How do you play dungeons and dragons [Archive] - Wizards Community

How do you play dungeons and dragons [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Skizzer19
10-19-06, 12:51 AM I'm just new to playing D&d and I have just got a basic set
what do I do now? I read the directions but they are all so confusing
MastiffPaul
10-19-06, 01:58 AM Hoo boy.
Maxwell_Silverhammer
10-19-06, 02:03 AM You need to find a DM who will hold your hand a bit or a Player who will look out for you. Tell them you are new and they should help you.

Buy a players handbook and READ READ READ....take lots of notes
Razieliffied
10-19-06, 02:09 AM The best I could reckomend is to find someone who already plays, the game is easier to learn if you dont read the rulebooks first and you have someone who can sit face to face and go through situations with you. The store where you purchased your basic set is a great place to start, talk to the stores-people and see if any of them play and if so, could they please [use the please word, manners mean a lot] sit you down for a few minutes in their spare time to explain it a little better then the books. If they themselves dont play you could perhaps ask if they know any organised groups or such in the area. Hobby stores often have a notice board that you can stick a flyer to as well 'New player interested in starting D&D, any help appreciated' or some-such thing should work.

All in all, it's a group activity, so once you have the basics kidnap some of your best friends and run games. Dont be afraid to make things up on the fly, just have fun, fun is the single most important factor of the game.
MastiffPaul
10-19-06, 02:17 AM Dungeons & Dragons, like all roleplaying games, is just a modified version of a children's game of "let's pretend." It's modified in the sense of having more rigid rules; whereas, in a game of "let's pretend" between two children, one may get in an argument with another over whose magic spell is more powerful (or who can draw their six-shooter the fastest, or whose X-wing shot whose TIE Fighter, etc.), in D&D such arguments can be resolved quickly and easily.

Keeping this mind, realize the answer to "How do you play D&D" is as simple as this: any way you would like to. Or more precisely, any way the Dungeon Master (DM), your friends, and yourself (the Player-Characters, or PCs) agree upon. The easiest way to reach an agreement on how you're going to play is to follow the rules in the core rulebooks (The Dungeon Master's Guide, the Player's Handbook, and the Monster Manual).

However, with around 300 pages in EACH of these books, new players can (quite rightfully) feel daunted, even overwhelmed. The good news is that all you need to play D&D is the first few chapters in each of these books. And the rest of the pages? Well, once you've mastered the basics, the rest of it is there to add depth. And the DM can adapt the rules as s/he wishes. If there's a concept none of you yet understands, it's the DM's responsibility to resolve the situation there on the spot. (Drowning in heavy armor? You want to take it off? Uhh... make a dexterity check!)

A typical game of Dungeons and Dragons will go something like this:
1) The DM will design a dungeon (or will acquire one from various sources, such as pre-constructed dungeons from the store, or from online archives).
2) The PCs will design their characters.
3) The DM will introduce the players' characters to each other, then stick 'em in the dungeon.
4) The PCs will use their various skills and abilities to avoid traps, battle monsters, and navigate the maze until they reach the dungeon's bottom floor.
5) There, they will likely find a big bad guy, who they will have to defeat in order to win their treasure.
6) They go home, buy better equipment, gain new skills (if they've gained enough experience points to do so), and get ready for the next dungeon crawl.

Really, all the D&D rules are there to help players repeat that process. You can make any given game as simple or as complicated as you would like. If you all agree that keeping track of rations is too complicated, just assume you find stuff to eat on the way. (Of course, this makes certain skills useless, such as the Ranger's ability to forage for food. But if you all agree that there's a rule you can do without, there's no reason to use it!)

Do try to read the Player's Handbook cover to cover, though. At least through the chapter on combat. Then you can ask us any questions you have, or hunt through some of the handy FAQs here on the forums for the answers you seek.

Glad you decided to drop in!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Skizzer19 10-19-06, 12:51 AM	I'm just new to playing D&d and I have just got a basic set what do I do now? I read the directions but they are all so confusing
MastiffPaul 10-19-06, 01:58 AM	Hoo boy.
Maxwell_Silverhammer 10-19-06, 02:03 AM	You need to find a DM who will hold your hand a bit or a Player who will look out for you. Tell them you are new and they should help you. Buy a players handbook and READ READ READ....take lots of notes
Razieliffied 10-19-06, 02:09 AM	The best I could reckomend is to find someone who already plays, the game is easier to learn if you dont read the rulebooks first and you have someone who can sit face to face and go through situations with you. The store where you purchased your basic set is a great place to start, talk to the stores-people and see if any of them play and if so, could they please [use the please word, manners mean a lot] sit you down for a few minutes in their spare time to explain it a little better then the books. If they themselves dont play you could perhaps ask if they know any organised groups or such in the area. Hobby stores often have a notice board that you can stick a flyer to as well 'New player interested in starting D&D, any help appreciated' or some-such thing should work. All in all, it's a group activity, so once you have the basics kidnap some of your best friends and run games. Dont be afraid to make things up on the fly, just have fun, fun is the single most important factor of the game.
MastiffPaul 10-19-06, 02:17 AM	Dungeons & Dragons, like all roleplaying games, is just a modified version of a children's game of "let's pretend." It's modified in the sense of having more rigid rules; whereas, in a game of "let's pretend" between two children, one may get in an argument with another over whose magic spell is more powerful (or who can draw their six-shooter the fastest, or whose X-wing shot whose TIE Fighter, etc.), in D&D such arguments can be resolved quickly and easily. Keeping this mind, realize the answer to "How do you play D&D" is as simple as this: any way you would like to. Or more precisely, any way the Dungeon Master (DM), your friends, and yourself (the Player-Characters, or PCs) agree upon. The easiest way to reach an agreement on how you're going to play is to follow the rules in the core rulebooks (The Dungeon Master's Guide, the Player's Handbook, and the Monster Manual). However, with around 300 pages in EACH of these books, new players can (quite rightfully) feel daunted, even overwhelmed. The good news is that all you need to play D&D is the first few chapters in each of these books. And the rest of the pages? Well, once you've mastered the basics, the rest of it is there to add depth. And the DM can adapt the rules as s/he wishes. If there's a concept none of you yet understands, it's the DM's responsibility to resolve the situation there on the spot. (Drowning in heavy armor? You want to take it off? Uhh... make a dexterity check!) A typical game of Dungeons and Dragons will go something like this: 1) The DM will design a dungeon (or will acquire one from various sources, such as pre-constructed dungeons from the store, or from online archives). 2) The PCs will design their characters. 3) The DM will introduce the players' characters to each other, then stick 'em in the dungeon. 4) The PCs will use their various skills and abilities to avoid traps, battle monsters, and navigate the maze until they reach the dungeon's bottom floor. 5) There, they will likely find a big bad guy, who they will have to defeat in order to win their treasure. 6) They go home, buy better equipment, gain new skills (if they've gained enough experience points to do so), and get ready for the next dungeon crawl. Really, all the D&D rules are there to help players repeat that process. You can make any given game as simple or as complicated as you would like. If you all agree that keeping track of rations is too complicated, just assume you find stuff to eat on the way. (Of course, this makes certain skills useless, such as the Ranger's ability to forage for food. But if you all agree that there's a rule you can do without, there's no reason to use it!) Do try to read the Player's Handbook cover to cover, though. At least through the chapter on combat. Then you can ask us any questions you have, or hunt through some of the handy FAQs here on the forums for the answers you seek. Glad you decided to drop in!