A five page instruction manual on D&D?

[SangoProduction]

Well. I have been assigned some work, making a 5 page instruction manual (excluding images, and title page). I only know two things that I could possibly write a whole 5 pages (single-spaced) on: D&D and LoL.

I however, am not great at D&D (or pathfinder for that matter), so I was looking to crowd source some ideas about what a D&D instruction manual would look like, that isn't merely a guide on one build....wait. Actually, could probably be a single-build instruction manual. Anyway, I'm looking for a wider scope than that. What are the main topics I should hit on?

Your manual will consist of a title page, a table of contents, and at least five pages of content (single spaced, realistically, functionally, and attractively laid out, not including illustrations, the title page, or the table of contents). The main portion of your manual will be step-by-step instructions, but your manual must also include an introduction that makes it clear who the instructions are for, how they should be used, and what they will help the reader do. It must also include at least four labeled graphics created by you. Graphics are expected to be instructional in nature – to help the reader understand or perform the task. Graphics used merely to decorate or motivate will NOT count towards the minimum required number

[NerdHut]

I'd start by studying the first few pages of the PHB and DMG. They'll be useful for hitting some key points.

Don't include too much information on individual classes. Instead, do some catch-all mechanics (Like a universal checklist for character creation and leveling up), and then do what amounts to a crash course on each class (a few sentences at most, maybe).

Talk about the basic structure of magic, and to help explain use some example spells that are easy to pick out for a novice. Think Fireball and Teleport. Go into what is required for a spell to work, and run through might happen if something goes wrong (like a barbarian is standing right in front of you when you want to cast)

Talk about dungeons, quests, and highlight some classic monsters. If the manual is for a player, don't worry about creation of a quest. Just cover following DM cues, interactions that might lead to a quest, and maybe lay out the instructions almost like a story (like a dumbed down choose your own adventure, but instructions).

Be sure to cover how the game actually works at a table (and maybe the virtual table). Real-world roles for each person (usually just DM and Player(s)), social courtesies, expectations a typical group might have for a person in attendance. This part is every bit as important as the rules you'll find in the books, because D&D is at its core a way for people to interact with each other. You'll want to include setting a time, printing/buying materials, etc.

I'm not really sure how I'd order each of these things necessarily. This is just how it popped into my head. Good luck on your assignment! I hope it goes well.

EDIT: Added text throughout, and some grammar check

[Falontani]

I would put a whole page in for the creation of one's character. Detail how one should choose their class, their abilities, their feats, and skills.

[Buufreak]

I'm assuming this is for a class?

Don't dive in too much. Try to make it for level one characters only, as this is only five pages. You don't need most tables or the extensive spell and feat lists. Oh, and flavor text. Cut out all flavor text. This is supposed to be informative, not fluffy and whimsical.

[Palanan]

A while ago I wrote a one-page introduction to the d20 mechanic—covering attacks, saves, and skill checks—for players who are completely new to 3.5 or Pathfinder.

Since the d20 is pivotal in gameplay, that seemed to be a fundamental topic to cover, and it helped introduce some other game concepts and game math (+2 Str to melee attacks, etc.) along the way.

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