As a dungeon master and co-owner of a tabletop game and comic book shop, I meet brand-new players virtually every time I'm behind the counter or the DM screen. D&D’s recent popularity explosion has brought in countless new players. They usually are feeling both excited and intimidated, and it's my job to maintain that excitement and add confidence too.
I certainly understand the intimidation factor. Compared to a lot of other players, I'm relatively new myself. Until a year ago, I mostly stuck to the comics side of our shop because I never learned how to play D&D. My handful of attempts to play prior to that were frustrating and bewildering. I always had to play with groups of veteran players. I didn’t know what was going on or what I was supposed to do because nothing was explained to me. None of the other players seemed to comprehend that there was a learning curve, so I had a terrible time. I thought the game just wasn't for me.
Thanks to binge-watching Critical Role, I eventually got some context for how the game worked and how it could be fun. What a revelation! I’ve made up for lost time over the past year, and started to DM last fall. Now I run a table at D&D Adventurer’s League every week, as well as a weekly game for kids ages 8-14. I've had a lot of opportunities to observe games with new players who were welcomed with varying degrees of success, and I’ve learned a few things.
If you are a DM, a veteran player, or anyone else who deals with newbies -- particularly when you play with strangers at a game shop or convention -- here are some simple things to consider if you want them to have a good time. (If you don't want them to have a good time, go away, your fun is wrong.)
Remember: You Were a Newbie Once Too
Nothing kills a person’s excitement about a group activity like having others in the group treat them like they already should be an expert. When you’ve been playing for a long time, it becomes second nature to you, but it’s easy to forget how complicated it is for someone who is unfamiliar with the game. There are so many rules, and a lot of strange terminology the average person isn’t likely to know. None of us were born knowing which die was which, what initiative is, or how proficency works. And it’s hard to look things up in the Player’s Handbook if you don’t yet know what you’re searching for.
Make an Insight Check
We’re not all proficient in Insight, but you can always try. Ideally, the DM will make the newbie feel comfortable before the game starts, and encourage them to ask questions as they arise. If you’re playing, be a friendly neighbor. Give them space to figure things out for themselves, but be willing to offer encouragement or assistance to your neighbor in a gentle and lighthearted way. My kid players can do it without making the new player feel bad, so I believe in you!
Don’t Split the Party
When I finally started playing D&D on a regular basis, I was lucky enough to land with a group who made an effort to make me feel like I was part of the gang right away. I had a general sense of how the game worked from watching streaming games, but when I was actually at the table, I was still a little confused during the first few sessions.
I always will be grateful to the DM because he was kind and helpful, and always encouraged other players to help each other as well. The people sitting next to me could point to things on my character sheet so I learned how to figure out what I was rolling, calculate damage, and so forth. They were supportive, let me feel included, and never made me feel like I was slowing the game down or being a bother. In fact, when I was finally able to find creative and effective ways to help the party, they were almost as excited as I was.
Share the Loot
Maybe you’re reading this and thinking, “This is common sense! Who isn’t already doing this?” Good for you! But sadly, common sense is rarer than it should be. I have watched many people sigh and roll their eyes and make new players feel awkward, or just leave a new player flailing. Don’t be that person. Give the newbie a chance to share the love of the hobby. With a kind attitude, you can set a good precedent and help build a positive D&D community around you.
contributed by Annie Bulloch
I certainly understand the intimidation factor. Compared to a lot of other players, I'm relatively new myself. Until a year ago, I mostly stuck to the comics side of our shop because I never learned how to play D&D. My handful of attempts to play prior to that were frustrating and bewildering. I always had to play with groups of veteran players. I didn’t know what was going on or what I was supposed to do because nothing was explained to me. None of the other players seemed to comprehend that there was a learning curve, so I had a terrible time. I thought the game just wasn't for me.
Thanks to binge-watching Critical Role, I eventually got some context for how the game worked and how it could be fun. What a revelation! I’ve made up for lost time over the past year, and started to DM last fall. Now I run a table at D&D Adventurer’s League every week, as well as a weekly game for kids ages 8-14. I've had a lot of opportunities to observe games with new players who were welcomed with varying degrees of success, and I’ve learned a few things.
If you are a DM, a veteran player, or anyone else who deals with newbies -- particularly when you play with strangers at a game shop or convention -- here are some simple things to consider if you want them to have a good time. (If you don't want them to have a good time, go away, your fun is wrong.)
Remember: You Were a Newbie Once Too
Nothing kills a person’s excitement about a group activity like having others in the group treat them like they already should be an expert. When you’ve been playing for a long time, it becomes second nature to you, but it’s easy to forget how complicated it is for someone who is unfamiliar with the game. There are so many rules, and a lot of strange terminology the average person isn’t likely to know. None of us were born knowing which die was which, what initiative is, or how proficency works. And it’s hard to look things up in the Player’s Handbook if you don’t yet know what you’re searching for.
Make an Insight Check
We’re not all proficient in Insight, but you can always try. Ideally, the DM will make the newbie feel comfortable before the game starts, and encourage them to ask questions as they arise. If you’re playing, be a friendly neighbor. Give them space to figure things out for themselves, but be willing to offer encouragement or assistance to your neighbor in a gentle and lighthearted way. My kid players can do it without making the new player feel bad, so I believe in you!
Don’t Split the Party
When I finally started playing D&D on a regular basis, I was lucky enough to land with a group who made an effort to make me feel like I was part of the gang right away. I had a general sense of how the game worked from watching streaming games, but when I was actually at the table, I was still a little confused during the first few sessions.
I always will be grateful to the DM because he was kind and helpful, and always encouraged other players to help each other as well. The people sitting next to me could point to things on my character sheet so I learned how to figure out what I was rolling, calculate damage, and so forth. They were supportive, let me feel included, and never made me feel like I was slowing the game down or being a bother. In fact, when I was finally able to find creative and effective ways to help the party, they were almost as excited as I was.
Share the Loot
Maybe you’re reading this and thinking, “This is common sense! Who isn’t already doing this?” Good for you! But sadly, common sense is rarer than it should be. I have watched many people sigh and roll their eyes and make new players feel awkward, or just leave a new player flailing. Don’t be that person. Give the newbie a chance to share the love of the hobby. With a kind attitude, you can set a good precedent and help build a positive D&D community around you.
contributed by Annie Bulloch
Thus I have seen new players say things like "can I do that?" or "but I'm probably not allowed". I think this is where the DM and established players can cut a lot of slack as you would with any person doing something new for the first time, that can potentially expose you to ridicule. I don't mean to imply that a group actually would ridicule someone, Lord knows I hope not! but it can feel that there is that potential to someone new, even more so if you do not really know the other players already on a social level and don't want to mess things up inside and outside the game. We also have to remember that if you are keen on the acting side of RPGs, as opposed to say the mechanics side, then it can take a lot of guts to put yourself out there so to speak, as a character in a game. Unless the new player actually is an actor or has that sort of experience, it is my observation that new players will put a lot of themselves, their own personality, into their first character. I know I did. You naturally draw on what you know best. This increases the perceived exposure of the new player.
