Three editions of DQ were published, two by SPI (1980 and 1982) and one by TSR (1989). Changes in the game system were incidental, but with significant changes to the content. The first edition was three separate books in a boxed set, the second was either a single hardback book or a softback in a boxed set, and the third was a softback book. The first two edition featured a skimpy dressed barbarian with a dragon's head and the third a dragon-warrior confrontation. Neither the cover art nor the interior art was ever anything special. Layout is in three column style (two for the monsters chapter) and with serif font. The rules were divided into three books (Character Generation and Combat; Magic; Skills, Monsters and Adventure), and organised in the standard SPI-war game style, which is very formal with specific rules following general descriptions. All editions come without a page-numbered table of contents or an index.

The game system is entirely based around d10 or d100 mechanics. The primary characteristics are Physical Strength (PS), Manual Dexterity (MD), Agility (AG), Endurance (EN), Magical Aptitude (MA), Willower (WP) and, optionally, Physical Beauty (PB) which are determined from a randomly determined pool and with human ratings from 5-25. In addition there are derived characteristics including Fatigue (from Endurance) and, Action Points (AP 1st ed) and TMR (Tactical Movement Rate 2nd ed onwards); these do not scale particularly well outside human norms. Note the lack of a general "Intelligence" stat. Apparently players provide their own intelligence and no NPC can be smarter than the GM. Further, there is also a Perception (PC) characteristic, starting at 5 or 8, depending on the edition. Characteristic tests are based on a multiple of a characteristic usually between 0.5x and 5x the value.

Player character races include humans, dwarves, elves, giants, halflings, humans, orcs and shapechangers. If a non-human is chosen, the players have a variable percentage chance of playing that character, plus they will have a variable experience point multiplier. Characteristic modifiers are significant; for example a halflings PS is reduced by 6. Character races also modify experience point costs; for example an Elf's progression as a Ranger (Woods) is quicker than in other professions. An excellent optional rule is the inclusion of "aspects", influences that the time and circumstances of birth have on the characters abilities at equivalent times during the campaign. Characters also determine their social class which effects both their starting wealth and experience.

The combat system is fought in pulses (5 seconds, 2nd and 3rd ed, 10 seconds 1st ed) with initiative varying for engaged and non-engaged figures. The combat system assumes the use of hex maps, with a variety of maneuvers, which mostly work quite well and would probably work better if the monsters section was more careful with some of its figures. Attacks are resolved on d100 with modifiers due to the weapon's base chance, the character's skill, minus defense and the usual modifiers. Missing means the target may have performed a Parry and Riposte, which isn't modified by weapon type; disarming a pole arm wielder with a dagger is just as probable as anything else. Damage is resolved on a d10+weapon bonus and PS, and differentiated between Fatigue damage (the norm, absorbed by armour), Endurance damage (a critical, not absorbed) and Grievous Injury (a special critical, varies by weapon type, no rules on scaling). Characters can fight on until their END is 3 or less at which point they fall unconscious and a 0 or less they're dead; on average four blows form a broadsword will do this. There are also some particularly nasty infection rules, especially if the wounds are from teeth and claws. Shields, it must be added, are particularly pathetic and armour isn't that great either. Different weapons have different maximum ranks; a main gauche can be learned all the way up to rank 10, whereas a war club is limited to rank 5.

The magic system is based around "mana" which, unlike the Polynesian term, is a "magical energy" which can be depleted through use and recovered by opening gates to other planes. Magic is learned in colleges, with exclusive knowledge - one cannot know spells from the College of Fire Magics and Earth Magics at the same time which to say the least is a little unreasonable and arbitrary. There are 12-13 colleges of magic, depending on edition, conceptually separated into colleges of "thaumaturgies", "elementals" and "entities". Particularly interesting colleges are the Naming Incantations, Black Magics (curses and the like) and Greater Summonings, which famously included individual and evocative descriptions of the demons from the Ars Goetica, and counterspells. The latter two were dropped in the third edition, apparently for reasons of public relations, which was a very unpopular decision. Their replacements, the Colleges of Shaping Magics and Rune Magics were both good, not not sufficient to placate fans. There is also a serious power-gamer problem with the abilities available to Rag & String Golems. Finally, the third edition also includes herblore and a list with alchemical effects from "real world" herbs.

Each and every general and special spell, ritual or talent offered by the colleges is a separate skill in its own right with its own experience point cost and usually with variation according to skill rank. Whether successful or not, spells cost FAT, and serious spell failure (30% above casting chance, which is common enough at low ranks) cause backfires, many of which are quite serious. Whilst chaotic magic systems are quite reasonable, these are seriously disproportionate to the magic being used. Having a character being struck blind for d10x3 weeks for failing to cast a basic healing spell does not make an enjoyable game experience.

The third book begins with skills. What DragonQuest means by skills in this instance (and not ranks in spells in weapons) is degrees of knowledge and ability in character classes which adventurers are likely to take up. These include Alchemist, Assassin, Astrologer, Beast Master (you can be Rip Torn), Courtesean/Courtier (the seduction ability was removed from 3rd ed), Healer, Mechanician, Merchant, Military Scientist, Ranger, Spy and Thief, and Troubadour. Each of these skills has a list of abilities whose success is usually dependent on the rank in the skill. For example, a Navigator can pilot a ship up to 25+[25xrank] feet in length. Skills have variable experience point costs and are limited to rank 10. In addition to these "class-skills" there is also Stealth, Horsemanship and Language skills. Some of the abilities have some neat meta-game influences, for example, the Military Scientist can stop play in a combat situation to make an evaluation, whereas an astrologer's abilities to predict the future has some nice narrative considerations. Overall however, the abilities are too strongly tied to the skill packages and this problem arises with "cross-class" skills. Also, a simple line that other skills exist (e.g., Farmer!) but are not specified would have been nice.

The Monsters chapter describes each creature separated by phenotype (common land mammals, avians, aquatics etc) with a significant number of pleistocene beasts. The detail short but impressive; not only are the full creatures characteristics provided and weapon abilities, one also receives their habitat, descriptions, skills and talents and additional comments. Some of the values are a little askew; a bear, for example, seems particularly weak. There's also a couple of funny typo's that have made it through all the editions of the game; one suggesting that a rat (singular) is stronger than a housecat, and another suggesting that a weasel's bite does as much damage a broadsword. This is also the chapter where the title creature of the game makes an appearance, although there isn't much of a quest reason as such. Dragons are certainly the most dangerous creature in the book and, according to the FRPG genre, are greedy, intelligent, and have excellent magical powers. They also have a transfixing gaze, corrosive blood, and a very dangerous breath weapon, embedded gems in their underbelly for armour, top scales which protect twice as well as the best plate, claws like broadswords and a bite like a giant axe. They're pretty tough.

The final chapter, Adventure, provides some pretty basic GM advice, party organisation notes (including a strandard "Adventurer's Guild" contract for division of spoils), notes on fatigue loss and recovery, lifestyle expenses and experience points; increases in skills rewuiqres both time and the expenditure of ep. Characters also gain ep whilst not engaging in gameplay. In the second and third editions the game also came with the sample adventure "The Camp of Alla Akabar", where the PCs are hired, by different parties, as entertainers for a bedouin band and as investigators into the same band for two missing women. It is quite an acceptable subterfuge adventure with a number of notable NPCs.

There are some extremely good system and evocative features in DragonQuest. It was an excellent game for its time and is still a very workable product now. The flexible skill system was certainly advanced for its time, yet it still had an overall sense of game balance, although it suffered from serious problems with any cross-"class" desires. The combat system is quite acceptable, with the first edition possibly offering the best version. The principles of the magic system (colleges, individual ranks, fatigue costs) are fine, but the implementation (college restrictions, backfires) is not enjoyable. Creature descriptions were brief but interesting. Stylistically, the three editions do not differ significantly, contrary to "back cover" claims with a consistent relatively rules and writing heavy presentation in a wargame style; the lack of an effective table of contents or index doesn't help either. Overall however this game is certainly worthwhile, and the existence of consistent fans over almost a thirty year period is quite understandable.

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