Where Do I start with TTRPGs?

So, you want to go on an adventure, but don’t know where to start. There will seem like an overwhelming amount of information, at first. There is help out there though, like these suggestions to help you on your journey.

Reading

Honesty time, there is a lot to read. The more you read the better you get at the game. It’s worth it to go through the guide books and learn how it all works. Many of the guide books also tell you, step-by-step, how to create a character. That’s very helpful for people just starting out.

If you are a player, read the Player hand book. It teaches you the mechanics of the game, how to fill out a character sheet, and gives you some good general information of how play works.

If you are going to be the dungeon/game master, read the Game Master guide. It gives you information on mechanics, encounters, a list of bad guys, and info on how to play the game. Also read the adventure you will be playing to get a feel for it.

In addition to the Players handbook and Game Master guide, read even more. There are books about the monsters, tactics, how to play. Just be a sponge and absorb all the information you can. It will only aide you as you learn to role play.

Decision time

You will need to make a decision about what you want to be: a player or the gm. If you are a player, you don’t want to read anything about the adventure, that would spoil the fun! If you are the GM, you can read everything, more information will only help.

Character

This is my favorite part! Personally I like to decide my species and profession first. Then go back and fill in the story after.

When creating a character it is easiest to follow the player guide. They usually walk you through step-by-step creation so you build them from the ground up. This way you have everything you need and don’t skip anything vital.

Campaign

The campaign information is just for the GM. Keep this hidden, as not to give away the plot. You just need to decide if you are doing a pre-made campaign or making your own. For beginners, who are not sure where to start, I would suggest pre-made campagins. At least until you are familiar with how your TTRPG is played.

Pre-made Campaign

There are a huge variety of pre-made campaigns out there. You just need to look up campaigns for whatever level characters you want to start with. I’m even making some that will be available, sometime in the future.

OR

Creating your own campaign

Campaign creation is not really hard. It just takes a little inspiration to come up with a good idea. Then, a lot of time to fine tune it. There is help out there from outlines, tips, hints, and step-by-step how to guides.

Tools

My favorite tools to use are the miniatures. I like finding unique ones that inspire me to paint them or create a character based on them.

A good set of polyhedral dice are needed. They don’t need to be super expensive, they just need clean edges, so they won’t mess with your rolls.

Pencil and notebook for note taking. Delegating an overall party note taker is a good idea as well.

Having at least a player’s guide to look up information can be helpful. This can be done with a book, app, or website.

Getting a group

This can be harder to do. Most board game stores tend to do some kind of D&D gaming session at least once a week. For other ttrpgs I’d try, I hate to say it but, Facebook. There are a ton of TTRPG groups on there. It’s a good source for people who will want to play.

If it’s too hard to do in person, try doing a group online. Discord has TTRPG servers where people are looking for members to join their TTRPGs. Then do a Facebook call, so it doesn’t kick you off every 40 minutes like zoom.

Additional Help

Sorry, if this makes me sound like a broken record, but pretty much everything I stated above. If you need help with creation ask a FB group. Help filling out a character sheet ask a game store employee. You can always go to the actual website for specific stats, questions, or campaigns. Then there is always me, I’m happy to help!

Now go play

That’s my advice for where to start with TTRPGs. Go out there read, paint, walk, whatever you need to do to get inspired to play! The world is full of inspiration and help, if you need it. Go find yours!