Start Here: Reading OD&D, page by page

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On this blog, I will read the original version of Dungeons & Dragons (OD&D) by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, page by page. 

The purpose of this project is twofold:

  1. To analyze the contents of each page of the original game through “page reads,” which follow the books in order and examine each page carefully on its own terms - click on the"table of contents" of each book below for the for the page reads; and
  2. To systematize rules and information dispersed across different pages of multiple booklets through “single-topic” posts, which gather everything the rules have to say about a given subject (for example, “knights,” “archers,” or “goblins”), along with relevant historical information. See "Reorganized Contents" for all the topics covered by all booklets.

OD&D's rules (and even themes) are notoriously scattered. Players must piece them together by cross-referencing multiple sections of various booklets and often inferring general rules from narrowly defined examples. Because OD&D assumes and all but requires familiarity with the rules of the miniatures war-game Chainmail (in ways that go beyond simply using it as the standard method for resolving skirmishes), I'll begin this project by reading Chainmail, as it should give us a clearer foundation for OD&D and everything that will follow. 

First Reading List: 

After reading Chainmail and OD&D proper, I intend to read four works that are linked to the creation of OD&D and may offer additional insight and fill some gaps in the original:

 - Dungeon! is a board game that simulates key elements of early D&D. Although published after OD&D, it derives from a 1972 prototype developed in the context of Dave Arneson’s Blackmoor group. Gygax's own company, Tactical Studies Rules, advertised Dungeon! as "the game that inspired D&D" and I believe it offers valuable insight into early dungeon-crawling mechanics.

 - Outdoor Survival is a board game that influenced OD&D’s wilderness exploration. OD&D's wilderness is divided into the same terrain types and explicitly recommends using Outdoor Survival’s hex map for “off-hand” wilderness adventures.

 - Warriors of Mars is a miniatures war-game based on the fictional Mars of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter novels. Published in the same year as OD&D (but quickly withdrawn due to copyright issues), its parallel development likely explains OD&D’s many references to Burroughs’ Martian stories. It also describes Martian creatures and cultures mentioned but not detailed in OD&D, making it an essential secondary source.

 - The First Fantasy Campaign compiles Dave Arneson’s Blackmoor campaign materials. Though published later, it documents pre-OD&D play practices, including character progression, domain play, and refereeing techniques.

Second Reading List: 

  • Dungeon! (game contents)
  • Outdoor Survival (game contents)
  • Warriors of Mars (table of contents)
  • The First Fantasy Campaign (table of contents)

Bibliography:

Arneson, Dave. 1977. The First Fantasy Campaign. Judges Guild.

Dunnigan, Jim. 1972. Outdoor Survival. Avalon Hill.

Gygax, Gary, and Jeff Perren. 1971. Chainmail: Rules for Medieval Miniatures. Guidon Games.

Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson. 1974. Dungeons & Dragons: Rules for Fantastic Medieval Wargames Campaigns Playable with Paper and Pencil and Miniature Figures. Tactical Studies Rules. 

Gygax, Gary, and Brian Blume. 1974. Warriors of Mars. Tactical Studies Rules.

Megarry, David R. 1975. Dungeon!. Tactical Studies Rules.








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