I've been trying to get my friends and family interested in D&D, but they always seem to be scared off by all the handbooks and classes and actions and dice. I'm looking for a way to introduce them with enough information that when we get to the actual game they aren't scared off, but little enough that they aren't scared off before even sitting down at the table.
My suggestion is to strip it right back to the basic idea that D&D is a shared storytelling tool. When I’ve had new players, I’ve given them choices of characters, the way a murder mystery night would do it, and then for the first few sessions, do all the dice rolling and everything while letting them just answer the basic question: “What do you want to do?” Let the rules and the Lore and the choices flow from that central question, and they’ll pick them up in time.
I've been trying to get my friends and family interested in D&D, but they always seem to be scared off by all the handbooks and classes and actions and dice. I'm looking for a way to introduce them with enough information that when we get to the actual game they aren't scared off, but little enough that they aren't scared off before even sitting down at the table.
This is the way.
I keep putting off writing this out since it'll probably take me half a day and I'm not going to now, but you can take players from knowing literally nothing about D&D to rolling for initiative in the first session in arguably less than an hour without them having to read or learn anything beforehand. Tell them that they don't have to be familiar with the rules, they just have to tell you - the DM - what they want their character to (try to ) do and you'll then tell them how that works in the game.
Give them a blank character sheet (because that's an easy reference to have in front of them) and explain the basics while pointing out the corresponding info on the character sheet - they don't have to memorize or learn this yet, this is just so they have an idea of how the system works, so if they pick up the essence of what you're explaining here that's plenty. The basics would what's in chapter 7 and about half of what's in chapters 9 and 10 (and even that boiled down to the essentials) - what are the different types of rolls, what's proficiency, what is (dis)advantage. If they want to do something, they'll roll 1d20 plus a modifier based on their character's relevant mental or physical ability. If it's something their character has trained in, they get a proficiency bonus based on their character's level. If the situation makes it extra difficult, they'll be at disadvantage (roll twice, take lowest); if the situation makes it easier than it normally would be, they'll have advantage (roll twice, take highest). The DM decides how hard whatever they're trying to do is by assigning a DC and if they roll as high or higher they succeed. Explain actions on combat: you can move, you can do something (often attacking or casting a spell, but it can be other things), and then possibly something extra depending on your class, all in any order you see fit and breaking up the movement as necessary. Explain how spells work: characters have a set of spells they can cast which depends on their class and in some cases on some choices they made; spells either just work, or you have to roll to see if you hit someone, or they have to roll to see if they can avoid being affected.
The either present some pre-made characters for them to choose from or help them make their first character by guiding their choices based on preferences. This doesn't have to be a perfect character. It's their first character, perfection isn't going to happen anyway, and they won't have to play it for long - the first adventure should be one that doesn't take more than a session or two, three and if afterwards they want to change their character or create a new one altogether, just let them. If at the end of the first session they want to change their character, midway through the adventure, let them: the goal is just to allow them to play as soon as possible. So ask if they want to play a warrior or a caster or a bit of both. An outdoorsy character or a city slicker. Somebody who lives by their combat prowess, by being good at all sorts of things or by their charm and with. Suggest a class, maybe two at most, based on that and a couple of follow-up questions (I'd stay away from sorcerers at first, most of the other classes should be fine). Suggest a background or two to round out the concept. Suggest a race or two that fits the concept and take the standard equipment package. Done. Make sure their charsheet is filled out properly, point out their hit points and their AC and what those mean and you're ready to start a game.
From there on it's really just a matter of encouraging them and, whenever you rule on how something gets done mechanically, pointing out where the relevant info is on their charsheet. They'll pick things up simply by doing them.
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Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
I got my brother to play by inviting him to the table and letting him watch the rest of us. That way he could see how the game worked without stressing over doing things right/wrong himself. Just make sure your other players are comfortable playing in front of a "special guest" for a couple of sessions.
I’d go with pre-generated characters. If you really want to stop them overthinking, hand them out at random. If they, like most people, don’t have much experience with improv acting, point to the ideals, flaws, bind and tell them those are the bullet points for their character’s personality. And probably do theater of the mind. If you remove the tactical board game aspect, it can really make things simpler. At least for the first few sessions. Then maybe break out the battlemat.
And absolutely go with rule of cool over RAW. Then after they play a few sessions, see if they like it. If they do, they’ll probably be ready to make their own characters. If not, don’t force it on them D&D isn’t for everyone.
I often ask which Marvel Avenger they feel most appeals to them. Then give them a pre-generated sheet with that in mind - Fighter, Rogue, etc. I don't make them generate their characters, and I don't make them read the rules.
Do like what most of the folks up there ^^ have already said. Keep it simple and fun.
Buy a bunch of dice sets. You can find 10 sets for 10 bucks on amazon. Gift each player their own dice. Just let them know which to roll and when.
Even if there are no solid rules for what they want to do, let them try it.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
1. Explain to them what D&D is and isn't Explain that it's not a game that's meant to be "won", but rather a shared experience of cooperative storytelling. It's improvisational theater.
2. Don't overwhelm them with all the options just yet. Instead just talk to them to get an idea of what type of character they are interested in - fighter or wizard - muscular or agile - big or small - intimidating or persuasive - serious or comical - etc.
3. Create some pre-gen characters for them based on their answers and explain the basics of what just the most important numbers mean - AC - HP - etc.
4. Jump right into an adventure. Get them accustomed to playing their character first, rather than just playing a stat block of numbers. Let the first session just be a simple meeting-up type of session, giving them the chance to get accustomed to speaking as their character to one another, and you can incorporate some skill checks into the scenario to get them familiar with rolling dice.
5. End the session with the big plot hook - something like "Suddenly, the town's warning bells ring out, and you hear crashing and screaming in the distance. A town guard runs into the tavern and yells out, 'Everyone to arms! The orcs are attacking!' " Leave them on a cliffhanger, wanting more.
6. After the session, spend some time talking about what they liked and what they should expect in the next session. Let them learn the rolls as they go. Trying to teach everything all at once can be overwhelming and may frighten people away. Teach them bit by bit, and only what they need to know when they need to know it. Hopefully they will be playing long enough to learn all the rules eventually.
Explain that D&D is a game where they can ask for their character to do anything, and that dice will decide combats and some other interactions.
Give them each a character sheet that has only the basic ability scores, 20-30 hit points, one melee attack, one ranged attack, and additionally:
One player's sheet says they're a wizard and can cast two different spells. Make the spells Magic Missile and Charm Person.
One player's sheet says they're a cleric and can cast two different spells. Make the spells Cure Wounds and Bless.
One player's sheet says they're a warrior, and their attacks are more powerful and they have heavy armour.
One player's sheet says they're a barbarian, and they take half damage from attacks.
Tell them they're heroes trying to locate a kidnapped child.
That's it, all the info they need to start.
Play a 3 room dungeon:
Room 1 has an NPC in it - an invulnerable stone statue that speaks - who knows is being held hostage two rooms deeper into the dungeon. They know a password for the door, but they don't trust the PCs and need to be persuaded to give it up. They might ask the PCs a riddle. Play this out to introduce them to roleplay. Have them make Charisma checks, intelligence checks etc. to get through.
Room 2 has a trap in it, and a puzzle on the floor. The doors seal and the room starts filling with water. The PCs need to solve the puzzle to deactivate the trap and open the last room.
Room 3 has the hostage taker enemy and some of his cronies in it. The PCs will need to fight to free the captive.
If they win, that's the end of the game and now they understand the concepts of the game. If they enjoyed it, they'll want to go into more depth with the rules. If they don't want more rules, then a different system is probably better for them.
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I've been trying to get my friends and family interested in D&D, but they always seem to be scared off by all the handbooks and classes and actions and dice. I'm looking for a way to introduce them with enough information that when we get to the actual game they aren't scared off, but little enough that they aren't scared off before even sitting down at the table.
My suggestion is to strip it right back to the basic idea that D&D is a shared storytelling tool. When I’ve had new players, I’ve given them choices of characters, the way a murder mystery night would do it, and then for the first few sessions, do all the dice rolling and everything while letting them just answer the basic question: “What do you want to do?” Let the rules and the Lore and the choices flow from that central question, and they’ll pick them up in time.
This is the way.
I keep putting off writing this out since it'll probably take me half a day and I'm not going to now, but you can take players from knowing literally nothing about D&D to rolling for initiative in the first session in arguably less than an hour without them having to read or learn anything beforehand. Tell them that they don't have to be familiar with the rules, they just have to tell you - the DM - what they want their character to (try to ) do and you'll then tell them how that works in the game.
Give them a blank character sheet (because that's an easy reference to have in front of them) and explain the basics while pointing out the corresponding info on the character sheet - they don't have to memorize or learn this yet, this is just so they have an idea of how the system works, so if they pick up the essence of what you're explaining here that's plenty. The basics would what's in chapter 7 and about half of what's in chapters 9 and 10 (and even that boiled down to the essentials) - what are the different types of rolls, what's proficiency, what is (dis)advantage. If they want to do something, they'll roll 1d20 plus a modifier based on their character's relevant mental or physical ability. If it's something their character has trained in, they get a proficiency bonus based on their character's level. If the situation makes it extra difficult, they'll be at disadvantage (roll twice, take lowest); if the situation makes it easier than it normally would be, they'll have advantage (roll twice, take highest). The DM decides how hard whatever they're trying to do is by assigning a DC and if they roll as high or higher they succeed. Explain actions on combat: you can move, you can do something (often attacking or casting a spell, but it can be other things), and then possibly something extra depending on your class, all in any order you see fit and breaking up the movement as necessary. Explain how spells work: characters have a set of spells they can cast which depends on their class and in some cases on some choices they made; spells either just work, or you have to roll to see if you hit someone, or they have to roll to see if they can avoid being affected.
The either present some pre-made characters for them to choose from or help them make their first character by guiding their choices based on preferences. This doesn't have to be a perfect character. It's their first character, perfection isn't going to happen anyway, and they won't have to play it for long - the first adventure should be one that doesn't take more than a session or two, three and if afterwards they want to change their character or create a new one altogether, just let them. If at the end of the first session they want to change their character, midway through the adventure, let them: the goal is just to allow them to play as soon as possible. So ask if they want to play a warrior or a caster or a bit of both. An outdoorsy character or a city slicker. Somebody who lives by their combat prowess, by being good at all sorts of things or by their charm and with. Suggest a class, maybe two at most, based on that and a couple of follow-up questions (I'd stay away from sorcerers at first, most of the other classes should be fine). Suggest a background or two to round out the concept. Suggest a race or two that fits the concept and take the standard equipment package. Done. Make sure their charsheet is filled out properly, point out their hit points and their AC and what those mean and you're ready to start a game.
From there on it's really just a matter of encouraging them and, whenever you rule on how something gets done mechanically, pointing out where the relevant info is on their charsheet. They'll pick things up simply by doing them.
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
I got my brother to play by inviting him to the table and letting him watch the rest of us. That way he could see how the game worked without stressing over doing things right/wrong himself. Just make sure your other players are comfortable playing in front of a "special guest" for a couple of sessions.
I’d go with pre-generated characters. If you really want to stop them overthinking, hand them out at random. If they, like most people, don’t have much experience with improv acting, point to the ideals, flaws, bind and tell them those are the bullet points for their character’s personality.
And probably do theater of the mind. If you remove the tactical board game aspect, it can really make things simpler. At least for the first few sessions. Then maybe break out the battlemat.
And absolutely go with rule of cool over RAW. Then after they play a few sessions, see if they like it. If they do, they’ll probably be ready to make their own characters. If not, don’t force it on them D&D isn’t for everyone.
I often ask which Marvel Avenger they feel most appeals to them. Then give them a pre-generated sheet with that in mind - Fighter, Rogue, etc. I don't make them generate their characters, and I don't make them read the rules.
Do like what most of the folks up there ^^ have already said. Keep it simple and fun.
Buy a bunch of dice sets. You can find 10 sets for 10 bucks on amazon. Gift each player their own dice. Just let them know which to roll and when.
Even if there are no solid rules for what they want to do, let them try it.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
I would recommend:
1. Explain to them what D&D is and isn't Explain that it's not a game that's meant to be "won", but rather a shared experience of cooperative storytelling. It's improvisational theater.
2. Don't overwhelm them with all the options just yet. Instead just talk to them to get an idea of what type of character they are interested in - fighter or wizard - muscular or agile - big or small - intimidating or persuasive - serious or comical - etc.
3. Create some pre-gen characters for them based on their answers and explain the basics of what just the most important numbers mean - AC - HP - etc.
4. Jump right into an adventure. Get them accustomed to playing their character first, rather than just playing a stat block of numbers. Let the first session just be a simple meeting-up type of session, giving them the chance to get accustomed to speaking as their character to one another, and you can incorporate some skill checks into the scenario to get them familiar with rolling dice.
5. End the session with the big plot hook - something like "Suddenly, the town's warning bells ring out, and you hear crashing and screaming in the distance. A town guard runs into the tavern and yells out, 'Everyone to arms! The orcs are attacking!' " Leave them on a cliffhanger, wanting more.
6. After the session, spend some time talking about what they liked and what they should expect in the next session. Let them learn the rolls as they go. Trying to teach everything all at once can be overwhelming and may frighten people away. Teach them bit by bit, and only what they need to know when they need to know it. Hopefully they will be playing long enough to learn all the rules eventually.
Just my 2 c.p. Have fun!
Anzio Faro. Protector Aasimar light cleric. Lvl 18.
Viktor Gavriil. White dragonborn grave cleric. Lvl 20.
Ikram Sahir ibn-Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad. Brass dragonborn draconic sorcerer Lvl 9. Fire elemental devil.
Wrangler of cats.
Explain that D&D is a game where they can ask for their character to do anything, and that dice will decide combats and some other interactions.
Give them each a character sheet that has only the basic ability scores, 20-30 hit points, one melee attack, one ranged attack, and additionally:
Tell them they're heroes trying to locate a kidnapped child.
That's it, all the info they need to start.
Play a 3 room dungeon:
If they win, that's the end of the game and now they understand the concepts of the game. If they enjoyed it, they'll want to go into more depth with the rules. If they don't want more rules, then a different system is probably better for them.