Arm Yourself for Adventure

“When you try to talk about Dungeons & Dragons, how do you begin? Where do you begin? This is a game that you can call an institution, a grandfather to the gaming industry as a whole.” —Wyatt Krause, Sprites and Dice

Welcome to the World of Dungeons & Dragons

In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, you and your friends coauthor your own legend.

One player, the Dungeon Master, serves as narrator—describing a world full of wondrous places to explore and challenges to overcome. The other players create characters and immerse themselves in that world, making choices and rolling dice to see what happens.

Silly moments spawn inside jokes; epic battles leave treasured memories; and where you go next is entirely up to you.

Jump Into Play with D&D Beyond

Purchasing a digital copy of this book unlocks it for use in the D&D BEYOND compendium and toolset. D&D BEYOND is the official digital toolset for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS. Create characters in minutes, play directly on your character sheets with digital dice, and prep less and play more with Dungeon Master tools like the Encounter Builder and Combat Tracker. Play on Maps, D&D BEYOND's virtual tabletop — no subscription needed. Host game sessions on dozens of official maps, or make your own and use our player and monster tokens to take your gaming to the next level!

Learn How to Play

"A fun, fast-paced game that’s approachable for new players and has hidden depths for old veterans." —Jonathan Bolding, Escapist Magazine

For Adventurers—The Essential Rulebook

For those playing a character in a D&D adventure, the Player’s Handbook is essential for learning how to play and will serve as a lifelong companion for leveling up, equipment, and more.

For Dungeon Masters—1 of 3 Core Rulebooks

For dungeon masters (DMs), this book is the first of three core D&D rulebooks:

Player’s Handbook—contains all the rules needed to play the game.

Dungeon Master’s Guide—teaches DMs how to run the game—full of tools, tips, and magic items.

Monster Manual—contains creatures for DMs to populate their D&D world and all the information they need for thrilling monster encounters.

Bring Your Character to Life

Create a Character

The Player's Handbook will guide you through the process of creating a character.

Choose from the most iconic D&D races and classes. Give your adventurer a personality and background. Then equip them with armor, weapons, and all the adventuring gear they'll need to succeed.

Even more character creation options can be found in rules expansion books like Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, and Monsters of the Multiverse.

Enter a World of Magic

Fill in Your Spellbook

Learn to resurrect your allies with the touch of your hand or punish enemies with blazing orbs of fire.

This book will teach you the rules for spellcasting and serve as your personal spellbook—who needs to go to wizard school?

Choose your spells from a huge A–Z directory, with full descriptions of over 350 of D&D's most beloved spells.