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Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is simply a tabletop roleplaying crippled (TTRPG) from Wizards of the Coast, designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson successful 1974. Largely based connected the phantasy satellite of The Lord of the Rings, the crippled has undergone respective iterations successful the astir 50 years since it was archetypal published, and is inactive wide played by radical of each ages. Recently, it’s gotten a batch much mainstream attraction than accustomed acknowledgment to its quality connected Stranger Things. If you’re funny successful learning however to play Dungeon & Dragons, it tin look overwhelming though.
But, the quality of immoderate TTRPG is that it tin beryllium played astir anywhere, with astir nary instrumentality — oregon arsenic galore TTRPG gaming accessories arsenic you choose. All you truly request to play D&D is simply a book, a pencil, and immoderate dice, and you tin adjacent bash it each connected your telephone if you privation to. Games tin beryllium played successful person, implicit the internet, oregon adjacent via the mail… though that would surely marque combat spell slow!
I’ve been playing TTRPGs for astir 25 years, and portion (unlike astir gamers!) D&D was not my first, nor is it my go-to, it’s a classical and a crippled I truly enjoy. The strategy is not overly complicated, the satellite is vast, and overall, the crippled offers a large woody to like. (Looking for a antithetic crippled to play? Check retired these TTRPGs that aren’t D&D.)
What You Need to Play D&D: the Books
The Player’s Handbook
This is THE starter publication for anyone looking to play their archetypal crippled — and besides the publication seasoned players inactive trust connected for rules, worldbuilding info, and more!
The Monster Manual
This publication gives you the lowdown connected each monster you mightiness encounter, each of them afloat illustrated!
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The Dungeon Master’s Guide
This is the publication for anyone who doesn’t conscionable privation to play, but wants to tally the game, mounting the country for the players whose actions volition archer the story.
In summation to these, determination are dozens of supplemental books that see afloat plotted adventures and more. Looking for thing that volition screen each the basics, truthful you don’t person to bargain each the books conscionable yet? Check retired the Dungeons and Dragons Starter Set 5th Edition for a compressed mentation of the rules, a started acceptable of dice, and an escapade you tin play solo oregon with up to 5 people. Additionally, Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle is successful Target now, and volition beryllium disposable everyplace soon.
What You Need to Play D&D: the Basics
Beyond the superior books, analog players volition request the pursuing items (all of which tin beryllium replicated with a astute telephone if you prefer):
- Character Sheets
- Pencils
- Polyhedral Dice (4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, 12, and 20-sided; immoderate radical besides usage a 100-sided die)
Many radical bask playing with representation tiles and miniatures, which tin beryllium purchased ready-to-play oregon for you to overgarment the mode you similar them.
Beyond these, you whitethorn find that you bask assorted different things specified arsenic dice trays, multiples of each benignant of dice truthful they tin beryllium rolled together, and more. But I committedness you tin commencement retired with the implicit basics — and if you’re joining a game, you tin astir apt get them!
What You Need to Play D&D: the Bodies
If you’re playing successful a group, you’ll request 1 dungeon maestro (DM, besides known arsenic a crippled maestro successful different RPGs) and 1 oregon much players. Each of you volition make a character, but for the DM. This tin beryllium done astatine the archetypal meeting, oregon session, oregon it tin beryllium done up of time. Either way, let plentifulness of time.
That’s it! Additional characters, known arsenic non-player characters (NPCs) volition beryllium played by the DM.
How to Play Dungeons & Dragons
Step 1. Roll Up a Character
Creating your quality is simply a operation of creativity and the luck of the dice. You tin besides find pre-made characters successful respective of the D&D books.
To make a quality from scratch, you indispensable take the character’s “race,” oregon species, and their “class,” specified arsenic Bard, Druid, Rogue, Paladin, oregon Wizard. Then you volition rotation the dice to find however galore points you person to administer connected your quality sheet.
For each of the six main attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma), you’ll rotation 4D6, which is simply a 6-sided dice 4 times, oregon 4 6-sided dice rolled astatine the aforesaid time, region the lowest number, and adhd the different three. The full is assigned to that attribute, and you repetition that 5 times. Depending connected what benignant of quality you privation to play, you whitethorn enactment a higher fig successful spot than successful wisdom, oregon vice versa. If you similar not to rotation for those numbers, you tin usage the “standard” set: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8.
Then you volition delegate a fewer much numbers, make your quality background, and capable retired your supplies, arms, and armor. If your quality is simply a magic user, you’ll capable retired a spell sheet. And that’s astir it! One much thing: don’t hide to sanction your character!
There is simply a much elaborate breakdown of D&D quality instauration connected Instructables.
Step 2: You’re successful a Tavern
Okay, truthful you mightiness oregon mightiness not commencement retired successful a tavern, but the classical opener for a crippled of D&D is simply a disparate radical of characters being hired connected for a quest successful a gathering spot specified arsenic a tavern. However your peculiar escapade is beginning, the DM volition acceptable the country by describing wherever you are and portraying the assorted radical — different than 1 another’s characters — you encounter. This volition proceed passim your adventure, with the DM providing the setting, the monsters, and the NPCs for the players’ game. The DM is successful complaint of giving the players guidelines, but the player’s choices should dictate wherever the crippled goes.
Step 3: Roll for Initiative
Over the people of a crippled — an escapade tin instrumentality 1 nighttime oregon beryllium dispersed retired implicit galore — the players volition rotation for assorted skills, including things specified arsenic figuring retired if an NPC is lying to them, completing puzzles, and warring opponents. Initiative is erstwhile each subordinate rolls to find the combat order. Because combat is turn-based, it helps to person bonuses for this roll…if your quality is simply a fighter.
What Do the Different Editions Mean?
You mightiness perceive radical notation to D&D, AD&D, 3E, 5E, and different perchance confusing abbreviated names. AD&D is Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, and it’s the aforesaid crippled we telephone D&D. (Nerds, bash not @ me. The favoritism is meaningless.) The assorted numbers with an E pursuing them notation to the antithetic editions of the game. There are immoderate reasonably important regularisation changes betwixt editions — we are presently connected 5E, oregon the 5th variation — truthful it’s precise important to marque definite your full radical is playing with the rules for the aforesaid one!
F.A.Q.
How Many People Do You Need to Play D&D? Can I Play D&D By Myself?
You tin play D&D with immoderate fig of people!
How Long Does It Take to Play D&D?
With pre-rolled characters and a prefab adventure, you tin play a afloat crippled successful a substance of hours. On the different hand, I’ve played games that lasted years, with players coming and going and assorted characters joining the enactment arsenic others died oregon were retired. It’s genuinely up to you and your group!
What Else Do I Need To Know to Play Dungeons & Dragons?
Above each else, D&D is expected to beryllium fun. It’s a signifier of collaborative storytelling wherever nary 1 idiosyncratic should beryllium the main quality (unless you’re playing solo!) and everyone should consciousness welcome. There is nary spot for racism and sexism, especially, successful D&D, contempt a past of both. If your radical isn’t comfortable, accidental thing — oregon find a caller group!
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