D&D can look pretty overwhelming from the outside, but once you actually sit down and start playing, you'll realise it's much easier to get into than you think.

This guide will take you through what you actually need, how to make your first character, finding a group and what to expect from your first game.

What is D&D?

At its core, Dungeons & Dragons is a game about creating a story with your friends.

One person is the Dungeon Master (DM). They create and describe the world around you, control the monsters and characters you meet and generally try to deal with whatever chaos the players decide to cause.

Everyone else creates their own character. Maybe you're a sneaky Rogue, a powerful Wizard, a heavily armoured Fighter or a Cleric running around trying to keep everyone alive.

When you want to do something where the outcome isn't guaranteed, you'll normally roll a die, add any bonuses your character has and see what happens.

There are obviously more rules to learn along the way, but you absolutely don't need to know everything before your first game.

What do you actually need to start?

Honestly, not much.

For your first D&D game, you'll want:

• The rules. The Player's Handbook is the main book you'll want as a player. If you're planning on being the DM, the Dungeon Master's Guide and Monster Manual are also worth having.
• A set of dice. Your standard D&D set comes with a d4, d6, d8, two d10s, d12 and the famous d20. Will you eventually convince yourself you need 15 different sets? Probably. But one is enough to start. Check out our dice range here.
• A character sheet. This is where you'll keep track of your character, stats, abilities, equipment and everything else.
• A pencil and some paper. Trust me, you'll want notes. Especially when your DM introduces an NPC and you immediately forget their name.
• Some friends. Usually around three to five players and a DM.

Where should you REALLY start?

There are really two ways I'd recommend getting into D&D.

Option 1: Grab a Starter Set

If you and your mates have never played before, this is probably the easiest way to get started.

A D&D Starter Set gives you the rules, an adventure, characters and basically everything you need to sit down and give the game a go without having to figure everything out yourself.

It takes a lot of the pressure off whoever has volunteered to be the DM as well.

Check out our D&D Starter Sets.

Option 2: Jump into the core books

If you already know D&D is something you're going to get into, you can jump straight into the core books.

The main three are:

• Player's Handbook
• Dungeon Master's Guide
• Monster Manual

If you're just playing, you really only need the Player's Handbook. If you're going to DM, you'll eventually want all three.

Browse our full Dungeons & Dragons range.

Making your first character

This is where D&D really starts getting fun.

You'll choose your species, class and background, work out your abilities and then decide who you actually want your character to be.

Don't get too caught up trying to make the "perfect" character either. Half the fun is creating someone you think sounds cool and seeing what happens to them.

If you're completely new, here are a few classes worth looking at:

• Fighter: Loves a good fight, can take a hit and is always handy when things kick off. A great pick if you're just starting out.
• Cleric: Keeps everyone alive, wears solid armour and can still dish out some serious damage when needed.
• Rogue: Sneaky, quick and somehow always manages to find trouble... or treasure. Usually both.
• Wizard: Has a spell for almost everything and can be incredibly powerful. There's a little more to keep track of, but once you get the hang of it, it's worth it.

The Player's Handbook takes you through creating your character step by step, and if you're playing with someone experienced, don't be afraid to ask them for help.

And while you absolutely don't need a miniature to play, there's something pretty cool about finally putting your character on the table for the first time.

Browse our miniatures.

Finding a group

Probably the biggest question people have when they want to start D&D is:

Who am I actually going to play with?

Your mates are the obvious place to start. You'd be surprised how many people have thought about trying D&D but have just never had someone organise it.

There are also heaps of online communities. r/LFG is specifically for finding groups, while r/DnD is a good place for general D&D questions and discussion.

Local Facebook groups are worth checking as well. Don't worry about being completely new either. Everyone had a first session at some point.

Playing D&D online

You don't even need to be sitting around the same table anymore.

If your group lives all over the place, there are a few really good options for playing online:

• Roll20: One of the biggest online virtual tabletops and pretty easy to get started with.
• Foundry VTT: A much more customisable option if you want something with a bit more power behind it.
• Owlbear Rodeo: Nice and simple. Great if you just want a map and tokens without learning a massive system.
• D&D Beyond: Great for keeping your characters, books and other D&D content together online.

Jump on Discord or a video call with everyone and you're pretty much ready to go.

And yes, you can roll digital dice.

But rolling your actual dice is better. I don't make the rules.

Your first session

Your first game probably isn't going to run perfectly.

And that's completely fine!

A few things I'd recommend:

1. Have a Session Zero. Get everyone together before the campaign properly starts. Talk about what sort of game you want to play, create characters and make sure everyone is on the same page.
2. Start small. You don't need to commit to a three year campaign straight away. Try a one shot and see how everyone enjoys it.
3. Don't stress about every rule. You're going to forget things. Even experienced players forget rules. If something is slowing the game down, make a decision, keep playing and look it up later.
4. You're not trying to win. D&D isn't really about beating the game. Some of the best moments happen when everything goes completely wrong. Just have fun!
5. Expect absolute chaos. The DM will spend hours preparing something and there's a very good chance the party will immediately do something they never planned for.

That's D&D.

Thinking about becoming the DM?

Give it a go!

Being the DM can look intimidating because you're the person running the game, but you don't need to memorise every rule or have some huge fantasy world already written.

You need an adventure, a basic understanding of the rules and a willingness to make things up when your players inevitably do something ridiculous.

You'll get better every time you play.

Watch a game before you play

One of the easiest ways to understand D&D is simply watching other people play.

A few places I'd recommend:

• Critical Role: Probably the biggest D&D actual-play series out there and responsible for introducing a lot of people to the game.
• Legends of Avantris: If you want something with plenty of comedy mixed in with some great stories, definitely worth a watch. (my personal favourite)
• Dungeons & Dragons: The official D&D YouTube channel has games, guides and heaps of content for new players.

Just remember that your home game doesn't need to look anything like the massive shows you see online.

You don't need professional voice actors, expensive terrain or a crazy setup.

A table, some mates and some dice is more than enough.

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