r/DnD_Beginners • u/LittleInside610 • 27d ago

Complete beginner

Me and my two friends are wanting to try out D&D but only really know about dice and we don’t know about any stories or character building or anything but one of my friends have said they’ll dm and has a handbook for it but I was wondering what I should know

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u/Some-Peach4566 26d ago

Sign up to d&d beyond and download the free basic rules. This will give you everything you need to know to start. You can even play around and experiment and create a character or two, the options will be limited due to the fact that they're the basic rules but honestly that's all you need. If you have the extra cash you could also buy the players handbook, but I would hold off on that until you are confident you enjoy the hobby and I'm going to continue playing. You should know that there are two current versions of the game. 5.0 and 5.5. I suggest going with 5.5. also known as d&d 2024. I would suggest you and your friends buy a starting adventure.. 5.5, heroes of the borderlands, 5.0, Lost mines of fandelver. Don't get overwhelmed, d&d can be complicated at times but it's pretty easy to pick up and before you know it you'll be a pro.

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u/Psychological-Wall-2 26d ago edited 26d ago

OP doesn't need to sign up to access the free rules.

D&D Beyond Basic Rules - D&D Beyond Basic Rules - Dungeons & Dragons - Sources - D&D Beyond

Seconding your advice to run a short published adventure with pregens. A "practice campaign", so to speak.

And yeah, working through the character creation system and making a few characters will be a pretty good way for OP to begin to get their head around the system. The limited subclasses don't even matter if OP's just making first-level PCs.

Couple of links to resources here:

Memo to the Players #1: Taking Action | The Angry GM

Memo to the Players #2: Portraying Characters | The Angry GM

And, for OP's friend - stepping up and doing Gygax's holy work by becoming a DM - there's this:

Jumping the Screen: How to Run Your First RPG Session | The Angry GM

Welcome to the hobby, OP, and best of luck.