Help. Lots of it, please.

[Rama_Lei]

My group doesn't know how to play D&D. Seriously. They take too long, don't know how to make their own characters, and don't understand most of the game. I'm thinking of starting them at level 1 with basic characters which they can edit if they'd like, and slowly introducing more and more of the rules. Do you guys have any advice?

[cubecrazymonkey]

One thing that might be interesting to try is a campaign using the generic classes from Unearthed Arcana. You start with one of three generic archetypes (Warrior, Expert, or Spellcaster) and get to essentially customize from there. If your group is as clueless as you say they are, it might not be a bad idea to make these character for each of them. Start off very simple- nothing using more advanced rules like grapples or AoOs, just use basic attack and damage rolls until they seem to catch onto the basics, then gradually work in some other ideas, like spellcasting and other combat options.

I would recommend having them read the relevant things in the player's handbook, except that I know when you don't have much a context in which to place it all the myriads of rules will go right over your head. The best way to learn it is just to play it.

[Dairun Cates]

My group doesn't know how to play D&D. Seriously. They take too long, don't know how to make their own characters, and don't understand most of the game. I'm thinking of starting them at level 1 with basic characters which they can edit if they'd like, and slowly introducing more and more of the rules. Do you guys have any advice?

Personally, I had my players trained on Paranoia and Risus before we ever even started touching the heavier stuff, but there are a few tricks.

1. Build your encounters specifically around teaching some of the more difficult but occasionally vital components of the system. This can be anything from a giant fighter that grapples people to an Attacks of Opportunity character.

2. Ease them into it. Start out with role-playing and easy encounters. Even the easiest battles can be hard with newer people. Likewise, you might not entirely have a feel for a group's strategy yet.

3. Sit there and personally help every person with their characters step by step. Ask them what kind of character they want to play and run them through the options. The number of options in D&D can be frightening.

4. Use the core books for now. You'll need to know all the rules of all the character's classes. They won't catch on for a few session so you'll need to know where their confusions are lying.

5. Encourage the party to get a balance at first. Make sure there's at least a healer, a skill monkey, a meatshield, and a caster at first.

6. Start at level 2. They'll die at level 1.

7. Encourage them to make backstories. They'll be more into their characters if they do. Offer a small reward for a good backstory.

8. Relax and have fun with it. Nothing is more threatening to new D&D players than an overly morbid theme and feeling. It makes things feel too grave and not like a game. Be a bit light-hearted and cliche at first. It'll help lighten the mood.

9. Bring snacks. They help build camaraderie. No joke. Food brings people together.

10. Give the players tactical advice at first if they look stumped. Don't step in every turn, but nudge them along.

It's basically all about being warm and welcoming and putting that extra effort into it. Starting a new group is often the time of biggest work for a GM. Be prepared for it.

[Roland St. Jude]

Just a few suggestions, if your group knows they don't know how to play and are amenable I'd recommend:

.5 Have them read the PHB.
1. Start at level 1
2. Ask them what kind of character they want to play, make them tell you all about it. Don't discriminate between crunch and fluff, just have them tell you what they envision for their starting adventurer. Ask them questions about things you'd need to know to build a character. Don't worry about long term goals, life stories, or the like, if they don't know that - all they need to have is a sense of who their character is in the present.
3. Build their character for them to their stated desires. Use the most basic and simple mechanical choices that get the job done. (Not necessarily the most optimal, but the simplest for them to use.)
4. Go through what their character can do with them.
5. Play. Enact a one minute rule: if they can't tell you what their character is going to do within one minute, their character gets passed over that turn. Within that minute they can get help from each other or you, of course.
6. Encourage them to act. Reward decisive action and risk taking. Plan adventures that are tailored to what they can do. Be generous in advising them, at first, about how to use their abilities.

I'm sure I've been thoroughly ninja'd by now. But this is, very briefly, the method I've used to teach people for a long time.

EDIT: Caveat: It sounds like you are already past this point though. They have likely been playing and this approach would seem condescending to them. In that case, you have to be a bit stealthier about it. Do as much of 4, 5, and 6 as you can without being blatant about it.

[daggaz]

Character Creation...

Everybody sits down and talks over what they want to play. Keep it core only. Then go thru and set up their characters one by one, making sure everybody watches everyone else getting made. Skip encumberance for now. Give them the equipment they need yourself, but explain it to them lightly... Give them triple hitpoints. This whole process can easily take a couple of hours, unfortunately... so make sure you have snacks and are laughing and having fun while doing it.

First session... definitely have a session after a short break when you are complete.. Keep it very simple, tell a simple story, railroad them a little to keep things together, and skip over ALL the wierd and heavier mechanics.

THings like, "You have been asked by the king to clean out a cave of goblins, as you approach the cave, which is dark and smells of mildew and stagnant water, a small goblin jumps out of the bushes and attacks you!" Here I would roll for initiative and explain that, but skip anything about AoO, shooting into melee, grappling, etc... Just explain AC and hitrolls and damage rolls. And the few spells they can cast.. Run a quick easy encounter with some fun treasure that is overpowered... so they can see the difference between fighting a goblin with say 15 ac and with 25 ac. Give the mage a scroll of fireball or something. Dont worry about caster checks etc.. Give the cleric ample chances to heal people or cast buffs, as well as fighting.. Give the rogue an obvious trap, explaining "You see what looks to be a crude trap, unfortunately, only one of you feels like you have the skills to disarm it without sending the rocks/arrows/etc raining down on the party." Give him a lock or two to pick.

That should be enough to hook them in, then just ease them in on the mechanics a few sessions at a time. If they love it, they will learn. If they dont, they will be apathetic and wander away, nothing to do there.

[MrNexx]

I going to go counter to that. Don't have them read the PH. Instead, come up with a cheat sheet for relevant rules, including your house rules, so they can look at a two page rulesheet, instead of hunting and pecking through the PH. Include a basic idea of what each class is like, and let them work from there.

Run them for a session or two. They'll get the hang of combat, skills, etc. fairly quickly. And, when they level up, do that with them individually. Your barbarian may want to continue as a barbarian; your ranger may want to pick up rogue levels. Level up with them, so they get the hang of things. Then play some more.

Pretty soon, you'll have a group who is looking in the PH, because they want to know. They want to know what spells can do, where their character should go, etc. Demanding that they read the PH first is going to kill off several people's interest.

[JackMage666]

Step 1 is definately read the PHB. The mechanics, specifically - racial/class fluff can be skipped over, and read into detail when the make their character.

I suggest start playing, and guide them through it. So long as you, the DM, knows what to do, they should begin learning. I caught on pretty fast when I started, but some of the others I played with didn't. It happens, some people are fast learners, some arn't.
Like I said, start playing, have fun, and teach the rules as you go along.

EDIT - I don't mean every page of the PHB. There are a number of summary pages in it that help alot. Pg 135, for example, gives a real basic settup of combat.

[evisiron]

Maybe get them to watch or run through this:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/playdnd

It may not be the best, but as it can be emailed and done alone, it does not eat into gaming time.

[TSGames]

My group doesn't know how to play D&D. Seriously. They take too long, don't know how to make their own characters, and don't understand most of the game. I'm thinking of starting them at level 1 with basic characters which they can edit if they'd like, and slowly introducing more and more of the rules. Do you guys have any advice?

When I taught noobs how to play it was at a tournament, so our schedules didn't coincide very well. It ended up that I explained what I could before I had to go to a round and then I pretty much handed them the PHB and told them to figure it out. Somehow, it worked and the sessions after went fairly smoothly. I guess I used a type of sink or swim method, maybe it could work for you?(Though I highly recommend almost any other method that is suggested.)

[Dairun Cates]

Maybe get them to watch or run through this:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/playdnd

It may not be the best, but as it can be emailed and done alone, it does not eat into gaming time.

Part of me hopes the players are beyond this level of skill, and the other part of me can't stop laughing at the cheesy campiness of that gameplay demo.

[tannish2]

ranger is the king of beginner classes, it starts out exceptionally simple, as it goes there are more options, and eventually u get used to the spellcasting system.

[Matthew]

Try the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Game (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/966470000). Alternatively, start at Level 1, using a Human Fighter, Human Rogue, Human Sorcerer and Human Cleric (Spontaneous Casting Variant). Play through a bunch of basic encounters. Otherwise, the above advice is all pretty good.

[Kurald Galain]

Might I make the shocking suggestion of not playing D&D?

(boo! hiss!! bring out yer tomatoes!!!)

There's plenty of other RPGs out there (most of which are simpler than D&D), and if your group considers D&D too complex, well, play something else.