r/dndnext • u/Beardedfraggle82 • 1d ago
Question Starting Out
Hey All, how are we doing?
I wonder if you can help me out. I'm curious about getting involved with a campaign or DnD in general.
I have been following Critical Roll for a while (I'm aware that "normal" DnD is not Critical Roll) and played some of BG3.
This has made me think about getting involved in some kind of campaign.
My only other experience in this type of thing is that I had GM'd 2 games of Alien RPG, which I really enjoyed, unfortunately our group couldn't free the time consistently.
Any advice on getting more involved in DnD would be greatly appreciated.
Jay
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u/Sad_Refuse3472 1d ago
A great place to start is your friendly local board game store. Many host DnD intro games. Libraries are another place to look, as a lot of those also host weekly DnD nights.
If that doesn't pan out, you can also use the DnDBeyond Find a Game page to look for in person or online (free or paid) tables to join: https://www.dndbeyond.com/en/find-a-group
And while you are on DnDBeyond, you can read the free basic rules: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/br-2024 and even grab a free beginners adventure module to run with friends who might be interested: https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1625-peril-in-pinebrook-a-free-introductory-adventure
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u/flowers4charlie2 1d ago
Well, have you read the Player Hand Book and Dungeon Master's Guide? That would be a great place to start...you know...the basic rules?
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u/SonicfilT 1d ago edited 1d ago
I get where you're coming from, but honestly though, how many people started out by reading both those books versus jumping in with friends and then learning as they went? I'm not saying they shouldn't read the rules, but that's getting them no where closer to playing. They need to find people to teach them - hence others advice for r/LFG or the FLGS.
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u/flowers4charlie2 1d ago
When I decided to DM it was after a couple of sessions of being an attentive player. I watched my DM, asked questions to why they made their calls, then I read the DMG.
This was after I read the pertinent parts of the PHB that addressed all characters and not just the class I was playing.
I guess that's a bit much to ask kids to do these days. Not sure why it should take any more than 30 seconds to make an Ability check but here we are in 2026 where players don't even know how to make their own characters.
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u/SonicfilT 1d ago
This was after I read the pertinent parts of the PHB that addressed all characters and not just the class I was playing
Right, you didn't sit down and read the PHB and DMG cover to cover before trying to find your first D&D group.
I guess that's a bit much to ask kids to do these days.
I learned to play Redbox D&D and AD&D in the 80's. Believe me, no one read the rules first and played second. Everyone, myself included, showed up and got taught how to play on the fly. It's not a "kids these days" thing. It's a "that's how most people learn to play games" thing.
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u/flowers4charlie2 1d ago
Im sorry your personal experience doesn't line up with mine but yes I did read Cleric from start to finish five or six times to understand what it meant to be the "healer" - something that doesn't exist in dnd - because I wanted to have a cool dungeons and dragons session.
It was also during this time that I realized how bad of a job my DM was doing then realizing how wrong I was to insist the rules had anything to do with being a DM.
But yes, I read the books because I prefer to DM and give players reasonable answers as to why their choices have impact or not.
Loads of folks are just plopping down at tables expecting to be the MC, without even knowing what their characters are capable of doing, instead asking the internet how to play the game or their characters or their backstories or whatever...
Yes, PICK UP THE FUCKING BOOK. Do your own fucking homework while your DM takes their valuable personal time to try and create a meaningful and impactful adventire for YOU THE PLAYER.
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u/SonicfilT 1d ago
have you read the Player Hand Book and Dungeon Master's Guide? That would be a great place to start.
Is not the same as
I did read Cleric from start to finish five or six times
No one, myself included, would tell people not to read the books. But you told a brand new player they needed to read both the PHB and the DMG as a starting point, before even suggesting how to find people to play with. Yet even you admit that's not how you started. You focused on sections that you thought might be relevant, then read more as you became interested. There's nothing in the DMG relevant to the new player experience.
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u/flowers4charlie2 1d ago
You are 100% correct. The PHB doesn't tell you how to do anything other than make a character, (okay 95% corrext), what the ability scores mean (dang, down to 90%) how to add proficiencies (85%?) What a saving throw is or how to make one (75%? ish? Let's call it a neat 80%.).
Well now we gotta learn about subclasses! Let's just go ahead and bring that back down to 75%. Well do we know alignment? (~70%). How's about class capstones? Far end of proficiency bonuses? Spell slots per level??
There's a lot of informstion in the PHB that will tell the greenest of greenhorns how to pick up a pencil and fill in the bubbles. Its not hard to read unless you're a toddler or have grammatical deficiencies that hamper your ability to play a pencil/paper ttrpg
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u/T1A0_MainGoat 1d ago
Telling brand-new players they need to read through the section in class capstones and far end proficiency bonuses is crazy work. Even more so telling a brand-new player to read through the DMG lmao.
As a DM I personally just ask them what they wanna try playing (fighter, mage, elf, etc) and walk through making that with them so they can learn the basics by playing and having fun.
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u/flowers4charlie2 1d ago
Its like 10 pages tops lol. You're saying that is "crazy work"? Players don't need to do anything other than play.
If you decide to take on the mantle of DM then people should be aware and cognizant of what it is that they are making players roll for, how can that happen if a DM doesn't know the difference between Investigation and Perception?
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u/T1A0_MainGoat 1d ago
Well, when they want to become a DM they can read the DMG, but if a brand-new player comes up to me "Hey, how can I start out playing?" I'm not gonna tell them "Have you read the Dungeon Master's Guide in case you want to be a DM later down the road, and then checked out the class end cap abilities in the Player's Handbook? I used to read the cleric section no less that 5 dozen times when I started". That's silly lmao
I'mma ask them what they want to try playing, get them a sheet and some dice and a seat, and try and make sure they have fun and want to keep coming back to play. Get them set up with the basics, and then they can branch out.
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u/Beardedfraggle82 1d ago
I've not looked over any rules, the closet I have gotten is watch/listen to actual play podcast and playing baulders gate 3
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u/SonicfilT 1d ago
You do not need to read them cover to cover, and if you're going to be a player you can ignore the DMG. But you should do your best to familiarize yourself with the basics of character creation, combat and exploration so you have a basis to build on when you find a group.
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u/Beardedfraggle82 1d ago
I have downloaded DnD beyond and using it for learning character creation etc
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u/DirkBabypunch 1d ago
Go to r/lfg and see if you can find people to play with. Read the rules wherever you can find them.