Gamers logo

How to Get Started Playing Dungeons and Dragons

It's actually more fun than it looks...

By Jeromy Schulz-ArnoldPublished 6 years ago 4 min read
Like
"I can't watch D&D sessions on YouTube or podcasts, it's boring. It's like watching a bunch of people doing their taxes; you gotta try it to like it."  ~ Hankerin Fernale

I have been playing tabletop roleplaying games (RPGs) for over twenty years and I never get tired of answering people's questions about my hobby. I was in a bookstore last week, browsing in the tabletop RPG section when a mom and her two sons wandered over. The mom was asking her son about the game he heard of and wanted to try. I was flipping through the latest Dungeons and Dragons title and I overheard the older boy say to his mother: "Let's ask him, he's reading one of the books."

I gave them a rundown of the game and idea of what books to pick up if they really take to the game. I recommended the Starter Set for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, it was about $20 and included everything they needed to get started. Then I told them what they really needed to play.

I always tell new players to go to a game and play. It sounds like a no-brainer but a lot of the people I've talked to who've "tried" to learn to play D&D or other tabletop RPGs have never sat down at a table and played. They bought the books and tried to read them cover to cover and absorb the material. They faced walls and walls of rules text and got lost in the maze.

Go to a game. Go to a comic or game shop on game night; look for events at bookstores and coffee shops. Perhaps a friend plays, ask to sit in one night. After a few minutes, it is clear that the rulebooks are references, not instructions.

The D20 of Doom

"Your character is not your character sheet; your character exists in an imaginary world. Your character sheet is just an imperfect translation of that character into the rules of D&D." ~Matt Coville

There is no need to buy any books at first. Get an idea of what kind of character you will want to play. This will give the other players the information they need to make a character for you. I suggest downloading a PDF of a pre-made character (called a "pregen") from dnd.wizards.com, the official Dungeons and Dragons website. These characters are well balanced and usually easy to play despite being vanilla. I try to steer new players toward a Fighter or a Barbarian but play whatever you want. Become invested in the character and have fun. The rules will take time to learn but they aren't important at the first session; they just help organize the chaos. Bring a character, notepaper or a notebook, and a pencil to that first game; ink is challenging to erase and there will be lots of erasing.

It's game night, now what? Pretend you are the character you are playing. Don't get hung up on the character sheet. That is just showing the work, like a proof for an Algebra problem. Think about the character, what are his/her limits? Who are they, where are they from? Learn what the character is good at and try to approach situations from that angle.

While playing, take really good notes; it is easier to start up next time with good notes. Try to write these notes from the perspective of the character's point of view. Who have they met? What does the character think about these non-player characters (NPCs)? What does the character think of the people, player characters (PCs), they are with?

Every D&D game will have a Dungeon Master (DM) who "runs" the game. Think of this player as a referee of sorts; they make all the decisions that keep the game moving. All one really has to do is pay attention and think about what their character would want to do. Don't get bogged down in the rules just yet. When it is your turn, tell the DM what you want to do; the DM must adjudicate what the rules say you can do. The dice will decide what you actually do.

Whew, the pizza is all gone. The last of the Mountain Dew is swirling in the DM's cup. The game is over, for tonight anyway. It will pickup again next week perhaps. Everyone is gathering their dice, characters, minis (miniature figurines used to mark one's place on the map or battle grid) etc.

Now is the time to ask questions. Was there a player whose character you really liked? Did they do anything really cool you want to do? Was there anything you didn't understand? Chat with other players or the DM and skim the PHB (Player's Handbook).

If you want to come back next time, I suggest purchasing a set of dice. It's a little rude to keep borrowing dice every week for weeks on end. To better organize everything, get a simple folder with pockets inside and a composition book for notes. You can put a notebook and your character sheet in this folder for safe keeping. It is also a great place to keep all the old notes, maps, etc.

If you had fun, you did it right.

table top
Like

About the Creator

Jeromy Schulz-Arnold

Jeromy Schulz-Arnold is a freelance writer. He has a day job but he spends an irresponsible amount of time daydreaming...

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.