How to Play Dungeons and Dragons

Purchase the handbooks., Understand race., Understand class., Understand alignment., Understand the role of the dice.

5 Steps 2 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Purchase the handbooks.

    To be able to play Dungeons and Dragons, also known as D&D or more commonly DnD, you need to know the rules.

    If you can't find a store to buy the books from, try some website such as amazon.com.

    Read through the handbooks to the point that you understand the basic rules.

    There are several editions of the game, with different rules and procedures.

    Third and fourth edition are most common, currently.

    The fourth edition is considered to be the most user friendly and easiest to pick up. , There are different races which your character can be.

    These vary slightly between editions, but the most common include human, dwarf, elf, halfling, half-elf, half-orc, and gnome.

    The different races will have different inherent abilities, benefits and downsides.

    This will affect how your character gets by in life. , Class is what your character does, what they’re good at or have chosen to do with their life.

    Importantly, it determines the skills they will have which affects the role your character will have in the group.

    It is important to choose a class befitting your race.

    The classes are, again, different depending on edition.

    Common classes include fighter, rogue, and wizard. , Your character will also have a moral alignment which you will need to consider.

    This will help you determine how your character would react in certain situations, as well as the decisions they would make. , There are a number of dice used when playing DnD.

    These are not just normal dice, but rather special dice with an unusual number of sides.

    The most common DnD dice is the classic d20 (quickly followed by a d10) but you will need a number of others.

    The best option is to get a full set from your local game shop.

    The dice will be used almost every time the player or Dungeon Master (DM) takes an action.

    The difficulty or chance of something occurring is attached to a particular type of dice.

    You roll, and if the number is high enough then the action can occur, going well, terribly, or any number of other outcomes as determined by the DM.
  2. Step 2: Understand race.

  3. Step 3: Understand class.

  4. Step 4: Understand alignment.

  5. Step 5: Understand the role of the dice.

Detailed Guide

To be able to play Dungeons and Dragons, also known as D&D or more commonly DnD, you need to know the rules.

If you can't find a store to buy the books from, try some website such as amazon.com.

Read through the handbooks to the point that you understand the basic rules.

There are several editions of the game, with different rules and procedures.

Third and fourth edition are most common, currently.

The fourth edition is considered to be the most user friendly and easiest to pick up. , There are different races which your character can be.

These vary slightly between editions, but the most common include human, dwarf, elf, halfling, half-elf, half-orc, and gnome.

The different races will have different inherent abilities, benefits and downsides.

This will affect how your character gets by in life. , Class is what your character does, what they’re good at or have chosen to do with their life.

Importantly, it determines the skills they will have which affects the role your character will have in the group.

It is important to choose a class befitting your race.

The classes are, again, different depending on edition.

Common classes include fighter, rogue, and wizard. , Your character will also have a moral alignment which you will need to consider.

This will help you determine how your character would react in certain situations, as well as the decisions they would make. , There are a number of dice used when playing DnD.

These are not just normal dice, but rather special dice with an unusual number of sides.

The most common DnD dice is the classic d20 (quickly followed by a d10) but you will need a number of others.

The best option is to get a full set from your local game shop.

The dice will be used almost every time the player or Dungeon Master (DM) takes an action.

The difficulty or chance of something occurring is attached to a particular type of dice.

You roll, and if the number is high enough then the action can occur, going well, terribly, or any number of other outcomes as determined by the DM.

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Denise Williams

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