Dungeons & Dragons: A Beginners Guide
How to start playing the world’s greatest roleplaying game
Have you always wanted to play Dungeons and Dragons, but didn’t know where to begin? Are you excited by the premise of the game, but intimidated by complicated game mechanics and a myriad of rulebooks?
What if I said that you could start playing Dungeons and Dragons tonight, without spending hundreds of dollars on books? Or hundreds of hours learning rules? Would you believe me?
In this step-by-step guide, I’ll answer all these questions and more, and show you exactly how to get started with The World’s Greatest Roleplaying Game!
So take my hand, hold your torch high, and let the adventure begin!!
A little history
Dungeons and Dragons is a tabletop role playing game, (TTRPG) where players assume the persona of an epic character, go on adventures, complete quests, and inevitably fight monsters. And sometimes, those monsters turn out to be dragons.
The game was created in 1974 by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and despite its tumultuous history, has grown into a global phenomenon with Hollywood players such as Henry Cavill, Joe Manganiello and Vin Diesel coming out of the closet as long-time gamers, and shows like Stranger Things and The Big Bang Theory propelling the hobby into modern mainstream culture.
A dragon-filled glossary
In this article, I am going to talk you through Learning The Rules, Gathering Your Party, Creating Characters, Assembling Your Toolkit and Running the Game! But before we delve deep into the dungeon, let’s define a few terms you are going need to know along the way:
1: DnD
DnD, D&D, dnd, D+D, DandD: Don’t worry, we’re all talking about the same thing. D&D is the most common abbreviation, with DnD more commonly used online, but all are synonymous with the full title. The dragon ampersand logo (&) is even a brand trademark for Wizards Of The Coast (D&D’s publisher). Whatever abbreviation you see, it’s all talking about the same game:
2: 5E
The term 5E is referring to the Fifth Edition of D&D. As I mentioned above, D&D has been around since 1974 and has been through various edits and revisions since then. Fifth edition is the current edition of D&D and the most common edition you”ll find people playing.
There are some significant changes that comes with each edition, so it’s good to be aware of which one you’re buying before you invest in any products. Previous editions can often be much cheaper than new 5E books, but won’t be super helpful if you want to play a game today. The edition you choose to play will matter more to your Dungeon Master (more on that in a second) than to you, with some old-school gamers preferring previous editions, or even running their own hybrid rule sets.
If you don’t currently have a game group or game master, 5E is the best place to start, as it’s the most beginner friendly, the most popular and the standard for online and tournament play. Wizards Of The Coast, the creators behind DnD, will be transitioning to a new edition in 2024 called One D&D. Read my post here for an in-depth discussion about this new edition and how it affects you as a new player. But in short, don’t worry, it doesn’t. 5E is still the best place to get started, and learning 5E now will set you up perfectly to transition to One DnD when it comes out in 2024.
3: The Dungeon Master
The rule master and world builder. Some people’s favorite place at the table and others most terrifying. The Dungeon Master is the person who “runs” the game – also called a DM, GM, or Game Master. They plan the adventures, draw the dungeons, create the world and fill it with beasts for you to slay.
The DM is an integral part of D&D, and one thing that sets it apart from other types of tabletop gaming. Unlike playing a board game, there is no pre-defined structure to a game of D&D. Instead, the DM puts a scenario in front of the players, and the players decide what they want to do about it.
The DM will be a part of your group, but they’re not actually playing the game. They’re not playing a character like you, instead, they are everything else in the world. They will be the bartender you interrogate for information, the confused goblin stuck in your trap or the ghost of your long-lost brother. They play anything and everything you interact with: object, abstract, friend or foe. The DM is also in charge of creating the adventure you’re playing, drawing maps, planning each game session and determining the outcome of any and all events. They wear many hats, and the task can seem daunting at first, but DMs are at the heart of what makes D&D what it is.
4: PCs and NPCs
PC stands for Player Character: so the character you create and whose persona you take on at the table. This is the opposite of an NPC, a Non-Player Character, aka everyone else in the world being played by the DM.
As you play the game, your DM will fill the world with NPCs, who you’ll interact with to find quests, information and progress through the story. The evil wizard, the helpful crown’s guard, the kidnapped farmer… NPCs turn the game into a real world. Many will have special abilities like your character; spells, magic and weapons, but the way they play in game will be different to your character abilities and determined by your DM.
5: Your adventuring party
Hold my beer! It’s time for a D&D party! Well… maybe not that type of party. Your D&D Party refers to the group of characters in-game played by you and your friends at the table, but can also include various NPCs you meet along the way. Your party can change throughout a campaign, with members dying or joining the quest as you progress. Also referred to as your adventuring party, or mercenary group, many groups come up with a group name to give their party a more unified identity.
6: Campaigns, one shots and side quests
Your Campaign refers to the adventure you and your friends will play through throughout your games. A campaign can be anywhere from a few sessions to multiple years, depending on the length of the story and how often your group meets to play. Campaigns usually consist of multiple Side Quests; quicker, goal-orientated stories, that move your characters through the overall story arc of the campaign.
When you sit down to play a game of D&D, this is generally called a Session. Most sessions are a couple of hours, 3-4 is average, but it completely depends on how long your group wants to play for. Some groups play once a month but play all day, while others play a few hours twice a week.
A game that is completed in a single session, or a single day, is called a One Shot. These are great for new groups to get a feel for playing without making a long-term commitment. They’re also a great opportunity to try out new character builds and settings and to find the types of stories you and your friends want to play.
7: d20
Some might argue this is the most important thing to know: d20 stands for a 20 sided dice. Most often written as a lowercase d, any “d” followed by a number indicates the type of dice to use; so d4 means a four sided dice, d12 a twelve sided dice and so on. The most common dice you will use is the d20, as this is required for most game situations with a win/lose mechanic.
Learning the Rules
Learning the rules: the most daunting part for many novice players, but don’t worry! I will talk you through exactly what you need to get started, what to avoid, and the best way to ensure you spend the most time playing and the least time stressing.
In this section, we’ll cover Learning The Rules, Gathering Your Party, Creating Characters, Assembling Your Toolkit and Running the Game! Feel free to jump to whichever topic inspires you the most. And I promise, it’s easier than you think.
I won’t be delving into minute game mechanics in this article. There are already incredible resources available that teach you how to roll initiative and what a skill check is. I don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Instead, I am going to talk you through where to find these resources and how best to use them, what you need to know to start and what you don’t, and how to put that all together and start actually playing the game.
How many books do I need to buy?
Firstly, lets get one thing straight, you do not NEED any books to start playing. D&D is an all inclusive game with zero barrier to entry. You can download a free rulebook right off the WOTC website HERE and start playing tonight.
However… if you’re really interested in making D&D a hobby, I do recommend getting one book: The Players Handbook (aka the PHB, because we just love acronyms here in the D&D world). The PHB will explain everything you need to know about the mechanics of gameplay, how to create a character, how to roleplay at the table as well as all the special abilities and spells your character will have access to.
The PHB is not like your old-school textbook. You don’t need to read it from start to finish and you don’t need to memorize it. These books are made to be resource books! They’re meant to be used at the table during play. Give it a skim before your first session and read whatever piques your interest, and then keep it handy as a resource when you have a question in game. You’re probably not going to need to know the details of underwater combat in your first ever game, but if you do, it’s there when you need it.
YouTube is your friend
As I mentioned above, there are incredible resources available that teach you the specific game mechanics of D&D. Combine these resources with a little light reading of the PHB, and you’ll be a master in no time!
Here are the Top 3 Best How-To Guides the Internet has to offer, tried and tested by yours truly!
Who better to teach you the basics than Wizards Of The Coast themselves? This video is shorter than the others but is still a great simple explanation of turn structure and how players interact with the DM. They also cover Roleplaying, Ability Checks and Saving Throws in further videos.
2: How To Play DnD 5e by Don’t Stop Thinking
This is an awesome 7 part series, but don’t worry, you only need to watch the first three to get a great understanding of the basics. This series is actually how I learned the game mechanics myself for my very first game! Next, check out Abilities and Skills, Combat and Saving throws and Adventuring.
3: Handbooker Helper by Critical Role
This is my #1 favourite resource for learning to play! “Handbooker Helper” is a mini-series by the D&D streamers Critical Role, where they cover all the major gameplay topics in bitesize videos, made specifically for new players. They cover Ability Checks, Combat Actions, Spell Casting, Dice Rolls and everything in between. Watch it from Episode 1, or pick a topic and dive in.
Everything explained above can be found in the Players Handbook, or the free rules reference available for download from WOTC. And remember, you don’t need to know everything! You just want to have a basic understanding of the core mechanics. The rest you will learn at the table!
Watch the Pros
My second tip for learning how to play, and actually how I got started in the hobby, is to watch how the pros do it. Had no idea people played D&D professionally? Neither did I before I got into the hobby, but it’s an incredible resource for you as a newbie and a great way to learn the game.
Some great places to start, and my personal favorite streamers are:
1: Critical Role. A bunch of nerdy ass voice actors led by Dungeon Master Extraordinaire Matt Mercer, crafting incredible adventures every Thursday night that will make you cry, laugh, and fall in love with the game. You can find them on YouTube, Twitch and Critrole.com.
2: Dimension 20. A group of ex-College Humor comedians led by DM Brennan Lee Mulligan. Incredible gameplay where laughs and absurdity are guaranteed! Find them on YouTube, Twitch or DropoutTv.
3: Acquisitions Incorporated. Absolute anarchy! Including Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford; lead D&D game designers, Patrick Rothfuss (Yes! the author Patrick Rothfuss), Will Wheaton, Xavier Woods and a host of other cast members. You can find their video’s on YouTube or their Website.
4: High Rollers. Hilarious British show led by DM Mark Hulmes, streaming every Sunday on YouTube or Twitch.
Many of these professional D&D streams have campaigns that span years, so don’t get put off by a list of 300 episodes that you need to watch, to catch up with the story.
My advice: find a stream you like the look of and find One Shot episode. A one shot will let you get right into the action without the need to learn any back story, and these games tend to be more heavily combat-focused, which is where the game mechanics come to life.
Press Play
To help you on your search: here is one of my all-time favourite One Shots to get you started: Vox Machina Vs Might Nein by Critical Role. Or jump right in with this incredible 4-part mini-series from the Dimension 20 AND Critical Role cast: Exandria Unlimited: Calamity!
Whatever floats your arcane adventuring boat, pick an episode, brew a cup of tea, and get ready to take some notes.
Gather Your Party
Now you’re pumped to start playing and you know a few basic rules, it’s time to gather the rest of your party!
The ideal number for a D&D group is 4-5 people, including the DM. Playing with fewer is possible, but it puts the spotlight on you more often to make decisions and carry the game forward. Playing with more than 5 can also be great fun, but it can be harder to keep a game session on track with so many competing ideas, and easier to leave one player out accidentally.
Generally, more players also mean more work for the DM, so make sure they’re on board with however many people you decide to invite.
Sidenote: If you’re having trouble finding a group of friends interesting in playing, don’t fear! Roll20 is an online DnD platform, that has a great Join The Game discussion board, where people are constantly looking for players to join their games. D&D Beyond has a forum here, dedicated to people finding players for their games, and WOTC runs Virtual Play Weekends every month, where you can connect with players and DMs online, at an online mini-convention. I also recommend going to old fashioned route and checking your local game store and library for already established D&D meet-ups.
Rookies wanted
So you’ve found those elite 4 adventurers who want to join you on this epic journey… but the problem is… You’re all newbies!! No one has played before. Surely that’s going to make playing the game impossible if none of you know what you’re doing!
Wrong! This is not a problem at all! It’s actually a great situation to be in. Everyone is starting from the same point, so you can learn and grow as players together. Sure, it can help to have a player who has been around the dungeon before, but you shouldn’t let that stop you from starting.
For my first ever game, I was a completely new DM, running a game for four total beginners… and we had a blast! Sure we made some mistakes, but the aim of the game is to have fun and get everyone excited about playing again, and we accomplished that tenfold. Don’t let being new scare you.
Do a little homework
First, I would suggest you learn a few basic rules before your first ever session. Everyone doesn’t need to be a rules lawyer, but a little time spent reading the PHB or watching a video on YouTube can help immensely in that important first game. The more effort you put in beforehand, the more time you will spend actually playing during your first session, and the less time you will need to spend looking up game mechanics.
Some great advice that really helped me through my first game: If you don’t know the answer to a question at the table, instead of stopping the game and looking up the exact rules there and then, come to a decision that you think sounds right and look up the proper ruling later. That keeps the game flowing and keeps everyone immersed in the adventure. Stopping every 5 minutes to look up rules can turn the game into a slow, disjointed slog that will leave you all feeling confused and underwhelmed.
Write a list of the questions that come up during play, and, after the game is over, look through your PHB for the actual answers. If this changes the outcome of something that happened in-game, retrofit a bonus or a deduction to keep things fair, or just make sure everyone is aware of the correct rule moving forward.
This will help you learn the rules as you play, but you won’t break the immersion every time you don’t have an instant answer to a question. And trust me, during the first game, there will be a lot of questions, but making decisions on the fly and keeping the game moving is the best way to ensure there will be a game two!
Session Zero
Before jumping into your first ever game, gather your adventuring group together and have a mini Session Zero. Session Zero is a pre-campaign meet-up when you won’t actually be playing the game, but rather talking about what kind of game you want to play and what you want your game to be.
You don’t need to plan out everything, but here are some key topics to discuss:
1: What genre/theme are you all interested in? High fantasy, sci-fi, steampunk, dystopian future? There is so much more than just dragons in the world of D&D. Think about your favourite movies/shows/books, what settings do you love? what type of monsters/villains do you want to meet during your adventure?
2: What are you most excited about doing in the game? Combat, role-playing, exploring the world, travelling through time, building a civilization? Think about what you love in other games, what brought you to DnD and what aspects of the game you most want to explore.
3: How often do you want to play? This sounds a little arbitrary, but the time commitment is an important factor when starting a game. Some people want to play twice a week, while others are only interested in the odd game here and there. Both options are equally valid, just make sure you’re all on the same page and that everyone can commit to the schedule you decide on.
4: Is there any subject matter you don’t want to cover? Body horror, religious lore, war, slavery, sexism – D&D can cover some heavy topics, and it’s important to make sure everyone in your group is happy and feels safe at the table. If you plan on covering certain sensitive topics, make sure everyone feels comfortable with the content, and respect if a friend says they don’t want to include a certain topic in their game.
A great video resource for planning a session zero is How to Run a Session Zero by Dungeon Dudes.
Location, location, location
So you have found your rag-tag group of adventurers… Where are you going to play? A classic game of D&D is played in person, around a table, as the title TTRPG suggests, but that’s not the only way to play!
Online platforms like Roll20, allow you to connect with people all over the world, so even if your friends live in 5 different time zones, you can still play together as if you were at home.
Online playing takes a little getting used to. It’s easy to talk over each other when you’re chatting online and it’s harder to read social queues when roll playing, but with a good internet connection and some narrative storytelling, you’ll be immersed in no time.
Some Pro Tips for playing online:
Make sure to listen when people are talking! Don’t let yourself get distracted by the laundry that needs folding or cooking dinner.
Limit the background noise. Either invest in some good headphones or find a quiet place to play.
Have your tools ready to play and turn up on time. Just the same as if you were going to a friend’s house, being late is not cool, and getting up every 10 mins to find your dice or character sheet breaks the immersion of the game.
Play with your cameras on. This can be awkward at first, the last thing we want is to make this feel like a work zoom call! But being able to see your friend’s faces and watch their reactions to the game brings the online platforms to life.
Create A Character
Creating a character can look confusing to start, but I promise you, it will be one of your favorite things to do once you get the hang of it.
I structured this section after learning the rules and gathering your party, but these two things can happen in any order. In fact, I think building characters is a great way to learn the mechanics of the game, as it teaches you about skills, proficiencies, feats and spells, which are all important mechanics to get your head around.
It’s a great idea to build a couple of characters when you’re starting, to get a feel for the process and see how different combinations work together before you set your heart on a specific build.
Pre-built characters
If the idea of building a custom character scares you, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Wizards Of The Coast have a large selection of pre-built characters right here on their website. You can choose from fighters, rogues, mages and healers, and every character has sheets from level 1 to 10. I recommend starting with a level 1 character, as their sheet will be the easiest to navigate and play at the table. Have a look around and find one that sounds exciting to you.
They also offer their pre-built starter set characters for free download too! Complete with a full backstory and roleplaying tips.
Fast Character is another great resource for creating characters. Here you can choose a few key details about your character and they fill in the rest. You can roll the dice (pun intended) with a completely random build, or pick certain things you like the sounds of, such as race, class and name, and they do the number crunching for you.
However, if you only take one piece of my advice today, it would be to give making a character from scratch a try. The PHB walks you through the process step by step, and by the end, you will have a much better understanding of your character and their abilities, than if you go the pre-generated route.
You will also end up with a character that is unique to you. Part of the fun of D&D is getting to play whatever character you want! Maybe you want to play a clumsy elf that got sold into a life of piracy? Or well a spoken goblin prince who is trying to make it as an elite chef? The only limit is your imagination.
Let’s get custom
So there are a few things you’re going to need to build your character:
1: A character sheet
2: SomedDice
3: A Players Handbook or basic ruleset
WOTC offer free character sheets that you can use to start building right away. You can either print one off and go about it the old-fashioned, pencil and paper way, or download and edit each field on your computer.
Customization options for your character include:
1: Race/species: What is their ancestry? What kind of humanoid (or non-humanoid) are they?
2: Class: What type of magic user are they? What are their main abilities/spells?
3: Background: Where did they come from? How did they become an adventurer?
4: Skills: What are they really good at? What are they really bad at?
5: Everything Else: What languages do they speak? What equipment do they carry? How much money do they have? Where did it come from? How tall are they? What colour are their eyes? What is their greatest strength and biggest flaw?
All these choices relate specifically to gameplay mechanics and will change how your character plays at the table, what they can do, and how easy/hard certain actions will be.
Oh I forgot one important piece of equipment for character building: Your imagination! A little on the nose I know! but I really want you to think outside the box when you’re coming up with ideas. We all know from Lord Of The Rings, that elves can be dexterous, halflings stealthy and dwarves stubborn, but gone are the days of trope rules in DnD. Incompetent wizards, atheist clerics, agoraphobic bards… tropes are made to be broken, and your character can be whoever you want them to be!
Keeping it simple
An incredible tool for helping you build characters is D&D beyond.
On D&D Beyond, you follow the same steps as outlined in the PHB (or in the instructional videos below), but they take you through each choice, step by step, do the hard number crunching for you, and auto-fill your character sheet with the correct info in the correct places. You can then choose to print out your new build or use their online platform right at your table to play. They do only have certain choices available with the free version, so some specific combinations won’t be possible, but they have more than enough choices to get you started.
Let’s do this
Much like specific game mechanics, I am not going to go over the step-by-step details of how to build a character. The PHB explains it better than I ever could, and these talented people below expand on that wisdom to create all the resources you will ever need. All I have left to say… is give it a go, and have fun!!
1: Back to Wizards Of The Coast for some easy-to-follow instructions. They also discuss the specifics of Choosing a Race and Choosing a Class and the impact of those choices on your play.
2: A detailed, in-depth, walkthrough of how to fill out your character sheet by Nate at WASD20. A little on the longer side, but takes you through everything you need to know.
3: THIS is part of the awesome “Crap Guide to D&D” by JoCat, this hilarious, tongue-in-cheek guide to character building will not only make you laugh, but also teach you a thing or two along the way. Warning! This video contains strong language from the start, so this link is not for the little ones!
Gather Your Weapons
So here we go. You’ve got a party of bad-ass characters ready to play, you’ve learnt some rules and you know what to expect from the game.
Are we ready yet???? Almost!
All we need now are a few tools of the trade.
Dice! Every gamer’s weakness
Dice are a guilty pleasure for every D&D nerd. I guarantee before you know it, you’ll have a collection that requires its own shelf in your house, and you’ll wonder what happened.
But if you want to play tonight and you have no dice in sight, all is not lost! There is an app for most things, and there is an app for that. Free dice, on your phone, instantly: no worries. I use one called “dice”, but there are countless free apps out there to choose from. D&D beyond even has Digital Dice available with their character sheets!
Here is what you need to know about D&D dice:
Most dice are sold as a set of 7. Consisting of a d20, d12, d10, d8, d6, d4, d100. (A d100 is not necessary and can be replaced by rolling a d10 twice)
Your most commonly used di will be the d20. These are often sold separately and are a great place to start your collection.
You will use a d20 for most rolls in the game. The other dice are generally rolled to determine damage or bonuses.
You can find a standard set of 7 dice in most game stores for less than $15 but can pay anything from $50 to $500 on a custom set. As I said, dice are an addiction for most of us, but a standard $10 set will roll just as well (sometimes better) than anything fancy. I still use the first d20 I ever bought for 80¢, and it always does me proud.
Spell cards
If you’re playing a spell-casting character: such as a wizard, warlock or cleric, it can be super handy to create some spell cards to keep track of all your different spells and abilities. This is not necessary, just an additional option that I have found helpful during my own games.
My favourite cards on the market are the Spellbook Cards by Gale Force 9, pictured above. They are split into Ranger, Bard, Paladin, Cleric, Martial and Arcane (that covers Wizards, Warlocks and Sorcerers, who have a lot of overlapping spells) and cover the entire spell list from levels 1-9. They can be found at most game stores or on amazon.
I also use this app: D&D Spells 5E, for speedy spell look-up during play.
Now, although I 100% recommend the GF9 Spellbook Cards, I understand that they can be a bit pricey when you’re starting. Which is why there is a free version of the spell cards available here. You can choose your class, select your level, and print them yourself at home. You can also craft your own from old playing cards like I did my first time playing.
The D&D starter set
Wizards Of The Coast sell a pre-made starter set aimed at exactly what we’ve been talking about, getting people started in D&D!
It’s a great investment for any new groups starting to play. It includes one set of dice, pre-made character sheets, a condensed rulebook as well as a full campaign your DM can use to run the game. In short, it gives you everything you need in one box!
What’s more, they just released a NEW starter set titled Dragons Of Stormwreck Isle, with the same set of beginner-friendly rules, new characters and a new and improved adventure. It looks so good even I want to buy it!
So why am I only just mentioning this now? Couldn’t I have started this article with a link to this set and then just stopped writing?
Yes, I could have. The old Starter Set (which is still available here) was my first purchase in the hobby. I’ve played through the adventure twice (which is available for free here) and run it as a DM and loved it every time. The starter set is great, no complaints from me, but what I don’t think it does, is set you up to play a really great game your first ever time playing.
The rules are well explained, the characters are simple to use, but it doesn’t help you understand everything else the game has to offer. It doesn’t help you understand how a standard game will play out, or what your DM needs you to bring to the table. It doesn’t help everyone at the table learn together and puts a lot of pressure on the DM to be able to teach everyone how to play while the game is going.
I am in no way saying not to buy the starter set! I think it has a place on everyone’s shelf. What it does well, is give you the tools you need to play. The dice, the characters and the adventure. What I am trying to teach you, is how to become a great player, how to set your game up for success, and how to turn an interest into your next favourite hobby.
Running the Game
I’ve already taken up a substantial portion of your attention, and I appreciate you staying with me this long. Before I send you on your way, laden with exciting books to read and adventures to plan, there are a few more points I want to discuss.
What if you can’t find a DM?
This is a common problem for a lot of groups starting out, and one of the main reasons many people never make it to their first game. Everyone is eager to start playing, but you don’t have anyone who wants to be the DM.
There are professional DMs out there who charge for their services, and with conventions and online DnD forums taking off, it’s a booming new market.
However, there is already another very simple fix for this very common issue…
You’re going to do it!!
Now before you run off screaming, lets bust some myths right now:
NO, you don’t need to have ever played DnD before to start DMing. My first ever game I DM’d for my friends and had an absolute blast!
NO, you don’t need to know all the rules! No one knows all the rules, that’s why you bring rule books to the table. Even Jeremy Crawford, who literally writes the rules for D&D, needs to look up rules when he’s playing!
NO, it doesn’t take days of prep work to be ready for a game. Sure, you can spend as much time as you want to prepare for a game, and some pre-game work is needed, but you don’t need to commit hours and hours of work to make a great game. All you need to do is some basic planning, a bit of reading, and you’re good to go.
How to become a DM?
This is the video that convinced me to take up the DM screen and start out on this incredible journey.
Matt Colville is an expert DM who’s been playing DnD almost as long as it’s been around. In his series Running The Game, he walks you through everything you need to know about running your first game, from planning a campaign and running combat to roleplaying and building encounters. I can not recommend a better resource for anyone interested in giving it a try. He has a wealth of information for first-time DMs, and a passion for the game that’s impossible not to catch. If you have a spare 12 minutes, I guarantee he’ll convince you to give it a go!
I’ve also written an article about storytelling through DnD, which goes into depth about what makes a great DM, how you can learn from liveplay pioneers, and how to tell epic stories through this incredible game.
beyond d&d
As you might be able to tell by this article, Dungeons and Dragons is one of my all-time favourite games. I live for high fantasy dragon slaying, medieval adventuring and high-stakes spell casting.
But I’m also aware that D&D isn’t for everyone, and that’s ok! Just because you’re not super excited but the idea of gold pieces and goblins, and learning new spells doesn’t keep you up at night, you can still fall in love with tabletop roleplaying. There are hundreds of other TTRPGs out there, and I can guarantee one of them will be for you!
Maybe you want to create new alien species, or survive as an outcast Viking consumed by revenge? Maybe playing a high school kid who is secretly a werewolf sounds fun or a political resistance fighter in a deadly living city. Perhaps a group of bears planning the perfect Honey Heist is more to your liking, maybe you wanna play Giant Goddamn Robots? Wildwest, prehistoric, WW1, anime… there are games covering every time period, every niche interest. Long games, one-hour games, silly games, hard-hitting games, games with 300 page rule books, and games that only take up one page.
D&D is one of the first, one of the longest-lived, and an incredible example of what TTRPGs can be. But it’s not the only one.
Here is a video from Shut Up and Sit Down covering a few other awesome options to check out in the world of TTRPGs (as well as some great advice for all you budding GMs out there: at 14:56). And even if you are already playing and loving D&D, there is always space for more beautiful books in your collection!
The Adventure Begins
Congratulations! You’ve made it!! You are ready to set forth into a world of adventure and possibility! You have the map to guide you, the tools to succeed and friends at your side to share the road. You, my friend, are ready!
I hope this article has done a few things.
I hope it’s inspired you to get gaming! To get a few friends together and try out the world’s greatest roleplaying game.
I hope it’s given you a resource to come back to when you have questions, the tools to continue your journey, and a place to send a friend when they’re interested in getting started themselves.
I hope I’ve introduced you to some of the incredible free resources out there and to some of the amazing people who call this community home.
And I hope I’ve imparted some of my love for this incredible game.
But this won’t be the last you hear of me!! I have many more wise words to share and adventures to take you on.
So until then… journey safe, young adventurer!
I want to note that I am not affiliated, endorsed or in any way connected with any product, company or website mentioned or linked in this post. I only recommend things I personally use and all the opinions in this piece are just that: my own honest opinions.
About The Author
Franky writes things you might consider stories, and is never in the last place you left her. She writes fantasy, fairytales, and stories that hold your hand as they lead you into the dark, and can occasionally be found doing ‘real’ work behind the wheel of an ambulance. Her favourite trick is to tell you a story you don’t realise is a story until after you’ve finished reading it. Consider yourself warned.
You can find more of her work on Medium, connect over on LinkedIn, or shoot her a message to chat about anything from worldbuilding to wanderlust.