Whether you're a new player or a veteran of the game, finding a Dungeons & Dragons group can be challenging. If you've only just discovered D&D, you might be the only person you know who wants to play. But don’t despair. D&D is more popular now than it’s ever been before, and there are plenty of ways to find a gaming group. Here are three ways you can start your first D&D group:
- Ask Your Friends to Play
- Find a D&D Group Online
- Find a D&D Group at Your Local Gaming Store
- What You Need to Start Playing
Forming a D&D Group? Be Prepared to Run the Game
If you want to form a D&D group, be prepared to be the Dungeon Master (DM) — that is, the person who creates the dungeons, plays the NPCs, and otherwise sets the scene in-game and organizes the game sessions in real life. Being the DM can be a lot of work, but it’s incredibly fun, and being a DM means you’ll always be in hot demand when people want to play.
1. Ask Your friends to Play
Even if you don’t think your friends are the sort of people who would want to play D&D, consider asking! Folks who tend to take an interest in D&D typically enjoy other “geeky” activities — like reading fantasy novels, watching fantasy films and shows, writing, and playing video games. Of course, you don’t have to look any farther than Joe Manganiello or Travis Willingham to see that even folks who don’t look like a geek stereotype can love the game In fact, sports-lovers can become some of the most die-hard D&D players, once the adrenaline of fighting monsters kicks in.
It’s almost always better to start by suggesting a single one-shot game of D&D than trying to plan a whole campaign right off the bat — even if that’s what you want to do most. Let people dip their feet into the water before leaping into the deep end.
Once everyone’s all together, you might notice that people just want to socialize and be pals rather than play D&D. Don’t worry about this. They came here because you invited them to play D&D; they have school or work just like anyone else, and they have steam to blow off in casual conversation before they can buckle in to learn the ins and outs of a brand new roleplaying game. If people want to chat, don’t cut them off. Just hang out for a half-hour or so before getting everyone around the kitchen table to play.
Share Your Books With Friends
Although you can play Dungeons & Dragons for free by using the basic rules, players will discover tons of additional character options in the Player's Handbook. Similarly, DMs will find helpful tools and tips for running the game in the Dungeon Master's Guide. If you've bought any books in the D&D Beyond marketplace, you can unlock them for your friends by signing up for a Master-tier subscription. This is a great way to introduce friends to the game who might not yet be interested in purchasing any of the books.
2. Find a D&D Group Online
Whether you're seeking a group to play with online or just local groups in your area, the internet is a great place to find like-minded fans of the game. D&D Beyond offers two resources for finding groups:
- Looking for Players & Groups board in the D&D Beyond forums
- Specific channels in the D&D Beyond Discord
Joining a Play-by-Post game is a great alternative for those with a tricky schedule or who just love the written word. These types of campaigns are run entirely in the forums. The DM and the players type out everything that happens in the game and roll dice in replies. A play-by-post game can be a safe environment for you to learn the game at your own pace.
If you find and join an online D&D group, you'll want to ensure your internet connection is stable and that you've reduced background noise to minimize distractions in-game. As with games that happen in person, take plenty of notes and do your best to stay focused.
Find a Game to Play With StartPlaying
D&D has partnered with StartPlaying, the largest network of players and professional DMs, to make finding your next D&D group more effortless than ever!
When you're ready to sign up for StartPlaying, use this referral link when you create your new account for $10 off your first game.*
* The above offer is managed by StartPlaying (a partner of Wizards of the Coast) and is not controlled by Wizards in any way. We cannot guarantee its availability. For details on how to redeem that offer or any other questions you may have about the StartPlaying service, please reach out to StartPlaying.
3. Find a Group at Your Local Gaming Store
When you're trying to find a D&D group, your local game store is another great place to start. Most gaming stores and hobby shops have at least one of two things: a bulletin board where groups can post flyers looking for new players or groups of people playing D&D Adventurers League. Both can land you a seat in a game. (Not sure where to find a store? The Wizards of the Coast website has a store and event locator.)
Ask the staff if their store hosts any D&D events. Some have a weekly D&D Adventurers League night, where you'll pay a small entry fee to join a group of players in a game. As people can freely jump in and out of games from one week to the next, you'll meet plenty of new and veteran players. Keep in mind, Adventurers League sessions tend to be more focused on combat and overcoming game challenges than roleplay. If you want a story-telling-focused experience, joining a group might be preferable depending on the DM.
If you're interested in joining a local D&D group, be upfront about your experience level, what you're looking for in a campaign, and what your schedule looks like. Every DM has a unique style and prefers to run their campaigns in a certain way. You'll want to ensure your playstyle aligns with theirs and their group's. Further, when getting to know new people, trust your instincts and don’t play with those who make you uncomfortable.
Don't Overlook Your Local Library or School
Your local library could be another way to find a group to play with. Ask the front desk if the library runs any games or would be open to you running a game of your own. Chances are, if there's a lack of D&D groups in your area, you can attract players by posting a notice at your library. Similarly, if you're in school, seek out any gaming clubs or start one of your own. A video game or board game club could be the perfect place for you to find other people interested in the game.
What You Need to Start Playing
If you and your friends are new to Dungeons & Dragons, you'll need to learn how to play! The basic rules of the game are free on D&D Beyond. Don't feel pressured to memorize everything, however. What's most important is that each of the players has a character to play and the Dungeon Master has an adventure to run.
Use the free character builder to easily make a character. The free introductory adventure Intro to Stormwreck Isle, which leads into Dragons of Stormwreck Isle, is great for new Dungeon Masters and players.
James Haeck (@jamesjhaeck) is the former lead writer for D&D Beyond, the co-author of Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus, and the Critical Role Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, a member of the Guild Adepts, and a freelance writer for Wizards of the Coast, the D&D Adventurers League, and other RPG companies. He lives in Seattle with his fiancée, Hannah, and their animal companions Mei and Marzipan.
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Posted Oct 4, 2021Does anyone know when the strixhaven guide comes out? It looks awesome.
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Posted Oct 4, 2021Hardcover release date: this title will be released on November 16, 2021. I won't get it, myself, as I'm not a fan of card games, MTG, and the likes, which this book is focused on.
I don't know about more races...I last counted there are over 246 races to choose from, while I allow players to only play the core from the original AD&D: Half-Orc, Human, Dwarven, Elven, Hafling, Gnome, and Half-Elf. Kicking the game old school, and players dig it.
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Posted Oct 4, 2021Someone was actually paid to write this?
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Posted Oct 4, 2021I’ll probably rent it and see if it’s good before actually purchasing it. It’s got a good plot idea but I guess you could always do a normal campaign taking place in a school. Also, I never expected there to be 246 races, is that 5e or all of them combined (does that include subraces?)?
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Posted Oct 4, 2021246 races are all races in D&D 5e (sub races included) from all official D&D publications: I buy everything D&D 5e (not to mention 1st edition too).
Note: some would argue 122 races.
Like Goblin comes up as four different races, though they are just labeled "Goblin" - Ebbron, Guildmaster's Guide, Volo's Guide, etc. And not even mentioning unofficial publications: Creature Codex, there's Choas- Spawn Goblins, Shadow Goblins, etc.
Nonetheless, more than enough to go around....more races in a book isn't compelling enough for me to purchase....anyways, players are limited at my table to core original races: dwarf, elf, half elf, half orc, human, gnome, and halfling.
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Posted Oct 5, 2021But what about dragonborns? They are my all time favorite race and they are in all editions 3 and up. They have their breath weapon and resistance and just plain cool. Anyway, you said you buy 1st edition stuff, do you play it? From what I know it’s more complicated than the newer ones though it is the orginal
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Posted Oct 5, 2021I've played 1st, 2nd, etc. buy books accordingly. I don't play 1st edition, I play the most recent edition, because players like to migrate to new editions.
I'm not saying Dragonborns don't exist - they do, but as NPC/monster/foe.
As DM I have to pivot guidelines to ensure adventures are memorable and immersive - and that happens when you make player characters work for it (and tell a great story).
If it were up to players they would play giants, dragons and gods, and buff all stats to 30 - easy and boring.
Instead the guidelines are changed for the sake of adventure, story and players at the table.
For example, no player can be Chaotic Evil (that is reserved for NPC/monsters/foes), or Detect Magic isn't a ritual spell (all players love this so there's no spamming every time I speak, "I detect magic" and keeps things interesting), or say magic items - I ensure it doesn't make life easy for them like Broom or Flying of Winged Boots, or Decanter of Endless Water (fly where ever, else never needing to worry about water - essentials to making an adventure an adventure)... .
All these amazing and powerful magic items like Broom of Flying or Flying Winged Boots do exist throughout my multiverse, but as lore or for story, for NPC's, monsters and foes, but not for players.
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Posted Oct 5, 2021Dang, it would be nice to play as a whole dragon with all 30s in stats. Do you use homebrew worlds or forgotten realms stuff? Eberron is really cool, on the topic of eberron, does the prosthetic arm require atunment? in rising from the last war it does but not in tasha’s
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Posted Oct 5, 2021I use all elements of everything D&D - it depends on the adventure, and in context of the story being told.
If I feel the it's relevant, it can be introduced to players, in story, or world, but if it's not, its somewhere in this cosmos of D&D, either as legend, lore, rumor, gossip, myth, etc.
Players don't mind - what they care about is consistency - as long as your consistent, it allows believability to take root for the players.
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Posted Oct 5, 2021What’s your longest running campaign?
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Posted Oct 5, 2021No campaign. Just adventures. My players have always been adventurers, per session, building characters...had one player become an 11th level Paladin. But its rare to live that long,
lifes#itdice happens. Games can last several minutes to 5 hours - totally depends on their decisions.-
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Posted Oct 5, 2021The one I’m currently running. We’ve been going for a year and a half and it’s still not done.
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Posted Oct 5, 2021I can totally see that, if you're meeting once every month or two. How many sessions so far? And how many more sessions expected to go, before completion? What's the story pitch? What's the story synopsis?
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Posted Oct 5, 2021We play weekly. Don't ask me how many sessions so far, I can't remember. I don't know how long till the end, it depends on what the players do. The story is pretty simple. Ashardalon (the red dragon from 3e) is gonna take over the world. I've utterly changed all of his lore. He's now the most powerful being in the cosmos, other then Ao. It took 2 full pantheons to kill him, but now he's back but doesn't have his full divine power (long story). He's still CR 50, though. The PCs have been Chosen by the gods, have reunited Delzuon and Cormanthyr, and are taking him down (so far, not very successfully..)
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Posted Oct 5, 2021Oh, Forgotten Realms. Yeah, I don't lock characters or my story to a single setting - though I do stick with traditional D&D (swords, sorcery, monsters), and not steam punk like Eberron, and no guns, grenades, or gun powder.
I have too many stories to tell, and can't lock myself into one world to tell them all. Sometimes characters will be in the world of Dragonlance, sometimes Greyhawk, though most times, just somewhere in the multiverse of D&D (from Ravenloft to Outer Planes, from ancient Greece mythological world to ancient Roman mythological world).
My stories are like a single movie - beginning and end, and not a series, trilogy or saga.
Though in between adventures, 6 months to 2 years has passed in game time for characters (so they can learn new level spells, train and master their skills and abilities, treasure dwindle, magic researched, etc.).
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Posted Oct 5, 20215 years - 2e, 4 years Star Trek, Traveller and CP2020, 3 years 5e, 2 years Champions 1e (multiple groups, same "world")
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Posted Oct 5, 2021I was really curious about Ravenloft from the perspective from a DM, have you actually got your group to feel some sort of fear? I feel like it would be really hard to get the players genuinely afraid. 5 years? dang, how do you keep the story fresh and new? They have got to be 20th level by now.
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Posted Oct 5, 2021Fear? Yes! Its very easy from my ability to tell story with respects to the construct of D&D. First, you need to ensure characters aren't over powered (no magic items that make adventuring easy). Now, tell a story, story brings immersion, don't focus so much on lore, superstition, etc. let those be the details unveil within the discoveries of characters, actions and dialogue of NPC's, SHOW - DON'T TELL. Don't over do the details - your players have an imagination. Add a tad, just a tad of auditory immersion (a wind, a rain, a thunderous strike, a rolling thunder, a howling sound, a scream, etc.). Most importantly, let their imagination guide the scenes: don't say x monster....instead, use voice tones, pauses, suggestive sounds, to drive the players imagination and characters curiosity. Yet still, most important - story, story, story. Have a very, very well planned, laid out story and scenes, and plot points, story hooks and plot twists.
DM must be narrator and story teller first, then moderator.
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Posted Oct 7, 2021Another good tip for finding people online is looking on Reddits r/LFG, many GMs post looking for an extra player or two(Or even a whole party) and they're usually very fast at responding. Just yesterday I joined 2 new campaigns this way.
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Posted Oct 7, 2021Look for Online DnD groups in discord, I have seen people all over the place play dnd in TableTop simulator and discord. Discord has dice rolling bots so everyone can see each others rolls. Some people like role playing over discord more since no one can see them.