7 things ALL first-time D&D players need to know 

I'm definitely one of those 'veteran players who tries to drag new people into this hobby because I like sharing things that make me happy' types. One simple thing that I do for new players at my table is get them what I call a newbie dice set. They are generally plain, but all of them are different colors. So I can say something like, "Now roll a d8. That's the purple one." It streamlines the game a bit for my veterans, and gives the rookies the opportunity to learn the dice shapes at their own pace.

I know a lot of experienced DMs/Players discourage new players from making spellcasters, but I think it really depends on the newbie's learning style and their investment in said character. My first 5e DM was able to intuit that I'm the kind of learner that needs to be yeeted into the deep end of the pool, so he suggested I play a wizard. I had an absolute blast. Played a little old human lady that's been twice divorced and treated the rest of the party like her children/grandchildren, even if they were 300 year old elves.

At last! It's really hard to properly convey what a first time player needs before starting their first game. Or... how to start their first game for that matter. I think top level primers (like this video) are so important, as they act as an introduction without being overwhelming. D&D can be... a lot, but starting with a little is the best way to introduce someone brand new.

i’m about to DM for the first time for a couple of friends who are also total beginners. this could not have come at a more perfect time. thank you so much, ginny. 🧡

I still remember my first adventure... September 1988. It was a lot of fun, I played a cleric because nobody else wanted to and the group needed a healer; they essentially tricked me into it because everyone else was a fighter or a wizard. I still had fun, and ended up playing and becoming a DM for the next 35 years.

For anyone totally new to playing, Ginny's channel really is the best place to start! I wish I'd had something like this when I began playing. She has a whole playlist of videos for players. Don't get overwhelmed (none of it is essential), but if watching some RU-vid videos would help you feel prepared, I really don't think there's a better place to go. Of course, nothing replaces just having good communication with the people you'll be playing with (which I *think* is the advice Ginny would give you too).

I’ve been playing D&D for over 40 years now but only just started DMing when our forever DM couldn’t do it anymore. Watching and reading a ton of sites on DM tips but what I appreciate most about this channel is it reminds me that D&D is just plain damn fun! 4 hours a week of shared storytelling and conversation with good friends? Heck yeah!

Ginny: Just remember to tack on the "5e" at the end - Me: So you don't get an older version of DnD. Ginny: So you don't end up on a government watchlist! Oops! Me: 👀

Some good tips! I have run games for 36+ years, and have found a great way to introduce new players is to have a rotation of guests when regulars can't make a session. If a seat opens up, I often use the chance to reach out to someone I know who's expressed interest in D&D so they can sit in on a game to see what it's like. It's a non-commital situation so they can see the game, as well as keeping the game going in the face of the absence of a regular.

The section on ADHDers playing DND hit some BIG sore spots for me; I think this is definitely a reason that I struggle with playing, even though I do love it. I always feel exhausted in a not-pleasant way after playing for several hours, and a huge part of that is just having tried so desperately to sit in one place without feeling like I can move around. I'm thinking right now that maybe what we need to do is normalize setting more frequent breaks for the full group, so that it's NOT just sitting in one place for 5 hours, or even putting the onus on the player to ask for a time out. As an access issue, it bears asking during a session 0, I think, about players physical needs during playing: ratio of breaks for the length of play expected, normalizing the ability to fidget or move around the table for people who struggle with just sitting in place, that kind of thing. Thank you so much for putting this section into the video. It's really got me thinking about the things that lead to me not playing as often as I would like, and I'm hoping this will lead to me creating some new DND environments that will be easier on me.

I started playing D&D in 1977, being DM for a small 5 person group.. it later grew to a huge 300 person roleplaying club that and I have 46 year anniversary this year I stepped down as president for the club during 10 years I served in the french foreign legion, and after I came back I branched off being referee for a small hardcore group of Traveller players, we still run the same campaign in Traveller 23 years later, meeting bi-weekly.

Tomorrow, I'm going to start my very first DnD campaign with some school friends. I'm pretty sure none of us have played DnD before, but our DM's dad is quite experienced and could probably help us if we get confused about the rules. We all know each other, the DM is a close friend of mine, our ranger is also in my friend group and our rogue was my childhood best friend, so I think we'll be in for a blast!

"Don't forgot to tag that '5e' onto the end to make sure you don't end up on a government watch list for searching 'can you instantly kill someone while they're asleep.' That's oddly specific Ginny, anything you wanna share with the class?

As a person with dyslexia, it took me 12 sessions to finally grasp the basics. I know this was exhausting for my fellow players, but I really appreciate my DM and other players for teaching me and being patient. The party I am in have a total of 3 TPKs. We still love and grow with each other, there are no losses and no wins.

"DnD is not like a video game"... THANK YOU for saying that. I was DMing a game where I had one player (who was new to the game, so it's not necessarily her fault) who was playing it like that. I was trying my best to steer her back away from that mindset so the game wouldn't barrel down towards metagaming, and that was a challenge all on its own.

Basically everyone, except for the dungeon master, in our new campaign is a beginner, and we’re slowly learning (with a lot of confused questions thrown at the DM and eachother) and this helps a lot, thanks! We started D&D because we wanted to revive our old group chat, so thankfully we all know each other (the biggest hurdle that kept me from D&D. I have a lot of anxiety so it helps to know the person for a year or two before)

The social contract between players and dms is very important as well. Respecting others is so important. Make note if an action you are taking may affect someone else. Try hard not to hurt each other, physically, emotionally, or mentally. The "this is what my character would do" argument needs to be tempered by respecting others.

This is phenomenal, practical, and actually applicable advice for new D&D players. Amazingly well done on this video Ginny. It's going on my D&D must watch list.

Some great tips here. So nice finding a D&D advice creator that doesn't constantly get lost in the weeds of crunch and optimization.

me and some friends are beginning a campaign soon and none of us have ever played d&d before. I am the DM for the sole reason that i am creative. Its great to hear reassurance, as I, and the other players are kinda terrified of going into the unknown. Cant wait tho, and this video provides some reassurance that everything will be all okay

I first played in collage after being invited by a neighbor. I loved it and still do. My intro was a little confusing, it wasn't till I played a session, with a lot of help, that I understood things in the rule book and was able to refine my character. The group I was with was super helpful during session, but character creation could have gone better. I was handed the player's handbook and told to read it. It worked out for me in the end, but there were so many things and terms that I didn't understand at all as someone who had never played or watched people play before.

Between your and Kobold's videos, the newcomers I've received at my table of late have all come quite a bit more prepared than I was used to. The time I had scheduled for a slow session 0 explaining game mechanics and group expectations go by incredibly fast, allowing us to jump into the game right then and there. Thank you in the name of the many DMs you've helped out!

DUDE IVE LITERALLY BEEN LOOKING FOR SMT LIKE THIS FROM U FOR FOREVERRRR TYSMMMMM

9:00 Man, I really wish I had this when I started. My first campaign was Curse of Strahd and I had no clue what it was really about or what I was doing. I played a lonely, bullied, sensitive orphan who just wanted to find the only person who cared about her. RIP my beloved, at least you can finally rest in heaven 😭

There's a great actual play podcast called Girls Who Don't DnD where the three players are absolute beginners and the dm has a lot of experience. It's great for learning the basics without having to buy a bunch of books and reading hours and hours of rules.

So I have.... 1. My first character created. 2. My first set of dice. 3. The Players Handbook. Now all I'm missing is a group to play with & possibly other stuff I'm forgetting, lol. Great video Ginny.

Another tip for starting up a game and finding players; start a group through your local library! Depending on the situation, they may even give you resources to do so. I'm in the process of starting a club for teens at my local library so I can finally get some experience DMing to eventually run games as a therapeutic DM, and by working with the library the work of having to find players has completely been taken care of for me. Granted, this sort of thing might not be helpful if you absolutely don't want to DM, but I strongly encourage it if you just wanna get out and play.

I was really excited for d&d, I am a new player but unfortunately the 2 dm's I had for some reason treated me really bad, they would excluding me from events happening in game and then when it all didnt work out they blamed me for the d&d group dying/failing. The first dm I ignored it because I just thought thats how it worked and that my time will come later so I just sat quiet, till one day out of no where the dm banned me from the server and said it was my fault he had mental problems, the 2nd dm I messaged them in DM's and said that I was thinking about leaving the campaign because I wasn't really feeling comfortable with the situation, to which the dm blew up and started to twist words/events that happened in game to make it sound like I was being a bad player, and started to say that it was my plan to "ruin" his campaign." Two other players in this campaign were friends and they were trying to correct the DM saying that ya know, the stuff he was accusing me of isnt how it went down and then the Dm just canceled future games after that. I didnt really understand but I really think it was because one of the players were the dm's brother who we all noticed was getting extra treatment and this guy ended up villainizing my character because my character was slightly chaotic. SO idk if it was because the dm's brother didnt like my character after only having one "bad" interaction and thats why shit fell apart but me and my friends seem to be leaning towards that idea. :/ so TBH I was pretty turned off from d&d after those 2 experiences and it kinda sucks bc those 2 dm's were actually close friends with my boyfriend and he even stated how weird, off and unreasonable they were being. he hasnt spoken to them since. But now I am in another group with all my friends and we have our first campaign on the 21st and im really excited, they all seem so into it and the DM is my boyfriend so now im hoping everything works out :D

Huge shoutout to Dimension 20 Fantasy High for introducing me to the whole idea! They start fully from scratch at 1st level, use mostly PHB classes/races, and map fantasy archetypes onto 80s/90s teen high school movie stereotypes! I really found that extra bit of implied context helped me gel quicker, e.g. elven wizard is preppy nerdy girl, dex fighter is the spoiled charismatic rich kid, human cleric is a tie-dye church camp kid. Strongly recommend!!

I have started a dnd group for teens with autism or adhd etc, it is running for a year know. And I am loving it.

Thanks for this!! D&D really isn't accessible to new players unless they've got a friend to guide them, and I really appreciate you being that friend. I also try to be that friend! I've written a whole series about understanding the basics of the game lol.

A uni friend and I are trying to start our own group. We both have brothers who play, but we've never played, and they're gatekeeping. Sooo we're starting our own. I'm watching a LOT of videos over holiday break on tips.

As a reseller of D&D books/modules/game accessories on eBay I just wanted to take the time to thank you for promoting D&D so much.....Thanks :)

I've just started DMing for my family. They really enjoy it being first time players too. Great tips! Also great video and articulation.

I've been in the hobby for years, got my kids into it and now I run dnd at the local library on Friday nights... we started getting soo many people in 2019 that I had to start looking for more DMs

I just wanted to really praise you for making such a video... I've been asked before to help first time players and I didn't know where to begin...

This was all super great advice. Also if you are a DM with a lot of dice my sugestion is when your players first start bring your dice along and let them pick out a set that they like for the game for some it is just becuase they need dice but for others it is really exciteing to have a dice set they picked. Also if you are feeling extra kind letting them keep that set at the end of the campain as a reward can mean so much to new players.

Helpful and informative and fun! A lot of this advice I wish I'd had when I started. Thank you, Ginny!

Love your videos! I'm just getting into DnD and your videos are so informative and fun!

Perfect timing!! :DD I just had my first session zero and you're videos helped me be less nervous going into it so Tysm^-^ awesome video as always

Great video! I'll definitely be showing this to some new players in my next campaign.

Definitely shared this with a friend new to the game. Very helpful. Thanks for the tips especially from a player who has played since 3.5 days

Opening skit taught me that Ginny is hella supportive of her fictional friends.

This feels super practical, thanks! I've been introducing a lot of people in my life to DnD lately since it's become part of my work, and this video is definitely on my "send to all new people" list.

I began playing over the summer with a group of friends. Our schedules finally aligned earlier in the week and we had an incredible campaign. One of the guys who was also new, who hadn't been that into it over the summer, got totally immersed. Our DM made it such a fun experience. I'm glad to have found your channel, because now I can't get enough of D&D content!

Thank you so much for this! I found a group that just ended a campaign and are starting a new party next week. I was so scared and nervous to apply bc I'm completely new but your video helped me so much. Also I've met The DM and has super nice and now I'm not as nervous tysm!!

Most of party is new except the dm who has been playing for a while. Our first meet up is this Saturday and were all excited! This video is so helpful for making me less stressed and more exited to play! Can't wait to start this new section of my life and friend group! Seems like a great bond for all of us

I’m due to play again soon and this will be my second time, I got really discouraged from playing as my first experience wasn’t great. I went into it headfirst without really knowing what I was doing and I just didn’t enjoy it. Hopefully with a little more insight and learning I’ll be able to grasp it a bit more!

If you want to still play a spellcaster I recommend sorcerer. It's the simplest in my opinion. It was my 1st class :)

Ginny Di you really knocked it out of the park with this video, I'm a seasoned player and you really hit the nail on the head, thank you for this video!!

Another very useful video that I can forward on to the people I help get into our great hobby. Thanks Ginny!

TL;DR: My first experience involved a DM from hell, from thinking I'm incompetent to trying to SA my character. So yeah, a 'bad' group can really sour your desire to play, but I'm glad I finally found a group I vibe with. The first time I ever played D&D was in college. I was invited to join a group (5 people including DM) by my good friend who had played in several groups before, we met every Saturday around 5 pm, give or take a half hour. I knew everyone in the group, except the DM, who was a guy living in my friends dorm that he had become acquainted with. However, unbeknownst to me or the other players, the DM was extremely against women playing because he thought women weren't 'smart or capable' enough to understand the game. I had no idea how to play so I just tried to go along with the flow of the group the best I could. I tried asking questions and being more interactive, but I felt like I was being outcast by the DM; I wasn't even allowed to create my own character sheet because the DM thought I would 'mess it up' and wouldn't understand it, instead of trying to teach me. I brushed it off because I really just enjoyed hanging out with the group, but he would undermine every decision I made or idea I came up with, yet praised the others. Not to mention, there was one other who was completely new and he would constantly answer his questions and even helped him create his character. During one session, I was showed up about 10 minutes late and texted my friend to let him know, which he replied they would just wait for me because someone else was also running late. In that time, he tried to convince the other members that I should be knocked down to an NPC and only be invited to give dialogue to everyone else at his convenience, all because I was a few minutes late; the other person was told 'hey, it's no problem, I'm cool with waiting on you'. He also tried to get my character SA'd, stating he had been working on that specific part since the last session and, when he was called out for it, he rolled his eyes and said 'I wanted to make it into a side quest to show that the group really wanted her here'. This rude behavior lasted for about 4.5 sessions and after the whole SA conversation, I backed out and the group decided to stop playing because he was out of line, inappropriate, and genuinely worried for my safety, especially after what detail he went into. My friend let him know that it would be our last session, and he was pissed, but he told the DM that this wasn't what D&D was about. I could go on about the snide remarks and backhanded comments, but it's water under the bridge and I've wasted too much time dictating about that asshole. Needless to say, I did not play again after that until I met my now husband who is honestly one of the best DM's (not even being biased) for our friend group and I enjoy it so much more. I still don't understand a lot, it's just fun to be around friends and lose yourself in a fantasy world for a couple hours a week.

I'm just getting ready to get into my first campaign, the hardest thing for us was definitely getting a decent group together! Not because we were running into bad players, but because we were running into NO players. I live in the middle of nowhere so we don't even have a game store, we ended up putting posters at the library 😂

I love your idea that , the best experiences happen when things don't go to plan, great advice for life as well as D&D. My last game was in the 90s, so i am a "little" out of practice. But seeing all the new interest in D&D has reminded me of how much fun it was shearing in creating a adventure and living in a world of high adventure. I might just have to dust my dice off and see if anyone locally is playing. Thank you for the inspiration

Thankyou for explaining, you make me feel so safe and not judged! Saturday is my first dnd session! Im excited ☺️

Hey Ginny! Could you do a video on how to make a battle encounter? I'm having a hard time with CRs, my party's level and finding good monsters when theres so many to choose from.

Thank you so much for mentioning learning style... visual vs. auditory vs. kinesthetic is so important for inclusiveness.

Thrilled that you covered this, it'll help a lot for trying to help with new players... had a disaster as a DM years back trying to handle 6 people who never played before once with only two experienced players ... In Galantri, Mystara it was probably the worst DM experience I've had ever.

My personal explanation for what DnD is for new players. It is telling stories around a camp fire but the listeners interact with the story being told. The storyteller just keeps rules for said story and creates the world itself.

Oh no, I'm playing a Geomancer (wizard sub-class) and no one told me it was gonna be difficult- Well, here I go anyway, lol!

Thank you Ginny I’ve been looking for a vid like this for so long, I hope you receive all of the Bardic Inspiration and every last Healing Word

I was invited to my first D&D campaign last week, and my DM helped me with the character sheet last night, and I'm pretty excited to start. Thank you so much for this!!

Ginny: Make sure you type in 5e during your search Me: So you don't get a result from a different system right. Ginny: 11:02 ... Me: For the system right!

I laughed so hard at the beginning

Its really cool that there are videos out there like this - especially now that D&D is becoming more mainstream. I struggled with whether/not to play for way too long b/c I'm very bad with math and always assumed it had a bunch of equations and formulas that would frustrate me. Since starting 3 years ago I've learned a lot and am now fairly comfortable DMing for my friends. I forget things from time to time but I've also gotten better at compromising and improvising on the spot, rather than being beholden to the rules. The game really rewards you for your passion - the more invested you are in it the more you get out of it. I enjoy both playing as a player and DMing in equal measure; although it is definitely nice not to have to prep (much) as a player.

Awesome and Thanks! just the video i was looking for!

I wish I had this when I first started. A ranger was NOT a good introduction to game mechanics... or roleplay

I'm thinking about starting to play D&D, but 1 i don't have anyone to play with 2 roleplaying my character in front of people i barely know would be really embarassing for me, i don't know if i could do that 3 that game is complicated as heck

This video is a fantastic starting point for new players, and I plan to send it to any newbies I talk to!

Thanks so much Ginny! This is just what I needed, I’m a new DM and I needed something to encourage my friends to take that leap of faith and give DnD a try. They have been wanting to play but don’t feel like it (normally they blame the rules or not understanding how DnD works) but I believe this will help them. Thanks you’re the best!

I'm going to have to disagree with your recommendation number 6 of only having a few things, like a few sets of dice. That is completely wrong an unrealistic. If you don't immediately go out and buy all the shiny click-clack counting stones then you are totally doing it wrong! -Knobby the Dice Goblin

you do not have ADHD. It is called AH, Ohh Shiney

ive been really interested in dnd recently and ive wanted to have a campaign with my friends which i finally put together, its most of our first time playing, including mine, and im also going to be the DM for this campaign. im making sure i do a lot of research to put together a good story for my players. i think your content is gonna help out a lot :))

Ginny, great tips and I loved the ad in the middle.

First. Thanks for the content Ginny.

Ginny, I've followed your channel for some time now and I just wanted to say THANK YOU! :) I've been playing for about (sigh) 40 years now lol but I find your fresh, articulate and informative style incredibly helpful, especially to share with those newer to gaming.😋 I'm going to be using this video as an intro to send to three brand new players that will be joining me soon for a new campaign. You've a wonderful gift for presentation and really fun and effective communication.

I just did my first campaign using a bunch of your tips and they all worked. I learned from lots of other videos but I chose this one since it’s the first on the “New to DND” playlist and feel like that makes sense for the point I’m in right now. Anyways, I just wanted to say thank you and keep helping us nerds out!

Thank you I been a lil nervous since I'll be trying my first d&d game with new people in 2 weeks so I'll try my best learning & not overwhelming myself

LOVE all your videos!! THANK YOU!!!

I teach a beginner D&D class and one great, stress-reduction technique I use is a concept Ginny mentioned...a good, beginner-friendly DM will help new players throughout the game with rules, mechanics, and bringing forth the character and the player's enjoyment with various aspects of the game. New players will (hopefully) have a guide. And as a DM and engaged player, I love the "Stay focused & engaged" section! Thanks Ginny

Love your videos! Informative and entertaining!

This is the video I have been searching for! I've wanted to get into D&D for ages but I've never known exactly how to get into something with such an in-depth lore. Not to mention every D&D gamer I've tried to play with has given me the oddball stare to the point of driving me away. Thanks so much!!!

Thank you for this video I'm trying to get into D&D with my friends, and I'm super excited to learn as much as I can. I just bought like 5 textbooks on the game lol 😋

Thank you for adding the moment of levity while pitching World Anvil. ^^ I giggled over it and enjoyed the sequence. :)

Hiya, just thought I should comment and say, about 3 months ago one of your videos popped up in my recommended and it inspired me to finally try DnD and its awesome, your videos really helped me get through some of the learning curve and though I still have a lot to learn I'm really enjoying the hobby and my party is amazing (: So thank you Ginny!

I've been hearing more lately about players making flowcharts for their PCs actions and options in combat. When I couldn't find any concrete, practical advice, I immediately thought of you, Ginny! I would love to see you tackle making one!

Excellent video and information - thanks for this!

Thank you so much! This really helps

You're so nice and explain everything in a way that's so undertale, thank you so much

THANK YOU! I’ve been wanting to play dnd for YEARS!!! I’m getting a starter book & set on thurs and this is a great vid!!!! :)

When I was much younger (young teen) I was introduced to roleplaying and played a few one shots plus a few session of a campaign. It didn’t last super long tho, and I kinda forgot about that interest for some years. I then got to know some people who play DND and it made me really wanna try it out. Around a year and a half later they were talking about starting a new campaign and invited me. I was super nervous cause I barely knew anything about DND and didn’t even have a character (or know how to make one) at the time, but I was also really excited! We’ve played a couple of sessions now and things are going great!! The fact that I was close friends with everyone when we started playing really helped me a lot with getting comfortable. The DM is amazing and super patient/supportive, which ofc also helped. At one point he was helping me fill out my character sheet, and I felt so extremely nervous. It must have showed because he kept slipping in comforting and reassuring word every now and then. Basically, I’m just really happy I decided to start playing DND cause it has been so much fun!!

Taking notes is always great. You'll never know when you'll forget some seemingly side detail or unimportant NPC that will become key to the story later; those random notes will jog your memory.

I'm playing my first campaign starting next week. I'm so nervous, but your video is helping me learn more.

Thank you for the channel 🙂 ( Just a little comment from " Love your character " ) This is the first time I play DnD. My character is Elf - Wizard. Love it. It is very easy to begin with spellcasting with a good DM. 3 time playing and I am already copying spells from a cursed spellbook to my own spellbook to avoid the curse to affect me when using the spells. And I often use spell in battle. The most important is to begin with a character that fits you even if it involves spellcasting. 😊 🧙‍♀

Great list! Very insightful.

In my group I have the unenviable task of simultaneous being new to the game and being the most experienced because non of my friends have played before either so it was a bit of a learning curve. So in the unlikely event someone else is in this situation I would recommend getting a DM screen which has a lot of basic info for quick reference and (assuming you're not using anything digital) a page or two of crib notes for anything not on the DM screen or that you have trouble remembering. Or if there's something oddly specific you'll need to know like a specific spell's effects you can annotate it with pg. w/e PHB so you can reference it easier.

Oh geez. I am a new player that decided to build a bard by myself while I’m sick. I’m excited to play and this really helped, thanks so much

Very helpful, as always!

I’m recruiting my family to play a dnd session (just a one shot) but my aunt has never played. This is really helpful to help her and remind myself of how DnD feels to beginners.

your energy is refreshing thank you for this video it helps