在《玩家手册》(Player's Handbook)的前言部分,有这样的描述:“D&D is a unique game that you and your friends create together. The game's rules are there to help bring your stories to life. The rules aren't the purpose of the game, they're just a tool to help you see the story through. The DM decides how the rules work in his or her game so that everyone at the table can have the best possible experience.(D&D是你和你的朋友创造的独特故事。游戏规则是工具,帮助你把故事带到生活中。规则并不是游戏的目标,它们只是提供了一种方式来处理世界中发生的事情。DM决定游戏规则如何在他或她的游戏中工作,以便每个在桌子旁的人都能获得最佳的娱乐体验。”)