One of the reasons tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons have grown in popularity since their inception is they allow us to escape the mundane and magicless realities of our daily lives–anyone, regardless of their physical skill, mental acuity or lack of charisma can feel like an all-powerful adventurer. Unfortunately, when the dice are put away, players have to return to reality and tackle important quests such as getting the miserly noble to give you a raise. If only there were a way to apply your wizard-like abilities in the game to the trials you must face outside of it. Now, there is: Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Dungeons & Dragons, an unofficial player’s handbook to the game of life.

Jeff Ashworth, author of the bestselling Game Master series of resource books for 5th edition, combines his depth of knowledge about the mechanics of Dungeons & Dragons and the universal experiences gathered while playing a campaign to create a ruleset for leveling up your own life. Featuring invaluable lessons drawn directly from D&D ( Always check for traps;
Never underestimate the power of a short rest;
Don’t feed the trolls ) as well as in-depth analyses of the ways in which the game’s character archetypes can be successful models for varying approaches to life ( Rage is My Armor: How to Live Like a Barbarian and Keep Your Job ), this player’s handbook for the game of life also features high concept fantasy illustrations of horrifying real world monsters like that pile of junk in the garage, the soul-sucking ghost of nostalgia and the many-headed hydra that is the work/life balance. With more hilarious, practical lessons than you can fit in a bag of holding, it’s a self-improvement book for anyone seeking guidance (both the spell and the advice) in their daily lives.