''Dungeoneer's Survival Guide'' is a supplement to the ''

Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TS ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

role-playing game. The book was written by

Douglas Niles Douglas Niles (born December 1, 1954, in Brookfield, Wisconsin) is a fantasy author and game designer. Niles was one of the creators of the Dragonlance world and the author of the first three Forgotten Realms novels, the ''Star Frontiers'' space ...

, and published by

TSR, Inc. TSR, Inc. was an American game publishing company, best known as the original publisher of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D''). Its earliest incarnation, Tactical Studies Rules, was founded in October 1973 by Gary Gygax and Don Kaye. Gygax had bee ...

in 1986.

The ''Dungeoneer's Survival Guide'' describes how to run underground adventures in great detail and includes special rules for movement, combat, mining, and skill proficiencies. The book contains a Dungeon Master's section that covers the underground environment and ecology, as well as the cultures of underground creatures. It includes information on how to make three-dimensional maps, and describes a campaign zone called "Deepearth". The book includes special game rules for underground activities, combat, travel, and mining, in addition to descriptions of the

Underdark The Underdark is a fictional setting which has appeared in ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing campaigns and ''Dungeons & Dragons''-based fiction books, including the Legend of Drizzt series by R. A. Salvatore. It is described as a vast subterra ...

and the ecology and cultures of its underground inhabitants, as well as a set of

Battlesystem ''Battlesystem'' is a tabletop miniature wargame designed as a supplement for use with the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game. The original ''Battlesystem'' was printed as a boxed set in 1985 for use with the first edition ''AD&D'' rules. F ...

rules for mass-combat in underground settings. The ''Dungeoneer's Survival Guide'' includes new proficiencies, as well as ideas for the creation of underground adventures. Characters gain proficiencies by way of "non-weapon proficiency slots", which can be filled with a variety of secondary skills. This book also provides rules on actions such as how well non-

thieves Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...

climb walls and trees, how far characters can leap across chasms, and how long characters can hold their breath underwater. The book describes the types of caverns, how player characters may find and enter them, and what may be found there along with the effects of natural hazards, such as cave-ins, floods, underground streams, poisonous gases, volcanoes and lack of oxygen. The book covers the history and relationships of the underground races, and provides advice on how to run interesting underground campaigns.

Publication history

''Dungeoneer's Survival Guide'' was written by

, with cover art by

Jeff Easley Jeff Easley (born 1954) is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork for role-playing games, comics, and magazines, as well as non-fantasy commercial art. Early life Easley was born in Nicholasville, Kentucky in 1954. He spent time drawing as ...

, and was published by TSR in 1986 as a 128-page hardcover. It also features interior illustrations by

Doug Chaffee Douglas Stewart Chaffee (January 24, 1936 – April 26, 2011) was an American artist whose work appeared in role-playing games as well as military and Christian publications. Early life and education Chaffee was the son of Ralph and Marjorie Ch ...

, Greg Harper,

Jim Roslof James Paul Roslof (November 21, 1946March 19, 2011) was an American artist who produced cover art and interior illustrations of fantasy role-playing games published by TSR, Inc. during the "golden age" of ''Dungeons & Dragons''. As Art Director ...

, and Jeff Easley. The book was re-packaged with the ''Dark and Hidden Ways'' adventure pack in 1990 to clear out the remaining stock of ''Dungeoneer's Survival Guide'', a first edition ''AD&D'' title rendered out-of-date with the release of second edition ''AD&D''.

Reception

Jim Bambra Jim Bambra (born 1956)Jim Bambra: Director Summary
Company Check Ltd is a Briti ...

reviewed ''Dungeoneer's Survival Guide'' for ''

White Dwarf A white dwarf is a stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very dense: its mass is comparable to the Sun's, while its volume is comparable to the Earth's. A white dwarf's faint luminosity comes ...

'' #82, commenting that the book "deserves the attention of all 'AD&D' players – even those who prefer the freedom of the wilderness to the depths of the dungeon". Bambra noted that while the book covers the

in detail, it is also a major expansion of the ''AD&D'' rules. He felt that the new proficiencies "add a whole new dimension to 'AD&D' gaming", as PCs "can now do more than just fight and cast spells". He also noted that, with proficiencies, characters "are able to make armour and weapons, train animals, cut gems, fight effectively in the dark, climb mountains, swim, and perform many other activities that were simply impossible before ... A skill system is something 'AD&D' has been lacking for a long time, and it is good to see that this one ... fits smoothly and easily into the game." Bambra praised author

Doug Niles Douglas Niles (born December 1, 1954, in Brookfield, Wisconsin) is a fantasy author and game designer. Niles was one of the creators of the Dragonlance world and the author of the first three Forgotten Realms novels, the '' Star Frontiers'' spac ...

for creating a sourcebook that "proves that underground adventures can be a lot more than simply killing the monster and grabbing its treasure ... the underground has been transformed from a bleak and dirty dungeon to an exciting and intriguing underground fairyland". He adds that the suggestions on how to run underground campaigns form one of the best discussions on designing adventures, finding it relevant for any campaign, even those belonging to other game systems. Bambra concludes the review by stating "''Dungeoneer's Survival Guide'' is an excellent product which opens many new and exciting opportunities to adventurers everywhere. Don't be put off by the title - 'DSG' contains plenty for ... even the most adamant of wilderness adventurers."

Reviews

* '' Casus Belli'' #34 (Aug 1986)

References

{{D&D topics 1986 books Dungeons & Dragons sourcebooks Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1986

Contents

Publication history

Reception

Reviews

Further reading

References