Help, My players don’t know how to play.

[Bigsta]

Do not share tea and biscuits with them until they learn the rules.

You monster!

 

[aco175]

You are the only one that cares about your campaign to the extent you wish your players would. Most times they are only there for something to do. Maybe that is to hang out with friends and we roll dice and kill things. Maybe it is we are friends from the old days and this is how we get together and hang out- oh and roll dice and kill things. Most players may care enough to dedicate a set night and time to play and show up. That is at least something you can start with or live with. Most will not have opened the books or updated their character who gained a level until they show up. It is what it is.

 

[Asgorath]

This is why I really like D&D Beyond. I have the master tier subscription and share all the content with the rest of the group. It's really easy to create a character, and the site just does all the math for you. If you care about the details of why a certain number is what it is, you can click on it to see the breakdown. Spells are really easy to manage, and you can have the full text of any spell you have prepared with a single click (or a nice summary in the attacks/spells list). One of my games includes my 73-year old mother, 10-year old nephew and 13-year old niece, all of whom have never played before, and they've all been able to pick up the basics relatively quickly thanks to the DDB character sheets (and some help from me of course). So, if they are actually trying but failing to learn, that might help. If they just don't really care about the mechanics, then one of the previous suggestions to just use fixed values might work as well.

 

[Quickleaf]

We are all having fun. I feel like we could have more fun if we could just move a little more quickly. In their defense they are higher level ranging from 10-16. That being said they bog down remembering how to attack, inflict damage and use skills. (Spells are different) They aren’t impaired by drugs or anything.

I've observed a similar "hunt the character sheet" phenomenon. My take may be a bit different, but I feel there are two main culprits:

First, character sheets could really use a clearer, less cluttered, more graphically-friendly format – when I made 3rd-level pregens for a game where I taught my old D&D buddy how to play 5th edition & taught his girlfriend (totally new to tabletop), I found the sheets I made really streamlined the learning curve & sped up the game. I've attached an example.

Let me describe the specific players. Going clockwise around my table the youngest and least experienced is a teenager. She plays infrequently and has difficulty remembering how to identify dice or how to navigate the character sheet. (This makes sense)

What if she bought, was given, or traded a different color die for each polyhedral die type? Red d4's, Orange d6's, green d8's, black d10's, pink d20's, etc?

Players 2,3 and 4 are in their early twenties. 2 and 3 play almost weekly and have for several years they also struggle with the same. They have never bothered to read the rules.

OK, if they also struggle with identifying polyhedral dice and navigating the character sheet, then really double down on my above suggestions!

Players don't need to read the rules. When I started playing AD&D 1e, there was absolutely no expectation that us kids would read the rules, not even after several years of gaming. And if they haven't read the rules after several years, maybe they never will.

Player 2 has read most spells for the wizard he plays but has almost no idea how spell casting or the class itself functions.(this makes no sense)

What specifically do you mean? For instance, if the wizard player forgets how to calculate Spell Save DC and Spell Attack & routinely can't find that info on the sheet...well that sounds like another argument for changing the layout of his spell sheet... Notice what I did with the sample sheet for Zarese; I listed the spell save DC each and every time a spell calls for the saving throw, right there in the spell description. Now, it'll take more space for 10th-level PCs, but it is doable.

I've also seen the forgetting Spell Save DC and Spell Attack happen when a player uses spell cards from GaleForce Nine, since those obviously don't list your individual info on them.

But if you mean something else, you should get specific about it.

A common rule I see players forget is the rule about multiple spells: You can cast a spell as a bonus action and a spell as an action in the same turn, but one of them must be a cantrip. I've had to reiterate that a couple times to my own players, but it's sinking in.

Player 3 is more interested in role playing. Not like, let me get into the mind or mindset of my character in this situation. More like a tiny Groot looking for a button to push.

You've described an "Instigator" type of player. They can be a godsend for keeping the game moving when it slows down too much, but can also get out of hand. Read the section in the DMG about Instigator players. I have one of these players, and I make sure to include a "tempting treasure/trick/lever/interesting thingie, with a risk or threat attached to it" in most sessions – I've noticed this lets him channel is inner maniac and lets him be more or less civilized the rest of the game.

 

[Volund]

If your players aren't willing to learn the rules of the game they are playing, perhaps this group should play a different game. Have you tried Dungeon World? The Powered by the Apocalypse system might be a better fit. The character sheets ('playbooks") and character moves are simple - all the rules a player needs are on the 2 page playbook, you only need 2d6 to resolve actions, and there is a lot of freedom to RP.

 

[ad_hoc]

I would start by reducing the game to DM + 4 players.

7 people at the table is a (literal) party and there is little time for each one. I would probably not have much attention to my sheet too if I was surrounded by a bunch of people all trying to do stuff.

 

[MNblockhead]

I see this all the time with streamed games. It is crazy that some of these folks are making money and playing before large audiences but don't know the basic mechanics of how to player their characters.

Luckily, I don't have this issue with my players for the most part. Occasionally, they'll need to look up a spell they don't use often, but for the most part, they know their characters' abilities and spells and rules of the game.

In my game I offer players DnD Beyond. Though I've found that for some players, DnD Beyond just slows them down. The latest, revamped version is much better, but for some players, I'll put their character in to Hero Lap and print out because it does a nice job creating summary pages of spells and powers. It also makes tick boxes for tracking consumables and per-rest powers.

 

[Li Shenron]

I have 6 players. Two understand how to play. The others have been playing from between two years and four years. I think that is adequate time to get a grip on the most basic rules. I still find myself reminding them how to calculate attack bonus when it is printed on their character sheet. Even helping the figure out saves and damage. I should be collecting a check from them for the extra work beyond running the game. Any advice will be read and appreciated.

In their defense they are higher level ranging from 10-16. That being said they bog down remembering how to attack, inflict damage and use skills. (Spells are different) They aren’t impaired by drugs or anything.

Let me describe the specific players. Going clockwise around my table the youngest and least experienced is a teenager. She plays infrequently and has difficulty remembering how to identify dice or how to navigate the character sheet. (This makes sense) Players 2,3 and 4 are in their early twenties. 2 and 3 play almost weekly and have for several years they also struggle with the same. They have never bothered to read the rules. Player 2 has read most spells for the wizard he plays but has almost no idea how spell casting or the class itself functions.(this makes no sense) Player 3 is more interested in role playing. Not like, let me get into the mind or mindset of my character in this situation. More like a tiny Groot looking for a button to push.

Sorry, whaaat? It's hard for me to believe that young adults (not children) who have already played between two and four years still have troubles with basic stuff like reading a character sheet or use skills, when the latter is practically "roll d20, add a small number, ask the DM if it worked".

But then, if this is how they really are, please do everyone a favor and do NOT run a game at level 10-16! Hell, run a game at 1st level (if you worry about survivability, give them double HP as a courtesy) and do not level up until they understand the basics.

 

[delericho]

I have 6 players. Two understand how to play. The others have been playing from between two years and four years. I think that is adequate time to get a grip on the most basic rules. I still find myself reminding them how to calculate attack bonus when it is printed on their character sheet. Even helping the figure out saves and damage. I should be collecting a check from them for the extra work beyond running the game. Any advice will be read and appreciated.

At the start of this year I started a game with 6 players, only one of whom had ever played before. So I have a suggestion that may help:

I would recommend starting each session with a brief (~5 mins) recap of some section of the rules. Start with the real basics - here are the different dice types, here are the three types of rolls in the game, introduce the various sections of the character sheet, and so on. Each session, gradually move on to increasingly advanced topics.

Bear in mind that although they've played for several years, it's entirely possible that they've still never managed to read the rules (either for lack of a copy, or because they were just intimidated by those big chunky rulebooks) and may well have never had anyone explain the game to them in a clear and consistent manner. It's hard to learn when you only ever get a few bits and pieces at a time, all jumbled up, and being 'explained' to you by multiple competing voices!

So, yeah, I would recommend you assume they know nothing, and work from there - introduce the whole game a piece at a time.

 

[robus]

I uploaded a player quick reference sheet that tries to briefly cover the essentials. Your players might find it helpful.