Dungeons and Dragons

[an anarchist]

I’m playing Dungeon and Dragons for the first time this upcoming evening.

What are your guy’s experience with this game? Do you have any advice?

My brother (whose party I am joining) told me just to have fun role playing and be creative.

 

[The Hammer]

I've played many roleplaying games, but never d&d.

The advice of be creative and have fun is good. Play a character you can "get into", that way it feels like an extension of the self.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

I played it with some friends online during the pandemic. I really enjoyed it and would love to play again!

 

[an anarchist]

I've played many roleplaying games, but never d&d.

The advice of be creative and have fun is good. Play a character you can "get into", that way it feels like an extension of the self.

I modeled my character after one of my favorite anime protagonists, Guts (Berserk)

Super strong barbarian armed with a two handed sword my character is. Dark past too. In real life, I want to get a tattoo of a symbol that Guts is marked with in the manga. The mark makes demons chase him ceaselessly. I vibe with that

 

[Quagmire]

My brother (whose party I am joining) told me just to have fun role playing and be creative

That sounds like good advice to me.

That's what it's for after all.

 

[libre]

Do you have any advice?

Don't focus too much on trying to min/max your character, you might ruin the magic

 

[Father Heathen]

Briefly played 2nd Ed and 3.5 Ed eons ago. The backbone of a good campaign is the player group itself.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I don't know anything about D&D but I hope you enjoy yourself.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

The mark makes demons chase him ceaselessly. I vibe with that

You want demons chasing you???

 

[Father Heathen]

My first character was "Dagon Darkthorn, priest of death, at your service" who died trying to escape slavers very early in the game.

Another character I had was an evil gnoll who wore a 'cursed' collar that forced him to do good, heroic deeds.

 

[Quintessence]

I've been doing tabletop roleplaying for a bit over two decades, with various groups and ... I've honestly lost count of how many different systems. My top things to keep in mind would probably be:

• There are different kinds of tabletop gamers. This is another way of saying that different players will have different expectations of the activity and different things they may want to get out of it and enjoy. While this is often brought up in the context of running a game - in fact well-written DMGs will always include a section about this - it will also impact your experience as a player. Tabletop gaming is a social activity, and there can and will be friction between players who have different expectations and goals. As such, being a tabletop gamer can actually build your social skills such as conflict resolution and active listening. Being a good and understanding person at the table will help things be fun for everyone and make the GM's job of keeping everyone having fun that much easier.
• Know your GM (game master) and obey rule zero at all times. Related to the above, the GM will be the anchor of the play sessions. It's a big job with big responsibilities and the way they run games sets the tone for the social interactions and gameplay experience you will have. If you are lucky you will have an experienced GM who is great at running in whatever style they are inclined to, and that style complements your own fun and enjoyment as well as that of everyone else. Regardless of the style of the GM, it is vital to always obey rule zero. Rule zero is - the GM is always right (even when they are wrong). If there is a dispute about the rules and the GM makes a call, you obey the GM and keep the session moving. A good GM will then bring up the issue post-session to talk about in more detail later, rather than bogging down the session.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions. Especially if you are playing with others who know the system well, if you are new you won't be expected to know what you are doing. Just ask questions. It's okay. If you've got a good GM and a good group, they'll be able to help you out and get a handle on how the system works. You'll make mistakes. Sometimes, your fellow players will too. Doesn't matter so long as you're all having fun with it. This can include doing things that break or bend the rules, but different groups have different sentiments about that sort of thing.

Dungeons and dragons is not a terrible starting point for tabletop RPGs. Depending on the edition your GM is using, it will either be one of the simplest systems you will ever see (1st edition) to almost overwhelmingly complex (3rd edition). The GM is probably running 5th (current edition), which was specifically designed with accessibility for newcomers in mind. That does mean it has lost a lot of things from 3rd - there was (is?) a whole drama bout that but nothing you probably need to worry about as a new player... haha.

 

[Koldo]

I’m playing Dungeon and Dragons for the first time this upcoming evening.

What are your guy’s experience with this game? Do you have any advice?

My brother (whose party I am joining) told me just to have fun role playing and be creative.

What edition? Here's my advice for 5th edition: Ask the starting level and the expected ending level for your campaign. If it is a low-ish level campaign (up to lvl 10), I recommend playing either fighter, barbarian or paladin. They are all simple to understand and feel really strong early on. If however it is a higher level campaign, pick wizard. The wizard ends up with a ton of utility and varied spells to deal with multiple situations.

 

[Heyo]

I’m playing Dungeon and Dragons for the first time this upcoming evening.

What are your guy’s experience with this game? Do you have any advice?

My brother (whose party I am joining) told me just to have fun role playing and be creative.

Forget that you are an anarchist. The DM is god and the highest authority. The rules mean nothing to him, he can bend them at will. Never question his commands.

(Advice from an experienced DM)