Skip to main content

Forums » Smalltalk » Whats DnD?

Rosa

Okay sooo is there anyone on here that can explain/teach me how to play DnD.
Because ive always wanted to play but ive never found anyone willing to talk to a clueless person and handle my mutliple questions lol.

Ive just always been fasinated but could never understand it.
Please help!
Jarod

In short its similar to other types of RPing, where you create a character- looks, personality, skills, background, motivations, etc. And have them go on adventures/quests throughout a world either alone or in a party of other players/npc's. The main difference is its dice and number oriented, meaning that most outcomes are decided by rolling dice and each character is better or worse at certain things.

Of course thats just a general overview, and it can be more or less complex depending on how you wish to play.
Rosa Topic Starter

oohh.. okay! So how do you know if youre doing it right? lol
Jarod

There isn't really any set way that you have to play, there rules and suggestions for what you can or should do for specific things, but in the end its up to what your DM (Think of them as a guide, they control the world and tell you whats happening, so that the players can say how their characters react to it) decides.
Really you can only do it wrong if you aren't having fun.
tbh what really taught me the ropes was listening to the The Adventure Zone podcast
Each DM have their own take on the rules but all in all its just a format of roleplay. Usually you only play one character at a time, roll dice, stuff that Jarod's already explained. What stats you have depends on the version. I think 5e is the one getting the most major boost in popularity right now?
Rosa Topic Starter

well its all new to me so idk.... but thank you so much for helping me! almost makes me wish i could try it with you two lol
The mechanics of it also depends on the edition you play, so if you're really interested, make sure you know which edition your group is playing and do some research on the mechanics and of course have fun with it, my wife and I played 3.5 edition for almost a decade now.
I play 5th!! It's more roleplay based from what i understand and yknow is more podcast friendly as time has proven
Rosa Topic Starter

Wait... There more than 1?
Jarod

There are different editions, and a few other types like pathfinder. Think of them like updates or sequels, the most recent is DnD 5e (5th edition).
Heh, this is about to get pretty confusing: There have been a few additions of the rules released over the decades, with tweaked rule sets (either trying to streamline them or cover more possible scenarios). You really only have to worry about 5 these days. 3.5 is what I grew up on/know best, but I've heard largely good things about 5th. If you've got a good DM, usually they just let you borrow their manuals, or will walk you through things so you get an intuitive feel.

Wizards of the Coast usually keeps the QuickRules on their site somewhere... I believe this is 5th's?

I don't know if there are any active/open DnD groups on RPR, so good luck there. I used to play on another RPG site dedicated to tabletops.
Rosa Topic Starter

Well it looks like i have a lot of research to do lol.
Im really thankful ya'll are helping explain this to me.
I have a few PDFs of some D&D 5e books, if you'd like to use them.
Rogue-Scribe

DnD 5e eh?

It’s likely changed a lot from when I played the TSR 2nd edition...
Always loved me some 3.5 D&D or 1.0 Pathfinder :D. Cut my teeth on 2nd Edition D&D and Rifts but then got into Vampire the Masquerade big time. I remain a die-hard Ravenloft fan so if anyone reading this is too... y'know, hint hint nudge nudge.

If you're just embarking on your D&D journey, enjoy! It's a lot of fun.
Sanne Moderator



This is a pretty decent video to get you started! It's a bit slow, but this should help you get a basic understanding of it. It's the first video out of a 3-part series that you can find here. :)
Mina Moderator

Hi! I play DND fifth edition, or 5E as most call it. There are a LOT of resources for new players and I could argue that this is the most player friendly version. If you hate math, well you're in luck! ;)

The basic things you need before you can really play are: A set of polyhedral dice or a good dice rolling app, Friends, and an imagination.

That's IT! Isn't that amazing. With just these three things you can visit and create entire worlds. It's just like a video game without the graphics, and you sometimes choose your own adventure. Onto the cavalcade of links!

Character Classes

A blurb about classes, click me!

Under here you will find the classes or "jobs" and a brief description of what they do. For the most paert there are a few subclasses in each class which act as specializations for a more broad skill or occupation. For instance: "Clerics are intermediaries between the mortal world and the distant planes of the gods. As varied as the gods they serve, clerics strive to embody the handiwork of their deities. No ordinary priest, a cleric is imbued with divine magic." BUT, if you look here on the left you will see the many different types of cleric you can be. They're called domains here, but that's just flavor. With other classes these subtypes can be called things like Tome, College, etc. They just mean subclass or specialization. ;) It's way less overwhelming than it looks.


Races

A blurb about races! Click me!


So a character's race is an integral part of a character. Races all comes with different bonuses or advantages called traits. These traits can be carefully picked to line up nicely with the type of character, or even class you have in mind. I'd consult your game/dungeon master regarding races. As everyone has different rules, some people do not allow use of certain races. The group I play in primarily lets anyone play whatever they'd like but I know some groups which do not allow dragonborn. (RUDE! XD)


And the thing that really sold me on this game is... DndBeyond's character builder! This thing helps you make your character, holds your character sheet, keeps track of spells/inventory, stats/race etc. OH! Also it tells you which dice to roll when it's time and precisely what to add to them. Everyone in my party uses this and I think it's a great tool for those of us who are new and can be a bit more scatterbrained.

Videos are helpful, and I really loved the one Sanne shared when I was first starting,. If they're a little boring, try listening to them while showering or doing the dishes..what else are ya gonna listen to if your hands are already wet? :D
AJ_89 wrote:
I don't know if there are any active/open DnD groups on RPR, so good luck there. I used to play on another RPG site dedicated to tabletops.

Malcolm is running the 'Royal Mile Inn' (which is a follow up to Dwarf Mine)

There you can maybe get a feel for how it differs from a shared world building story. The GM controls pretty much everything except for the player characters.

If you're interested in the Royal Mile Inn, PM Malcolm... he's been pretty good about letting new folks join in. :)

I'm sure there are some more if you search hard enough! I might run something after the new year if I ever get caught up on RP replies!
Rosa Topic Starter

KingoftheArrows wrote:
I have a few PDFs of some D&D 5e books, if you'd like to use them.

Im thankful for the offer! ^^
Rosa Topic Starter

Im really excited! Thank you everyone for being so helpful and nice! This is truely the best community i couldve ever joined! ^^

I do want to get started on my DnD exploration so i may go ahead and pm like you said. Im honestly feeling a lot better about it because i was kinda freaking about how to ask before...lol

You are on: Forums » Smalltalk » Whats DnD?

Moderators: Mina, Keke, Cass, Auberon, Claine, Ilmarinen, Ben, Darth_Angelus