What should first time players read?

[kamap]

What pages in the PHB should each and every player have read before starting play?

Our game gets bogged down cause a few of our players can't or wont invest the time in reading the PHB, so there is a whole lot of looking up and deciding what to do during a turn.
Some of them have specified that they find it a daunting task and don't know where to start.

So I would like to know what you guys and girls think should be read by every player.

Race, class and spells if the class has them is logical but what else?

[LeonBH]

They should read the pages that describe their class abilities.

Those players should not play spellcasters. Just have them all play martials. It won't make for a worse game.

[JackPhoenix]

Besides the stuff for their own characters, whole part 2 of the PHB (i.e. chapters 7, 8 and 9). While some minor things can be skipped selectively (Underwater combat when the game isn't expected to happen underwater?), reading the actual rules how the game works should be mandatory.

[Waazraath]

What pages in the PHB should each and every player have read before starting play?

Our game gets bogged down cause a few of our players can't or wont invest the time in reading the PHB, so there is a whole lot of looking up and deciding what to do during a turn.
Some of them have specified that they find it a daunting task and don't know where to start.

So I would like to know what you guys and girls think should be read by every player.

Race, class and spells if the class has them is logical but what else?

Probably not much use, since you already started, but for such a group I'd run the first sessions as a 'turorial'. Have 'em (as an example) start as captives in some dungeon, going through a serie of gladiatorial combats. Starting with a few combats that are hit & miss', as soon as they understand what die to roll for attack and what for damage, have a few enemies show up that use tactics (ganging up), and use special abilities (shove, grapple), use abilities that require a saving throw. Introduce a few elements in the environment (a pit where somebody can get thrown in), or have a mounted combat. Think about situations where skills can be used, and explicitly ask "who is proficient in skill X" (instead of waiting til the player deceides to do something with skills known).

If you go through this for a few sessions (how many depending on how long you play, how often, and the capabilities of your players), they should be able to play the game. All players really need to know are abilites they have from class, background, and race.

[Lombra]

At least their own class abilities, combat rules, and spellcasting rules if they do have spells. It isn't really that much. Oh and the equipment/weapons section.

[NecessaryWeevil]

Maybe give them a Coles Notes version of the Combat chapter, with a line or two on each type of Action they can take?

Or make an explicit agreement with them: "Do you want training wheels, or not? If you want full access to all the rules and options then you are responsible for knowing them (I'll help). Alternatively, until you feel comfortable, you can describe what you want to do and I will help you interpret those in terms of options that the rules provide. But then you don't get to spend 10 minutes looking for reasons to disagree with me or loopholes to exploit."

[DarkKnightJin]

They should read up on what their classes can do. And they should avoid spellcasters. Barbarian or Fighter. Maybe Rogue if they wanna get crazy.

[Garresh]

The Player's Handbook.

[Gardakan]

They should read their class abilities at least.

If they get involved, they can get their hands on Adventurer's League material (short version that is free of the basic rules).

Then, they may want to read a bit more details about the system in the Player Handbook.

[Burnteyes]

Well, I agree with the others. If they won't read chapters 7, 8, 9 (plus 10 and 11 if they want to run casters) and their own character class, I personally wouldn't be a fan of running the game.

[LordEntrails]

Maybe give them a Coles Notes version of the Combat chapter, with a line or two on each type of Action they can take?

Or make an explicit agreement with them: "Do you want training wheels, or not? If you want full access to all the rules and options then you are responsible for knowing them (I'll help). Alternatively, until you feel comfortable, you can describe what you want to do and I will help you interpret those in terms of options that the rules provide. But then you don't get to spend 10 minutes looking for reasons to disagree with me or loopholes to exploit."
This is exactly how you should approach it.

[2D8HP]

In ancient times,
Hundreds of years before the dawn of history back in the 1970's
Lived a strange race of people, the Druids new Fantasy wargamers

No one knows who they were or what they were doing
But their legacy remains
Hewn into the living rock, of Stonehenge
In those times now past only the referee, later known as the "Dungeon Master" had to really know the rules

With 1e AD&D much of the rules the players weren't even supposed to know!
Page seven of the 1979 DMG:
"What follows herein is strictly for the eyes of you, the campaign referee"

On page eight "As this book is the exclusive precinct of the DM, you must view any non-DM player possessing it as something less than worthy of honorable death".
Seems to me at a good table you could still just be handed a pre-gen, and asked "What do you do?" and go from there, or if you want to read most of the 5e rules for free (you cheapskate) click:

here (http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules)


and


here (http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/systems-reference-document-srd)

But as to the question of which pages of the PHB are the most handy to know?

Start with page four:
"...To play D&D, and to play it well, you don't need to read all the rules, memorize every detail of thr game, or master the fine art of rolling funny looking dice.
None of those things have any bearing on what's best about the game.
What you need are two things, the first being friends with whom you can share the game...

....The second thing you need is a lively imagination or, more importantly, the willingness to use whatever imagination you have....

...Read the rules of the game and the story of its worlds, but always remember that you are the one who brings them to life. They are nothing without the spark of life that you give them."

Next read up to page 17, skip ahead to pages 29 to 31, then read page 45, then pages 70 to 73, then121 to 161, 173 to 198, 290 to 299, and finally read page 312, which is AWESOME!

[Tanarii]

Chapter seven the first 3 pages (before Using each ability). Tread the ability scores if they want examples of what agility checks will most often be what.

Chapter 8 before resting, which special emphasis on activity while traveling, since that also applies to traveling down a dungeon corridors.

Chapter 9 , skim everything before Damage and healing. Basically: movement, actions in combat, and making an attack.

[pdegan2814]

Preferably, I'd want each player to at least go through the content covered in the Basic Rules pdf that WotC offers as a free download, possibly skipping the race/class/background/spell content that doesn't apply to their character. But at the VERY least, they should be familiar with the basic concept of skill checks, saving throws, attacks, etc. as well as their racial and class abilities. I get not wanting to scare away newbies by overloading them with info and math, but at some point they need to actually learn the rules.

OP - you said some of your players "can't or won't" invest the time reading the PHB. For those who "can't", is it because they can't afford the book? If that's the case, I would point them to the free Basic Rules pdf to start, and then they can borrow a PHB for the bits specific to their character. For those who "won't", well...players like that I don't have a ton of patience for. Yes, it's possible to give someone a tutorial session and go over the basics and then they can get by in the beginning. But if they're going to keep playing, they really need to invest a little time to read the book. D&D isn't Candyland.

[Tanarii]

I get not wanting to scare away newbies by overloading them with info and math, but at some point they need to actually learn the rules.From over 30 years* of DMing games of D&D and a few other RPGs, I can tell you: most newbies to any kind of game seem to consider anything more than about a page of rules to be overload. This includes people that call themselves "gamers" IMX. For D&D, the majority of newcomers want to fill out their character sheet then jump into play.

Also applies to board games. I always end up being the one who has to read the rules whenever I sit down with a new game to play with friends. And by "has to" I mean I grab them as soon as the box is opened and huddle in a couch corner saying My Precious as I read them. :smallbiggrin:


*blatant argument from authority fallacy :smallwink: