Never Played D&D? Here's How to Start This Weekend
, by Waterfront News, 1 min reading time
No experience, no problem. One box, a few mates and a table is all it takes to run your first adventure.
Dungeons & Dragons looks complicated from the outside. It isn't. One person tells the story (the Dungeon Master), everyone else plays a hero, and dice decide whether your wild ideas actually work. That's the whole game.
1. Grab a Starter Set, not the big books
The D&D Starter Set has a ready-made adventure, pre-built characters, a slim rulebook and a set of dice. You can open it on Friday night and be fighting goblins by 8pm. The Player's Handbook is brilliant, but save it for when you're hooked.
2. Use the pre-made characters
Building a character from scratch is half the fun later on, but for game one just pick the sheet that looks coolest. Fighter if you want to hit things, Wizard if you want to blow things up, Rogue if you want to sneak around and steal everything that isn't nailed down.
3. Whoever's read the most gets to be DM
The Dungeon Master isn't playing against the table, they're the referee and narrator. Read the adventure booklet once through, keep a pencil handy, and remember the golden rule: if you don't know a rule, make a fair call and keep the game moving. Look it up later.
4. Say yes to silly ideas
The best D&D moments come from someone asking "can I try to...?" The answer is nearly always "roll for it." Failing spectacularly is just as memorable as succeeding.
5. Keep session one short
Two to three hours is plenty. End on a cliffhanger and everyone will be pestering you for the next date.
Ready? Pick up a Starter Set and a set of dice, and drop into the shop if you want a hand choosing. We've all rolled our first natural 1 too.