D&D Getting Started
So you are interested in this whole "D&D" thing, eh? Want to play but not sure where to start? It is easy! Now, you may be saying "I have seen all the stuff you have to buy to play. Is it really worth it?" And to that, I have two responses. First, YES! It is the most fun you can have with your brain! And second, Ignore all the other accessories you have seen for now, you only need three things to play Dungeons and Dragons.
Yep, that's all you need!! Not much, huh? We will cover these below in detail, so lets get to it! |
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Rules:
5th Edition Core Rule Books (Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual), and the Tyranny of Dragons Adventure Books (Hoard of the Dragon Queen & The Rise of Tiamat)
First and foremost, you need the rules. Now you may have seen the plethora of Dungeons & Dragons books on the market. Maybe this is a factor in your reasoning for not playing up to this point. But, FEAR NOT, Let me clarify a few things.
Point One, There are multiple editions of D&D (Like the 5th Edition books shown here). Each one with its own set of books and it's own rule set. You will be choosing one(1) of these and you only need to reference the materials concerning the edition that you choose, not all of them, so ignore the others.
Point Two, Not all the books are required to play, in fact NONE are!!! You read that right, NONE ARE REQUIRED TO PLAY! I mean, don't get me wrong, you will more than likely end up wanting a few of them, but you don't need to shell out a single dime on rule books to play.
Point One, There are multiple editions of D&D (Like the 5th Edition books shown here). Each one with its own set of books and it's own rule set. You will be choosing one(1) of these and you only need to reference the materials concerning the edition that you choose, not all of them, so ignore the others.
Point Two, Not all the books are required to play, in fact NONE are!!! You read that right, NONE ARE REQUIRED TO PLAY! I mean, don't get me wrong, you will more than likely end up wanting a few of them, but you don't need to shell out a single dime on rule books to play.
Basic Rules DL Page
You see, while the "Full" books are nice to have, and like I said, you will probably want to get some eventually if you get into it, but in the meantime, you can download the "Basic Rules" in PDF format* from the Wizards of the Coast website for FREE!! Yep, FOR FREE!
So, What's the difference? Simple. While the Basic/Free versions do contain everything you need to play, there are several options and variants left out of them. For Example, when choosing a Class for your character, only the basic four(4) are shown in the basic rules, while the "Full" Player's Handbook offers twelve(12). Things like this will make you want to buy the full materials in time (probably why they give out the Basic Rules for free), but they are not required!!
*There are also web-based versions of both the Basic Player's Handbook and the Basic Dungeon Master's Guide if you don't want to use the PDF versions.
Dice:
Artistic representation of a 20-sided Die
Second, You need some dice. Now this is probably the most expensive part of getting started. Because while most people have a few 6-sided dice laying around somewhere in the house, most non-role-players don't have the dice used in D&D.
The main die used in D&D is the 20-sided (d20) die. As shown to the right here, it is a die that has 20 sides numbered 1 to 20, and is not common among other games. A full set of dice (usually about 5-10 dice in a set, standard being 7)** can be purchased from a gaming store for about $10.
The good news is that while it may be more convenient for each player to have their own set, only one set is required, and they can be shared by the entire gaming group.
The main die used in D&D is the 20-sided (d20) die. As shown to the right here, it is a die that has 20 sides numbered 1 to 20, and is not common among other games. A full set of dice (usually about 5-10 dice in a set, standard being 7)** can be purchased from a gaming store for about $10.
The good news is that while it may be more convenient for each player to have their own set, only one set is required, and they can be shared by the entire gaming group.
Six(6) complete standard sets of 7 dice in different colors.
** The standard set includes one(1) of each of the following dice:
- Four Sided (d4) die
- Six Sided (d6) die
- Eight Sided (d8) die
- Ten Sided (d10) die
- Percentile Die (d10) die (A Ten sided die, numbered by Tens)
- Twelve Sided (d12) die
- Twenty Sided (d20) die
Friends:
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Lastly, you will need some friends to play with. While dice may be the most expensive part of getting started, getting friends to play with will be the hardest. Now, I am not saying that people who want to play D&D don't have friends, nor am I saying that you will have trouble convincing others to play. (In fact, I have more people wanting to play than I have room for at the table, lol.) What I mean is that getting a group of people together on a regular basis, consistently and reliably usually proves to be the hard part of the game. But, once you do, this game is truly engaging and immensely fun! In the words of Matthew Colville, "It's the most fun you can have with your brain." In fact, I recommend his videos on being a DM (Dungeon Master) if you are looking for a bit of insight on how to be a better DM.
Speaking of DMs, One of you or your friends (probably you if you are the one reading this) will need to take on the role of the Dungeon Master. The DMs responsibilities include narrating the story and taking on the roles of all the "Non-Player Characters", those are the characters not being played by the other players. These would include persons such as Inn keepers, merchants, and the like, as well as the monsters, of course. |
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So, There you have it. It's not hard. It's not expensive. It just takes some time, a little effort, and some friends. But it's a blast, an absolute BLAST!.