Title: New Player Here – Looking for Beginner-Friendly D&D Advice!
Hi everyone! I’m a brand‑new D&D player, and D&D Beyond is basically my first real step into the game. My background is in indie game development, so I’m pretty comfortable with systems and numbers, but I have zero real experience actually playing or DMing tabletop games.
Here’s where I’m at right now:
I have a rough idea of the D&D world and classes, but haven’t completed a full campaign.
I’m using D&D Beyond to learn character creation and to look up rules.
I don’t have a regular group yet, so I might start with online games or even try DMing for some friends who are also new.
So I’d really love to get some advice from more experienced players and DMs on a few things:
For a complete beginner, what do you think is the best “first book” to really get started? Should I jump straight into the Player’s Handbook, or are the Basic Rules enough at the beginning?
If I want to DM for a group of new players, what’s the minimum “DM toolkit” I should prepare? (For example: which books are essential, what tools are helpful, and how much prep is realistically needed?)
Are there any official adventures or short campaigns that you’d recommend for a new DM and new players? Ideally something with a clear structure that doesn’t punish us too hard for not knowing all the rules yet.
On D&D Beyond specifically, which features do you think are most important for a beginner to learn first? Things like the character builder, encounters, VTT, etc.
Overall, I’m just hoping to get over that initial learning curve with fewer painful mistakes, and to help my friends see what makes D&D so fun.
I’d really appreciate it if you could share:
How you first got into D&D
Any “I really wish someone had told me this earlier” tips for beginners
Recommendations for beginner-friendly rules explanations, play habits, or online tools for running games
Thanks in advance for any advice you’re willing to share! Looking forward to learning from you all and hanging out more in the forums in the future.
Hi Jason, welcome to the forums and the hobby. We tend to be a friendly and helpful bunch but we are also like herding cats so I warn you now if you ask three people a question you'll get four different answers. Having said that:
1) Stick with the free rules as long as you can, no point spending money until you know you like the hobby. The free rules will only give you one subclass for each class on the D&D Beyond character builder but it tends to be an iconic one so for new players that's fine. After that the Players Hand Book (you'll see it referred to as the PHB a lot) is the best first purchase, a lot of it is the same as the free rules but does give more options and if you buy the digital one here you'll get more subclass options for character creation. Worth pointing out though that if you buy a physical copy somewhere like Amazon it doesn't unlock the DDB version, they're separate products so don't get caught out like a lot of new people but instead buy the version you'll get the most benefit from
2) If you want to try DMing the best place to start is one of the starter or essential kits. It's basically a box containing 95% of what you'll need to run an adventure and they're designed specifically for new players and new DMs so plenty of handholding. Of the ones out I prefer Lost Mines of Phandelver (in the Starter Set with a green dragon on the cover) but it's getting harder to get as it's quite old now. It has be reprinted and expanded as Phandelver and Below The Shattered Oblisk but in that case you'd just get a book not all the other helpful goodies. My second choice would be Dragon of Ice Spire Peak (in the Essentials Kit with a dude fighting a blue dragon on the front) which is more of a sandbox adventure. Sadly that's also getting harder to get now so might be an eBay second hand job. There's several other starter sets, including a new one for the 2024 rules refresh but I've not had a chance to run that yet so can't personally recommend it. The other option is just buy a DM screen, two or three sets of dice and you're pretty much ready. For the prep time no two DMs are the same so the rather unhelpful advice is "do as much as you feel you need" and adjust it as you play until you find your own sweet spot.
3) See above, those starter campaigns really are the perfect place to start. There's lots of other great prewritten campaigns, both official and published by third party publishers, but the amount of work they need can vary greatly and some I still look at after 5 years of DMing and wonder how you're supposed to make sense of them
4) If you're using D&D Beyond I think the character builder is the key thing, you can learn a surprising amount about the rules just by making characters and it's free. The other features usually need a Master Tier subscription to use which isn't too expensive but you also don't really need maps and virtual table tops, you can run the whole game using what's called Theatre of the Mind and just describe what's going on. All you need that way is character sheets and some way to talk to people
For the other questions I got into D&D during covid. We were all in lockdown and unable to leave the house so it was a good excuse for my friends and I to meet up online and socialise. I played for about 6 months before our DM realised he'd really bitten off more than he could chew so I took over and I've been DMing ever since. I know run four separate games, including two for teenagers where I volunteer at the local library. I find it very rewarding as both a "gift" I give my friends and something I can give back to the community.
For what I wish I knew and advice for new players it's the same answer: I wish I knew how many great YouTubers there are giving out free advice on both playing and running the game. Ones I'd suggest are Ginny Di, who does very good and accessible advice on things like creating characters and roleplaying, Mystic Arts, who does very good advice on DMing, and the grand daddy of them all Matt Colville who did an entire series on how DMing isn't that frightening and how you can start right now.
Personally, I'd recommend the old starter set Lost Mines of Phandelver. It's technically the outdated version (there are two 5es: 2014 and 2024, but a lot of people still play 2014. I've run Phandelver, and it's very fun.
I always recommend finding a group first. A good group will be able to answer questions and teach you how to play much better than reading the book. Also many, probably most, groups have some house rules around making a character and fitting it into the world. (I know you said you’ve been reading about the world of D&D, but there isn’t one world. There are countless worlds, there a good half dozen published in the current edition, and tons of DMs who homebrew their own world which may or may not be similar to any of the published ones.)
If you are looking to form a group and start DMing, then I’d agree with cunningsmile that a starter kit is a good way to go.
If possible, I highly advise playing in person over online. It’s a very different experience, and in person is simply better. But depending on where you live it may not be an option, unfortunately.
I started playing when my dad handed me the red box in ‘83 and told me he thought I might like it. Turns out he was right.
Some big tips: there’s no wrong way to play; if you and the group are having fun, you’re doing it right, even if you don’t actually follow the rules. And no D&D is better than bad D&D. If you find a group, but don’t enjoy their play style, you’ll do everyone a favor by gracefully bowing out and finding a different group that fits the game you want to play.
Congrats on delving into the world of imagination!
1. DND Beyond offers a free 'basic rules' kit. It contains the only things you need to play. It doesn't offer everything the PHB offers, such as more subclass options, different backgrounds, etc. But, it contains the most important things: A 'How to Play' section, A 'Create a character' section that walks you through the process, and all the base classes and a subclass.
2."Which books are essential" nada. No books are 'essential'. BUT, if you use to basic kit and you like it and enjoy playing and want to expand your horizons, when it comes to DMing, I would recommend purchasing a Players handbook, a Dungeon Masters Guide, and a Monster Manual. Those three books really work hand in hand. But, that's about $150 in charges. So, i'd recommend just doing a PHB so that everyone at your table has something to look up their stuff quickly. You can always find DM TIPS online and on youtube videos. Though, I myself recently purchased the new 2024 trio and really like having the materials.
3. With the release of 2024, they came out with some new 'adventure kits' that contain little pre made campaigns. I watched a video recently that compared the Base kit vs the Hellfire club kit, and they pretty much said the Hellfire kit blows the base kit out the water. So, If you're looking for a starter kit, I'd recommend the Hellfire, and even youtube the difference on the two. note I don't think these kits come with any of the trio I mentioned earlier.
4. can't speak to DND beyond's utility. I have been playing for 20 years, and when covid hit, my friends and I migrated to Roll20, then over to FoundryVTT. I highly recommend FoundryVTT if you're gonna play online. It's a little bit to set up, but worth it once you do.
How you first got into D&D
Someone invited me to play, and I said yes. Queue multiple Friday & Saturday late nights sitting around a table playing DND for 8+ hours.
Any “I really wish someone had told me this earlier” tips for beginners
I am currently running a campaign for some couple friends and my wife. I have 5 players total, and 4 of them have never heard of DND beyond Stranger Things. As a DM to new players, the one thing I try to really instill in them is: Do your best to know how to play your character. Everyone makes mistakes, and that's okay. But, Do your best to know what your character can do, and how to do it. One of my players is a barbarian, and I gently remind her during combat 'hey, you can rage'. Or, my wife who is playing a cleric will ask what her spells do(I have since printed out spell cards for every spell caster at my table). But, it's important to know what you can do, so you can decide and let the DM do what they are suppose to be doing, which is everything else beyond playing your character lol.
If your DMing, remember, it's not you VS your players. It's a co-op. You want to tell a story that engages your players and challenges them. But, you never want to spite your players for doing something. Don't punish your friends if they outsmart you on something, reward them for finding new solutions you didn't think of.
There are tons of rules to DND. But the most important rule is to have fun. And sometimes, it's fun to break those rules. If your player comes up with a cool idea that goes against the rules, consider breaking it so they can feel cool. "Rule of cool vs Rule of law", side with cool. I remember 15 years ago, we were fighting a giant on the side of a tower that stretched into the sky, my buddy manage to trip the giant off the side and the giant grabbed him on his was down. We all held our buddy trying to save him, and my buddy looks at us and says, "Drop me." We let him go, and he felt stories while impaling the giant to death, and the DM let him live cause he 'landed on the gaint' and not the hard ground.
Recommendations for beginner-friendly rules explanations, play habits, or online tools for running games
The PHB or DMG goes over 'Session 0', and talks about setting boundaries with all the players.
I'd also recommend even just looking up various youtubers and finding personalities you like and going from there. Remember, any question you have, someone else had it 10 years ago. Google and the answer will be there lol.
CunningSmile pretty much hit it right out of the park. Here is the Matt Colville video series he was referring to. I highly recommend it.
Welcome to the hobby, I hope you get as much enjoyment out of it is many of us have been lucky enough to find. In addition to the very good advice CunningSmile gave one other YT channel I suggest is Dungeon Dudes. Very positive and a more "game-focused" alternative to Ginny Di's larger emphasis on RP and the softer side of the game. I am a big fan of both Ginny and the Dungeon Dudes' channels. https://www.youtube.com/@DungeonDudes
For some reason I completely forgot the Dungeon Dudes despite loving their channel and running two campaigns in the setting they created. But yes good shout, they practically taught me how to play when I started
I would personally recommend the new Heroes of the Borderlands starter box. It's built on a rather older concept behind D&D, I would argue a far more refined understanding of what D&D is about (Adventure) and doesn't assume the need for the many heavy layers of modern RPG gaming.. aka the need to write backstories, not need to create motivations for characters just the simple adventure play of "your an adventure, there is a world to explore, go out there and find your fame, fortune and glory".
This is a simple concept that anyone can understand and relate to, and if you're dealing with new players its a simple motivation that doesn't require any preparation. Just make characters and go explore.
The module is super simple to run, it's a sandbox, but it has some general guides, like giving you a setting of difficulty for different areas. I think it's one of the most refined approaches for new players Wizards of the Coast has created in the 3 decades they have been running the franchise. It's quite brilliant.
You can easily sup-it-up into a full adventure game by adding 3 simple house rules.
1. Eliminate XP rewards, just award 1 XP for each 1 gold piece of treasure they haul back to the keep. (Gives the entire group a unified motivation) 2. Add closer resource and time tracking, call it a "stretch of time" for every activity they do outside of town. 1 "adventure action" takes 10 minutes. This way the players have a sense of the passage of time and some clear control over it. Aka "I look for traps".. takes a stretch, I disarm a trap, takes a stretch.. etc.. 3. Introduce random encounters every X amount of time (whatever feels right) so that players know "burning time is dangerous".
But generally speaking, a simple adventure using basic rules is the way to go. As you and the players get more comfortable, you will naturally evolve to use more complex rules, more complex stories etc..
Recommendations for beginner-friendly rules explanations, play habits, or online tools for running games
Basically, you want to introduce the game in the simplest terms possible as a concept, the rules is something you can teach as you play. The premise is quite simple "Your adventures seeking fame, fortune and glory. Your job is to go to the dangerous, hidden places of the world and explore them in hopes of finding said, fame, fortune and glory".
Title: New Player Here – Looking for Beginner-Friendly D&D Advice!
Hi everyone! I’m a brand‑new D&D player, and D&D Beyond is basically my first real step into the game. My background is in indie game development, so I’m pretty comfortable with systems and numbers, but I have zero real experience actually playing or DMing tabletop games.
Here’s where I’m at right now:
I have a rough idea of the D&D world and classes, but haven’t completed a full campaign.
I’m using D&D Beyond to learn character creation and to look up rules.
I don’t have a regular group yet, so I might start with online games or even try DMing for some friends who are also new.
So I’d really love to get some advice from more experienced players and DMs on a few things:
For a complete beginner, what do you think is the best “first book” to really get started? Should I jump straight into the Player’s Handbook, or are the Basic Rules enough at the beginning?
If I want to DM for a group of new players, what’s the minimum “DM toolkit” I should prepare? (For example: which books are essential, what tools are helpful, and how much prep is realistically needed?)
Are there any official adventures or short campaigns that you’d recommend for a new DM and new players? Ideally something with a clear structure that doesn’t punish us too hard for not knowing all the rules yet.
On D&D Beyond specifically, which features do you think are most important for a beginner to learn first? Things like the character builder, encounters, VTT, etc.
Overall, I’m just hoping to get over that initial learning curve with fewer painful mistakes, and to help my friends see what makes D&D so fun.
I’d really appreciate it if you could share:
How you first got into D&D
Any “I really wish someone had told me this earlier” tips for beginners
Recommendations for beginner-friendly rules explanations, play habits, or online tools for running games
Thanks in advance for any advice you’re willing to share! Looking forward to learning from you all and hanging out more in the forums in the future.
Hi Jason, welcome to the forums and the hobby. We tend to be a friendly and helpful bunch but we are also like herding cats so I warn you now if you ask three people a question you'll get four different answers. Having said that:
1) Stick with the free rules as long as you can, no point spending money until you know you like the hobby. The free rules will only give you one subclass for each class on the D&D Beyond character builder but it tends to be an iconic one so for new players that's fine. After that the Players Hand Book (you'll see it referred to as the PHB a lot) is the best first purchase, a lot of it is the same as the free rules but does give more options and if you buy the digital one here you'll get more subclass options for character creation. Worth pointing out though that if you buy a physical copy somewhere like Amazon it doesn't unlock the DDB version, they're separate products so don't get caught out like a lot of new people but instead buy the version you'll get the most benefit from
2) If you want to try DMing the best place to start is one of the starter or essential kits. It's basically a box containing 95% of what you'll need to run an adventure and they're designed specifically for new players and new DMs so plenty of handholding. Of the ones out I prefer Lost Mines of Phandelver (in the Starter Set with a green dragon on the cover) but it's getting harder to get as it's quite old now. It has be reprinted and expanded as Phandelver and Below The Shattered Oblisk but in that case you'd just get a book not all the other helpful goodies. My second choice would be Dragon of Ice Spire Peak (in the Essentials Kit with a dude fighting a blue dragon on the front) which is more of a sandbox adventure. Sadly that's also getting harder to get now so might be an eBay second hand job. There's several other starter sets, including a new one for the 2024 rules refresh but I've not had a chance to run that yet so can't personally recommend it. The other option is just buy a DM screen, two or three sets of dice and you're pretty much ready. For the prep time no two DMs are the same so the rather unhelpful advice is "do as much as you feel you need" and adjust it as you play until you find your own sweet spot.
3) See above, those starter campaigns really are the perfect place to start. There's lots of other great prewritten campaigns, both official and published by third party publishers, but the amount of work they need can vary greatly and some I still look at after 5 years of DMing and wonder how you're supposed to make sense of them
4) If you're using D&D Beyond I think the character builder is the key thing, you can learn a surprising amount about the rules just by making characters and it's free. The other features usually need a Master Tier subscription to use which isn't too expensive but you also don't really need maps and virtual table tops, you can run the whole game using what's called Theatre of the Mind and just describe what's going on. All you need that way is character sheets and some way to talk to people
For the other questions I got into D&D during covid. We were all in lockdown and unable to leave the house so it was a good excuse for my friends and I to meet up online and socialise. I played for about 6 months before our DM realised he'd really bitten off more than he could chew so I took over and I've been DMing ever since. I know run four separate games, including two for teenagers where I volunteer at the local library. I find it very rewarding as both a "gift" I give my friends and something I can give back to the community.
For what I wish I knew and advice for new players it's the same answer: I wish I knew how many great YouTubers there are giving out free advice on both playing and running the game. Ones I'd suggest are Ginny Di, who does very good and accessible advice on things like creating characters and roleplaying, Mystic Arts, who does very good advice on DMing, and the grand daddy of them all Matt Colville who did an entire series on how DMing isn't that frightening and how you can start right now.
Personally, I'd recommend the old starter set Lost Mines of Phandelver. It's technically the outdated version (there are two 5es: 2014 and 2024, but a lot of people still play 2014. I've run Phandelver, and it's very fun.
I always recommend finding a group first. A good group will be able to answer questions and teach you how to play much better than reading the book. Also many, probably most, groups have some house rules around making a character and fitting it into the world. (I know you said you’ve been reading about the world of D&D, but there isn’t one world. There are countless worlds, there a good half dozen published in the current edition, and tons of DMs who homebrew their own world which may or may not be similar to any of the published ones.)
If you are looking to form a group and start DMing, then I’d agree with cunningsmile that a starter kit is a good way to go.
If possible, I highly advise playing in person over online. It’s a very different experience, and in person is simply better. But depending on where you live it may not be an option, unfortunately.
I started playing when my dad handed me the red box in ‘83 and told me he thought I might like it. Turns out he was right.
Some big tips: there’s no wrong way to play; if you and the group are having fun, you’re doing it right, even if you don’t actually follow the rules. And no D&D is better than bad D&D. If you find a group, but don’t enjoy their play style, you’ll do everyone a favor by gracefully bowing out and finding a different group that fits the game you want to play.
CunningSmile pretty much hit it right out of the park. Here is the Matt Colville video series he was referring to. I highly recommend it.
Congrats on delving into the world of imagination!
1. DND Beyond offers a free 'basic rules' kit. It contains the only things you need to play. It doesn't offer everything the PHB offers, such as more subclass options, different backgrounds, etc. But, it contains the most important things: A 'How to Play' section, A 'Create a character' section that walks you through the process, and all the base classes and a subclass.
2."Which books are essential" nada. No books are 'essential'. BUT, if you use to basic kit and you like it and enjoy playing and want to expand your horizons, when it comes to DMing, I would recommend purchasing a Players handbook, a Dungeon Masters Guide, and a Monster Manual. Those three books really work hand in hand. But, that's about $150 in charges. So, i'd recommend just doing a PHB so that everyone at your table has something to look up their stuff quickly. You can always find DM TIPS online and on youtube videos. Though, I myself recently purchased the new 2024 trio and really like having the materials.
3. With the release of 2024, they came out with some new 'adventure kits' that contain little pre made campaigns. I watched a video recently that compared the Base kit vs the Hellfire club kit, and they pretty much said the Hellfire kit blows the base kit out the water. So, If you're looking for a starter kit, I'd recommend the Hellfire, and even youtube the difference on the two. note I don't think these kits come with any of the trio I mentioned earlier.
4. can't speak to DND beyond's utility. I have been playing for 20 years, and when covid hit, my friends and I migrated to Roll20, then over to FoundryVTT. I highly recommend FoundryVTT if you're gonna play online. It's a little bit to set up, but worth it once you do.
How you first got into D&D
Someone invited me to play, and I said yes. Queue multiple Friday & Saturday late nights sitting around a table playing DND for 8+ hours.
Any “I really wish someone had told me this earlier” tips for beginners
I am currently running a campaign for some couple friends and my wife. I have 5 players total, and 4 of them have never heard of DND beyond Stranger Things. As a DM to new players, the one thing I try to really instill in them is: Do your best to know how to play your character. Everyone makes mistakes, and that's okay. But, Do your best to know what your character can do, and how to do it. One of my players is a barbarian, and I gently remind her during combat 'hey, you can rage'. Or, my wife who is playing a cleric will ask what her spells do(I have since printed out spell cards for every spell caster at my table). But, it's important to know what you can do, so you can decide and let the DM do what they are suppose to be doing, which is everything else beyond playing your character lol.
If your DMing, remember, it's not you VS your players. It's a co-op. You want to tell a story that engages your players and challenges them. But, you never want to spite your players for doing something. Don't punish your friends if they outsmart you on something, reward them for finding new solutions you didn't think of.
There are tons of rules to DND. But the most important rule is to have fun. And sometimes, it's fun to break those rules. If your player comes up with a cool idea that goes against the rules, consider breaking it so they can feel cool. "Rule of cool vs Rule of law", side with cool. I remember 15 years ago, we were fighting a giant on the side of a tower that stretched into the sky, my buddy manage to trip the giant off the side and the giant grabbed him on his was down. We all held our buddy trying to save him, and my buddy looks at us and says, "Drop me." We let him go, and he felt stories while impaling the giant to death, and the DM let him live cause he 'landed on the gaint' and not the hard ground.
Recommendations for beginner-friendly rules explanations, play habits, or online tools for running games
The PHB or DMG goes over 'Session 0', and talks about setting boundaries with all the players.
I'd also recommend even just looking up various youtubers and finding personalities you like and going from there. Remember, any question you have, someone else had it 10 years ago. Google and the answer will be there lol.
Welcome to the hobby, I hope you get as much enjoyment out of it is many of us have been lucky enough to find. In addition to the very good advice CunningSmile gave one other YT channel I suggest is Dungeon Dudes. Very positive and a more "game-focused" alternative to Ginny Di's larger emphasis on RP and the softer side of the game. I am a big fan of both Ginny and the Dungeon Dudes' channels. https://www.youtube.com/@DungeonDudes
For some reason I completely forgot the Dungeon Dudes despite loving their channel and running two campaigns in the setting they created. But yes good shout, they practically taught me how to play when I started
Simplicity is your friend.
I would personally recommend the new Heroes of the Borderlands starter box. It's built on a rather older concept behind D&D, I would argue a far more refined understanding of what D&D is about (Adventure) and doesn't assume the need for the many heavy layers of modern RPG gaming.. aka the need to write backstories, not need to create motivations for characters just the simple adventure play of "your an adventure, there is a world to explore, go out there and find your fame, fortune and glory".
This is a simple concept that anyone can understand and relate to, and if you're dealing with new players its a simple motivation that doesn't require any preparation. Just make characters and go explore.
The module is super simple to run, it's a sandbox, but it has some general guides, like giving you a setting of difficulty for different areas. I think it's one of the most refined approaches for new players Wizards of the Coast has created in the 3 decades they have been running the franchise. It's quite brilliant.
You can easily sup-it-up into a full adventure game by adding 3 simple house rules.
1. Eliminate XP rewards, just award 1 XP for each 1 gold piece of treasure they haul back to the keep. (Gives the entire group a unified motivation)
2. Add closer resource and time tracking, call it a "stretch of time" for every activity they do outside of town. 1 "adventure action" takes 10 minutes. This way the players have a sense of the passage of time and some clear control over it. Aka "I look for traps".. takes a stretch, I disarm a trap, takes a stretch.. etc..
3. Introduce random encounters every X amount of time (whatever feels right) so that players know "burning time is dangerous".
But generally speaking, a simple adventure using basic rules is the way to go. As you and the players get more comfortable, you will naturally evolve to use more complex rules, more complex stories etc..
Basically, you want to introduce the game in the simplest terms possible as a concept, the rules is something you can teach as you play. The premise is quite simple "Your adventures seeking fame, fortune and glory. Your job is to go to the dangerous, hidden places of the world and explore them in hopes of finding said, fame, fortune and glory".
Simple, to the point... lets roll some dice!