How To Get Started Playing Dungeons & Dragons

I've always been an avid computer and video gamer, but pen-and-paper role-playing games eluded me until very recently. I suspect I'm not alone when I say that it was the Penny Arcade/PvP Podcasts that introduced me to Dungeons & Dragons. By the end of the first episode, my interest had been piqued, so I began to research what was needed to get started playing.

It may seem silly to even mention, but the first thing you need is players. My group are close friends who are all completely new to D&D, just like me. Having an experienced player available to explain complicated rules would be useful, but since we're all in the same situation, we're tolerant of each others mistakes. The rules of D&D assume that you have 6 players total, 1 of which plays a special role. If you have more or less than 6 people, don't worry; it's perfectly possible to adapt the game to suit your group.

Once you have some players, at least one of them is going to need to assume the role of the Dungeon Master. The DM is the referee and the narrator, he controls many characters in both combat and conversation, in some cases he creates the world that the characters adventure in. When deciding who should take the role of DM, creativity and basic math skills are helpful but dedication and time are most important. While normal players can just turn up and play, the DM needs to prepare each session in advance. DM'ing can be a lot of hard work but also very rewarding.

At this point, it's time to start buying some materials and equipment. D&D is fundamentally a dice game, but the dice used are not just the 6-sided variety you find in most board games. At a minimum, you'll need one d20 (20-sided die), one d12 (12-sided die), one d10 (10-sided die), one d8 (8-sided die), one d6 (6-sided die) and one d4 (4-sided die). Ideally, each player should have their own set with more than one of each type; it can really hinder a game when you have to pass dice around the table for each turn. You should be able to buy them from a local gaming store or online in all sorts of colours and designs.



Next, you'll need some rulebooks. D&D 4th Edition is the latest incarnation, but you'll certainly find many players that will tell you newer doesn't necessarily mean better. Feel free to investigate older versions or even other pen-and-paper games, though my group went with D&D 4th Edition because we were told it was easier to learn for newbies like us.

Everyone will need a Player's Handbook which contains all the information needed to create and play your character; which races and classes it can be, which feats and skills it can choose and which powers it can use. It's possible to share this book amongst all of the players but it will be much smoother if every player has their own. In addition, the DM needs a Dungeon Master's Guide and a Monster Manual. The Dungeon Master's Guide contains everything you need to know to run a game of D&D, from combat rules to tips on creating your own game world. The Monster Manual has information on official D&D monsters with illustrations, descriptions and statistics.



Technically, apart from some stationery, the core rulebooks and a set of dice are all you really need to get started. However, you'll still need to create maps somehow. Hand-drawn maps on graph paper work just fine with a little imagination, or be a little more modern and print something with your computer. If you want to go beyond that, there are battle grid products that you can draw on with marker pens and clean and reuse afterwards. You can even buy dungeon tiles which are sets of cards with artwork printed on them that you can arrange to represent various locations.



Lastly, you need something to represent the players and monsters and their positions on your maps. You can improvise and use just about anything, from board game pieces to coins. If you want something more artistic, you can buy plastic miniature figurines. Collecting miniatures can be an expensive hobby, but they make for a nice finishing touch.

If you're interested in trying D&D 4th Edition but not sure if you want to spend any money just yet, go here: Try DnD
Wizards of the Coast have released some quick start rules and a free pre-made adventure with pre-generated characters, they even have a Dice Roller on their site. Everything you need to get started is right there. Have fun.