How to Get Started in a D&D-like TTRPG

This is a follow-on from my DM kit post where I mentioned what I thought to be the best and easiest and cheapest way to get into a D&D-like TTRPG (which from here I’m just going to refer to as D&D because typing that out every time is going to get really old really fast).

I’m going to go through each of those things in a bit more detail and provide some links where I’m able.

Dice

You only need one set of 7-die polyhedral dice to play D&D. It doesn’t matter whether you’re solo role playing or have 10 players and you’re the DM, you still only need one set. It’s nice to have more but you don’t need them. Apparently some US dollar stores have them. Or use an online or app based dice roller. Or go classic and write the numbers of scraps of paper and pull them out of a hat. If anyone cares what method you’re using to general a random number from 1 to X then they need a hobby, maybe try to get them to play D&D? Or stuff them in a bag of holding (or devouring).

Rules

Especially if you’re only ready to try things out, get some free rules. I’ll list a few variations in no particular order:

• D&D 5e (2014) Basic Rules - https://media.wizards.com/2014/downloads/dnd/PlayerDnDBasicRules_v0.2.pdf
• D&D 5.5e (2024) SRD - https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd
• D&D Beyond Basic Rules - via D&D Beyond
• Old School Essentials SRD - https://oldschoolessentials.necroticgnome.com/srd/index.php/Main_Page
• Shadowdark Quick Start Set (PDF) - https://www.thearcanelibrary.com/products/shadowdark-rpg-quickstart-set-pdf

There’s TONS of options that are free and TONS of options that are cheap. Pick one, it doesn’t matter which, don’t go reading about them either, unless it’s specifically to find even more rulesets, your opinion will get skewed with all the Internet rubbish before you’ve even given your option a chance. Pick one, play a couple of sessions and….keep going if you like it. Or pick another one and try that out. 

I’ll let you in on something. Come closer. Don’t mind the stench, that’s just my mortal form decomposing but we don’t talk about that. When you first start playing you’re not going to remember most of the rules and chances are you’re going to be bad at it. But that’s not the secret. The secret is that it’s ok to be bad at it. Maybe even really bad at it. Lean into it and just go with it, make stuff up and look up the rule later. Or don’t and that’s now the rule for that thing. Are you having fun? If so you’re doing it right. If not either try a different ruleset or switch roles (DM to player or player to DM) and give that a try. Or maybe you just don’t like TTRPGs after all, and that’s fine too, just don’t rain on anyone’s parade, everyone is entitled to their preferences.

Maybe I will offer a ruleset suggestion. Start with OSE (free), the 2014 Basic Rules (free) or Whitebox Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game (Amazon). All of these are rules light and when you’re starting out less rules is better. An advantage of an old school based game like OSE or Whitebox is that character creation is about five minutes instead of…well longer than five minutes. 

Character Sheets

All of the rulesets will have a corresponding character sheet and they should all be free except for the cost of printing. If you don’t want to do that or can’t afford to do that (I get it) get the cheapest notepad or notebook of decent size and write out your own using the details from the online versions.

Writing and Erasing Implements

A cheap pencil and eraser is all you need. I can’t even think of something clever to say about this because it’s a cheap erasable writing implement and method of erasing. Go to your local dollar store and you’re done.

Adventures

Either do five minutes of online digging for level 1 adventures and go with that. Or pick a creature you like and think of a reason you would need to be fighting them. The princess is in another castle and all that. Find a small dungeon on Dyson Logos site (https://dysonlogos.blog/maps/) and just put creatures in there. And traps if you want to. A puzzle if you’re feeling clever. But it’s your first dungeon, go easy on yourself and stick some goblins and skeletons in there and you’re done. Why are goblins and skeletons living together? Maybe they’re goblins skeletons? Maybe the skeletons are the long lost cousins of the goblins from Mykonos and they want to experience life…un-life….in New Yo….a random dungeon. It doesn’t matter, worry about that stuff later or never.

People

Yeah, there’s an unfortunate side effect in that you need people for this. Willing people I might add. You could solo role play but I haven’t done that yet so can’t comment, it’s on my to do list. I play with two and it’s fine. I’ve played with five and it’s fine. I may be playing with seven soon and that’s fine I guess. You just need willing people.

Imagination

You’re going to play a medieval fantasy role playing game where walking into a circle of mushrooms backwards while whistling can transport you into a fairy land where you might get cursed and need to find the right coloured fairy dragon to bite you to remove the curse or maybe instead carve your name into a tree which then takes on the curse and dies. You will need your imagination and maybe lower your inhibitions if needed. I put on terrible voices for NPCs and practice them in the car on my way to work and swing an imaginary sword through the air while describing fights (not in the car on my way to work) and gory deaths. Find your imagination, you’ve got one I promise, it might be buried underneath the oppression of modern society but it’s there.

And that’s it. This is all you need to play D&D. Even in these harsh economic times the pencil (with eraser) and an a4 notepad is $4 and I’m sure it’s possible to find these for cheaper. Or use whatever you have on hand, none of it needs to be perfect. It’s probably better if it’s not perfect. Just have some fun.