In my experience, a lot of the D&D content out there is aimed at intermediate to expert players. There's some stuff for first-time players, but most of what I've seen assumes you have some general knowledge already. There also seems to be a much larger amount of content for DM's versus players.

I bring this up because recently I've had some friends show interest in playing D&D. These are people who have never played anything like this before. I was honestly surprised when they showed interest, but I guess D&D really is grabbing a larger audience now https://trackeasy.fun/usps/. 

This made me realize that I'm not totally satisfied with the content out there that explains what D&D is and how to play. It's fine for a nerd like me who enjoys watching hours of content and reading in-depth guides. Not so much for people outside of nerd culture (in my opinion). 

I think D&D is relatively easy to get into, but it doesn't necessarily seem that way to others. Just because I'm fine with scouring the internet to figure things out doesn't mean people only casually interested are. Is there a lack of content (or centralized content) targeting first-time players or people just casually interested? I'm curious what everyone else's opinion is. Let me know if I'm just crazy, have no idea what I'm talking about, etc.

I've introduced 5E D&D to people by explaing how things work (not what the rules are!) for maybe half an hour at most, coaching them through 15-20 minutes of character creation, and then just playing for a couple of hours. All they looked at themselves rules-wise is character creation, and even that was just to remind them of the options rather than to 'learn'. People can start playing without having read a single page of the PHB, if they're just willing to give it a try and have a DM that can accommodate  them.

I don't think new/casual interest players are best served with more content aimed specifically at them. I think they're best served by telling them they don't need content at all at first. It's seeing a 300 page handbook and thinking they'll have to study for three days before they can try to play this game they don't know they'll even like that's keeping them from giving it a go. For new players who've given it a try and decided they like it and want to play and learn more, info is available in all forms and going from bite-size chunks of essential basics to in-depth dissertations on more esoteric topics.

Quote from pangurjan >>

I've introduced 5E D&D to people by explaing how things work (not what the rules are!) for maybe half an hour at most, coaching them through 15-20 minutes of character creation, and then just playing for a couple of hours. All they looked at themselves rules-wise is character creation, and even that was just to remind them of the options rather than to 'learn'. People can start playing without having read a single page of the PHB, if they're just willing to give it a try and have a DM that can accommodate  them.

I don't think new/casual interest players are best served with more content aimed specifically at them. I think they're best served by telling them they don't need content at all at first. It's seeing a 300 page handbook and thinking they'll have to study for three days before they can try to play this game they don't know they'll even like that's keeping them from giving it a go. For new players who've given it a try and decided they like it and want to play and learn more, info is available in all forms and going from bite-size chunks of essential basics to in-depth dissertations on more esoteric topics.

I agree with this wholeheartedly.  

I don't think you're crazy though, for someone getting into it.  The books, with the exceptions of the PHB, Xanathar and Tashas are really for the DM so they give that person more tools in their warchest to create a world for the players.  Players in general shouldn't need to buy every book, and most tables will have one person who buys all the books, and then the rest might all each own a PHB.  M

5th Edition is by and large the most accessible version of D&D that has existed.  Character Creation(the actual nuts and bolts of it) can take less than a half hour with proper explanations.  It's not very "crunchy" in the sense that the character creation options are just way to expansive.  Skills are generic on purpose so that they are easy to understand.   The first sessions for a new player can then be used either watching experienced players OR if everyone is new?  Learning the game together.  D&D requires ONE person with a really firm grasp on the rules(HOPEFULLY this person is the DM), and then rest of it?  Have fun playing make belief inside that rule set.  

Just to cool my own jets a bit, I'm not saying to ignore new players altogether in terms of content. Back (way, way back) when I started, our entire group was new and clueless and we had to learn the hard way, and I'm sure there will always be people joining the ranks without the benefit of a wise and all-knowing mentor. But that was in the late '80s, with a frankly quite poor ruleset and without the many benefits of the internet. In comparison, 5E is easy as pie to get into. Let's focus on that, not on "we know there are hundreds of pages in the handbook, so here's a Dummy's Guide to D&D except even less words" content that just seems to reinforce the notion that this is some complicated thing that requires a big commitment to get into. If you want to bring friends into the hobby, tell them that. Tell them they could start playing, actually playing, in the same time it might take to set up and learn how to play a medium-heavy Euro-style boardgame for the first time. Tell them they don't need to buy any books or dice or minis just yet, they don't have to prepare anything, they dont need to have read the rules beforehand. All they need is to be willing to try.