Dungeons & Dragons is a game of shared storytelling. One person, the Dungeon Master (DM), describes the world and plays everyone in it. Everyone else plays one hero each and decides what that hero does. Dice decide whether risky things work. That’s it — the rest is detail you can learn as you go.
What you need
- A group: a DM and three to five players is ideal.
- A character: made by you or handed to you ready to play. The Character Builder makes one in about five minutes.
- Dice: a set of seven (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20 and a percentile d10), or an online dice roller.
- A few hours and a willingness to be a little silly.
How a game actually works
Play is a conversation that repeats:
- The DM describes where you are and what’s happening. “The bridge creaks. On the far side, a goblin is untying your boat.”
- You say what you do. “I sprint across and tackle him.” You can try anything your character could plausibly try.
- The DM decides if a roll is needed. If the outcome is uncertain, you roll a d20, add a bonus from your sheet, and try to reach a target number.
- The DM describes what happens, and the story moves on.
The one roll to know
Almost everything is a d20 roll plus a modifier: attacks, skill checks, saving throws. Higher is better. Rolling a natural 20 on an attack is a critical hit. Advantage means roll two d20s and keep the higher; disadvantage means keep the lower. Our guide to D&D dice covers the rest, and how to read a character sheet shows where each bonus lives.
Combat in 60 seconds
When a fight starts, everyone rolls initiative to set the turn order. On your turn you can move (usually 30 feet) and take one action — attack, cast a spell, dash, hide, help a friend — and sometimes a quick bonus action. To attack, roll a d20 plus your attack bonus; if you meet the target’s Armor Class, roll damage. More in how initiative works.
Tips for your first session
- Ask questions — of the DM and the other players. Everyone was new once.
- Say what your character wants, not just what they do. “I want to find out who hired these bandits” gives the DM something to work with.
- Share the spotlight: if you’ve had a big moment, ask a quieter player what their character is doing.
- Agree on safety tools first, like lines, veils and the X-card.
Find your first game
Look for a beginner-friendly table on Find a Group or a one-off event, or gather friends and run our free level 1 adventure, The Sunken Bell, which comes with five ready-made characters. New to running games? Start with how to run your first game.