2 player campaign

Hey, my friend and I want to play DnD together. 
Neither of us have done a campaign before, but are keen to try. We can get together IRL, have dice, good general knowledge of DnD - but we can't get any of the handbooks (they aren't available where we are) and one of us has intellectual struggles.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Quote from IRLCelticDruid >>

Hey, my friend and I want to play DnD together. 
Neither of us have done a campaign before, but are keen to try. We can get together IRL, have dice, good general knowledge of DnD - but we can't get any of the handbooks (they aren't available where we are) and one of us has intellectual struggles.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

 
All the main rules and a lot of character options included most species/races, magic items, monsters, and more are available for free under the Basic Rules.

It is important to note there are two versions of 5th Edition D&D. The original version, first released 2014 and generally referred to as 2014 5th Edition or just 5E. A new version of this ruleset with updated rules was released in 2024 and this version is most commonly called, unofficially, 5.5E *although not official term it's still used by this site and most of the community) and sometimes 2024 5th Edition. It is important to note which version you're using when making characters, especially with classes, when considering any purchases.

If you're new to any 5th edition D&D it's probably just easier to start with 5.5e since this is the new "normal" D&D and all future official content will be made for this. Also because it has a Rules Glossary that makes it very easy to quickly look up any rule or game term. However, nothing stops you mixing and matching or staying with 5e if that suits you more. You find both are supported on this site. I recommend giving the Basic Rules of each set a glance and choosing which you prefer and go from there, since the Basic Rules are free.

2014 5th Edition Free Basic Rules : https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/basic-rules-2014

2024 5.5 Edition Free Basic Rules : https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/br-2024

2024 5.5 Edition Rules Glossary (also free) : https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/br-2024/rules-glossary

If you go to My Library menu and click any View All, then click Free, you'll see any free adventures available. Based on my test account which never purchased anything and never claimed anything there's 2 free adventures available. These are 2014 5th Edition rules but it's very easy to run any adventure using the other rulesets, since the important and core mechanics are exactly the same. 

Lost Mine of Phandelver : https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/lmop
[Set in the "default" D&D campaign setting Forgotten Realms]

Frozen Sick : https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/wa
[Set in the world of Exandria created by Critical Role - but you don't see to know about it to run the adventure]

There's also plenty of free resources from adventures, character options and more for both versions of 5th edition on the DMs Guild website - these are PDFs and images you can download. Note that character options may need to be homebrewed on here to use with any automation, but not an issue if just using the pdf character sheet (under Rules menu, Resources section) or physical sheets. Maps can be printed off.

Link: www.dmsguild.com/
PDF Character Sheets: https://www.dndbeyond.com/resources/1779-d-d-character-sheets

I believe that should help you get started but if you need further help please do ask here. You can also ask in the official D&D discord for faster responses. You can also send me a message directly if you like. 

D&D Discord: https://discord.com/invite/dnd

Welcome to the tables! It's great that you already have a friend to play with. That's usually the biggest hurdle to overcome. And it's great to start out with a smaller group rather than a larger one, because it allows each person to be more involved, with less downtime between turns. Cyb3r has already provided a lot of great source material, so I'd just like to add a few tips to help you get started. 

First, don't worry too much about getting all the rules right. There are a lot of rules. It's fine to learn them as you go. The most important thing when you're just starting out is to focus on telling a good story and having fun. Maybe try to learn and incorporate one new rule per session. So like maybe in one session you can practice social interactions (skill checks), and in another session you can begin to incorporate the thrilling complexities of combat. Don't try to do everything all at once. That's too much. 

Second, D&D is not a game that you can win or lose. Sure, your characters will have moments of heroic triumph and tragic defeat, but that's all part of a good story. D&D is best thought of as improvisational theater. Spend some time thinking about who your character is and try to embody their actions and their mannerisms as best as you can. One of the really wonderful things about D&D is that it gives us a chance to be anyone. 

Finally... snacks. Gotta have snacks. 

Have fun! 

Some free adventures:

https://www.dndbeyond.com/claim/source/prisoner-13

https://marketplace.dndbeyond.com/category/DB4XRABPJ

https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1625-peril-in-pinebrook-a-free-introductory-adventure

https://www.dndbeyond.com/claim/source/uni-and-the-hunt-for-the-lost-horn?icid_source=house-ads&icid_medium=uni-and-the-hunt-for-the-lost-horn&icid_campaign=redemption

https://www.dndbeyond.com/claim/source/scions-of-elemental-evil?srsltid=AfmBOop0iM23He1LJh8Z5oDBqBD_ceiRsindRu7kmKyOj6M1ro2SdOFD

https://www.dndbeyond.com/claim/source/forgotten-realms-the-tenebrous-stone?srsltid=AfmBOoq-snFouCk-TEA4dxroNklqySXw6hF9LjrFk3dYPE_VhnD2mVAB

https://www.dndbeyond.com/claim/source/dungeon-masters-zombie-clot-play-along-pack?srsltid=AfmBOoqaBDOXqAgdfPqt8wXMPIsfqbxdXZ5lzZBkQh62Xbhg05QwWHNG

They should all work.