New to d&d

[BonBondork88]

Hello, like the total says, I'm very new to d&d, like never really played before new, my boyfriend, now husband, tried to teach me before but I didn't really get it, but I want to learn how to play cause he said he's starting a new campaign soon and I want to try joining in again,

So I guess what I'm asking is if you guys can help me learn, he's on this site all the time so I figured you people would be able to help :smalltongue:

All I know right now is that I want to be a Ranger.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to try to help :smallsmile:

[MrStabby]

Firstly, welcome.

We are all nice here, even if sometimes we pretend not to be.

Now is a good time to be a ranger if the new version is allowed.

Ranger is also possibly a great class to start on. It has a good mix of abilities, can be played in different ways and will get you into casting spells and combat.

Do you have any specific questions - or just general advice?

[Corran]

Well, in order to play, the first thing you have to do, is to make a character. The class is one of the most important choices, so now you have made it (ie ranger), the second step would be to select a race. Have a look at the races and see which one you like better (the elf is a classic choice for a ranger, though dont be afraid to pick a more unconventional for a ranger race, if you like it). After the race, there are still a couple of things that you need to do (select a background, pick skills, etc), but more importantly, you have to think about who your character is (ie what is s/he like, from appearance and personality to even tiniest details if you want to). Heck, this is perhaps the first thing to do before even selecting race and class. So think about what your character is like. Sometimes, drawing inspiration from book/movie characters can help with that.

ps: Also, welcome!
We accept you, we accept you, one of us, one of us!!!

[Trum4n1208]

Howdy and welcome!

You'll be able to pick it up pretty quickly. I've found that 5E is pretty new-user friendly. I'd also agree with Mr. Stabby, Ranger (especially the revised Ranger) is a fun class to play, as it introduces you to both normal fighting and casting. Rogue, Fighter, and Bard are also decent classes to start with.

[Specter]

Welcome.

Three quick pieces of advice:
1) Pay attention to what's happening even if you're not directly involved, otherwise you may slow everybody down.
2) You don't have to know all the mechanics, just those involving your character (how attacks work, what the spells you chose do, when to apply your proficiency bonus, etc.).
3) Ask more experienced players when you're in doubt of what to choose from class options.

Enjoy.

[lunaticfringe]

Take some shorthand notes on your Class's Specific Rules. They will stick in your head that way. This helps you stay present & immersed in the story. Even though you have a Character Sheet there often isn't space for explaining everything. IE make a Ranger cheat sheet.

I suggest this to all my new players. Doesn'T need to be a word for word copying of the features, just make it something you understand. I still do this with my spells if I'm playing a Wizard.

[2D8HP]

The new UA Revised Ranger (http://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/UA_RevisedRanger.pdf) looks AWESOME!
But you can have fun with most any background/class/race, but..... don't pick one because of "what the party needs". Pick what sounds fun to you.
Imagine your "PC" (player character) as a character in a book or movie, and go with what you'd like to read/see that character do.
There's no "winning" the game beyond having fun, and if the character your playing isn't fun for you don't feel like you have to stick with that character, or how you originally imagined your character.
For me the less I look at the "character sheet", and think about the rules, and insteasd focus on imagining what the character I'm playing perceives, (ask!) the more fun the game is for me, but
Back in my day only the DM's had to have the rules anyhow, dagnabbit! to which someone responded:
It was a dark and dreadful time. It's good that it passed.
Good luck, have fun, and best wishes!
:smile:

[DivisibleByZero]

Don't worry about the rules. They'll come.
Dont even think of it like a game.
Think of it like you're an actor in a movie, only you don't have a script and you have to do it improv style. The Director explains the scene, then you and the other actors play out the scene. The director tells you what happens next.

Tell your husband that you'd prefer to start at low level for the campaign (3rd or less, so that you can learn as you level, before things get complicated) and ask him to make you a Ranger character. He'll ask you some questions. Answer them for him and you'll have a character. This way you'll get a workable character, without needing to know all the rules before hand. Again, knowledge of the rules will come during play.

Just think of it like a movie in your head that everyone gets to make as a team, and don't worry about the rules just yet, and you'll have fun.

[GraakosGraakos]

The best advice I can give is don't be afraid to look like a goof sometimes. Roleplaying can feel a little weird sometimes, but if you let yourself get into it, it's tons of fun.

[JAL_1138]

Hello and welcome!

This is a kind of minor tip, but I've seen new players get tripped up with the actual physical dice themselves as much or more than any other issue; it's tough to get the hang of which one of the funny-shaped little things is which, which one to use, and when. I think it helps to use a set that's easy to read, with bold numbers in easily-visible colors. Plain sets may look boring but I think they're a lot less confusing to get the hang of.

[Falcon X]

Core mechanics of the game:
1. Almost all dice rolls in the game are a d20 die + Ability score + proficiency (if you have it in the chosen action). Figure those out and you will be able to easily know what dice to roll.
- Most exceptions are when you roll for damage or to regain hit points. That's where the other dice come in.
2. Advantage/Disadvantage - D&D is pretty intuitive. If you think something is happening that should give you advantage in a situation (higher ground, someone helping you, a helpful tool, etc.), it probably does give you advantage. Ask whenever you notice something.

How to play well:
- Try to think about what you are going to do ahead of time. If you know you are going into a dark cave tomorrow, think about how you will be able to see. If you are going to convince someone of something, have a clear goal and an idea of what might persuade this person. If you are in combat, think about your next action as soon as you finish the previous one.
- Read about the Ranger in the Player's Handbook and make sure you understand it. You would be surprised how many people I play with who don't do this.
- Find something interesting about your character and play it up. For example, I am playing a game right now where one girl sat in the back and never said a thing in the game unless asked... until she got arrested and it came out that she was a pirate and had to defend herself. Now events surround her and she is planning assassinations and is our most engaged player.

Also, read a little about it when you can. Here is an article from this website about Making Tough Decisions. There are other such articles all over the internet. You might also read about other people's games.

[pwykersotz]

The advice here about just imagining yourself as an actor in a play or a star in a movie is sound, but if you're interested in actually learning the rules, give the basic rules (http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules) a try. Just take your time and go through them at your own pace, or borrow a Player's Handbook from your husband and read through the first chapter.

The mechanics of D&D are pretty simple, even if they can be nuanced, FalconX covered it nicely with the d20 and advantage/disadvantage. But there's no substitute for trying to use those rules to do things.

What I do when I'm trying to understand a new game is to make a character, grab a monster, and run a pretend combat against myself. If there's ever a point where I don't know what to do or how to proceed, I know where I'm shaky on the rules.

[JAL_1138]

Don't be afraid to ask the DM or other players at the table when you have a question about how a rule works or what you need to roll. They should be willing to help out and hopefully will be understanding of the fact that you're new. And don't worry about making mistakes. People who've been playing for years get the rules wrong sometimes too. You'll get better at it as time goes on and you get more familiar with it.

Are there any specific things you have questions or concerns about?

[BonBondork88]

Thank you for all the advice you guys you all are very sweet ^^ im so slow at these kind of games lol like Magic I never understood magic. I played once and I'm just like Omg what is happening here! Lol

[MrStabby]

Thank you for all the advice you guys you all are very sweet ^^ im so slow at these kind of games lol like Magic I never understood magic. I played once and I'm just like Omg what is happening here! Lol

There is absolutely no reason not it pick it up, it may take a while but you will get there. Just get people to explain what is going on. That said the rules are big and heavy for what is basically simple.

The basics of the rules are pretty simple.

There are three types of roll: Ability Checks, Saves and Attack Rolls. Once you get how these work and how they are used, you basically know 95% of the game. Get help with your character sheet and understand these three and you are good to go.

[CaptainSarathai]

I'm currently in a campaign as a player (not DM) with several newbies - one of which is my girlfriend.
The easiest way to play is to just ignore the rules outright. Understand what your class does, and maybe understand what your abilities claim to do. Then play that role. Dont worry about telling the DM that you want to make an "Intimidation Check" to threaten the Orc into surrendering. Just say,
"I tell the Orc 'Surrender or die, you ugly green heathen!"
And the DM will tell you if you need to roll dice.
"I want to shoot him with my bow"
He'll walk you through the attack rules for shooting your bow.

[Gwiz]

First of all if you don't choose the beastmaster path, the ranger in the PHB is balanced perfectly fine.

Second of all you don't need to know very much in advance to play this game, your DM can fill you in while you play. Anyone can start playing d&d without spending more than 30 seconds explaining the absolute basics, the rest is learned as you go.

[Vorpalchicken]

Once you reach second level, make sure you have the Hunter's Mark spell and cast it with a bonus action on your target before you attack. The spell stays active for an hour after you cast it so you can reapply it to a new target even in a later combat.
You could write Hunter's Mark on a chalkboard and keep it at eye level on the wall opposite where you sit as a reminder. *

TLDR Kick some butt using Hunter's Mark.

[Addaran]

You could ask him for a mini-introduction session. A little interaction, a mini-quest and 1-2 combats.

That will help you get into character before there's everyone at the table, learn a bit the rules (at least the ones about your character) and maybe you'll notice something you want to change before the game start. (Though, even if you notice just later, a lot of DM lets the player make a few changes if the player isn't satisfied with the character, especially new players.)

[Gastronomie]

Welcome, and nice to meet you.

I second Addaran that you should ask for a mini-quest prior to the main campaign starting. You can testplay your character, including role-playing, and perhaps change his/her personality or abilities to better suit your style. You can also look at more experienced players and learn from them.

For your first session, all you need to do is always have your character sheet in front of you, and perhaps learn the rules for "attacking" and the class abilities you have (as well as your spells, but vaguely is fine). That is probably all you need to know at first.

Your DM - he's your husband after all - will be willing to teach you what to do at what point, like "okay, you got hit by drow poison, so now roll this d20 and add this number; this is a Constitution Saving Throw and it seems you've succeeded...", or "roll this d10 and add this number, this is the HP you regained from expending that hit dice, and in this case you regained 9 points..." and stuff. Once you do one or two sessions you'll get to understand. The core rules of 5e are surprisingly simple and very easy to get into your head.

-Attacking (attack rolls)
-Rolling initiative
-Skills
-Saving Throws

All of the above are solved by just learning:

How to roll a d20 (by dropping it from your hand)
Advantage/disadvantage (rolling twice and taking the better number for advantage, or the worse for disadvantage)
Ability score modifiers (16 STR will be +3 and stuff like that, but the math is extremely easy)
Proficiency (stuff you're good at get a bonus that starts at +2 and gets to +6 at level 20, as listed in your class features)

So once you learn how to attack, you'll also pretty much understand how to make skill checks and saving throws.

I think the "Revised Ranger" that 2D8HP posted is better to use, not just because it's stronger but also because it's more simple and easier to handle for beginners. If you're using it, you should sorta remember stuff like "rolling for initiative twice and using the better number (advantage on initiative)", and the sort, but that can help you learn better.

[Demonslayer666]

Rule#1: Don't tell anyone about D&D club...oh wait, that's not right.... Oh yeah, it's HAVE FUN!

First step: learn the dice! It will save tons of time and impress your friends. The one with the most sides sides is the d20 (short for die twenty). The pyramid pointy one is the d4, or better known as the caltrop.

I like the actor analogy, very true for good roleplaying. But that comes much later in my opinion.

I like to think of D&D as a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book. Am I dating myself there? I hope those are still around. I really enjoyed them in grade school. The difference between that and D&D is that you have infinite choices instead of a few. Just tell the DM what you want to do. Roleplaying will come later on with experience.

Google "example of playing D&D" and watch some you tube examples. If you don't hate Wesley Crusher, Wil Wheaton has some good table top gaming videos out there where he recorded his sessions with friends.

D&D is first and foremost a social game. I enjoy it the most when playing with good friends. As was already mentioned, it's not a game you "win". The fun is advancing your character by gaining levels and acquiring treasure, but the true fun is hanging out with friends and making memorable moments like "we're gonna need more cats."

Quote lots of movies like "Willow", "The Princess Bride", "Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail", "Lord of the Rings", and "13th Warrior". And if you haven't seen any of those, try and make the time to do so. They are fantastic (and very D&D inspiring).

Best of luck and let us know how it goes!

[hellgrammite]

It is a game. Don't be worried about hurting peoples feelings if its in the best interest of your character. Run into a battle, get your faced smashed and let your character learn to be humble.

Once you go through an encounter or two, practice on paper a few encounters on your own. Get a good feel of the rules (different actions chapter), surprise rounds, surrounded by multiple enemies...ect.

Focus less on die rolls, and more describing what your doing. Let the DM ask for rolls mostly at first.