Hey there, as a new player myself, I wanted to ask the community, what is some advice that you would give to new players? This could be advice on character creation, rules, beginner friendly classes, etc etc. D&D can seem a bit overwhelming at times, so I'd love to hear from some more experienced players!
Try and learn from another. That quite simply can be someone who does not play and walks you through your options or someone you can just ask questions of.
Ask your GM to tell you if you are doing something very out of character or things and adventurer would not do.
If the GM has time run some combats with people so you can make small and large mistakes and learn from them.
Ask the GM for some new player points: Points the GM uses to help you out if needed that they would not use for experienced players.
Try and keep a good sense of humor if things do got bad from a mistake. Note: some of the most interesting times at a game table have been with new players wanting to do things differently then described in the book, so the GM has to make rules and or evaluate the situation in a new and or interesting way.
Some of the above issues are solved by remembering the player is not the PC and the PC is not the player, so as a GM you may have to help the player out with situations in which the PC should be proficient but the player is a novice.
Study the rules. read the forums, watch videos and talk to other players and dms. Learning the game is fun. Don’t be bummed you don’t know everything. Focus on my second point…
Know your character Immerse yourself in the class, race, spells and abilities Make cheat sheets or spell cards
be a generous team player Root for the other players and even the dm
be creative and push the rules reasonably Tell the DM what you want to do and why it’s logical even if it’s not rules as written don’t argue or be miffed if they don’t buy it . most important don’t be discouraged from thinking outside the players handbook!
1. Don't overthink it--that includes not going overboard in learning the rules, watching videos, etc. as BigDaddyMSU suggested. Sure, you can do all those things if you want to, but that should be your choice and not advice that as a new player you should feel inclined to follow.
2. Remember that D&D is a collaborative storytelling game--that means you should get to tell your story, but it also means you need to help others tell their story. Avoiding "Main Character Syndrome"--being that person who always has to be at the centre of attention--is one of the best things you can do for your campaign.
3. Do not be afraid to speak up to other players or the DM if you are having issues in the game. And if those issues do not resolve themselves, bad D&D can be worse than no D&D, and there is no shame in leaving a campaign if it is not working for you.
4. Related to the above, if others speak to you about their problems with your playstyle, be willing to work with them to reasonably come to a solution. This does not mean you have to be unreasonable--for example if "that guy" who always plays a lawful good fuddy duddy insists you change your alignment because they are emotionally stunted and insist on everyone playing an alignment they can comprehend, you might not need to go so far as to change your character completely, but it could be a good idea to work with them to script out an in-game conversation where your characters begin to see eye-to-eye on certain things.
5. Do not be afraid to look silly or make mistakes--dumb decisions often lead to the most memorable and fun D&D experiences for everyone.
Don't worry. The rules can definitely feel overwhelming at first. But they are all built on some easy principles. A good DM and group will help you through that part and you'll be a pro in no time. And we're all here to help with any questions too!
As for a good starter character, it depends. Everyone is intimidated by different things. For some, learning a lot of spells is tough. For others it's too many choices during character creation. For others it's not knowing what to do in battle. For others, it's fear of making the wrong choices and not being able to change them easily. If you can figure out what intimidates you most, we can help direct you to the best characters to minimize your fears.
But mostly think about a concept you like. Do you want to make a brave warrior? A charming scoundrel? A sneaky assassin? A friend to animals? A powerful magician?
Let us know what you have in mind and we can find just the right class for you. :)
Hey there, as a new player myself, I wanted to ask the community, what is some advice that you would give to new players? This could be advice on character creation, rules, beginner friendly classes, etc etc. D&D can seem a bit overwhelming at times, so I'd love to hear from some more experienced players!
Try and learn from another. That quite simply can be someone who does not play and walks you through your options or someone you can just ask questions of.
Ask your GM to tell you if you are doing something very out of character or things and adventurer would not do.
If the GM has time run some combats with people so you can make small and large mistakes and learn from them.
Ask the GM for some new player points: Points the GM uses to help you out if needed that they would not use for experienced players.
Try and keep a good sense of humor if things do got bad from a mistake. Note: some of the most interesting times at a game table have been with new players wanting to do things differently then described in the book, so the GM has to make rules and or evaluate the situation in a new and or interesting way.
Some of the above issues are solved by remembering the player is not the PC and the PC is not the player, so as a GM you may have to help the player out with situations in which the PC should be proficient but the player is a novice.
Good Luck
Study the rules. read the forums, watch videos and talk to other players and dms. Learning the game is fun. Don’t be bummed you don’t know everything. Focus on my second point…
Know your character Immerse yourself in the class, race, spells and abilities Make cheat sheets or spell cards
be a generous team player Root for the other players and even the dm
be creative and push the rules reasonably Tell the DM what you want to do and why it’s logical even if it’s not rules as written don’t argue or be miffed if they don’t buy it . most important don’t be discouraged from thinking outside the players handbook!
1. Don't overthink it--that includes not going overboard in learning the rules, watching videos, etc. as BigDaddyMSU suggested. Sure, you can do all those things if you want to, but that should be your choice and not advice that as a new player you should feel inclined to follow.
2. Remember that D&D is a collaborative storytelling game--that means you should get to tell your story, but it also means you need to help others tell their story. Avoiding "Main Character Syndrome"--being that person who always has to be at the centre of attention--is one of the best things you can do for your campaign.
3. Do not be afraid to speak up to other players or the DM if you are having issues in the game. And if those issues do not resolve themselves, bad D&D can be worse than no D&D, and there is no shame in leaving a campaign if it is not working for you.
4. Related to the above, if others speak to you about their problems with your playstyle, be willing to work with them to reasonably come to a solution. This does not mean you have to be unreasonable--for example if "that guy" who always plays a lawful good fuddy duddy insists you change your alignment because they are emotionally stunted and insist on everyone playing an alignment they can comprehend, you might not need to go so far as to change your character completely, but it could be a good idea to work with them to script out an in-game conversation where your characters begin to see eye-to-eye on certain things.
5. Do not be afraid to look silly or make mistakes--dumb decisions often lead to the most memorable and fun D&D experiences for everyone.
Welcome to the hobby!
Don't worry. The rules can definitely feel overwhelming at first. But they are all built on some easy principles. A good DM and group will help you through that part and you'll be a pro in no time. And we're all here to help with any questions too!
As for a good starter character, it depends. Everyone is intimidated by different things. For some, learning a lot of spells is tough. For others it's too many choices during character creation. For others it's not knowing what to do in battle. For others, it's fear of making the wrong choices and not being able to change them easily. If you can figure out what intimidates you most, we can help direct you to the best characters to minimize your fears.
But mostly think about a concept you like. Do you want to make a brave warrior? A charming scoundrel? A sneaky assassin? A friend to animals? A powerful magician?
Let us know what you have in mind and we can find just the right class for you. :)
Read the Basic Rules, rather than the full PHB. It is shorter and less intimidating.
Have fun