DND

From RogueBasin
Revision as of 23:58, 30 December 2014 by Jhl2600 (talk | contribs) (While I don't think you can ignore the fact that the game was almost identical to dnd on the PLATO computer system, I think you're right in saying it should be separated into two pages)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
DND
Stable game
Developer Daniel M. Lawrence
Theme Fantasy
Influences Dungeons and Dragons
Released 1976-77 (?)
Updated ? (?)
Licensing Freeware
P. Language BASIC
Platforms TOPS10
Interface ASCII, Keyboard
Game Length
Official site of DND


DnD can also refer to the Pen and Paper Role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons by Wizards of the Coast (Formerly TSR Hobbies)

DND is a game written by Daniel Lawrence in BASIC for the TOPS10 but was quickly ported to RSTS BASIC Plus midway through development. It was adapted by Lawrence into Telengard in 1982 and ported to DOS in 1984 by R. O. Software. This DOS port was later reworked into Dungeons of the Necromancer's Domain in 1988, by R. O. Software themselves.

While some can consider DND (and variants) a Roguelike, it predates, and hence cannot have been inspired by, Rogue. The program does appear to introduce itself with the text "Welcome to Dungeons and Dragons!"

The original DND appeared to have three classes: Fighter, Cleric, and Magic User.

The game is often confused with, or misidentified as a port of, Gary Whisenhunt and Ray Wood's similar 1974 game "dnd" for the PLATO system. It is unknown if Lawrence was inspired by the game, those who believe that it was a copy cite the fact that many of the unique features of dnd appear in DND, such a "help lesson" (no such terminology was ever used on the DEC machine he used) that directed players to press "arrow keys" (though no such terminology was ever used on the DEC machine he used) to move in the dungeon, which were assigned to the keys X, A, W, and D (though the keyboards on the DEC machine had no arrows on those keys, unlike standard PLATO keyboards).

Variants