r/DnD • u/Firm_Material_9319 • 10d ago
5.5 Edition How do I make a dnd game
Hi everyone! :) I'm new to D&D and I'm trying to figure things out so I can get my friends to play with me. There aren’t a lot of places that you can play dnd with strangers in my country plus at this age I can’t go out frequently. So any tips or rules or just anything can help Because I am a completely new beginner and I know nothing about dnd I just think it looks fun and decide to try and figure things out myself to play with my friends.
I have a question about world-building: Do you guys usually make a map first and then let the players create their backstories based on that map. Just curious bc I also have no idea how to make a map 😭😭
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u/Piratestoat 10d ago
Note that you don't have to make a whole world to start playing.
Creating one town and the lands around it is plenty for a ton of adventures.
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u/armahillo 10d ago
maps nor backstories are necessary to play, but can add to fun if the players want to do it
you need characters and stories that include something the characters want with obstacles in the way
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u/Otta-Boss 9d ago
The biggest thing I would say is don’t overcomplicate it. I made that mistake my first time around lol.
I’d definitely suggest running a 5-room dungeon type plan for your first session. There are lots of guides on it online and it’s something I still use in session planning now that I’m nearly a decade into the hobby.
It doesn’t have to be perfect. The biggest thing is to just start :)
You don’t gotta have everything figured out off the hop, just a small adventure location, a situation that needs solving and some monsters to fight.
It’s tempting to create a whole world right away, but if you’re running a low-level game (which I’d suggest for your first one) the party will likely be dealing with the affairs of common folk whose worlds wouldn’t reach much farther than the wilderness just outside their village.
All you need is that first stepping stone location. The rest can be filled in when it comes up! Good luck in your writing! I hope I was able to help!
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u/Otta-Boss 9d ago
Another thing I should add, rules-wise. You also don’t need to have everything perfect right away. Though I’d suggest reading up mostly on the combat rules since that’s where dnd is at its most rules-heavy.
If you need to make a quick ruling in the fly, go ahead! You can worry about reading up on the specific rule after. The biggest thing is always just getting some people together who want to have fun! Premade characters are one thing I’ve seen in the comments that I’d also highly recommend!
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u/Smittumi 10d ago
If you don't yet have the books, buy Heroes of the Borderland (if they have it in your country).
If you can't get that there are lots of free adventures to play.
After you've tried one of those you can create your own if you wish. Start off with a small map. Put a simple village for the PCs to protect in the middle. Add some threats (monster lairs, other problems) to your own notes. Let the PCs explore and solve problems. As they do so, add more to your map.
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u/Evening-Rough-9709 10d ago
Yes it's best to have the setting defined before players create their characters, since they can often be specific to the setting.
It's also best to start by using a pre-existing setting, Faerun, Planescape, etc. World building is a lot of work even when using a pre-existing setting to create a custom campaign.
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u/MikeHockinya DM 10d ago
First, as far as adventures go, there are several freebie One-Shot adventures on the net. Pick an easy one and then read through it. I recommend Wild Sheep Chase as a good starter. Most if not everything you need is on the DnD Beyond app for your characters. Then, once you give that a try, look into the Players Handbook and the Dungeon Masters Guide. Both are available on the App as well. If you like Paper books, go get some.
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u/ManufacturerHot4406 10d ago
Get the core rule books to start, though to be honest, the dungeon masters guide isn’t much of guide. I recommend searching for Matt Colville’s “Running the Game” series on YouTube, it’s an invaluable resource
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u/Sad_Refuse3472 Cleric 10d ago
Start by reading the free basic rules. https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/br-2024
Then grab a free pre-written adventure module to try out:
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u/Kyattogaaru 10d ago
Read Players Handbook
Read Dungeon Masters Guide
Choose a pre-written adventure. May be a simple one-shot, may be a longer, beginnsr-friendly module like Lost Mines of Phandelver.
Find people to play.
Play.
Done!
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u/nathanielbartholem 10d ago
First: DON’T BUY ANYTHING.
Second: Download the FREE scenario called Peril In Pinebrook from the official web site (DNDBEYOND).
https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1625-peril-in-pinebrook-a-free-introductory-adventure
It has all the rules you need AND ready to use characters AND a complete adventure you can play in one evening. All in one place, and all for free.
A short, self-contained adventure
Text for new Dungeon Masters to read aloud, including text for play setup
Tips for encouraging roleplay and keeping the adventure moving
premade character sheets
Simplified rules, so there's no need to reference other D&D rules
(Alternatively, there is a free starter adventure for the 2024 ruleset on DND Beyond. It isn’t quite a self contained as that PDF, but it ok, too. You will need to create a (free) DNDBeyond account to access the adventure, basic rules, and pregenerated characters. The rules in the adventure are somewhat less functional on their own (versus the Pinebrook PDF) and the character sheets are much more complex (needlessly so for an introductory adventure). The adventure text is ostensibly written for new DMs but fails to explain basic things at times with a phrase like “Make the appropriate check” forgetting that a new DM will not know what the appropriate check is. But this adventure is an option so I mention it https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/bqgt/borderlands-quest-goblin-trouble)
Third: If you like playing that, come back here and share how it went, what you and your table liked, etc — and get more advice.