Hi there, call me Lael. I'm very new to DND and all the times I've watched people play it and listened, I've always been amazed by it. Thought I should start somewhere, so does anyone have some advice for what my first step should be, I'm quite lost!
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¨Lord Modus never expected Zenith to return, alas--here we stand in front of the lord to bring us to our knees.¨ - an excerpt from The Aegis Neverland; Sabines Passion (made by me :D)
If you want to go digital, all the stuff you need to try it out is free, which we can direct you to where you can get those resources.
If you're looking for a group, there is a forum for it, although I gather it can be difficult finding a group.
If you want advice on what to do while playing on how to understand the rules, we can help with that.
What kind of advice are you looking for?
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
You will need people to play with first, if you haven't found some already. I think the best way to do that is to look at the "Looking for Players" on Dndbeyond's Discord channel, and look for games that are geared toward or willing to take new players. There is a bit of a learning curve so, if possible, having one or more people who know the game and are happy to teach new people can be helpful.
Me and a friend are trying to get in it and one of my concerns is if it's possible for a campaign to happen with only 2 people. Other than that, I'm looking for advice as to where I should start to learn how to play the game.
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¨Lord Modus never expected Zenith to return, alas--here we stand in front of the lord to bring us to our knees.¨ - an excerpt from The Aegis Neverland; Sabines Passion (made by me :D)
The Basic Rules are free and has everything you need to learn how to play and make a character. You can build a character here on DnDBeyond and can roll digital dice right on the sheet. The Starter Set and the Essentials Kit are both great beginners products that can be used separately, but they work very well together and use the same town as a starting location. Other than that you just need a group of friends to play with. Though the game can be played with as little as two people and I've been in games with eight players, I have found that 3-4 players and a dungeon master is an ideal size for me.
Edit: Mike Shea writes a lot of articles about how to play DnD and has tons of great advice.
If it’s just general advice it’s this. Play something fun. Play what you want. Don’t feel you always have to fill a niche if you don’t want to.
If you don’t feel comfortable with something don’t be afraid to talk to people, or leave if you need. There are plenty of games out there and you want to get into one that meshes with you.
don’t feel you need to know all the rules.
Go as far with roleplay as you want. If you don’t want to do a voice. Dont. If you do, by all means.
And last of all there are multiple ways to play D&D. ALL OF THEM are valid. Whether that’s combat heavy, drama and roleplay heavy, or anywhere in between. Ignore anyone who says there is a right way to play and who isn’t directly referencing safety, or boundaries.
Me and a friend are trying to get in it and one of my concerns is if it's possible for a campaign to happen with only 2 people. Other than that, I'm looking for advice as to where I should start to learn how to play the game.
It's doable with two. My wife and I play all the time. If you get the Essentials Kit, it gives you sidekicks to bulk out the party. Now, it's not as good as if there were 5 of you playing...but it's pretty good anyway. That does involve spending money (it's £20 so maybe $30), but it does come with a phusical set of the basic rules, dice, a DM screen and an adventure (both a physical copy and a coupon to get it free on DDB plus three follow-on adventures that will take you to level 13. It's pretty good value...if you want to gamble that money on liking D&D5e.
You could look at finding groups on the Looking For Games section of the forum. Players are ten for a penny though, so I don't know how long you'll be looking. DMs are sought after. You could set up your own game as DM and hope the players (and you will get them) are patient enough to help you learn as you go. I've never tried it, so I don't know what it's like.
As for learning, it depends on your style. The one that used was that I read the rules a couple of times so that I had a rough idea of how things worked, then played a game with my wife. Until you play, it won't fully make sense....but it will click into place. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, no one that matters cares. No one ever stops making mistakes, even the slick professionals doing it for money. Get a rough idea if how it works, and play.
If you don't know how something works, make it up and carry on playing. Look it up afterwards and learn. Don't stop the game to spend 20 minutes looking up how to do something, that'll make the game awkward and a drag. Just learn afterwards what you're meant to do, explain it to the group, and move on. Eventually, you'll get it, and everything will make sense. Just don't expect it on day 1.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Me and a friend are trying to get in it and one of my concerns is if it's possible for a campaign to happen with only 2 people. Other than that, I'm looking for advice as to where I should start to learn how to play the game.
The essentials kit and starter box both come with modules that have rules for playing with a DM and a single player. Those are probably a good place for you and your friend to start. Or you could dive into the deep end together and try homebrewing a one player game, just seems like it's be really difficult to do with no prior experience.
I'm stuck on the fence of whether I should get the essentials or the starter first, which do you recommend? Also homebrew doesn't sound that unrealistic. I'm an author so creativity and on the spot stories are my specialties, and from what I've been told those are two things a DM would like to have in their toolbox, correct me if I'm wrong though.
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¨Lord Modus never expected Zenith to return, alas--here we stand in front of the lord to bring us to our knees.¨ - an excerpt from The Aegis Neverland; Sabines Passion (made by me :D)
I'm stuck on the fence of whether I should get the essentials or the starter first, which do you recommend? Also homebrew doesn't sound that unrealistic. I'm an author so creativity and on the spot stories are my specialties, and from what I've been told those are two things a DM would like to have in their toolbox, correct me if I'm wrong though.
Personally, I'd go for Essentials.
The dice is better (you get more of them), you get a DM screen, you have sidekicks made up for you, the adventure is longer and you get digital versions plus more adventures.
The main two draws of the Starter Set is that you get characters made for you (but you can't make you own characters, like you can with Essentials) and the quest has more of a plot. I'm halfway through the Starter Set adventure and...it's not much better in terms of quality. It's much more railroaded but a plot does exist...just not much of one.
I'd go for the Essentials Kit. If you want to do the Starter Set adventure, Lost Mine of Phandelver is available separately, cheaper, and it's even on sale at the moment on DDB for something like $11. It is also currently free on Roll20, but it stops at the end of April so I doubt that you'll be able to actually play much of it before they cut access.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
One thing I found helpful in the past is going to a game store and trying to get into a one shot (one time) game. That way you get real life in person experience and can often ask questions before and after the game. I would also say to group this is your first time and any help would be apricated...and do not have a problem if you die. For example in my first game (AD&D, 1978) I got to play a 1st level wizard as that was what was left (I rolled very low for PC pick) and died in the first room. Nowadays games try and avoid this situation but it can still happen so be prepared if your experience is not the "heroic video game" you expect.
If and when you play I would get a module and use it to run your first game...and again be prepared for issues such as death of PC's and maybe rerunning an encounter that goes really wrong.
Agreed with above. First, learn the basics by reading and watching some videos (seems overwhelming at first but really after you get the basics down its not bad at all). Then check out your local game shops or board game cafe shops and most of the time they have open tables once a week for one shots (I go to one at my local board game cafe, its great). The people at those places are always very accommodating and welcoming of new players and the first few times you can kind of sit back and watch others do their thing and just jump in when needed (and of course during combat).
Starting simple with a Barbarian or Fighter is usually recommended, that way you're also not expected to do a lot of persuasion, deception, intimidating, etc since you're main stats are strength and your goal is to hit bad guys. Gives you an easier time watching others and learning from them and being able to do good damage in combat.
My first character was a Dwarf Barbarian who picked fights with anyone who made fun of his size. Simple but effective.
But ya reading and youtube will do wonders before jumping in.
Number 1 advice: Do your best to have fun. That's why people play the game after all.
Other advice:
Be a team player
Dont intentionally mess with your DM
Get into your characters head
APPRECIATE THE WORK YOUR DM PUTS IN FOR YOU!
Go with the dice, even if it doesnt work out.
Roleplay at least some (this is mostly for hack & slash type players)
Understand the game involves obstacles (I doubt this will be a problem for you, but believe it or not, I know several players who have trouble with this)
Me and a friend are trying to get in it and one of my concerns is if it's possible for a campaign to happen with only 2 people. Other than that, I'm looking for advice as to where I should start to learn how to play the game.
The vast majority of the rules that get used in every session can be found in chapters 7, 9, and 10 of the Basic Rules & SRD.
Number 1 advice: Do your best to have fun. That's why people play the game after all.
Other advice:
Be a team player
Dont intentionally mess with your DM
Get into your characters head
APPRECIATE THE WORK YOUR DM PUTS IN FOR YOU!
Go with the dice, even if it doesnt work out.
Roleplay at least some (this is mostly for hack & slash type players)
Understand the game involves obstacles (I doubt this will be a problem for you, but believe it or not, I know several players who have trouble with this)
Number 1 advice: Do your best to have fun. That's why people play the game after all.
Other advice:
Be a team player
Dont intentionally mess with your DM
Get into your characters head
APPRECIATE THE WORK YOUR DM PUTS IN FOR YOU!
Go with the dice, even if it doesnt work out.
Roleplay at least some (this is mostly for hack & slash type players)
Understand the game involves obstacles (I doubt this will be a problem for you, but believe it or not, I know several players who have trouble with this)
PS. Good luck!
Applause.
Very well said and nailed it!
Thank you:)
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BoringBard's long and tedious posts somehow manage to enrapture audiences. How? Because he used Charm Person, the #1 bard spell!
He/him pronouns. Call me Bard. PROUD NERD!
Ever wanted to talk about your parties' worst mistakes? Do so HERE. What's your favorite class, why? Share & explainHERE.
Your comment about only having two people to play must have been posted at the same time as my first comment, because I did not see it when I responded. The Essentials Kit is the perfect product for you in this case. It has rules for how two people can run a campaign and walks you through how to make characters.
I personally recommend against spending any money on D&D until you have a campaign or two under your belt first, so you will know for sure by then whether you really like D&D or not. D&D is not for everyone, and in my experience, not many people actually find it fun. Only half my friends want to try it (and my group of friends are pretty nerdy) and about a third quit after a few sessions, so there is high chance that you might not enjoy D&D as much as you thought. Once you have a campaign or two under your belt, it is not too late to spend money on D&D then.
As others have said, as a brand new player, there are more than enough free content on D&D Beyond to try D&D out. And if you need more free adventures, there are a ton of those online that you can search up. If you plan to be a Game Master/Dungeon Master, I recommend checking out some videos by Matt Colville, and you can find the link in my signature. You may also want to watch a few episodes on fast forward of D&D with High School Students to get an idea of what a D&D session is like in real life.
If you are going to spend money no matter what on D&D, I personally recommend getting the physical Starter Kit or the Essentials Kit. I personally lean towards the Stater Kit more because the Lost Mines of Phandelver adventure feels more polished in my opinion, but the Essentials Kit will give you more bang for your buck as it has a code to give you access to the digital equivalent of most of the stuff in the physical box on Beyond, as well as a few extra adventures on Beyond.
I would start by searching for local games stores and meet up groups on FB or Meetup.com
After that you may wish to check Looking For Group threads on these forums, the public D&D channels on Discord, and r/lfg. Checking your social network for ppl who already play and boardgame shops and groups can lead to interested parties too.
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Hi there, call me Lael. I'm very new to DND and all the times I've watched people play it and listened, I've always been amazed by it. Thought I should start somewhere, so does anyone have some advice for what my first step should be, I'm quite lost!
¨Lord Modus never expected Zenith to return, alas--here we stand in front of the lord to bring us to our knees.¨ - an excerpt from The Aegis Neverland; Sabines Passion (made by me :D)
What kind of advice are you looking for?
If you want to go digital, all the stuff you need to try it out is free, which we can direct you to where you can get those resources.
If you're looking for a group, there is a forum for it, although I gather it can be difficult finding a group.
If you want advice on what to do while playing on how to understand the rules, we can help with that.
What kind of advice are you looking for?
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
You will need people to play with first, if you haven't found some already. I think the best way to do that is to look at the "Looking for Players" on Dndbeyond's Discord channel, and look for games that are geared toward or willing to take new players. There is a bit of a learning curve so, if possible, having one or more people who know the game and are happy to teach new people can be helpful.
Good luck, and have fun!
Me and a friend are trying to get in it and one of my concerns is if it's possible for a campaign to happen with only 2 people. Other than that, I'm looking for advice as to where I should start to learn how to play the game.
¨Lord Modus never expected Zenith to return, alas--here we stand in front of the lord to bring us to our knees.¨ - an excerpt from The Aegis Neverland; Sabines Passion (made by me :D)
The Basic Rules are free and has everything you need to learn how to play and make a character. You can build a character here on DnDBeyond and can roll digital dice right on the sheet. The Starter Set and the Essentials Kit are both great beginners products that can be used separately, but they work very well together and use the same town as a starting location. Other than that you just need a group of friends to play with. Though the game can be played with as little as two people and I've been in games with eight players, I have found that 3-4 players and a dungeon master is an ideal size for me.
Edit: Mike Shea writes a lot of articles about how to play DnD and has tons of great advice.
What sort of advice would you like?
how to learn?
where to play?
what to buy? Or something else
If it’s just general advice it’s this. Play something fun. Play what you want. Don’t feel you always have to fill a niche if you don’t want to.
If you don’t feel comfortable with something don’t be afraid to talk to people, or leave if you need. There are plenty of games out there and you want to get into one that meshes with you.
don’t feel you need to know all the rules.
Go as far with roleplay as you want. If you don’t want to do a voice. Dont. If you do, by all means.
And last of all there are multiple ways to play D&D. ALL OF THEM are valid. Whether that’s combat heavy, drama and roleplay heavy, or anywhere in between. Ignore anyone who says there is a right way to play and who isn’t directly referencing safety, or boundaries.
It's doable with two. My wife and I play all the time. If you get the Essentials Kit, it gives you sidekicks to bulk out the party. Now, it's not as good as if there were 5 of you playing...but it's pretty good anyway. That does involve spending money (it's £20 so maybe $30), but it does come with a phusical set of the basic rules, dice, a DM screen and an adventure (both a physical copy and a coupon to get it free on DDB plus three follow-on adventures that will take you to level 13. It's pretty good value...if you want to gamble that money on liking D&D5e.
You could look at finding groups on the Looking For Games section of the forum. Players are ten for a penny though, so I don't know how long you'll be looking. DMs are sought after. You could set up your own game as DM and hope the players (and you will get them) are patient enough to help you learn as you go. I've never tried it, so I don't know what it's like.
As for learning, it depends on your style. The one that used was that I read the rules a couple of times so that I had a rough idea of how things worked, then played a game with my wife. Until you play, it won't fully make sense....but it will click into place. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, no one that matters cares. No one ever stops making mistakes, even the slick professionals doing it for money. Get a rough idea if how it works, and play.
If you don't know how something works, make it up and carry on playing. Look it up afterwards and learn. Don't stop the game to spend 20 minutes looking up how to do something, that'll make the game awkward and a drag. Just learn afterwards what you're meant to do, explain it to the group, and move on. Eventually, you'll get it, and everything will make sense. Just don't expect it on day 1.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
The essentials kit and starter box both come with modules that have rules for playing with a DM and a single player. Those are probably a good place for you and your friend to start. Or you could dive into the deep end together and try homebrewing a one player game, just seems like it's be really difficult to do with no prior experience.
I'm stuck on the fence of whether I should get the essentials or the starter first, which do you recommend? Also homebrew doesn't sound that unrealistic. I'm an author so creativity and on the spot stories are my specialties, and from what I've been told those are two things a DM would like to have in their toolbox, correct me if I'm wrong though.
¨Lord Modus never expected Zenith to return, alas--here we stand in front of the lord to bring us to our knees.¨ - an excerpt from The Aegis Neverland; Sabines Passion (made by me :D)
Personally, I'd go for Essentials.
The dice is better (you get more of them), you get a DM screen, you have sidekicks made up for you, the adventure is longer and you get digital versions plus more adventures.
The main two draws of the Starter Set is that you get characters made for you (but you can't make you own characters, like you can with Essentials) and the quest has more of a plot. I'm halfway through the Starter Set adventure and...it's not much better in terms of quality. It's much more railroaded but a plot does exist...just not much of one.
I'd go for the Essentials Kit. If you want to do the Starter Set adventure, Lost Mine of Phandelver is available separately, cheaper, and it's even on sale at the moment on DDB for something like $11. It is also currently free on Roll20, but it stops at the end of April so I doubt that you'll be able to actually play much of it before they cut access.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
One thing I found helpful in the past is going to a game store and trying to get into a one shot (one time) game. That way you get real life in person experience and can often ask questions before and after the game. I would also say to group this is your first time and any help would be apricated...and do not have a problem if you die. For example in my first game (AD&D, 1978) I got to play a 1st level wizard as that was what was left (I rolled very low for PC pick) and died in the first room. Nowadays games try and avoid this situation but it can still happen so be prepared if your experience is not the "heroic video game" you expect.
If and when you play I would get a module and use it to run your first game...and again be prepared for issues such as death of PC's and maybe rerunning an encounter that goes really wrong.
Agreed with above. First, learn the basics by reading and watching some videos (seems overwhelming at first but really after you get the basics down its not bad at all). Then check out your local game shops or board game cafe shops and most of the time they have open tables once a week for one shots (I go to one at my local board game cafe, its great). The people at those places are always very accommodating and welcoming of new players and the first few times you can kind of sit back and watch others do their thing and just jump in when needed (and of course during combat).
Starting simple with a Barbarian or Fighter is usually recommended, that way you're also not expected to do a lot of persuasion, deception, intimidating, etc since you're main stats are strength and your goal is to hit bad guys. Gives you an easier time watching others and learning from them and being able to do good damage in combat.
My first character was a Dwarf Barbarian who picked fights with anyone who made fun of his size. Simple but effective.
But ya reading and youtube will do wonders before jumping in.
Number 1 advice: Do your best to have fun. That's why people play the game after all.
Other advice:
PS. Good luck!
BoringBard's long and tedious posts somehow manage to enrapture audiences. How? Because he used Charm Person, the #1 bard spell!
He/him pronouns. Call me Bard. PROUD NERD!
Ever wanted to talk about your parties' worst mistakes? Do so HERE. What's your favorite class, why? Share & explain
HERE.The vast majority of the rules that get used in every session can be found in chapters 7, 9, and 10 of the Basic Rules & SRD.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Applause.
Very well said and nailed it!
All things Lich - DM tips, tricks, and other creative shenanigans
Thank you:)
BoringBard's long and tedious posts somehow manage to enrapture audiences. How? Because he used Charm Person, the #1 bard spell!
He/him pronouns. Call me Bard. PROUD NERD!
Ever wanted to talk about your parties' worst mistakes? Do so HERE. What's your favorite class, why? Share & explain
HERE.Your comment about only having two people to play must have been posted at the same time as my first comment, because I did not see it when I responded. The Essentials Kit is the perfect product for you in this case. It has rules for how two people can run a campaign and walks you through how to make characters.
I personally recommend against spending any money on D&D until you have a campaign or two under your belt first, so you will know for sure by then whether you really like D&D or not. D&D is not for everyone, and in my experience, not many people actually find it fun. Only half my friends want to try it (and my group of friends are pretty nerdy) and about a third quit after a few sessions, so there is high chance that you might not enjoy D&D as much as you thought. Once you have a campaign or two under your belt, it is not too late to spend money on D&D then.
As others have said, as a brand new player, there are more than enough free content on D&D Beyond to try D&D out. And if you need more free adventures, there are a ton of those online that you can search up. If you plan to be a Game Master/Dungeon Master, I recommend checking out some videos by Matt Colville, and you can find the link in my signature. You may also want to watch a few episodes on fast forward of D&D with High School Students to get an idea of what a D&D session is like in real life.
If you are going to spend money no matter what on D&D, I personally recommend getting the physical Starter Kit or the Essentials Kit. I personally lean towards the Stater Kit more because the Lost Mines of Phandelver adventure feels more polished in my opinion, but the Essentials Kit will give you more bang for your buck as it has a code to give you access to the digital equivalent of most of the stuff in the physical box on Beyond, as well as a few extra adventures on Beyond.
Check Licenses and Resync Entitlements: < https://www.dndbeyond.com/account/licenses >
Running the Game by Matt Colville; Introduction: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-YZvLUXcR8 >
D&D with High School Students by Bill Allen; Season 1 Episode 1: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52NJTUDokyk&t >
I would start by searching for local games stores and meet up groups on FB or Meetup.com
After that you may wish to check Looking For Group threads on these forums, the public D&D channels on Discord, and r/lfg. Checking your social network for ppl who already play and boardgame shops and groups can lead to interested parties too.