Combat is a key component of Dungeons & Dragons. Of course there are other elements to the game – exploration, puzzles, and social interactions, for example – but the meat of gameplay (and most of the abilities on your character sheet) centers around the D&D combat rules. This can be intimidating; D&D combat actions are complex, with pages and pages 2024 Player’s Handbook devoted to D&D combat rules. This leaves players looking for a way to have D&D combat explained in a way that makes sense. We’ve been playing and running games of Dungeons & Dragons for years, and we’ve seen just about every question, rules clarification, and wild ideas in (and out of) the book. So we present to you our D&D combat guide for new players and old!

Teachers and parents alike are looking for ways to teach kids sign language. And while children’s sign language classes, sign language video tutorials, and family sign language lessons are all great ways to learn, it can be a challenge to get children invested. We’ve already seen how Dungeons & Dragons can be used to teach social emotional learning skills, and some teachers are even using D&D in the classroom – why not use D&D to teach sign language? We got the chance to speak to Rich Oxenham, who, after over a decade spent working with the Deaf community, tried to do just that, and co-created a family business along the way! Here’s what he had to say about his journey to teach sign language with Dungeons & Dragons.

Though dragons are definitely the most iconic creature in Dungeons & Dragons, there are plenty of other monsters to encounter. In fact, there are actually dinosaur D&D stats in the official books! There are detailed attacks, ability scores, and lore for tons of different dinosaurs, all inspired by their actual historical counterparts. Check out our D&D dinosaurs list to compare stats, learn a little paleontology, and maybe even craft your own D&D dinosaur build!

If you’re on the internet, you’ve already seen plenty of Dungeons & Dragons alignment chart memes. Whether it’s how to squeeze toothpaste, mark a book, or arrange a room, there’s probably a 3x3 grid out there with spots filled in for lawful good, neutral good, chaotic good, lawful neutral, true neutral, chaotic neutral, lawful evil, neutral evil, and chaotic evil. We have to admit – these can be pretty hilarious. But did you know that the D&D character alignment chart is actually an important part of playing the game? Lest you ever leave that tiny little “Alignment” box empty (or miss out on being able to explain the origin of one of the best memes around), we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the 9 character alignments in Dungeons & Dragons. 

Players from all across the internet love a funny D&D story – we know, because we’re among them! There’s nothing that feels quite like getting to hear awesome silly moments from a D&D campaign, unless it’s sharing your own epic D&D stories of natural 20s, plans gone wrong, or times the players stumped the Dungeon Master! We’ve been running games at Young Dragonslayers for five years now, and we’ve got the zaniest, most creative players in the world: tweens and teens! So sit back, relax, and enjoy these absolutely hilarious but delightfully wholesome D&D stories from our campaigns.

One of the greatest joys in Dungeons & Dragons is getting to live out wild imaginary adventures: going on quests, finding lost treasure, and of course…adopting D&D pets. There are a variety of ways to get pets in D&D; you can befriend a wild animal, summon a creature with a magic item, or even create a pet by casting magic spells! We’ll go through all of these options to let you know exactly how you can get a pet in Dungeons & Dragons. 

Since the introduction of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) in 1974, there have been a lot of questions about the game. Is it safe to play D&D? Are there demons in D&D? Can Christians play D&D? The answer, especially throughout the “Satanic Panic” of the 1980s seemed to be a resounding “no,” but the years since have given people a chance to reevaluate. I’m Jaclyn Lewis, former youth minister, current professional Dungeon Master and parent, and I had the chance to interview Pastor Derek W. White, a minister with the United Methodist Church, long-time Dungeon Master and the creator of the D&D satanic panic movie documentary. We’re here to explore what is controversial about D&D, what the Bible has to say about D&D and what Christians need to know about Dungeons & Dragons.  

Many hopeful Dungeons & Dragons players struggle to find groups to play with in person – or, an all-too-common situation, they found a group, only to have it fall apart. This leaves many D&D players searching for D&D group finders, places to play D&D online, or even an app for finding D&D groups. While I do love playing Dungeons & Dragons around a physical table with my local friends, the vast majority of my games are online: whether through Discord servers, Zoom rooms, or Roll20 games. Not only are there lots of great tools to play online; sometimes, it truly is the best option to be able to find people to play D&D with. Here are some of the ways I’ve found people to play D&D online with and a few more I recommend from my experience running online D&D groups.

With the release of the Lego Dungeons & Dragons set (not to mention the huge crossover between Lego fans and D&D fans), a lot of people are wondering how they can use their Legos to play D&D. How are Legos good for D&D games? What can Legos be used for in D&D? What are the best Lego minifigures for D&D? How do you come up with ideas for a Lego D&D adventure? We’re Young Dragonslayers (an online D&D club for tweens and teens), and we’ve teamed up with Infinibrix (a D&D-style game that uses Lego pieces to create epic, zany adventures for any age) to tell you how you can best use Legos in your D&D games and beyond!

The pantheon of Dungeons & Dragons is vast, containing mythological deities from our world, like Asmodeus, alongside original gods, like Selûne. When playing a D&D character with divine powers, like a cleric or paladin, you get to choose one of these deities to get power from - plus you may encounter them along your adventures! If you’re a fan of Norse mythology, you may wonder what Norse gods are in D&D and how you could incorporate them in a Norse mythology campaign or into your own D&D character. If that’s you, read on!

The new Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual brings a fresh look at popular monsters in D&D 5e. You may be familiar with some monsters, but did you know that many of them were actually directly inspired by Lord of the Rings! Here are a few classic monsters from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, their Dungeons & Dragons counterparts, and how the new D&D monsters 2024 shape up. 

When most people think of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign, they usually picture the action happening on land: in castles, caves, cities, forts, mountains, roads, and, of course, dungeons. But some adventures are not content to stay landlocked - they call for the pull of the saltwater, to sail on a ship, fight aquatic monsters, and explore the depths of the ocean. If you’re an old or new Dungeon Master looking for unique D&D campaign ideas, why not look to the water? We’re professional DMs over here (I know, it is the coolest job), so we have a few ideas for themes, plot hooks, and settings to inspire exciting and memorable D&D sessions that your players will love.

As parents, it can be difficult to find good activities for neurodivergent children. So many activities for kids and teens aren’t made with neurodivergent brains in mind: unstructured anxiety-inducing social settings, sudden unexpected changes, and often either too much or too little stimulation for our young one’s minds. The best activities for our children not only appeal to them and their interests, but will also build skills, connections, and confidence that we want them to carry through the rest of their lives. While my little one is still too young to play, I’ve seen firsthand the impact that Dungeons & Dragons can have on neurodivergent teens, tweens, and older children. Let me tell you why I think it’s the perfect game for kids with autism, ADHD, and anything else that sets a brain apart from the “norm.”

With the newfound popularity of Dungeons & Dragons and the growing suite of tools to play games online, there’s a higher demand for professional Dungeon Masters; people who are skilled in running D&D and would like to get paid to be a DM. But there’s a huge gap between having an inkling that you want to become a professional Dungeon Master and actually making money as a DM with recurring clients. Over the past five years, I’ve gone from never running a game of D&D to being a professional DM running multiple sessions each week. While everyone’s journey is unique, here’s what I’ve learned on my journey and what I recommend as the steps to become a professional Dungeon Master. 

If you know and want to get birthday gifts for a D&D fan, fear not! We have 10 unique D&D gifts that are sure to enchant any Dungeons & Dragons enthusiast.

Here at Young Dragonslayers, I’ve seen how Dungeons & Dragons can increase creative thinking, confidence, empathy, and so much more. What if the power of D&D could also help me keep my New Year’s resolutions? The safe play space of the game might make difficult things easier (and help me be more invested in following through). I’d certainly like to find out.

Say “Dungeons & Dragons” and most people picture a scene right out of Stranger Things: a group of players huddled around a basement table, rolling dice and moving tiny plastic figures around. But, unlike Stranger Things, we have the whole internet at our fingertips (and are also free from supernatural horrors, but that's beside the point). These days people play Dungeons & Dragons over the internet. But that begs the question: how do you take a game designed to be played on a table and move it entirely online? Well, online D&D is kind of our whole thing, so let us talk you through what you need to know. 

I’ve recently been re-watching Alex Hirsch’s masterpiece, Gravity Falls—a Pacific Northwest adventure full of magic, cryptids, and mouthwatering mysteries. This is one of my favorite TV shows ever made, and what makes it even more fun is Alex’s hilarious references to D&D. (Seriously—there’s a whole episode on it. Go watch “Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons” featuring the hip-hop version of their in-world spoof, Diggity Dungeons & All That.)

There’s so much potential for both giggles and gasps in the madcap world of Gravity Falls (I’ve been working on a one-shot that I really need to stop procrastinating), but one standout aspect of the show is the hilarious, heart-wrenching, and unforgettable characters. If you want to bring some Gravity Falls goodness into your own game, here are a few suggestions for how to adapt your favorite characters into powerful, playable OCs.

Some Dungeons & Dragons stories become legendary: a perfectly timed natural 20, a ridiculous use of a spell or item, or a plan of attack the Dungeon Master never expected. I've been a Dungeon Master for a while, so I’ve been witness to many such moments. Now, whenever I see a meme template, hear a song, or watch a movie, somewhere in the back of my head is a D&D story that fits right along. So of course, with the upcoming release of the Wicked movie (and the soundtrack I've had memorized since 2009), my brain has been pairing up my favorite songs with my favorite D&D stories, which I have decided to share with you. Enjoy these moments from my many D&D campaigns along with a matching song from the musical Wicked. 

One of the great strengths of Dungeons & Dragons is getting to play with others: going on adventures as a team, interacting in-character, and getting to spend time with geek-minded friends. But this strength can also be a weakness. Many a well-intentioned campaign has fizzled out due to scheduling mishaps, interpersonal conflicts, or difficulty finding a Dungeons Master - and that's if you can get a party together in the first place! This struggle has many D&D enthusiasts asking if it’s possible to play the game alone. With a little bit of creativity, the answer is yes! Here are a few different options if you want to play D&D by yourself.