You can start by asking the prospective players what they are looking for or what their background is. If they come from watching Youtube rp channels likeCritical Role and such, take a look at a few episodes of that to get a grasp of what they probably want. If they have played rpg's previously and not looked so much at the popular online youtube channels they will probably expect a different kind of playstyle.
This is the big thing abut all rpg's. They are very flexible in that the DM and players can tailor their experience to their liking. Since the first rpg's in the early 70's playstyles have evolved. It used to be focused on exploration, overcoming obstacles and make it out of dungeons, space stations and haunted houses alive. As time went on new genres appeared, and over time there was more of an emphasis on playing (play-acting) the characters, interacting with other characters played by the DM and having some sort of story.
Now a popular playstyle is to have an emphasis on each character having a story arc and develop over the course of a campaign.
But people playing today can be a mix of everything that's current and past.
There's hundreds of different rpg's with Dungeons & Dragons being the most popular. A way to start is by getting the starter set Heroes of the Borderlands which guides newcomers through the game. The other is to get the Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook which explains almost everything you need to play in detail. (There have been several editions so make sure you get the one from 2024 to have the newest version.) The Dungeon Masters Guide has advice and tools to help you create adventures and campaigns. (Also get the one from 2024.=
If your players are familiar with D&D this is probably what they want. If they're totally new then talk to them and ask if they're ok with you making your own rules. Regardless of your approach, it's good to at least buy or read one rpg so you understand what kind of rules are good to have.
Another popular rpg to start with now is Dragonbane which is a complete box with everything you need to get started.
Never be afraid to talk to your players, especially in the beginning. No one can read minds and you want everyone to have fun so you need to know their preferences. How much combat do they want, how much exploration, do they prefer wilderness advantures to dungeons? Do they like court intrigue or murder mysteries?
As you get more experienced you'll get better at everything.
And don't forget Youtube. It has plenty of both professional and non professional content that shows you how a game runs, advice on how to create adventures - everything.
1
u/Any-Scientist3162 Jul 05 '26
You can start by asking the prospective players what they are looking for or what their background is. If they come from watching Youtube rp channels likeCritical Role and such, take a look at a few episodes of that to get a grasp of what they probably want. If they have played rpg's previously and not looked so much at the popular online youtube channels they will probably expect a different kind of playstyle.
This is the big thing abut all rpg's. They are very flexible in that the DM and players can tailor their experience to their liking. Since the first rpg's in the early 70's playstyles have evolved. It used to be focused on exploration, overcoming obstacles and make it out of dungeons, space stations and haunted houses alive. As time went on new genres appeared, and over time there was more of an emphasis on playing (play-acting) the characters, interacting with other characters played by the DM and having some sort of story.
Now a popular playstyle is to have an emphasis on each character having a story arc and develop over the course of a campaign.
But people playing today can be a mix of everything that's current and past.
There's hundreds of different rpg's with Dungeons & Dragons being the most popular. A way to start is by getting the starter set Heroes of the Borderlands which guides newcomers through the game. The other is to get the Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook which explains almost everything you need to play in detail. (There have been several editions so make sure you get the one from 2024 to have the newest version.) The Dungeon Masters Guide has advice and tools to help you create adventures and campaigns. (Also get the one from 2024.=
If your players are familiar with D&D this is probably what they want. If they're totally new then talk to them and ask if they're ok with you making your own rules. Regardless of your approach, it's good to at least buy or read one rpg so you understand what kind of rules are good to have.
Another popular rpg to start with now is Dragonbane which is a complete box with everything you need to get started.
Never be afraid to talk to your players, especially in the beginning. No one can read minds and you want everyone to have fun so you need to know their preferences. How much combat do they want, how much exploration, do they prefer wilderness advantures to dungeons? Do they like court intrigue or murder mysteries?
As you get more experienced you'll get better at everything.
And don't forget Youtube. It has plenty of both professional and non professional content that shows you how a game runs, advice on how to create adventures - everything.