the Future of the Hobby
Diversity, Inclusion, and the Future of the Hobby
Knowledge check
Q1. Which change did Wizards of the Coast make in 2014 to address concerns about representation in Dungeons & Dragons' core rulebooks?
- A. Removed all racial ability score bonuses from character creation ✓
- B. Eliminated alignment entirely from the game
- C. Replaced all human characters with non-human races
- D. Banned female characters from official adventure modules
Why: In 2014, the fifth edition Player's Handbook moved away from fixed racial ability score bonuses, which had been criticized for reinforcing stereotypes, and gave players more flexibility in assigning bonuses.
Q2. What does the term 'inclusive design' generally refer to in the context of tabletop RPG culture?
- A. Designing games only for experienced players
- B. Creating game content, rules, and settings that welcome players of diverse backgrounds, identities, and abilities ✓
- C. Requiring every player at the table to play the same character class
- D. Limiting games to a single fantasy setting
Why: Inclusive design focuses on making games accessible and welcoming to people of different genders, cultures, sexualities, abilities, and experience levels.
Q3. What is a 'Session Zero' in tabletop RPG practice?
- A. A rulebook appendix listing optional house rules
- B. A pre-game meeting where the group discusses expectations, boundaries, and tone before play begins ✓
- C. A practice session for new players with no dice rolling
- D. The first encounter in a published adventure module
Why: Session Zero lets players and the Game Master align on content comfort levels, safety tools, and the kind of game everyone wants, which supports a healthier table.
Q4. Which of the following is a safety tool commonly used in tabletop RPGs to handle uncomfortable content?
- A. Initiative order
- B. The X-Card ✓
- C. Armor class
- D. Spell slots
Why: The X-Card, created by John Stavropoulos, lets any player tap or mark an X to signal that content should be removed or altered without needing to explain why.
Q5. Why have many modern D&D publications included content warnings or notes about sensitive historical themes?
- A. To increase the page count of rulebooks
- B. To inform players and GMs about potentially harmful content and encourage thoughtful use at the table ✓
- C. Because the rules legally require them in every country
- D. To prevent players from ever using villains in their games
Why: Content notes help groups make informed choices about what they include, recognizing that some themes, such as slavery or genocide, can affect players differently.