DnD beginner steps- D&D CHArmed

Joining the Dungeons and Dragons world is not easy. As a DnD beginner you’ll you will surely come down to some obstacles. Here we’ll talk about the barriers that are specific to learning DnD. But also give you some guidelines to ease that path.

Every game has certain rules that need to be mastered to play. We’ll talk about the barriers specific to learning DnD and why they make it difficult for new players to stay interested in the game. We’ll give you some guidelines to help you ease this path and enjoy DnD as a whole.

Four steps in improving as a DnD beginner:

Learning DnD dictionary
Mastering the rules
Dedicating your time
Finding the right party

Learning DnD dictionary

old book representing dnd beginner dictionary

We can also call it a gamer’s dictionary. DnD has its language that is a bit difficult to understand if you are not a gamer and do not already have similar prior knowledge of the terms and acronyms used. And if you are also new to the game there are a lot of unknowns. This could make it difficult to even understand the game and slow it down making it tiresome as a result. Playing a game where you struggle with rules but also don’t understand the jargon most of the time can be uninteresting for both the players and the DM and can result in giving up the game for good. To help your DnD campaigns, we offer you a DnDictionary to make your future adventures easier and more understandable.

Mastering the rules as a dnd beginner

DnD is a game that has a lot of rules. And they are more of guidelines of how to play than rules. That’s why they can be changed or adapted for your own game. But when you are a beginner learning how to play while playing can be overwhelming. From personal experience, I know what it is like to sit at a table and try to figure out a certain rule while trying to keep the game going. And if you’re like me, that can ruin your experience or even make you lose interest in playing. The basis of this game is storytelling which is greatly lost if you are constantly thinking about the rules of the game. Two things can help you with that. A great DM or learning more about DnD before playing.

Great DM

Having a great DM is a blessing not all of us have. Especially if you are trying to start a new game and you and your friends know nothing about it. But if you are one of the fortunate ones having a DM who understands the rules and is willing to teach them, s/he can easily guide you through the game while explaining the rules. That doesn’t mean you won’t need to do your research but it means it will make your learning easier.

Learning more

Another thing that can help you is by watching other and more experienced players play. Maybe not all would agree with me, but I believe the Critical Role streaming show is a great guide to Dungeons & Dragons. For new and inexperienced players it provides very entertaining content to keep you interested. It also has a great DM, who in addition to being a born storyteller guides his players through the game. Critical Role is a streaming show that not only helps to learn more about DnD rules but also teaches how to role-play a character and how to DM. It is a constant pond of creativity that can help you build your new characters, write a backstory, or create your lore.

Critical role, Campaign 3, Episode 1

Dedicating your time

By dedicating your time, I mean two things. Firstly, playing a single game usually requires a few hours. It is a game that can be played from two to 22 hours if you have the time. Even though guided by the DM, the players make their choices. And for a party to travel together in a fictional setting, a group of players has to agree on it. That sometimes takes time. Maybe even more than you expect.

Secondly, DnD is not a game where you can just gather and start playing like card games or some board games where you read the rules and begin. DnD requires a bit more preparation. And if the group wants to make the most of the game, players must prepare their characters and their DM must prepare the adventure. Especially if they are planning to play a longer campaign. It implies a group of people committing to each other and the game for a longer period. This can be difficult and often impossible to sustain for business, family, and other reasons.

Unfortunately, I have no cure to help you ease this step. Especially because what teaches you to play the game is experience. And experience takes time.

Finding the right party

When you decide you want to play DnD the most important thing you need is a group to play with. And that can also be a challenging thing to find. Even though sometimes it’s easy to gather a group of friends for a game night, it can be hard to keep it together for a campaign. Coordinating the schedules of several people can be a sore spot and can lead to the disintegration of the group. And what if you cannot find a group to play with? Or a group you have been playing with has disagreements?

If you are from a larger city very often there are local game stores that organize games and connect players. There are also Facebook groups where people can find and connect with other players and exchange knowledge and DnD related content.

Finding the right party isn’t easy but it’s worth it. And finding a group that you feel comfortable playing with and have the time to meet with can be very fulfilling and ultimately a liberating experience.