Finally here! I'm so sorry for not getting this up until now... I'm actually being a Dungeon Master tonight for a teen group... So I've been going crazy over that. (Unfortunately, it's just one night, not a club, so I had to get pre-rolled characters and everything... >_> oh well.)
But anyway, I wrote this up this morning (read: 6:30) for the D&D night tonight... Thought it went well for my blog. :)
Enjoy!

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Basic D&D Rules

ROLL HIGH

This is the main rule for Dungeons and Dragons. Rolling high means getting the highest number on whichever dice you are using. This can mean hitting the goblin or surviving a jump across a stream of lava. Considering your life is usually at stake, Rolling High is a good rule.

STAY IN CHARACTER

Staying in character means role-playing how your character would act. If your character would attempt to cross the stream of lava by a series of stepping stones, instead of taking the easy bridge, well, then that’s what you should do.

DON’T BE A JERK

A rule that’s commonly used in most real life situations, Don’t Be a Jerk also carries over to role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. Being a jerk in this game usually means taking all the treasure, killing all the monsters, not helping your allies, not letting anyone else speak, not taking your watch, and just randomly killing people.

LISTEN TO THE DM

This is also part of not being a jerk. Often times, the DM actually does have some important information that they’re giving you, and you really will feel like a huge dork when you have to ask for the fifth time why you’re invading the ork stronghold. Also, each DM has their own way of running an adventure, and will often have their own slightly customized version of the rules. (So if you don’t listen, you’ll miss something and be sad later.) Besides that, the DM will remind you to stay in character, and a failure to comply can result in your character jumping off a cliff, and having a fellow D&D companion jump in to save you, cutting precious time off your adventuring.

ROUND DOWN

Simple. If you have a fraction, you don’t round up. For example- 1 ½ would be rounded down to 1, not up to 2.

YOUR 20 SIDED DICE (d20) IS YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND… AND ENEMY.

Your d20 can be a frustrating piece of plastic, rolling ones when you need twenties, bouncing off the table, getting lost in the pile of books and character sheets, and in general frustrating you to death. Either way, it’s still your best friend, and you’ll use it for most rolls.

WHEN IN COMBAT, PLAN YOUR TURN AHEAD OF TIME

This is so that when the wizard finally gets done casting fireball, you’re prepared to go take a swing at the goblin sorcerer’s head. It’s a pain in the butt to wait for some indecisive player to plan their turn… So, if at all possible (which it sometimes isn’t, just as a heads up), plan out even just a general idea of what you’re going to do.

USE YOUR POWERS

You can get some really wicked powers with your D&D character. They range from giving you a huge bonus on your diplomacy check, to being able to sustain 16 points of damage against three foes while swimming across that stream of lava in nothing but your underwear. Okay. That’s an exaggeration. But either way. Use your powers. You have no rewards for not using them, and they can save your life.

RUNNING AWAY IS OKAY

If you’re trapped in a room facing three dire rats, four fire beetles, two skeletons, a giant spider, and a zombie who wants to eat your brains, feel free to run away. However, you might want to warn your party that you’re running, or, even better, have them run away too. This rule is especially useful when you’re down to 2 hit points and the cleric is about to turn into an undead creature.

MAKE SKILL CHECKS

You have skills. Use them.

ONE LAST NOTE

A D&D adventure is kind of like an improv play. You don’t necessarily know what’s going to happen, or even the plot, but you do have to stay in character the entire time.