Dive into the History of D&D and RPGs
Dungeons & Dragons creates unforgettable adventures. Its creation was unforgettable in its own right. The story has been recorded in many books—here’s a short list.
- Slaying the Dragon: A Secret History of Dungeons & Dragons – The story behind the creation of D&D is absolute madness.
- Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and The People Who Play It
- Playing at the World, 2E, Volume 1: The Invention of Dungeons & Dragons
- Game Wizards: The Epic Battle for Dungeons & Dragons
- Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground: A Guide to Tabletop Roleplaying Games from D&D to Mothership
- Game Histories (9 books)
Older D&D Rule Books
One of the best ways to learn about the history of D&D is to read the rules starting from the beginning. I’ve gathered as many of the PDFs as I could find. They start with what is now commonly called D&D 0e.
- Dungeons and Dragons 0e PDFs
- Dungeons and Dragons Basic PDFs
- Dungeons and Dragons 1e PDFs
- Dungeons and Dragons 2e PDFs
- Dungeons and Dragons 3e and 3.5 PDFs
- Dungeons and Dragons 4e PDFs