How to Play Dungeons & Dragons:
STEP-BY-STEP BEGINNER’S GUIDE:
PART ONE
Maybe you watched Stranger Things.
Maybe you’ve heard people talk about rolling dice and had no idea what they meant.
Maybe you’ve been looking for a new way to connect with friends.
Maybe you saw a group playing at your local game store.
Maybe you’ve been told it’s complicated, and you are kind of complicated, so, why not?
Maybe you’re ready to go on an adventure.
Whatever the reason that brought you here, it sounds like you’re a little D&D curious!
What is a Role Playing game?
A Role-Playing Game (RPG) is a story telling game.
Think about the last time you read a book or watched a TV show or movie and thought: “oh no, don’t do that!” or maybe “open the door, quick!”, or even “he should call for help, not go down in the basement alone!”
Have you ever contemplated how you would do something in one of those stories? If you’ve ever considered how you’d be able to survive a zombie apocalypse, or perhaps imagined sneaking around in the Upside Down, or wondered what it would feel like to be Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings, you’re in the right place. You already know how to do this!
In the game, one person serves as the Game Master (GM) and the other players create and control characters. The GM uses a story to guide the players through a series of experiences. The GM controls the pace of the story and lets players know if their actions are successful or not.
There are many different RPG game systems: Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), Pathfinder, Shadowdark, Savage Worlds, Call of Cthulhu, and so many more. Each system uses different rule sets or themes such as fantasy, science fiction, post-apocalyptic, etc., but the premise is similar: go on adventures with your friends and family!
Because there are so many different types of RPGs, you can pick the one that fits what you are interested in. Think of picking out a RPG system like going to a bookstore or library and browsing the different genres and sections. D&D is probably the most well-known and popular (although many would debate with me on that), but that doesn’t mean it is the right RPG for you. If you’re more interested in science fiction or post-apocalyptic stories, you may want a different option. This post is going to focus on D&D, but the core concepts I am going to discuss are general enough to apply broadly to most other systems.
The rules and details of RPGs are frequently perceived as SUPER confusing for people who are new to RPGs. Let’s go through them step-by-step so that (hopefully…) it makes a bit more sense. I’ll also be posting a FREE RPG Print & Play Tutorial sometime in the next month which you can download, print, and play!
If you want to get started, keep reading and then check out the other resources (both free & paid) that I’ve included at the bottom of the post.
The Three Pillars of RPGs
There are lots of adventures that can be had in RPGs, but all of them have parts that fall into three primary categories: exploration, role-playing, and combat. A good adventure has a bit of each!
Exploration
Exploration is about discovering the world. Players can move through unique places, investigate objects, solve problems, and make choices about where to go and what to interact with. When playing, it might look like:
- Walking through a forest, dungeon, or town
- Searching a room for clues or treasure
- Solving puzzles
- Making decisions like “Do we go left or right?” or “Do we open the door?”
Role-Playing
Role-playing is about pretending to be your character and deciding what they say or do based on who they are. When playing, it might look like:
- Talking to townsfolk, shopkeepers, or kings
- Making choices based on your character’s personality
- Saying things like, “My character is nervous, so she stays quiet”
- You can speak “in character” with a fun voice, or you can just describe what your character does or what they sound like
Combat
Combat is when characters face danger or conflict,usually against monsters, villains, or other threats. Combat is different from role-playing or exploration because it uses clear rules to decide what happens and players take turns in a specific order. When playing, it might look like:
- Fighting goblins, dragons, monsters, or spooky creatures
- Taking turns with others to attack, defend, or use special abilities
- Working together as a team to overcome a challenge or obstacle
- Sometimes avoiding combat altogether by being clever or sneaky
The Rules
Okay, so you’ve learned about the pillars of the game. But how does it actually work?
At their heart, RPGs are simply telling a story collaboratively. Normally when reading a story or watching a show, a person is doing so alone and is passively experiencing an idea that someone else invented. In RPGs, each player controls a character inside that story while the GM describes the world and what happens in it.
Unlike board games, there is no fixed board. Unlike video games, there is no screen deciding what you can or cannot do. In a role-playing game, you can attempt anything your character (you) might reasonably try.
Picture this: There is a locked castle door in front of you. You need to get inside. How do you do it?
Knock on the door?
Parkour up the wall?
Pick the lock?
You decide how you want to get inside, explore the world, kill the beast, do the thing!
The rules of the game only exist to help decide what happens when the outcome is uncertain, like, oh no – did you fall down when you tried to parkour just now? That’s where the dice come in!
The Dice
The dice help decide what happens when the outcome of an action is uncertain. The rules and dice-rolling are not meant to limit creativity; instead, they exist to support fair and exciting storytelling.
Rolling the dice can happen both in combat and outside of combat.
Here are some examples of when a player may roll dice outside of combat:
- Jumping a large distance
- Trying to pick a pocket
- Trying to convince the person you picked the pocket of that it actually wasn’t you
- Playing an instrument or singing a song
- Searching for footprints in the forest
Here are some examples of when a player may roll dice during combat:
- Shooting an arrow, swinging a sword, throwing a dagger or axe
- Casting a spell
- Trying to avoid being hit by a spell or attack
The game uses several different dice, each with a different number of sides. The most common is the 20-sided die, often called a d20. This dice is used for most of the rolling in the game. When a character attempts something risky—like jumping a gap, persuading a guard, or attacking a monster—the Game Master may ask the player to roll.
Higher rolls (usually) mean better results. Lower rolls may mean a total failure, a partial success, or unexpected consequences.
The Game Master (GM)
At the core, a GM is a storyteller. They come up with fun ideas and take lots of notes. Or forget to write things, down, depending on the person. What, no, I definitely don’t comment on that from personal experience…
Anyway! GMs are also:
- The narrator of the world
- The referee of the rules
- The voice of non-player characters
- The guide who presents challenges and opportunities
The GM describes what the characters see, hear, and experience. When players make choices, the GM reacts and describes the results. Together, the group creates a story that no one could have predicted alone. Most importantly, the GM is playing with the group, not against it. Their goal is to help everyone have fun and feel engaged.