How to Play the Paper Version of D&D Online

The paper version of DDO is a fun social event.

Dungeons and Dragons Online offers an expansive gaming universe for role playing game fans. The paper version of the game offers the same fun and uses a rules set that is nearly identical to the online version. The advantage to the paper version that it provides a social outlet. The familiar world of Eberron is even available for players' enjoyment in the paper version of the game.

Things You'll Need

• Dungeons and Dragons Player's Handbook Edition 3.5
• Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual Edition 3.5
• Dungeon Master's Guide Edition 3.5
• Eberron Campaign Setting (Edition 3.5)
• Scratch paper
• Character record sheets (1 per player)
• Pencil (1 per player)
• Set of polyhedron dice (1 per player)

Instructions

Preparation

1. Assign one member of your group to the role of Dungeon Master. The responsibility of the Dungeon Master is to design the adventures for the rest of your group as well as to administrate the game play for your group. Take examples from Dungeons and Dragons Online. The rest of the group will assume the role of players.

2. Include your players in the story. They should be the focus of the adventure and their actions should have a direct effect on the resolution. Scan your players' character sheets and make a note of their specific skills and abilities. This information can help you in your adventure design and ensure that you do not create a point in your adventure where your characters find themselves without a solution.

3. Generate the combat encounters that you wish to include in your adventure. Consider the various combat potential of your player's characters and remain fair. Utilize a mixture of lower-powered encounters as well as higher-powered encounters in order to give your players a range of challenges.

4. Generate a character for each player and include goals that are specific to the characters and involve the world of Eberron. The character generation rules located in your Dungeons and Dragons Player's Handbook will guide you through this process. Flesh out your characters with specific details about their history and how they became adventurers.

5. Reward your players with a mixture of treasure and experience. You will find the rules for this rewards in the Dungeon Master's Guide but these rules can be adjusted to meet the needs of your group.

Game Play

1. Build the story together. The Dungeon Master is responsible for the world and how it interacts with your players; the players are responsible for how they interact with the world. This counter-play can create randomness, but this is one of the qualities of the paper version that makes it different from online play.

2. Use dice to simulate the randomness of combat and the talent of the players' characters. Rules for using the dice are found in the Dungeons and Dragons Player's Handbook. These rules resemble the dice system used in Dungeons and Dragons Online.

3. Construct each scene with thought towards detail. Players will base their actions on the setting of each scene and this detail is an important element in their decision making process. Rich details provide options for both and ensure that each scene will feel unique.

Tips & Warnings

• It's important to remain fair with the rules; however, having fun with the system is more critical. This should be a game enjoyed by the Dungeon Master as well as the players. If the rules get in the way of enjoying the world, change them to meet your needs.

References

• "Player's Handbook Edition 3.5"; Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams ; 2003
• "Dungeong Master's Guide Edition 3.5"; Wizards of the Coast; 2003
• "Eberron Campaign Setting"; Keith Baker, Bill Slavicsek, James Wyatt; 2004
• Wizards of the Coast: System Reference Document
• Dungeons and Dragons Online: About D&D 3.5