How Do You Teach New Players About D&D?

Introducing a new player to the wonderful world of Dungeons & Dragons can be an immensely rewarding experience. But with so many stats and rules and books and maps and dice and math flying around, asking a novice to jump straight into an ongoing campaign with experienced players is like asking an Amish man to disarm a bomb. It can be overwhelming.

That’s not to say it can’t be done. A lot of that depends on the newcomer in question, the Dungeon Master, and the overall vibe of the group. Sometimes, things just click.

But I’m going to offer some tips and suggestions for easing a new player into the game, rather than just shoving them into the deep end and hoping they figure out how to swim.

Start with a one-shot.

If you’re a Dungeon Master who has been running a campaign for six years, and your eighteenth-level party is about to infiltrate the Mystic Mines to steal back the Amulet of Power, it might not be the best time to introduce Bumbles McClueless.

That’s neither fair to the seasoned players who have to babysit the novice on top of what’s already a difficult and dangerous quest, nor the novice who is under unnecessary pressure not to screw everything up.

A good way to take the pressure off a new player is to eliminate the stakes entirely. This can easily be done with a one-shot game. A test drive, if you will. Tell the player that whatever happens during this session will have no effect on future sessions. We’re just running a one-time bullshit mini-adventure to work out the nuts and bolts of game play.

You can have them arrive at a farm where they’re solicited by a farmer to go kill some rats that have been eating all the grain stores. The more generic, the better. That really drives home how little this matters, which takes the pressure off the player.

Should you start with a premade character or build one from scratch?

That’s going to depend on a couple of factors, the biggest being how much time you have.

Handing a new player a filled-out character sheet and saying, “Here. You’re Larry the Wizard” certainly saves everyone a lot of time and allows you to jump straight into the action, but it comes at the cost of denying the player the opportunity to really connect and invest emotionally in the role. That might be fine for a quick one-shot, but if you’ve got the time, I recommend walking the newcomer through the steps of character creation.

Creating a new character, for many, is almost as much fun as playing it, and it allows a Dungeon Master or veteran player to sprinkle in game mechanics to the newcomer without overwhelming them.

Rather than ask them specifics, such as what class they’d like to play, start off with more general conceptual questions. “What sort of fantasy character archetype appeals to you?”

If that doesn’t get you anywhere, give a couple of examples. “Do you see your character as the strong and stabby type? Or are you interested in practicing magic? Or would you rather be like an assassin lurking in the shadows? Or whatever.” New players often have a hard time coming to terms with the “free will” concept of the game, so it’s important to remind them that pretty much anything they’ve got in mind can work as a starting point.

As you have them roll their ability scores (or assign them) you can start to familiarize the player with how the game works by giving examples of how each might affect certain actions they might attempt. The same goes for feats, skills, spells, etc. This might seem tedious to seasoned players, but the yet-to-be-indoctrinated often find it all fascinating.

Free Will

This is a concept a lot of new players have a hard time wrapping their head around at first. When you present a player with a situation and follow it up with, “What do you do?”, they might stare blankly at you for a moment before asking, “What are my options?”

That’s a good learning opportunity, and a good reason to take them through a bullshit zero-stakes adventure in the beginning. Only present specific options as an absolute last resort. The goal here is to drive home that they’re free to do whatever the hell they want. If they come up with something ridiculous to see if you really mean it, all the better.

“Can I pick up a barstool and take a swing at the tavern owner?”

“Absolutely.”

Have them roll for whatever it is, then dole out the consequences. Good times!

Don’t pull any punches.

Another advantage of running a one-shot zero-stakes adventure for a new player is to allow them to make some mistakes. In fact, it might even be a good idea to make it a goal to kill their character, since it’s one they’re not yet emotionally invested in.

DMs and veteran players are often tempted to advise a new player as to what the “right” or “wrong” action is in a given situation, but that can get really stifling really quickly. I think it’s better to lead by example and offer some constructive criticism after the session.

“I noticed your wizard ran straight at the goblins with his dagger. You could have dropped two or three of them with a Sleep spell. Or maybe a fighter or barbarian character might suit you better.”

Start at Level 1

A lot of players and Dungeon Masters like to skip the first few character levels and start off new characters at level 5 or 6 so they’re powerful enough to kick some ass right out of the gate.

But for a new player, that denies them the joy of watching a humble first level character develop into someone powerful enough to kick some ass. That’s a gaming rite of passage.

Also, having too many spells/skills/whatever so quickly can be overwhelming. Starting at Level 1 gives players a chance to adjust their seats and check the mirrors before pulling out into traffic.

Finally, getting beaten to within an inch of one’s life by a kobold can teach players can be a humbling experience, teaching valuable lessons that they can take with them to higher levels.

Give them some homework.

“What? This whole game already feels like homework.” Don’t worry. I’m not talking about anything too heavy. But maybe suggest some D&D podcasts or YouTube channels they can listen to before your next session to get a better feel for how the game works.

And if they want to give some thought to their character’s backstory, icing on the cake.

Don’t be a douche.

Generally solid advice to follow, it’s worth addressing as I’ve seen it a number of times at the gaming table. If there’s one thing worse than being mocked and ridiculed, it’s being mocked and ridiculed by a bunch of nerds.

I can’t think of any faster way to drive someone away from the game without a loaded firearm. Most people would rather sit at a table with ten Hitlers than with one condescending nerd.

If the new guy tries to cast a Sleep spell on a zombie, there’s no need for you to chortle so hard that Dorito crumbs shake loose from your neck beard. Just explain why that doesn’t work, dock them the spell, and have the zombie attack them. Learning experience!