What would be the best way to start D&D 5e?

[CollinJohn]

Sooo... huh... I am someone who has little experience in Roleplaying, I understand most terms and such, I've read the basic rules for D&D 5e, I have the player handbook and DM guide, and other various 5e pdfs (Such as Lost Mine of Phandelver, players companion, monster manual, etc.). My group consists of me, someone with prior experience Roleplaying (D&D 2e?), and possibly 2 others with no experience whatsoever. I have some questions...

1. Where should we start with D&D 5e?
2. This would be my first time DM'ing D&D, how should I do it?
2a. Should I start with Lost Mine of Phandelver?
2ab. If not, where should I start?
3. I'm wondering, can I run a game using the basic rules, but include all races, classes, spells, items etc. in the Player's Handbook and DM's guide?
4. Let's say I get really into D&D, how compatible are old stories and content with 5e?

I'll probably think of more later and I'll update as I find those questions.
Thank you for all responses (That are helpful, not slamming me for never having played before or telling me to switch edition).

[mgshamster]

Sooo... huh... I am someone who has little experience in Roleplaying, I understand most terms and such, I've read the basic rules for D&D 5e, I have the player handbook and DM guide, and other various 5e pdfs (Such as Lost Mine of Phandelver, players companion, monster manual, etc.). My group consists of me, someone with prior experience Roleplaying (D&D 2e?), and possibly 2 others with no experience whatsoever. I have some questions...

1. Where should we start with D&D 5e?
2. This would be my first time DM'ing D&D, how should I do it?
2a. Should I start with Lost Mine of Phandelver?
2ab. If not, where should I start?
3. I'm wondering, can I run a game using the basic rules, but include all races, classes, spells, items etc. in the Player's Handbook and DM's guide?
4. Let's say I get really into D&D, how compatible are old stories and content with 5e?

I'll probably think of more later and I'll update as I find those questions.
Thank you for all responses (That are helpful, not slamming me for never having played before or telling me to switch edition).

Welcome to the game! It's a fun hobby. I seriously doubt anyone will tell you to switch editions here, most people here are pretty nice, and even those who aren't nice are helpful.

1. Start with getting characters for your players. Either make your own or pick premade ones. There's benefits for both.

Making your own helps you learn the rules of the game quicker. Using premade let's you jump right into play and learn the rules a bit slower. Either way, you won't get used to playing until you've tried it, and once you try it it'll help you make your next character even better.

2. Lost Mines is a great place to start! However, if you don't want to start there, pick up one of the shorter Adventure League adventures, meant for 3-4 hours of play per book, on the DMs Guild.

3. You absolutely can! 5e is well designed for "modular" play, where you can mix and match the rules and options as you like to make the game best fit your style. Also, this edition is built around the idea of making a ruling during game instead of looking up rules in the book. Don't be afraid to make a call in game to keep the game moving forward. After the session is over is when you should look up rules. Also, you can ignore that advice for the first session or two if you like.

4. Very compatable! While the rules don't always mesh well, 5e rules are simple enough to easily translate them. More importantly, though, are the stories and plots of the older adventures. There's a couple of people who are publishing rules conversions for older editions to 5e over on the DMs Guild (including me).

Welcome to the hobby and feel free to ask any question here, even if it seems stupid. The people here are kind and will always help. Even if we sometimes attack each other, we're all usually pretty nice and get along fairly well. :)

[SillyPopeNachos]

After playing a couple different characters and finishing playing in at least 1 campaign, browse the 5e resource guides, and start with something from the playtest modules. The most important skill to have as a DM is being able to improvise for the sake of story. The playtest modules and the Tyranny of Dragons campaigns develop this, as they were written before the core books and character power levels were established. Call for checks when it seems appropriate, bear in mind DCs (5= easy, 10= normal, 15= hard, 20= very hard, 25= expert skill required, 30= nearly impossible). Remember to hand-wave rules that would get in the way of a good story, and most of all, have fun.

[CollinJohn]

Thank you both for your suggestions! I will most definitely be using them.

[DivisibleByZero]

As a new DM, with new players, it might sometimes seem difficult to get the players into role playing, or to create an interesting scenerio.

Give NPCs a personality.
Have those NPCs ask questions (in character, with that personality) to the players. This will help the players get into role a bit.
YouTube search for Lost Mine of Phandelver on the DnD (Wizards?) official channel. Greg Bilsland as the DM really makes a memorable goblin in that. It'll give you an idea of how the adventure runs, as well as highlighting the point I made above about NPCs.

[CaptainSarathai]

If you have even 1 veteran, I would try very hard to convince them to DM one of the short adventures.
They're going to "pick it up" more quickly than the stone-cold newbies, because they're just brushing the dust off. They already know how to RP, what's expected of them as a PC, etc. You guys dont. Even as a DM (especially the DM) you need to know the other side of the screen. You can learn everything about the rules except the DM-specific stuff. Better to basically learn the basics of the entire system, and then flip sides and learn how to run a campaign.

For learning the DM stuff, yes. Run a pre-gen campaign. It'll buy you a little time. I've discovered that it takes quite a bit of skill to get from start to finish on a pre-gen campaign, just because players will usually stray pretty far "off script." But it will at least buy you some time until they DO deviate way off. If they do deviate so far as to ruin the plot, you're a newbie too - it's perfectly acceptable for you to ask them to rewind a bit and get back onto the book content.

[Gastronomie]

I think that if you're going Phandelver, you should start at level 2, not 1. The Bugbear encounter can be lethal for level 1s.

[Sigreid]

I think that if you're going Phandelver, you should start at level 2, not 1. The Bugbear encounter can be lethal for level 1s.

I think an early lethal encounter early can be a good thing. Nobody's too attached to their character and it drives home that there's no plot armor to new players and it's easy to just wipe clean and start again with the party's head in a better place for daring do.

[Gastronomie]

I think an early lethal encounter early can be a good thing. Nobody's too attached to their character and it drives home that there's no plot armor to new players and it's easy to just wipe clean and start again with the party's head in a better place for daring do.Well, I suppose that works as well. You as the DM can decide. I just wanted to point out that it can be lethal, because otherwise, you might be surprised at the results, and you don't even get the right to decide whether you're okay with it or not.

Getting to adapt to sudden situations you didn't see coming is indeed an important skill for a DM, but if it's your first time in 5e it'd be better to understand what you're doing beforehand. Regardless of your decision, be aware that the Bugbear encounter can be an extremely dangerous challenge as it is written. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, it's up to you to decide.

[Kane0]

Usually best to have a session 0 where you make characters and get your feet wet with an intro. Something like a one-shot where you can rig up a PC real quick and learn the basics of combat and rules before really setting out into your grand adventure*

*First time DMs should seek to avoid overly grand adventures to start with in order to avoid overwhelming themselves.

[Ninja_Prawn]

3. I'm wondering, can I run a game using the basic rules, but include all races, classes, spells, items etc. in the Player's Handbook and DM's guide?

There's plenty of good advice above. I just wanted to pick up on this one: aren't the 'basic rules' the same as what's in the PHB? I guess they might be an earlier version, pre-errata etc., but the core rules (i.e. for combat, adventuring) are the same. The 'basic-ness' stems from the fact that some of the fancier options (spells, subclasses and races) have been left out. There isn't really any reason not to use the PHB if you've already bought it.

Obviously the DMG is an expansion on that, but for the most part it's not a book of rules. And if you want to play with magic items (which you surely do), you have no choice but to open the DMG anyway.

[DKing9114]

See if there's a game shop or similar venue nearby where you and your group can go to play with more experienced role-players. A lot of places will host games once or twice a week, and these events can be a good way to get used to the mechanics. Just come in well beforehand, explain your circumstances, and ask if you can join a one-off adventure with a pre-gen character. I'd recommend testing the waters with a couple of one-shots, then try your hand at running Lost Mines. After that, provided the players are satisfied with their characters and how things are going, find adventures that are intended for level 5 characters and continue playing; otherwise, look for a new pre-gen campaign they might prefer. Spend some time playing and studying pre-built campaigns and modules before building your own.

For characters, one of the best ways I've encountered to introduce players to their character options is first to go over the various classes and archetypes, highlighting their general playstyle, most important features, and the basic archetypes. Try not to give more than a minute or two to each class at this stage. Then, ask them how they want to act in fights (casting spells, nimble and darting around, or running up and attacking) and how they want to function outside of combat (are they going to be big social manipulators, or do they want to turn off their brain for fun and comedy?). Use those answers to trim their pool of classes (if they want to be a tank, wizard is obviously out), and then continue to ask more questions until they come to the class best suited for their character concept (So you want to be a caster? Who doesn't serve a god? And you want to be the smart one of the group? You're a wizard). It helps keep people from shoving their character concept into a class it doesn't properly fit.

On your side, familiarize yourself with the NPCs populating your world. Assuming you do intend to start with Lost Mines, make sure you know or have made up the major characteristics and personality types of each character given in the pdf; when making your own campaign, made full characters for everyone you expect the party to run into and attack. This is especially useful when the players are convinced that speaking with NPC number 3 is the key to solving this entire campaign, or decide the character you intended as a particularly obnoxious quest giver simply has to die. Try coming up with a list of names, another list of general personality types/traits, and a few different templates created using PC creation, for when NPCs should be important enough to have a proper sheet. Whenever you need to role-play an NPC you haven't fully fleshed out, pick a name off the list, put together a few personality traits, and suddenly there's something to interact with. When one of your social NPCs suddenly needs to fight, use either one of your own templates or a basic one from the monster manual to come up with usable stats.

[MrStabby]

Usually best to have a session 0 where you make characters and get your feet wet with an intro. Something like a one-shot where you can rig up a PC real quick and learn the basics of combat and rules before really setting out into your grand adventure*

*First time DMs should seek to avoid overly grand adventures to start with in order to avoid overwhelming themselves.

Yeah, this is an important point. A session zero is a good start.

Regarding adventures - I would do two one shot adventures.

One low level (1 -3) adventure - pre-made and one DM made adventure at about level six or seven.

This will let players experiment with different characters and styles before committing to a longer story arc. It helps everyone learn the rules and to understand how the nature of the game can begin to change as you level up. A decent long session can do for each of these adventures.

DM building the second one is about helping the DM get a hands on feel for how actions and rulings impact the plot and to help them understand what they can do with more freedom. As these are single session affairs there is no risk - plot is ruined or characters die - there is no investment.

Once your players have an idea of what type of characters they like based on not only style and background but also the mechanics they find fun you are ready to head into a bigger adventure. The lost mines is good for this. Not only is is fun and diverse by itself, it also leaves the PCs at a perfect level for stepping out into a wider world if you want to build your own adventure beyond it.

[Hopeless]

My problem is finding a group to run or play a game with!

In your case if you have the three core rule books is if you have access to the internet check out drive thru rpg or rpg now and check out their free releases.

They don't necessarily have to be 5e since all you need is a smidgen of inspiration to develop your first game.

The starter set is handy, but it really depends if you want to run just a one game and then try another rpg, but if you want to run 5e d&d then it gives you all you need for a place to set your games around.

Remember to listen to your players as some of their ideas may help your game creativity, but the most important lesson of all is to have fun!

If you're having fun, your games will go along all the better!

[Gastronomie]

BTW, if your friends ever have trouble picking classes, ask them these questions:


This is based off something said in a thread (I forgot who), but for instance:

Do you want to be a warrior, or do you want to cast spells? Or both?

Warrior: Do you want to be brave on the frontlines or do you wish to be stealthy? Or perhaps an archer?
>Frontline: Do you wanna be a burly angry man who's invincible against damage, or a generic but skilled fighter, or a hunter in the wild, or a blessed and holy warrior?
>>>Burly Man: Barbarian
>>>Generic: Fighter
>>>Hunter: Ranger
>>>Holy Warrior: Paladin
>Stealthy: Do you want to be a kung-fu master or a criminal?
>>>Kung-Fu: Monk
>>>Criminal: Rogue
>Archer: Are you interested in being in nature or no?
>>>Interested: Ranger (Archer)
>>>Not Interested: Fighter (Archer)

Cast Spells: Do you want to mainly attack with firepower or mainly manipulate enemies and help your friends?
>Firepower: Do you want to be a born, gifted spellcaster of a magical bloodline, or do you want to make a contract with a super-powerful being?
>>>Born and gifted: Sorcerer
>>>Contract: Warlock
>Manipulate and help: Do you want to be a travelling musician, or do you want to gain divine blessing from a god, or do you really like nature, or are you interested in reading magical texts and exploring through oceans of knowledge?
>>>Musician: Bard
>>>Blessing: Cleric
>>>Nature: Druid
>>>Magical texts: Wizard

Asking mechanical questions will probably not work anyways. I think this is enough for asking preferences.

[Contrast]

Usually best to have a session 0 where you make characters and get your feet wet with an intro. Something like a one-shot where you can rig up a PC real quick and learn the basics of combat and rules before really setting out into your grand adventure*

*First time DMs should seek to avoid overly grand adventures to start with in order to avoid overwhelming themselves.

I support this as well. Particularly if you've never played before as well starting off with just a very simple intro (you're travelling on a road, some goblins demand a toll/attack). I'd even suggest running through something simple like that by yourself first to make sure you understand how all the combat mechanics work so that when your players ask you some question you don't know the answer to you'll at least hopefully remember where to look up the rules (also, I'd let your players know they may have to be patient with you - don't be afraid to make a ruling on the spot to keep the game flowing but try to look up rules where you can and clarify if you realised you've made a mistake and how things will play in the future).

[RickAllison]

"You all meet in a tavern..."

[Sigreid]

Well, I suppose that works as well. You as the DM can decide. I just wanted to point out that it can be lethal, because otherwise, you might be surprised at the results, and you don't even get the right to decide whether you're okay with it or not.


Actually, I've found that even veteran players of earlier editions seem to under estimate how lethal low level 5e can be. This applies to both sides of the screen.

[R.Shackleford]

Honestly, I would steer clear of the wotc printed material. All its going to do is teach and reinforce bad DM/Player behaviors.

The biggest issue with these are how linear/boring the encounters are. Every encounter tends to be the same except instead of fighting a goblin you are fighting a cultust... yet that cultists fights identical to everything else...

I understand that everyone needs to start somewhere, but that's like starting in the red or being taught homeopathic medicine on your first day of basic first aid.

[BurgerBeast]

Lots of good advice here. For my part, I would recommend reading The Angry GM and The Alexandrian as much as possible.

For a first session or adventure, I would start with a small adventure with an obvious end-point, that is still open to the possibility of failure. As long as the players are aware when the adventure is over, they can then make an informed decision about whether they want to keep playing D&D or try it again with small changes.

The Alexandrian wrote an article recently about The Open Table, which provides an analogy to baseball: it's a lot easier to get someone who has never player baseball to play catch than it is to get them to sign up for an 80-game season and two practices per week.

Don't start with a 10-level campaign. Run a level 1 or 2 adventure that lasts one session, with a clear endpoint, but the potential for a sequel. For example, start the PCs in a home town and bring in a big bad guy who threatens to take over the town. In the end, either the PCs thwart the big bad, and the town is saved, or the big bad wins, and the PCs are no longer welcome. They are forced to flee to a neighbouring town, which presents the opportunity for the PCs to work toward revenge in a sequel. Something to that effect. This way, the players and the DM know exactly what they've committed to, it's manageable, and at the end they can decide what they'd like to try next (if anything at all).

[mgshamster]

My favorite way to introduce a d&d game to brand new players came from this site (I don't remember who came up with it so I can't give proper credit).

Start with your players imagining themselves in the house they are in now, and there's a treasure chest in the back room. There's also a goblin in the living room. They have to get the treasure and get out. May or may not engage the goblin, but stress that its better not too.

They can distract it, or sneak by it, or whatever. They are playing as themselves with whatever they have on them right now.

When they escape with the treasure, game over. They win.

Now, do it again with a different monster or a group of monster. If they escape, they win.

Now do it again, but this time when they escape, the monster(s) chase(s) them down the road. Expand it so they have to escape the apartment complex or campus or neighborhood. Keep expanding the world and try different types of monsters. Once they get to a clear goal, they win. One goal may be to goad the monster out of the house and then get themselves back in so they can lock it. Another goal may be to acquire an artifact or magic item somewhere in the city or town to banish the monster.

This gets them used to roleplaying and using their imagination workout worrying about character creation or the rules of the game.

That can be half or most of session 1. Preferably not all of session 1. The rest of session 1 will be doing the same thing but with a character. Not the exact same thing, but a similar scenario where they are pretending to be someone else. For this, use some level 1 or 2 premade characters.

Here are some sample premade characters you can use: http://media.wizards.com/downloads/dnd/StarterSet_Characters.pdf

This ends session 1. At the end of the session, ask them to think about what kind of character they want to play in a fantasy genre game. Use books and movies for inspiration.

Next session you'll use the guidelines presented above to determine what kind of class they will become based on their ideas they came up with. Then help them build the character they want using the PHB.

Then you can either use the above suggested scenario to start your own game and just let it evolve naturally (with your own plot twists added in) or use one of the published ones you've found and want to play.

[Vogonjeltz]

Sooo... huh... I am someone who has little experience in Roleplaying, I understand most terms and such, I've read the basic rules for D&D 5e, I have the player handbook and DM guide, and other various 5e pdfs (Such as Lost Mine of Phandelver, players companion, monster manual, etc.). My group consists of me, someone with prior experience Roleplaying (D&D 2e?), and possibly 2 others with no experience whatsoever. I have some questions...

1. Where should we start with D&D 5e?
2. This would be my first time DM'ing D&D, how should I do it?
2a. Should I start with Lost Mine of Phandelver?
2ab. If not, where should I start?
3. I'm wondering, can I run a game using the basic rules, but include all races, classes, spells, items etc. in the Player's Handbook and DM's guide?
4. Let's say I get really into D&D, how compatible are old stories and content with 5e?

I'll probably think of more later and I'll update as I find those questions.
Thank you for all responses (That are helpful, not slamming me for never having played before or telling me to switch edition).

Start with lost mines, the starter set comes with pre made Characters, so use those, you can always switch them out after players feel more confident in the system.

administratively if you have the time use the first session to go over the characters with each player, and cover all the basic rules:

This can be as simply stated as:

I the DM describe the situation, you the players describe character actions or what you want to try to do. If it's possible it happens unless there's the potential for failure, in which case you roll a d20 and add relevant modifiers to see if it works, and then I the DM describe the outcome.

From there explain what each attribute is for, what proficiency is for (bonus on attempts for activities related to particular skills), how attacks in general work, how spellcasting works for the casters, how combat rounds work, and you should be fairly good to start.

[longshotist]

Sooo... huh... I am someone who has little experience in Roleplaying, I understand most terms and such, I've read the basic rules for D&D 5e, I have the player handbook and DM guide, and other various 5e pdfs (Such as Lost Mine of Phandelver, players companion, monster manual, etc.). My group consists of me, someone with prior experience Roleplaying (D&D 2e?), and possibly 2 others with no experience whatsoever. I have some questions...

1. Where should we start with D&D 5e?
2. This would be my first time DM'ing D&D, how should I do it?
2a. Should I start with Lost Mine of Phandelver?
2ab. If not, where should I start?
3. I'm wondering, can I run a game using the basic rules, but include all races, classes, spells, items etc. in the Player's Handbook and DM's guide?
4. Let's say I get really into D&D, how compatible are old stories and content with 5e?

I'll probably think of more later and I'll update as I find those questions.
Thank you for all responses (That are helpful, not slamming me for never having played before or telling me to switch edition).

Welcome to D&D! i'm happy to throw in my 2cp if any of it can be of use to you. i'll preface it by saying there's really no "wrong" way to play D&D if everyone at the table has fun.

1. Lost Mine of Phandelver is a great starting quest. It can dovetail into some other WOTC campaigns on the market as well. (sometimes a little work is involved but not too much.) there's also dmsguild.com which has an easy to search database where you can find all sorts of adventures. But before any of that, in a more general sense, i would say, just start by creating characters. i highly, highly, highly recommend starting at first level. Keep in mind, characters can die but that doesn't mean the game is over. it's a bummer, for sure, for about 30 minutes then you roll up your new character(s) and you're back to having fun.
2. DMing can feel intimidating and there's oodles of advice to share, YouTubers you can watch, things to read, etc. A couple of quick things that have helped me are: the notion of "rulings, not rules." don't fall into the trap of diverting time to constantly thumbing through books looking for rules on how to do this-or-that (or letting players chew up time doing it). You're the DM: make a ruling for your table and move on. The other thing is: if your story/the quest needs the party to go to Point A, and they for whatever reason ignore that path and go to Point B, just make whatever was going to happen at Point A happen at Point B instead. they'll never know. Lastly, try not to railroad players too much. Their characters exist in a fantasy world, and something might spark their imagination or grab their attention you hadn't thought of, or that the module doesn't cover. Just wing it, make something up as you go along and do your best. They'll be amazed, and have fun, and i guarantee times like those will up your DM game. As mentioned in No. 1 yes, Lost Mine of Phandelver is a great starting adventure. More to say on this in No. 4
3. i don't think there's any reason you couldn't do that.
4. Adapting old modules is super easy. I've found, in particular, original D&D seems really adaptable. that could be, though, because i just have a great fondness for those old modules and tend to gravitate towards them anyway. Using already-created adventures saves you a TON of time as a DM. You'll need to tweak some things to fit your world and make them your own, and the mechanics/stats are different but the language is the same and, again, a lot of DMing in my experience is just rolling with it as things come up in the moment.

Once again, welcome to D&D - we're always happy to have a new hobbyist especially a new DM!

[2D8HP]

Phandelver is great, but for a short alternative, Basic sets of long ago had The Keep on the Borderlands (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Keep_on_the_Borderlands) as an introductory adventure, and was so beloved they made a 4e version and as part of the 5e playtest, they used "The Caves of Chaos" portion, which you can see by clicking here (http://media.wizards.com/downloads/dnd/DnD_Next_ReturnCavesChaos.pdf).