I’ve been interested in DnD since I was like 5 but was never allowed to play it because it was “evil” and gave my parents a vague bad feeling. However the long DnD embargo has finally been dropped and though I’m a bit intimidated I’d love to give it a try. What should I know before I first play? I’d really appreciate any tips or tricks you can tell me. Thank you!
1) D&D is a combination of storytelling and throwing fancy math rocks, so there is no need to overthink it.
2) Find a group, either online or in person, and focus on having fun. (There is no "winning" D&D; prioritize a character you will enjoy playing over one that can swing the biggest sword.)
3) Show the DM that you are invested in their world, and their world will invest itself in you.
4) Learning/teaching is part of the fun. Jump in with both feet knowing that you'll make mistakes, and that mistakes are ok. Ask questions, listen carefully to the responses, and enjoy the process.
Hey RockyPeli, welcome to DnD. Im glad you were finaly able to pick up the game :)
In my opinion the most important thing for playing DnD is to get to know the core rules. Learn how attack roles, ability checks etc. work. There is no need to know what every single spell in the game does, but its important that you know the spells your character uses.
Find a Group that you are comfortable with and create your character. Who is your character? What are his Flaws and Ideals? Whats his Story? What are his goals? Delve into your character and feel free to ask your DM about advice what would fit in the setting he is throwing you guys into.
After this, i think you are set and ready to play your first session. I hope this helps to get you started =)
Checklist
I know what Ability Checks are
i know what Saving Throws are
I know the basics of Battle (Action, Bonus Action, Reaction)
I know my Spells
I know what Concentration and Concentration Checks are
I have a Group im confy with
I created my Character and looked over it with my DM
Im ready to have a fun time with ma dudes and dudines
Tipps and Trick
Always remember its a game and you are supposed to have fun
Mistakes will happen and thats ok
Dvelve into you character and stay in character as much as you can
Just remember to have fun. D&D is best played with friends, doubly so if you’re new to it (though it’s also a good way to make friends sometimes)! Mistakes will happen, lots of them. If you’re still playing years later, you’ll look back on your first campaign* and ask “what were we thinking?” And that’s okay! You don’t need to be polished or perfect, just focus on enjoying yourself, and, just as importantly, on making sure everyone else enjoys themselves too.
Oh, and be prepared to DM. Your friends will be more excited if they know you’ll be doing the hard job!
*Our group’s first campaign involved a Bard with 80 HP at second level, a monster that rolled all the dice when it attacked, a 240th level bartender NPC, and a plot that just teleported the players wherever the DM wanted, all in a single session. You can’t go worse than that!
First off, you’ve gotten some good advice already, so there’s that.
Following that, your fun is not wrong, and if anyone tells you it is they are full of it. Lots of folks have lots of opinions on “the right way to play.” They are all correct, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it their way. Sometimes it takes some “shopping” before folks can find a table of folks that fits them. (Like Goldilocks, Papa Bear and Baby Bear weren’t wrong for what they liked, Mama Bear’s tastes we’re just a better fit for Goldilocks’ tastes.)
Don’t spend any money on anything right away. Everything you need to try it out is free. Here is a great resource for new players, and the free copy of the basic rules:
Don’t worry about trying to learn everything right away, there is too much. (Heck, don’t worry about learning everything in general, there is too much.) Just focus on the most useful stuff at first and you’ll pick the rest up as you go. Here are links to the parts of the rules you are gonna end up using 90% of the time, just start here:
U have some good advice already so I won't say too much but... by far the most important thing about DnD is fun! You literally can't go wrong, on my first dnd seesion I rolled a critical hit and Insta killed a mini boss, BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!! but seriously, get the basics down and u will LOVE IT
One of the biggest newbie mistakes I see is thinking that your character has to be amazing at everything, or has to win all the time. Don't get me wrong, every character should be really good at at least one thing, probably a few things, but it can be just as fun to show what your character is bad at.
When I rolled stats for my monk, I used a custom point buy calculator that allowed me to go down to 6. I ended up having an intelligence of 8 and a charisma of 6. I was amazing at any physical task and was courageous enough to rush into battle without a hesitation, but I was also completely socially oblivious and pretty slow at catching onto things. Even though we had a bard in the party, I would sometimes blurt out the wrong thing and the bard would have to pivot and clean things up. Occasionally, the DM would ask one of those "are you sure you want to do that?" questions, and I would sometimes decide that my monk was actually dumb enough to do it. The key here is to make sure your fellow players are having fun with the antics. If you seriously hinder the party to the point that other players are getting fed up, dial it back.
A few other ways of looking at this:
A wizard who's convinced he's great at everything and attempts to solve physical problems, only to fail and begrudgingly ask for help from a stronger party member.
A ranger who's so sure of her sense of direction that she refuses to listen when people give directions. Then you can say something like, "Does my character actually know the way there?" and see what the DM makes you roll for it (usually Survival). Sometimes, you'll find it—great! Sometimes, you'll get horribly lost.
A barbarian who tries to solve puzzles by punching them. Don't have it be the first thing they do, have them really think about it and arrive at that conclusion independently every time, like they've thought through all the possibilities and decided that this is the only way to solve the problem. After a few times, whenever your party encounters a puzzle and you say, "I've got an idea!" your party will rush to stop you.
Play a low-Dex character as exceptionally clumsy, constantly bumping into things, knocking things off of shelves. Everywhere you go, you break something (although nothing major). Be prepared to pay for damages with your own coin. After doing this for a while, offer to go to the local potion shop to buy potions for the party and see how quickly they stop you.
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If you got a problem, yo, I'll solve it || Cast Fireball, that usually resolves it
Greetings and hope you enjoy the game. It is fun for all the reasons everyone said, but remember that above all it is a GAME! So follow the rules and have fun. There is no one way to play and when done well it is a collaborative experience. The rules give a good amount of leeway so every adventure is unique. With that said, here are some tips:
1) Pick the character design you want to play as and then read up on the options to build. Avoid all the advice resources for "The best build of..." and first think about what you want to be. If your desire is to be a sword and shield carrying hero or a Wizard who can't get over graduating second in the class; they both are great if you want to play it. Then read up on the classes, ancestries, and backgrounds. Dictate your own build based on what you think is a fun character.
2) Avoid the trap of saying "Insight Check", "Persuasion Check", "Survival Check". Instead be imaginative and describe what you are trying to accomplish. 'I feel this character is holding something back, and want to look for a 'tell' they are bluffing" (Insight Check); "I flutter my eyelashes and compliment the bartender, and ask if there is any news of a card game in town." (Persuasion Check); "I examine the tracks to determine if this is a predatory hunting ground" (Survival Check). Your DM can rule to be more specific in your comments. And they may rule a different skill than you expect; but you can ask and make the argument for another. Just accept the final ruling of the DM and move on.
3) Prepare for your turn. Review all your available actions and bonus actions leading up to your turn. Pay attention to the game, but be ready when your order in initiative comes up. You will keep your table happy if you are ready on your turn, and not starting to think about your action when your are called in order.
4) Accept you are a novice. Don't watch these streaming services and think that is how all games are played. You do not see the early level play of many of these individuals and their struggles to use the game. If you do watch these shows, pay attention to how they deal with questions on game rulings and respond to adjusting their play to fit the rules. As other posters have said, you will make mistakes. That is good. You will get better from these lessons. Soon you will be a smooth player and making great game moments, but don't worry about being imperfect when you play. And your table should help you.
5) Make friends. It is a GAME! Find ways to enjoy it. That is the key. You already have a success in trying. I found reasons for years not to...and I regret. I applaud you for take this initiative and wish you the best in your ventures.
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I’ve been interested in DnD since I was like 5 but was never allowed to play it because it was “evil” and gave my parents a vague bad feeling. However the long DnD embargo has finally been dropped and though I’m a bit intimidated I’d love to give it a try. What should I know before I first play? I’d really appreciate any tips or tricks you can tell me. Thank you!
1) D&D is a combination of storytelling and throwing fancy math rocks, so there is no need to overthink it.
2) Find a group, either online or in person, and focus on having fun. (There is no "winning" D&D; prioritize a character you will enjoy playing over one that can swing the biggest sword.)
3) Show the DM that you are invested in their world, and their world will invest itself in you.
4) Learning/teaching is part of the fun. Jump in with both feet knowing that you'll make mistakes, and that mistakes are ok. Ask questions, listen carefully to the responses, and enjoy the process.
Welcome to the Adventure!
Hey RockyPeli, welcome to DnD. Im glad you were finaly able to pick up the game :)
In my opinion the most important thing for playing DnD is to get to know the core rules. Learn how attack roles, ability checks etc. work. There is no need to know what every single spell in the game does, but its important that you know the spells your character uses.
Find a Group that you are comfortable with and create your character. Who is your character? What are his Flaws and Ideals? Whats his Story? What are his goals? Delve into your character and feel free to ask your DM about advice what would fit in the setting he is throwing you guys into.
After this, i think you are set and ready to play your first session. I hope this helps to get you started =)
Checklist
Tipps and Trick
Just remember to have fun. D&D is best played with friends, doubly so if you’re new to it (though it’s also a good way to make friends sometimes)! Mistakes will happen, lots of them. If you’re still playing years later, you’ll look back on your first campaign* and ask “what were we thinking?” And that’s okay! You don’t need to be polished or perfect, just focus on enjoying yourself, and, just as importantly, on making sure everyone else enjoys themselves too.
Oh, and be prepared to DM. Your friends will be more excited if they know you’ll be doing the hard job!
*Our group’s first campaign involved a Bard with 80 HP at second level, a monster that rolled all the dice when it attacked, a 240th level bartender NPC, and a plot that just teleported the players wherever the DM wanted, all in a single session. You can’t go worse than that!
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
Greetings and well met player.
First off, you’ve gotten some good advice already, so there’s that.
Following that, your fun is not wrong, and if anyone tells you it is they are full of it. Lots of folks have lots of opinions on “the right way to play.” They are all correct, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it their way. Sometimes it takes some “shopping” before folks can find a table of folks that fits them. (Like Goldilocks, Papa Bear and Baby Bear weren’t wrong for what they liked, Mama Bear’s tastes we’re just a better fit for Goldilocks’ tastes.)
Don’t spend any money on anything right away. Everything you need to try it out is free. Here is a great resource for new players, and the free copy of the basic rules:
Thats all you need to get a taste for the game.
Don’t worry about trying to learn everything right away, there is too much. (Heck, don’t worry about learning everything in general, there is too much.) Just focus on the most useful stuff at first and you’ll pick the rest up as you go. Here are links to the parts of the rules you are gonna end up using 90% of the time, just start here:
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, you’re gonna have a lot of them.
And probably the most important thing to remember: Have Fun!!
I hope that helps!
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Epic Boons on DDB
Welcome to the D&D community! There's a lot of great advice above, so I'll just give you a simple piece of advice.
Rule Zero of D&D? The Dungeon Master has the final word. So be sure to get/be a good DM and not argue with them.
Here's hoping that you will enjoy this wonderful game and not be scared off by the rulebooks. It is honestly my favorite game of all time.
Is there a reason this question has been asked by two different accounts with exactly the same wording just a couple of weeks apart?
Hello RockiPeli,
U have some good advice already so I won't say too much but... by far the most important thing about DnD is fun! You literally can't go wrong, on my first dnd seesion I rolled a critical hit and Insta killed a mini boss, BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!! but seriously, get the basics down and u will LOVE IT
One of the biggest newbie mistakes I see is thinking that your character has to be amazing at everything, or has to win all the time. Don't get me wrong, every character should be really good at at least one thing, probably a few things, but it can be just as fun to show what your character is bad at.
When I rolled stats for my monk, I used a custom point buy calculator that allowed me to go down to 6. I ended up having an intelligence of 8 and a charisma of 6. I was amazing at any physical task and was courageous enough to rush into battle without a hesitation, but I was also completely socially oblivious and pretty slow at catching onto things. Even though we had a bard in the party, I would sometimes blurt out the wrong thing and the bard would have to pivot and clean things up. Occasionally, the DM would ask one of those "are you sure you want to do that?" questions, and I would sometimes decide that my monk was actually dumb enough to do it. The key here is to make sure your fellow players are having fun with the antics. If you seriously hinder the party to the point that other players are getting fed up, dial it back.
A few other ways of looking at this:
If you got a problem, yo, I'll solve it || Cast Fireball, that usually resolves it
Greetings and hope you enjoy the game. It is fun for all the reasons everyone said, but remember that above all it is a GAME! So follow the rules and have fun. There is no one way to play and when done well it is a collaborative experience. The rules give a good amount of leeway so every adventure is unique. With that said, here are some tips:
1) Pick the character design you want to play as and then read up on the options to build. Avoid all the advice resources for "The best build of..." and first think about what you want to be. If your desire is to be a sword and shield carrying hero or a Wizard who can't get over graduating second in the class; they both are great if you want to play it. Then read up on the classes, ancestries, and backgrounds. Dictate your own build based on what you think is a fun character.
2) Avoid the trap of saying "Insight Check", "Persuasion Check", "Survival Check". Instead be imaginative and describe what you are trying to accomplish. 'I feel this character is holding something back, and want to look for a 'tell' they are bluffing" (Insight Check); "I flutter my eyelashes and compliment the bartender, and ask if there is any news of a card game in town." (Persuasion Check); "I examine the tracks to determine if this is a predatory hunting ground" (Survival Check). Your DM can rule to be more specific in your comments. And they may rule a different skill than you expect; but you can ask and make the argument for another. Just accept the final ruling of the DM and move on.
3) Prepare for your turn. Review all your available actions and bonus actions leading up to your turn. Pay attention to the game, but be ready when your order in initiative comes up. You will keep your table happy if you are ready on your turn, and not starting to think about your action when your are called in order.
4) Accept you are a novice. Don't watch these streaming services and think that is how all games are played. You do not see the early level play of many of these individuals and their struggles to use the game. If you do watch these shows, pay attention to how they deal with questions on game rulings and respond to adjusting their play to fit the rules. As other posters have said, you will make mistakes. That is good. You will get better from these lessons. Soon you will be a smooth player and making great game moments, but don't worry about being imperfect when you play. And your table should help you.
5) Make friends. It is a GAME! Find ways to enjoy it. That is the key. You already have a success in trying. I found reasons for years not to...and I regret. I applaud you for take this initiative and wish you the best in your ventures.