Here are two rules extracts, from different versions of D&D, sblocked for length.
In what interesting way or ways do they differ, if at all?
And for the curious, here in another sblock are the references:
In what interesting way or ways do they differ, if at all?
The play of the Dungeons & Dragons game unfolds according to this basic pattern.
1. The DM describes the environment. The DM tells the players where their adventurers are and what's around them, presenting the basic scope of options that present themselves (how many doors lead out of a room, what's on a table, who's in the tavern, and so on).
2. The players describe what they want to do. Sometimes one player speaks for the whole party, saying, "We'll take the east door," for example. Other times, different adventurers do different things: one adventurer might search a treasure chest while a second examines an esoteric symbol engraved on a wall and a third keeps watch for monsters. The players don't need to take turns, but the DM listens to every player and decides how to resolve those actions.
Sometimes, resolving a task is easy. If an adventurer wants to walk across a room and open a door, the DM might just say that the door opens and describe what lies beyond. But the door might be locked, the floor might hide a deadly trap, or some other circumstance might make it challenging for an adventurer to complete a task. In those cases, the DM decides what happens, often relying on the roll of a die to determine the results of an action.
3. The DM narrates the results of the adventurers' actions. Describing the results often leads to another decision point, which brings the flow of the game right back to step 1.
This pattern holds whether the adventurers are cautiously exploring a ruin, talking to a devious prince, or locked in mortal combat against a mighty dragon. In certain situations, particularly combat, the action is more structured . . .
Does an adventurer’s sword swing hurt a dragon or just bounce off its iron-hard scales? Will the ogre believe an outrageous bluff? Can a character swim across a raging river? Can a character avoid the main blast of a fireball, or does he or she take full damage from the blaze? In cases where the outcome of an action is uncertain, the Dungeons & Dragons game relies on rolls of a 20-sided die, a d20, to determine success or failure. . . .
An ability check tests a character’s or monster’s innate talent and training in an effort to overcome a challenge. The DM calls for an ability check when a character or monster attempts an action (other than an attack) that has a chance of failure. When the outcome is uncertain, the dice determine the results.
1. The DM describes the environment. The DM tells the players where their adventurers are and what's around them, presenting the basic scope of options that present themselves (how many doors lead out of a room, what's on a table, who's in the tavern, and so on).
2. The players describe what they want to do. Sometimes one player speaks for the whole party, saying, "We'll take the east door," for example. Other times, different adventurers do different things: one adventurer might search a treasure chest while a second examines an esoteric symbol engraved on a wall and a third keeps watch for monsters. The players don't need to take turns, but the DM listens to every player and decides how to resolve those actions.
Sometimes, resolving a task is easy. If an adventurer wants to walk across a room and open a door, the DM might just say that the door opens and describe what lies beyond. But the door might be locked, the floor might hide a deadly trap, or some other circumstance might make it challenging for an adventurer to complete a task. In those cases, the DM decides what happens, often relying on the roll of a die to determine the results of an action.
3. The DM narrates the results of the adventurers' actions. Describing the results often leads to another decision point, which brings the flow of the game right back to step 1.
This pattern holds whether the adventurers are cautiously exploring a ruin, talking to a devious prince, or locked in mortal combat against a mighty dragon. In certain situations, particularly combat, the action is more structured . . .
Does an adventurer’s sword swing hurt a dragon or just bounce off its iron-hard scales? Will the ogre believe an outrageous bluff? Can a character swim across a raging river? Can a character avoid the main blast of a fireball, or does he or she take full damage from the blaze? In cases where the outcome of an action is uncertain, the Dungeons & Dragons game relies on rolls of a 20-sided die, a d20, to determine success or failure. . . .
An ability check tests a character’s or monster’s innate talent and training in an effort to overcome a challenge. The DM calls for an ability check when a character or monster attempts an action (other than an attack) that has a chance of failure. When the outcome is uncertain, the dice determine the results.
Between encounters, your characters explore the world. You make decisions about which way your character travels and what he or she tries to do next. Exploration is the give-and-take of you telling the DM what you want your character to do, and the DM telling you what happens when your character does it. . . .
In exploration mode, the characters move through the adventure setting, making decisions about their course and perhaps searching for traps, treasure, or clues. The game spends a lot of game time in exploration mode. It's what usually fills the space between encounters. It usually ends when an encounter begins.
Follow these steps to run the game in exploration mode.
1. Describe the environment. Outline the options available to the characters by telling them where they are and what's around them. When you detail the dungeon room the PCs are in, mention all
the doors, chests, shafts, and other things the PCs might want to interact with. Don’t explicitly outline options. (Don’t say: "You can either go through the door, search the chest, or look down the shaft.") That’s putting unnecessary limitations on the PCs' actions. Your job is to describe the environment and to let the PCs decide what they want to do with it.
2. Listen. Once you're done describing the area, the players tell you what their characters want to do. Some groups might need prompting. Ask them, "“What do you do?" Your job here is to listen to what the players want to do and identify how to resolve their actions. You can and should ask for more information if you need it.
Sometimes the players give you a group answer: "We go through the door." Other times, individual players want to do specific things, such as searching a chest. The players don’t need to take turns, but you need to make sure to listen to every player and resolve everyone's actions.
Some tasks involve a skill check or an ability check, such as a Thievery check to pick the lock on a chest, a Strength check to force open a door, or a Perception check to find hidden clues. Characters can perform other tasks without any check at all: move a lever, take up a position near the entrance to watch for danger, or walk down the left fork of a passage.
3. Narrate the results of the characters' actions. Describing the results often leads to another decision point immediately or after time passes. "Behind the door is a passage stretching off to the left and right" gives the characters an immediate decision point. "The sloping hall leads you hundreds
of feet down into the earth before finally ending in a door" sets up a decision point after some time. Whenever you reach another decision point, you’re back to step 1. . . .
The Dungeon Master decides whether or not something you try actually works. Some actions automatically succeed (you can move around without trouble, usually), some require one or more die rolls, called checks (breaking down a locked door, for example), and some simply can't succeed. Your character is capable of any deeds a strong, smart, agile, and well-armed human action hero can pull off. . . .
How do you know if your sword-swing hurts the dragon, or just bounces off its iron-hard scales? How do you know if the ogre believes your outrageous bluff, or if you can swim the raging river and reach the other side? All these actions depend on very basic, simple rules: Decide what you want your character to do and tell the Dungeon Master. The DM tells you to make a check and figures out your chance of success (a target number for the check).
You roll a twenty-sided die (d20), add some numbers, and try to hit the target number determined by the DM. . . .
When you use a skill, you make a skill check. This check represents your training, your natural talent (your ability modifier), your overall experience (one-half your level), other applicable factors (relevant bonuses), and sheer luck (a die roll).
The DM tells you if a skill check is appropriate in a given situation or directs you to make a check if circumstances call for one.
In exploration mode, the characters move through the adventure setting, making decisions about their course and perhaps searching for traps, treasure, or clues. The game spends a lot of game time in exploration mode. It's what usually fills the space between encounters. It usually ends when an encounter begins.
Follow these steps to run the game in exploration mode.
1. Describe the environment. Outline the options available to the characters by telling them where they are and what's around them. When you detail the dungeon room the PCs are in, mention all
the doors, chests, shafts, and other things the PCs might want to interact with. Don’t explicitly outline options. (Don’t say: "You can either go through the door, search the chest, or look down the shaft.") That’s putting unnecessary limitations on the PCs' actions. Your job is to describe the environment and to let the PCs decide what they want to do with it.
2. Listen. Once you're done describing the area, the players tell you what their characters want to do. Some groups might need prompting. Ask them, "“What do you do?" Your job here is to listen to what the players want to do and identify how to resolve their actions. You can and should ask for more information if you need it.
Sometimes the players give you a group answer: "We go through the door." Other times, individual players want to do specific things, such as searching a chest. The players don’t need to take turns, but you need to make sure to listen to every player and resolve everyone's actions.
Some tasks involve a skill check or an ability check, such as a Thievery check to pick the lock on a chest, a Strength check to force open a door, or a Perception check to find hidden clues. Characters can perform other tasks without any check at all: move a lever, take up a position near the entrance to watch for danger, or walk down the left fork of a passage.
3. Narrate the results of the characters' actions. Describing the results often leads to another decision point immediately or after time passes. "Behind the door is a passage stretching off to the left and right" gives the characters an immediate decision point. "The sloping hall leads you hundreds
of feet down into the earth before finally ending in a door" sets up a decision point after some time. Whenever you reach another decision point, you’re back to step 1. . . .
The Dungeon Master decides whether or not something you try actually works. Some actions automatically succeed (you can move around without trouble, usually), some require one or more die rolls, called checks (breaking down a locked door, for example), and some simply can't succeed. Your character is capable of any deeds a strong, smart, agile, and well-armed human action hero can pull off. . . .
How do you know if your sword-swing hurts the dragon, or just bounces off its iron-hard scales? How do you know if the ogre believes your outrageous bluff, or if you can swim the raging river and reach the other side? All these actions depend on very basic, simple rules: Decide what you want your character to do and tell the Dungeon Master. The DM tells you to make a check and figures out your chance of success (a target number for the check).
You roll a twenty-sided die (d20), add some numbers, and try to hit the target number determined by the DM. . . .
When you use a skill, you make a skill check. This check represents your training, your natural talent (your ability modifier), your overall experience (one-half your level), other applicable factors (relevant bonuses), and sheer luck (a die roll).
The DM tells you if a skill check is appropriate in a given situation or directs you to make a check if circumstances call for one.
And for the curious, here in another sblock are the references:
5e D&D Basic PDF pp 3-4, 58
4e D&D PHB pp 9-11, 178; DMG p 20
4e D&D PHB pp 9-11, 178; DMG p 20
