So, you want to play what is widely considered to be the greatest table-top role-playing fantasy game of all time? Then you might be asking yourself, “where on earth do I begin?” Well, dear reader, look no further! In this detailed guide, I will explain to you the basic rules of the game, elaborate on key practices for new players, and give a few general tips for having an enjoyable experience, as well as provide you with some useful (and free) resources to help you begin your journey!
Getting The Gang Together
Before we can begin, we must acknowledge that Dungeons & Dragons – as with many other table top games – is a primarily multiplayer experience which is best enjoyed alongside others (nothing against Create Your Own Adventure games, those are great too!). So first things first, gather up some friends who are willing to set aside a few hours in their busy schedules to join you on your quest!
Having someone who is already an experienced player can often help make the process of starting much easier, but isn’t really necessary. For the sake of making things easy on your dungeon master, I highly recommend that you begin with somewhere around 3-4 players (including you) – unless he/she is more experienced with the game, in which case you can have as many players as you’d like!
That of course brings me to the next concern, which is picking your dungeon master – the person who is going to be running your game! The dungeon master is the one responsible for bringing your campaign and the world of D&D to life, as they will be the voice of all the strange and interesting characters that you will meet on your journeys: from the friendly old innkeeper to the dark lord seeking to conquer the realm! They will also be the one describing the environment and the results of the players’ actions, following the general rules of the game at their discretion. This individual should be one who enjoys telling stories, as they will be guiding the players throughout the events of their campaign.
Materials Needed
As a player, all you’ll really need is a pencil and some paper, your official character sheet, and a set of dice (like this free digital one from RGB Studios). Once your you’ve gathered everything together, you’re ready to get to the fun part which is…
Making Your Character
If you want to skip the details and simply jump into the game straight away, you’re more than welcome to choose from a list of pre-made characters. Otherwise, this is where you get to flex your creativity and design a personal avatar for your adventures in the world of D&D!
Class
To know what type of character you want to play as, first consider what aspects of the game you might be the most interested in. I have some class suggestions based on a few general goals, but there are certainly more than the ones I have listed here. Not to mention backgrounds which can further define the personality of your character!
Discovery/Exploration – If you’re the type of person who enjoys uncovering secrets, unraveling mysteries, or discovering hidden treasures, you might be interested in the following character types:
Ranger – A skilled hunter and tracker, typically favoring long ranged weapons like the bow, they are able to detect far-away things [https://www.dndbeyond.com/classes/ranger]
Rogue – A thief or assassin who uses stealth to sneak past enemies, deliver a fatal strike, or steal rare and precious items [https://www.dndbeyond.com/classes/ranger]
Wizard – Either a lone hermit or arcane scholar, they use the power of magic to alter the world around them [https://www.dndbeyond.com/classes/wizard]
Story/Roleplay – Maybe you’re more of the interactive type, and want to spend time getting to know characters, build alliances, and even make enemies? Then these might be more your speed:
Bard – The charismatic talkers and singers of the party, they have a variety of skills which allow them to easily persuade others [https://www.dndbeyond.com/classes/bard]
Druid – A “wizard of the wood” who aligns themselves with nature and can sometimes speak to animals [https://www.dndbeyond.com/classes/druid]
Warlock – Someone who has made a deal with an outer power in exchange for unusual abilities, they often have ties with strange characters [https://www.dndbeyond.com/classes/warlock]
Cleric – A divine mage or priest who wields the powers of a divine being, they often use their powers for healing others [https://www.dndbeyond.com/classes/cleric]
Paladin – A holy knight ready for battle, they’re similar to the cleric but focused more toward offense [https://www.dndbeyond.com/classes/paladin]
Fighting/Combat – Or maybe you’re just here to smash things, beat the bad guys, and save the day? Then try these:
Barbarian – The classic muscle-bound warrior who strikes first and asks questions later – always hitting heavy [https://www.dndbeyond.com/classes/barbarian]
Fighter – All around combatant who can master a variety of weapons, as well as take a beating without slowing down [https://www.dndbeyond.com/classes/fighter]
Monk – An unarmed martial artist who defeats their enemies through unconventional means [https://www.dndbeyond.com/classes/monk]
Sorcerer – An arcane master who uses powerful spells to destroy their foes and protect their friends [https://www.dndbeyond.com/classes/sorcerer]
Race
Once you’ve chosen a character class, its time to narrow down your look and origin. There is a plethora of fantasy races to choose from, each with their own individual quirks and unique abilities. This choice is largely made for role play purposes, but does have some effects which add skills or ability alterations to your character, such as Humans which gain a +1 to all abilities, or Dragonborns who have the ability to breathe fire or some other element.
Stats
After making these decisions, factor in your stats on your character sheet, rolling 4d6 and discarding the lowest roll. Add the numbers up for your total, then apply it to one of your stats on the left-hand side of the page. Do this for each of your ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, Charisma, etc.), placing the highest totals into the abilities that best reflect the type of character you’re playing. For example, you’d make strength your highest stat if you’re a barbarian, or charisma your highest if you’re a sorcerer since it’s the stat which determines the potency of your spells.
Each ability score has a modifier based on its total number. The modifier is what is added to rolls whenever your character performs an action, and is also what determines things like overall health. Write the modifiers for each of your stats next to your ability scores.
Next, find your hit dice. The hit die determines your health, and is what you roll in between battles to recover from injury. The type of die used is determined by the character class you’re playing as, and the number of die is based upon your current level (level 1). A chart of hit dice can be found in the descriptions for each character class in the previous section. Once you’ve found whichever hit die you’re using, add your Constitution modifier to your highest possible total from your hit dice. For example, a level one barbarian has 1d12 for their hit die, so the highest number you can reach is 12. Add 12 to the constitution modifier (lets say this barbarian has a strength score of 18, which would mean that their modifier would be +4) making the total health of this character =16. Write this number into your hit point total.
If you have a spell-casting character, find your spell-casting ability modifier which is determined by your class. Sorcerers, warlocks, bards, and paladins use Charisma. Clerics, monks, druids, and rangers use wisdom. Wizards uniquely use intelligence. Add your proficiency bonus (+2 for level one characters) to your spell stat, and this equals your spell attack bonus – the number you add whenever you hit with your spells.
All that’s left now is to choose your starting weapons and armor. Your class determines what type would best suit you, and a comprehensive list can be found here. This also determines your physical damage which you do to enemies, and your armor class which is the number that the DM must surpass when monsters try to attack you in order to deal damage.
For further details on finding the stats of your character and leveling up, refer to this article by Wizards of the Coast.
Playing The Game
Now that you and your friends’ characters are done, you’re ready to start playing the game! The dungeon master will place you at the beginning of their story with some conflict to confront. Together alongside your fellow party members, you will make decisions about what to do next, which quests to pursue, how to solve a problem etc. To do this, you have to make a roll!
Remember ability scores? Whenever you try to perform a difficult action, your DM may ask you to make an ability roll with your D20 die to determine whether you succeed or fail. Whichever number you get, you add (or if negative, subtract) your modifier from your roll to see whether you pass the difficulty of the action.
For example, say that a barbarian wants to break down a door to enter a room. If the door is made out of flimsy wood, you may only need to get a number higher than 5-10. If the door is made out of metal, it will be harder to break, and your roll may need to surpass 15 or even 20 in order to succeed.
This is applicable to all types of actions, as everything has some kind of ability score associated with it (as determined by the DM).
Combat
On your journey, you will eventually do battle with the bad guys, be they monsters, bandits, or the dark lord’s evil minions! To do this, first you must find your initiative score. Roll your D20 and add your dexterity modifier. This decides what your turn is in the order of players and enemies. The higher your initiative, the closer you are to going first; The lower your initiative, the closer you are to going last. The game cycles through everyone’s turn until someone is defeated or eventually flees the battlefield.
D&D is a turn-based game set on a grid. All characters including you, your allies, and the enemy must operate on this board during combat. You must use all the attacks and abilities at your disposal to defeat your foes. This requires a bit of tactical thinking and preparation, but generally, as long as you stick by your allies, you’re likely to succeed!
On your turn, choose an enemy to attack and move toward them (up to the limit of your movement for that turn which is typically 30 feet or 6 squares). Roll your D20 and attempt to strike, adding any proficiencies and bonuses. If your number surpasses the armor class of the enemy, you hit! Then you roll the damage die for your weapon. This damage number is subtracted from the enemy’s hit point total, and once their HP reaches zero, they will be beaten!
Each turn, you also have a bonus action. These can be different depending on your class, with some characters being able to cast an extra spell or do an extra attack!
After Combat is completed, you will gain experience points as decided by the DM. Add these points up at the top of your character sheet. After enough battles, you will eventually level up! Then you can continue your adventures to save the kingdom… or take it for yourself.
General Tips
Don’t forget to search the field after you’ve won a battle. There may be useful or important items to find!
D&D is all about player freedom and open-ended choices. Don’t be afraid to use your imagination. If there is something you want to do, ask your DM!
Remember to role-play! Part of the fun of this game is getting into character and interacting with your friends in fun and sometimes comical ways!
Refer to the official D&D website if you have questions about how to play the game.
This was a fun and informative read! I've played D&D before and I loved it, even though each time I was more or less going in kind of blind. I've learned more the more sessions I've been in, and this blog was also super helpful in my understanding of the game! I especially appreciated the brief descriptions of each character class (that would have been helpful for when I had to make a new character, ha!) and the helpful tips. It really is a complex game but a fun one with so many possibilities.
I have always wanted to play D&D so this was so fun to read! It sounds like more fun now after reading this because it sounds like a great time. Now I can understand why it's popular! Thanks for sharing your tips.
I really appreciate the guide! I've only played D&D on a few occasions because I don't get a lot of free time and even the rules/step-up itself taking to takes a fair amount of time to learn. The last time I played I was a rogue elf.
Gnome druid checking in! This is a great guide for breaking down the basics and getting started. The way you've categorized class options based on what someone may be trying to get out of playing is a smart way to introduce new players to the options.
I haven't played D&D since Covid first started, and this makes me want to get back into it! There's so much to the game and lore, but you narrowed that down and made it feel less overwhelming. It gives new players (and folks who are curious) a great starting place.