Forums » Smalltalk » I want to play D&D but my brain is small

I need someone patient to explain what goes down and how exactly to play a tabletop RPG. And also walk through an RPG RP with me so I can understand, because I see D&D posts on pinterest all the time and it seems like so much fun.

We can try it if you wish (unless timezone differences turn out to be a problem). I DMed a Pathfinder game recently, the mechanics are similar, unless you are talking about D&D Next, which is less known to me.
I felt the same way when I first saw the system, it just takes some time, so don't worry.

Normally I'd offer to help, because I run a newbie training campaign over on Roll20, but I'm pressed for time at the moment due to school. If you have any specific questions about 3rd edition, 3.5, or 5th edition (or just want a crash course) feel free to message me and I'll do my best.

D&D is a blast but it is a lot of math and such. I also recommend the Chronicles of Darkness setting. Dice rolls are decided simply by Attribute + Skill. So you want to punch someone, you just roll a number of dice equal to your Strength score plus your Brawl score. 8 and above is a success.

It can be intimidating, especially if you're new to the idea of tabletops in general, but there's a wealth of tutorials and example scenarios on Youtube which should help with walking you through it until you can find a buddy. I'd suggest keeping things simple for yourself and starting as a non-magic class for your first game. Spells are very tempting for sure, but there's still a ton of fun you can have as a fighter, and 5e is well balanced so that everyone is valuable.

Also, once you've got your sheet all figured out, for the most part the gameplay is pretty much this...
- You tell your DM what you want to attempt ("I want to jump over that wall.")
- They tell you which skill to roll ("Okay, roll athletics.")
- You roll a d20 +/- the skill's modifier
- They tell you the result

Some games can be mechanics heavy, others mostly RP focused and you might find yourself barely looking at your sheet at all - it really depends on your DM.

Most RPGs can look very intimidating, looking in from the outside. There's a lot you can learn out there from tutorials, youtube videos and reading the rules themselves, but the best way to learn these games, by far, is to just jump in and see it for yourself. Seeing the rules work in action will be very intuitive and make a lot of sense. So I say seek out a DM, grab a pre-generated character sheet, and jump right into the deep end of the pool. It might seem confusing at first, but with a group to help you out, you'll learn the basics in no time!

Seraphic really has the right of it. The best way to learn is to play.

If you have a hobby shop in your town, check and see if they have a new players night. My friendly, local game store has regular one shots to help newer players learn games. Finding a group of like minded players is /way/ more of a challenge than learning to play the game. Tabletop roleplaying is a social activity, and the way people gel around the table is way more important than the actual game.

The math part of D&D is pretty simple addition and subtraction. The math I tend to see people struggle with is adding up multiple dice. Say you cast a Fireball that does 8d6 damage. You roll 8 six sided dice and sum them. Folks who don't do math easily in their head can struggle with that, and that's just fine. It becomes easier.

D&D is a pretty intuitive game, once you get into it. There are /easier/ games out there to learn for new players, but D&D isn't hard, and no other tabletop RPG is as popular and as easy to find players for as D&D.

From my own experience I've found that other players are often more than happy to help count up the dice when I'm upfront about finding it difficult, so this doesn't necessarily need to be a problem either!

I've picked out some videos to help introduce you to D&D while you're looking for a group to play with -

Good overall intro
Common questions and general advice
Character sheet walkthrough

May also be worth watching some live plays so you can get a taste of the game in action and the kinds of playstyles you might encounter.

I completely believe that, rat. Sometimes players are too fast helping people sum their dice.

And, depending on the group, you can always use a dice rolling app that will sum total's for you. Some folks are hard traditionalists and don't use or want anyone else to use a dice app. Me, I'm fine with them. Whatever works, really.

In fact, if it wasn't for a rolling app, I don't know that I would have played Fantasy Flight Game's Star Wars, just because I didn't want to buy a bunch of specialty dice for a single game.

Right! I'd never be able to play Shadowrun IRL without an app, that's for sure. You need a bucket of d6s.

Which reminds me (@Rainy), if it turns out you're unable to find a local gaming group to join, roll20 is another online option. https://app.roll20.net/lfg/search/ - see the games with the tag 'Welcomes New Players'. I've never used it to join a group myself, only as an online environment for my friends' games, but it could be worth a try if you end up preferring online play.

D&D seems totally tubular. I dig the thought of setting up a character sheet sometime. Brash digs the whole character scene in general, man. Far out.