Dungeons & Dragons Game (1991 boxed set)

The New Easy-to-Master Dungeons & Dragons Game is an introductory set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published by TSR, Inc. in 1991. It was a replacement for the previous Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set, serving to introduce new players to the game, using the rule set previously established.

The New Easy-to-Master Dungeons & Dragons Game

Genre	Role-playing games
Publisher	TSR
Publication date	1991
Media type	Boxed set

Contents

The rules are presented twice, once in a 64-page rule book and again in the Dungeon Card Learning Pack. Inspired by the SRA reading program,^[1] the pack is a set of 48 cards that also includes four-page supplementary mini-adventures. The front of each card features a discussion of a single facet of the rules, such as non-player characters, hit dice, or initiative rolls. The back of the card describes a brief scenario to illustrate the rules discussed on the front.^[2] The four-page mini-adventures that pop up in the card pack at regular intervals incorporate the rules discussed up to that point into a linked series of encounters that give a beginning Dungeon Master a chance to hone his skills. The encounters include directions for setting up character pawns on the map, boxed text to be read to the players, and a list of responses to the probable actions of the PCs.^[2] The set also includes a Dungeon Master's Screen, fold-up cardboard pawns, a color map sheet, and dice.^[2]

Publication history

Design was by Troy Denning, and the rule book written by Timothy B. Brown. The cover was by Jeff Easley, with interior illustrations by Terry Dykstra.^[2] It was reissued in 1994 with different cover art and box shape. This version was entitled The Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game.^[3]

Reception

Gene Alloway reviewed the Dungeons & Dragons complete boxed edition roleplaying game in White Wolf #34 (Jan./Feb., 1993), rating it a 4 out of 5 and stated that "This is the best introductory game for roleplaying I have seen. It is a complete starter kit, right down to the dice. It is a quality product, and one needed by the hobby for a while. In addition, the board, scenarios and pieces help a new player make the transition between traditional board games and the wide world of roleplaying."^[4]