How did you learn? Did you read the rules first, or just sit down and go?
For me and my family, we just started with pregen character sheets, and my wife, the DM, walked us through all the relevant stuff.
“Here’s your health, or HP. Here’s your basic abilities. It’s a score between 1 and 20. Based on how far that number is from 10, you get a modifier to add to rolls. These are more specific skills associated with those abilities. The modifier you got there applies here. This area is for saving throws. Skills are for active use of abilities. Saving throws are reactive use of abilities. Everyone starts out with a proficiency bonus of 2 right here. If your character is proficient in a skill or save, they add that 2 to the ability modifier they already get.
“I’ll routinely have you roll a d20 and tell you which skill or saving throw’s modifier to add to get a total that will be compared with some number, either on my own dice, in my notes, or in my head. I might roll a d20 when a monster tries to attack you. That number gets compared with your AC here. If it ties or betters it, that attack will hit you and we’ll roll other dice to determine how much HP you lose. It works the same way if you are the one to attack a monster or anything else.
“Normally, in a game we just do anything you want. You just interact with the world and story. No decisions need to be made based on what you can accomplish on a single turn. But sometimes we get into a situation where we do need to take turns, like a combat. This number is your initiative modifier. You roll a d20 and add that so we know who gets to act first when we move into that mode. This is your speed. When we’re taking turns, that’s as far as you can move in one turn.
This is where your weapon info sits. Really grasping this will take some learning through experience. But If you have a mace, you see it tells you to add + whatever to your d20 roll. That’s your attack bonus. If your attack roll is higher than your target’s AC, you’ll use that next chunk on that line. Maces roll a d6 for damage, and you get to add your strength modifier to the damage roll as well. So that’s where they get the 1d6+3. If your character attacks with magic(as at least half the classes do, and half of those rarely attack with anything but magic.), it’s the same. Firebolt adds an attack bonus just like with a mace. But it just deals 1d10 of fire damage. Firebolt is a cantrip, so it’s a spell that can be cast over and over, but stronger spells can only be used so much. To cast a stronger spell, you spend a spell slot. When they’re used up, you have to finish a rest to use them again. Many spells make the target roll a saving throw to avoid being hit with the magic. The number they have to match or beat is your Spell DC, right there.
”There’s your inventory. There’s languages and tools your character is familiar with. And weapons and armor they can make the most of. This big area with lots of words is features that you only get by virtue of your character’s race or class. I’ll answer anything you need help understanding about those, but we have enough to get started.”
And I think I just covered enough to get new players started in 5 paragraphs.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I'm gonna start with making characters then move on to gameplay
i don't think you teach D&D...you play D&D and you learn as you go. having said that, make each one read the basic rules.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
How did you learn? Did you read the rules first, or just sit down and go?
For me and my family, we just started with pregen character sheets, and my wife, the DM, walked us through all the relevant stuff.
“Here’s your health, or HP. Here’s your basic abilities. It’s a score between 1 and 20. Based on how far that number is from 10, you get a modifier to add to rolls. These are more specific skills associated with those abilities. The modifier you got there applies here. This area is for saving throws. Skills are for active use of abilities. Saving throws are reactive use of abilities. Everyone starts out with a proficiency bonus of 2 right here. If your character is proficient in a skill or save, they add that 2 to the ability modifier they already get.
“I’ll routinely have you roll a d20 and tell you which skill or saving throw’s modifier to add to get a total that will be compared with some number, either on my own dice, in my notes, or in my head. I might roll a d20 when a monster tries to attack you. That number gets compared with your AC here. If it ties or betters it, that attack will hit you and we’ll roll other dice to determine how much HP you lose. It works the same way if you are the one to attack a monster or anything else.
“Normally, in a game we just do anything you want. You just interact with the world and story. No decisions need to be made based on what you can accomplish on a single turn. But sometimes we get into a situation where we do need to take turns, like a combat. This number is your initiative modifier. You roll a d20 and add that so we know who gets to act first when we move into that mode. This is your speed. When we’re taking turns, that’s as far as you can move in one turn.
This is where your weapon info sits. Really grasping this will take some learning through experience. But If you have a mace, you see it tells you to add + whatever to your d20 roll. That’s your attack bonus. If your attack roll is higher than your target’s AC, you’ll use that next chunk on that line. Maces roll a d6 for damage, and you get to add your strength modifier to the damage roll as well. So that’s where they get the 1d6+3. If your character attacks with magic(as at least half the classes do, and half of those rarely attack with anything but magic.), it’s the same. Firebolt adds an attack bonus just like with a mace. But it just deals 1d10 of fire damage. Firebolt is a cantrip, so it’s a spell that can be cast over and over, but stronger spells can only be used so much. To cast a stronger spell, you spend a spell slot. When they’re used up, you have to finish a rest to use them again. Many spells make the target roll a saving throw to avoid being hit with the magic. The number they have to match or beat is your Spell DC, right there.
”There’s your inventory. There’s languages and tools your character is familiar with. And weapons and armor they can make the most of. This big area with lots of words is features that you only get by virtue of your character’s race or class. I’ll answer anything you need help understanding about those, but we have enough to get started.”
And I think I just covered enough to get new players started in 5 paragraphs.