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Legal Notice & Attribution

This work is an independent, unofficial educational manual based exclusively on content released by Wizards of the Coast under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0), specifically the System Reference Document (SRD) 5.1 and SRD 5.2 / 5.2.1.

Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, and all related trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of Wizards of the Coast LLC. This work is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or approved by Wizards of the Coast or Hasbro.

All game mechanics, rules concepts, and references included in this manual are derived solely from SRD content that has been legally made available for public use under Creative Commons. Any original explanations, teaching methods, structure, creative skills, artwork, lore references, and educational frameworks presented here are original to this work.

Attribution is provided as required by the Creative Commons license:

“This material is based on content from the Dungeons & Dragons System Reference Document (SRD) © Wizards of the Coast LLC, used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.”

This manual is intended for educational and creative purposes only. It does not reproduce or replace official Dungeons & Dragons rulebooks, nor does it attempt to replicate their structure, wording, or proprietary content.

Readers who wish to explore Dungeons & Dragons in greater depth, access expanded rules, official settings, adventures, and premium content are strongly encouraged to support the original creators by purchasing the official publications released by Wizards of the Coast.

Dungeons & Dragons exists thanks to the work of its designers, writers, artists, and developers. This guide is created with respect for that legacy and with the goal of helping new players learn, enjoy, and eventually deepen their engagement with the official game.

Welcome to How to Play D&D — an independent and unofficial guide for gamers ready for adventure.

This guide is based on the System Reference Document (SRD) 5.2.1, released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY-4.0). It is designed to teach you, step by step, the fundamental rules of Dungeons & Dragons in a clear, practical, and engaging way.

Here, you will learn everything you need to begin your journey: how to create your character sheet, understand ability scores, build your character’s background, and choose your class and race. You will explore core mechanics such as hit points, combat, resting, and progression, along with the essential concepts that bring the game to life.

From your first character to your first adventure, this guide will give you the tools and confidence to start playing and fully experience the magic of Dungeons & Dragons.