Explaining D&D Concepts with Examples from The Hobbit
The adventures of The Hobbit began in Bag End
We are big fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings here at Young Dragonslayers, and we aren't alone. Many of the very first people working on Dungeons & Dragons loved Lord of the Rings, taking inspiration from the books as they crafted the rules and world of the game (Fun fact, D&D actually got in trouble with the Tolkeins for using the names Hobbit, Ent, and Balrog, and had to switch to the calling them Halfling, Treat, and Balor). So, that got us wondering - what would Tolkein's stories have looked like in D&D? Could we use these classic tales to teach people how the game worked? Let's find out together!
(Spoilers ahead for the plot of The Hobbit)
Characters in D&D, Explained
Interesting characters are essential to a good story
In tabletop roleplaying games, everybody plays as a fictional character that they create. These characters are represented on a character sheet, a piece of paper (or in our games, a digital document) with numbers, items, abilities, and more that represent who that character is and what they can do. In D&D, these character sheets are built from a character's background (what they did before the adventure starts), species (what kind of creature they are), and class (what role they serve in the party and what kind of abilities they have). Here is how we think the character from the Hobbit would be made in D&D:
Bilbo Baggins, the reluctant hero of the story, would be an Inheritor Halfling Rogue with the Thief Archetype.
Thorin Oakenshield, the dwarven leader whose family treasure was stolen, would be a Noble Mountain Dwarf Fighter with the Champion Martial Archetype.
Gandalf the Grey, the strange mage who would bring Bilbo to Thorin and his party to retrieve the gold, would be a Sage Aaasimar Wizard of the School of Evocation.
Beorn, a man who becomes a bear to help them on their journey, would be a Hermit Human Druid of the Circle of the Moon.
Bard the Bowman, who landed the killing shot on the dragon Smaug, would be a Soldier Human Ranger with the Hunter Archetype.
Examples of Campaigns in D&D
Gandalf gave the party a map to Smaug's treasure
A campaign of D&D is like a season of a TV show with recurring characters and long plot arcs. Each time the players sit down together is called a session, which is a bit like an episode. Typically, the first session of a campaign consists of the party meeting each other and embarking on some kind of quest. In the first session of The Hobbit, Gandalf, Thorin, and Thorin's band of dwarves gather at Bilbo's home, where Gandalf presents a map to Thorin's treasure, stolen by the dragon Smaug, and a key that will unlock a secret door to Smaug's lair. He proposes that Bilbo comes along with them to steal it back. After a great many antics (and nearly sleeping through the quest!) Bilbo agrees to join them, and they ride off together.
Dungeon Masters and Encounters in D&D
Approach campfires with caution!
In D&D, everything outside of the characters is the purview of the Dungeon Master (DM). They know the rules of the game, come up with a world, and play out a series of encounters that the players must use their own creativity (and their characters’ abilities) to get through. The party camps for the night, and Bilbo runs into some trolls gathered around a campfire. Being a halfling with a low Strength score, he tries to talk, rather than fight, his way out of being eaten. When something like this happens in D&D, the results of a character's actions are determined by a particular kind of dice roll, called a check. The DM chooses what kind of check is appropriate to the situation and what number a player needs to roll to succeed that check. In this case, Bilbo rolls a Persuasion Check, fails, and proceeds to get him and his dwarf friends captured. Luckily, Gandalf comes to the rescue and uses magic (the Prestidigitation Spell, likely giving him Advantage on a Deception Check) to make the trolls argue amongst themselves, stalling until the sun rises and the trolls turn to stone. The party escapes (but not before they loot the trolls’ camp to get some cool swords!)
Roleplaying and Non-Player Characters in D&D
Elves are one of the core species in D&D
Though it's an important part of the game, D&D isn't just rolling dice. Part of playing a character is deciding how they would respond in certain situations and playing it out. When the party arrives in Rivendell, the elves treat them to a feast when they get some down time to speak to one another. The players controlling the characters might describe how they respond to elven food, the songs they sing after their meal, or even have their dinnertime conversations in character! They are then introduced to Elrond, a non-player character (NPC) who the Dungeon Master controls. Through conversation, Elrond reveals that the secret door to the treasure they seek will only unlock at sunset on Durin's Day, the dwarven New Year. The party must hurry!
Examples of Magic Items in D&D
This item becomes very important in Lord of the Rings
As the party makes progress in a D&D adventure, they will often be rewarded with experience points, which let them level up, gold, which they can spend on equipment, and magic items, which grant them new and exciting abilities. After the party is attacked by goblins, Bilbo flees to a cave where he finds a strange ring and meets Gollum, another NPC who lives in the caves. After an extensive roleplaying scene, Bilbo slips on the ring and realizes it's a Ring of Invisibility, a magic item which allows him to escape the murderous Gollum.
Combat in D&D
One of the biggest components of many D&D games is combat, in which the party (and sometimes some friends) fight against monsters or other enemies. These enemies are controlled by the Dungeon Master, who knows all the rules for enemy attacks, hit points, and more. Not all combat encounters end in reducing the enemy's hit points, however! After Bilbo returns to the party, he joins his friends against a bunch of goblins and wargs, but they escape on giant eagles. After they flee, they meet Beorn and take a Long Rest, which restores their hit points.
D&D characters wield all kinds of weapons
Soon they face another enemy: the giant spiders in the forests of Mirkwood. This is another combat encounter, but it's one that Bilbo ends handily. By putting on the magic ring that gives him invisibility, he succeeds on a Stealth Check to sneak up to the spiders (this is one thing that the rogue class is especially good at)! Then, he succeeds on an Attack Roll to hit the spiders with the sword he got from the troll's’ camp. Impressed by his little sword, he decides to name it Sting (which he promptly writes on his character sheet).
How Failure Works in D&D
Talk about a backup plan!
Succeeding on Stealth Checks, hitting Attack Rolls, and taking down monsters is all awesome. But sometimes the dice don't do what you want, and you have to change your plans. This sounds frustrating, but it can actually be the most fun part of the game! When the party runs into some wood elf NPCs, they fail their Persuasion Check and end up getting captured! The party then comes up with a clever plan: they hide themselves inside innocuous barrels and float down the river to the base of the mountain where the treasure (and the dragon) reside. Talk about a slick escape!
Puzzles in D&D, Explained
Facing dragons head-on in D&D can be very dangerous
Many times in D&D, the way to get what you want is blocked by some kind of puzzle to solve or knowledge to find. By talking to Elrond, party already found out the secret to the door, but they still need to figure out a way to defeat Smaug (they may be powerful, but they're not nearly at a high enough level to kill an adult red dragon)! Luckily, Bilbo the rogue with his Ring of Invisibility is able to sneak into the dragon's lair. After an extensive roleplaying scene (whoever is playing Bilbo must really like to roleplay!), Bilbo succeeds on a difficult Investigation Check to spy a weak spot in the dragon's armor.
Smaug becomes angry at the presence of this mysterious intruder and begins destroying Lake Town near the foot of the mountain. Luckily, the party tells Bard the Bowman what Bilbo saw, and he hits the spot with a well-placed arrow, killing the dragon (sometimes brains are better than brawn)!
Examples of Party Conflict in D&D
The Arkenstone once belonged to the Oakenshields
Even though everyone on a party is on the same team, there are times that the characters want different things, which sometimes puts them in conflict. If the players communicate with each other and agree on what to do, it can lead to very interesting stories! As the party loots the dragon's hoard, Bilbo steals the Arkenstone, an important item to Thorin's family, and gives it to the people of Lake Town, who blamed the party for Smaug's attack and were preparing to retaliate. Thorin is furious, kicking Bilbo out. The party is now split in two, and it seems like all hope is lost.
What Happens in a Final Session of D&D?
Some D&D characters can turn into bears
For the last session of a campaign, the Dungeon Master usually pulls out all the stops, rewarding players for all they have done over the adventure, bringing back favorite characters, and giving them the chance to play out their own conclusion. Thorin is about to declare war on Lake Town when Gandalf succeeds on a Perception Check to spot goblins and wargs attacking. The dwarves reluctantly decide to join forces with the humans of Lake Town to fight them off. Also on their side are the the elves, the eagles, and Beorn, who gets an epic death after turning into a bear and battles the goblin leader. Thorin also gets a dramatic ending, apologizing to Bilbo as he dies, proud that his family's treasure will finally return.
Play Your Own Story in D&D!
Now you have a bit ofan idea of how the game works. First, the Dungeon Master makes a world, comes up with a quest for the party, and makes up encounters, NPCs, magic items, enemies, and puzzles for the party to contend with. Then the players create characters with a background, species, and class. The players then take these characters and play out their adventures, using dice rolls to determine the results of their actions, roleplay to portray character interactions and scenes, and their own smarts and creativity to get through the obstacles the DM has laid out for them. Along the way, they tell a neat story, build a fictional world, and have a whole lot of fun!
If this sounds like your kind of game, you're in luck. Here at Young Dragonslayers, we run tween and teen games of Dungeons & Dragons online with professional Dungeon Masters who will create adventures, teach you the game, and help you and your fellow players have an awesome time.
