what do i need to start playing dnd

Are yous just starting with Dungeons and Dragons? This can exist intimidating at first, particularly since there are and then many D&D products, and y'all might not know which one should you lot get. No need to worry, as today I'll talk about what DND beginners should buy.

I'll answer questions such as:

• Should you get a rulebook or chance or something else?
• Where to get free stuff for D&D?
• Do you need dice and miniatures?
• How many sets of dice will you require?
• What do you actually demand to play D&D?
• And many more!

Let's go correct to it.

What exercise You Actually Need to Play D&D?

The good news is that the answer is simple: zilch.

You don't need to buy anything to play D&D! One of the greatest things about D&D is its accessibility, and nothing (particularly non money) should be an obstruction if you want to play.

Costless Resource for D&D

There are numerous gratuitous resources, that are great for D&D beginners. So yous can start playing with some accessories without spending a dime.

D&D Rules

Starting time up, y'all'll need rules. In that location are quite a few of them, simply well-nigh bones ones are gathered in the D&D 5^thursday Edition Systems Reference Document (SRD). It has everything yous need to start with a basic campaign.

Gratis Grapheme Sheets

You lot tin find diverse free character sheets online. Get the official Character Sheet here.

On that link you lot'll also find some pregenerated characters. These are corking if you accept trouble coming up your first grapheme.

Complimentary Adventures

If you lot don't desire to just play a basic adventure, but want to add a chip more flavor, yous can come upward with your own adventure.

Of form, that tin can exist quite hard, especially when you're just starting out. Thankfully, you can head over to the DMsGuild, where you'll observe both free and premium adventures.

Die Apps

Don't have dice? No problem, every bit there are a number of costless mobile apps that simulate the rolling of dice. If y'all have a big roll, then they're fifty-fifty easier than real dice!

Between these tools, and an electronic device or some paper and pencils, yous accept everything you need to play your first game of Dungeons and Dragons.

While you lot tin go started with these free products, they can be more than limited than paid ones. So, in the following sections, I'll draw the dissimilar products you tin purchase to continue your foray into Dungeons & Dragons.

What Should D&D Beginners Buy – Essentials

The products I'll talk about will exist sorted in 3 categories:

• Essentials (the basics, recommended for both Dungeon Masters and regular players)
• Character Cosmos & Tracking (stuff that helps new players create a new grapheme and keep runway of everything that'southward going on with it)
• Items for Beginner Dungeon Master (what yous'll need, if y'all'll exist a Dungeon Master)

So, let's start with essentials first.

D&D Starter Set up

The D&D Starter Set is 1 of the best products for players only getting into D&D.

Information technology includes:

• one rulebook
• Lost Mine of Phandelver (a brusque adventure)
• six dice
• one graphic symbol sail
• v pregenerated characters.

It has everything you demand to outset playing and for a reasonable price. Having things laid out for you ways you don't have to sift through character options or story options before playing.

That's why I'd recommend starting with the Starter Set up, every bit it's the perfect way to get your foot in the door.

D&D Essentials Kit

Think of the D&D Essentials Kit equally the Starter Set Plus. It also comes with an gamble, with additional rules and products like more dice and a Dungeon Master'due south screen.

While information technology might seem like better value, I would still recommend starting with the Starter Set. The Essentials Kit has more rules and isn't laid out nearly likewise for new players. Information technology'southward typically more complicated to start with than with the Starter Prepare.

Still, information technology'south a great bridge between the Starter Gear up and the Histrion'southward Handbook and Dungeon Master'southward Guide (described below).

Dice

Dice are the meat and potatoes of your D&D products. Yous use them for everything in the game. Some people play D&D for decades with one or ii sets of dice, whereas others (me included) have hundreds of sets. You lot can spend very little money on a cheap set up of dice, or you tin get improvident, metallic-cast dice. The latter are obviously just for aesthetics, but since y'all utilize them so often, I observe them a worthwhile investment.

To start, you demand no more than than one ready of RPG dice. This is considered the bare minimum, every bit you will have a die for every situation. A full fix of RPG die contains 7 dice:

• four-sided (d4)
• six-sided (d6)
• eight-sided (d8)
• 10-sided (d10)
• 12-sided (d12)
• 20-sided (d20)
• 10-sided (d100)

The d100 looks the same as a d10, but has tens (10, xx, 30) instead of ones (1, 2, 3). Yous will not need whatsoever unlike types of dice from those constitute in a typical RPG set.

If you're playing for any extended period, withal, I would recommend investing in at least two full sets. This allows you to curlicue 2 die at the same time, instead of ane after another. Depending on your character, you might have to roll 2d6, 2d8, or 2d20 quite ofttimes.

Your next investment should either be further sets of dice, or a fix of d6s. These ordinarily come with an boosted 4-12 d6s. D6s are the nearly common die to whorl, and yous'll never regret having a reserve of them to pull from.

If you lot want to invest in loftier-quality, aesthetically pleasing dice, you have a number of options. I personally favor Dice Hard Die, as they have fantastic products and service. They accept some of the all-time polymer and metallic dice on the market, also every bit other D&D aides. You can also find their dice on Amazon.

Finally, brand sure to invest in a rolling tray with your metal dice, and then you don't damage the host'south tabular array. If you lot want to know more well-nigh dice, yous can observe best DND dice here.

What Should D&D Beginners Buy – Graphic symbol Creation & Tracking

A common misconception that the players' only responsibility is to show upward. As a thespian, you lot should manage your grapheme, know your abilities and spells, and have notes, so you know what's going on in the game. In that location are a number of products that can aid you lot achieve this aim, detailed below.

To begin, you'll probably want to bring your completed graphic symbol sheet, on paper or in a notes app or some alternative. You'll definitely desire one or two sets of dice. Everything else isn't critical, but let's dive into some useful products to get you started in D&D.

Player's Handbook

If you're merely starting out with the Starter Set and / or Essentials Kit, yous don't need anything more. In a longer-grade campaign, you can start by using the 5^th Edition SRD, described to a higher place, only you volition likely desire to expand from that.

It is critical for players to accept access to the Thespian's Handbook (PHB). It gives access to player rules, besides every bit all the base classes, subclasses, races, spells, and other details that are of import to make your own character. The volume lays out character creation and gameplay very well, particularly for kickoff-fourth dimension players.

The Handbook is a crucial resource for every histrion, and while you can borrow a friend'southward for your first few sessions, it'southward a skillful thought to get your own. That way, you don't take to fight over i Handbook for your whole group, too as just being a expert resources to have access to on your ain time.

Your Thespian's Handbook will become well-worn and well-loved, being one of your most important tools throughout your D&D career.

Supplements

There are a number of other player-oriented supplements (books that will improve your play experience) as well. Xanathar'southward Guide to Everything has a great many additional player options, and is probably the one you'll be well-nigh excited to option up.

The Sword Coast Adventurer'due south Guide has some options too, though it'southward more focused around the Forgotten Realms world and lore. It may exist less useful to someone who'southward playing in a dissimilar setting.

If you're bored with the "vanilla" races, Volo'southward Guide to Monsters provides you with a number of additional race options, most notable monstrous races similar bugbears and goblins.

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything is perhaps the best histrion supplement, providing you with over 22 new subclasses alone. If y'all want more diverseness in your characters, this is definitely a good production to get. You can notice a Tasha's Cauldron of Everything review here.

D&D Beyond – For Digital Play

D&D Beyond is a digital D&D aid that acts equally an online character sheet. It contains all published materials, and has the capacity to back up homebrew materials as well. It'south very easy and streamlined to utilise, and you tin can access it on a number of platforms. Furthermore, it's a fantastic choice if you're looking to play online, or if you prefer digital to paper.

D&D Beyond does require y'all to re-purchase all your D&D resources like the Actor'southward Handbook to accept admission to them within the app, but you can try information technology out using the freely-available SRD. It might be expensive to pay for all your D&D books twice, but D&D Beyond does have sales now and so.

There are other tools online, and y'all can always just open a PDF of a graphic symbol sail in OneNote to keep runway of your character digitally, but D&D Across is a great alternative if yous're willing to pay for information technology.

Of course, the tool is purely preference; newspaper and pencil is a classic and affordable arroyo to the game. While it'southward a corking tool, D&D Beyond is not a necessity.

What Should a Beginner Dungeon Master Purchase?

As a Dungeon Master (DM), you are responsible for organizing and guiding the game. Let's run into which products tin can aid y'all exercise so.

Dungeon Master's Guide

The Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG) is an excellent resource for running the game, providing y'all with a plethora of tips and techniques to improve your game. Information technology should probable be your offset D&D purchase.

This Guide includes everything from more advanced rules to magic items to make full your players' coffers, and is an invaluable resource to every Dungeon Main. You'll crack the spine and so many times during your career, you lot're spring to become your money's worth.

Monster Manuals

After the Guide, Dungeon Masters should consider buying the Monster Transmission (MM). The sheer amount of flexibility provided past the Monster Manual will significantly improve your adventures.

There are hundreds of monsters independent within the tome, and it is peradventure the about useful tool for a DM. The plethora of creatures it provides means your players can face unique, challenging, and fascinating enemies every session.

The book also provides a ton of lore for each fauna, making it a great boon to your storytelling besides as gameplay.

Additional Monsters Manuals

In one case you accept those 2 books, I would recommend proceeding with Volo's Guide to Monsters, a book that is substantially the Monsters Manual — Part 2. It expands on some species in the Manual, adding additional subtypes and lore.

Similarly, Mordenkainen'due south Tome of Foes is another monster-adding supplement that will seriously raise your adventures and gameplay, allowing you to pit your players upwards against more variable foes that fit your story and their level.

Adventures

Alternatively, if you prefer to run pre-made adventures, there are more than than a few options available to you. At the time of writing, at that place are 11 hazard books that can take your players from level 1 to 20.

If you ran the Lost Mine of Phandelver, you can pb your players directly into a number of the other published modules.

You could try something like Dragon Heist. Even so, I would recommend staying away from the Tyranny of Dragons series (Hoard of the Dragon Queen / The Ascension of Tiamat) as well every bit the Princes of the Apocalypse series. These are quite complicated to run finer, just whatever of the other adventures would exist bang-up choices.

In that location are too myriad pay-what-you-want, and gratuitous options available on the DMsGuild.

Battlemaps and Minis

If yous're just starting out, especially if you're on a budget, I would stay away from investing also much in miniatures and battlemaps. Information technology's a steep spiral both in coin and time when you start ownership and painting dozens of minis and terrain pieces for all your different adventures. They may exist pretty, merely they are absolutely non necessary — D&D tin exist run "theatre of the mind," where you simply describe the scene clearly enough for your players to envision it.

That existence said, it may be helpful to give your characters some visuals, particularly during combat. You can sketch the scene out on a piece of newspaper, invest in a large dry-erase vinyl mat, print a map out ahead of time, or design one on some 1-inch past 1-inch grid paper.

Your choice should depend on whether you want an authentic grid to calculate movements, or if you just want to describe objects in relation to each other and hand-wave distances. I personally use a combination of grid battlemats, and a small, handheld whiteboard.

Of course, if you're playing online with Roll20 or a similar service, you don't need physical maps and minis. Instead, yous can brandish the scene using gratis or paid maps and tokens found in communities similar the Battlemaps Subreddit.

Dungeon Master's Screen

Finally, if you're playing in person, a Dungeon Master's Screen helps keep your notes and rolls secret from your players. You tin can use a simple 3-ring binder continuing up, or you can utilise the official DM Screen products.

I'grand not a fan of the original Dungeon Master's Screen, but the Dungeon Main's Screen Reincarnated has a ameliorate layout and more applicative rules.

You can too always build your own DM screen using wood or paper-thin, and impress out whatever number of custom rules reference sheets. You lot can find more data about them in our article about all-time DM screens.

Music

While non at all necessary, a bit of music adds a substantial amount of immersion to the game. There are playlists bachelor on YouTube and Spotify for a number of different types of scenes.

To preserve immersion, make sure you avoid ads by using a service you have a subscription for, or use royalty-free music similar that from Kevin MacLeod'due south tracks. Potentially, you could try Amazon Music Unlimited, which currently has a free trial (as of March 2022).

Determination

There are a lot of resource for D&D, and it'south not like shooting fish in a barrel to determine what you demand to begin. I hope this article has provided you with some good tips for where to kickoff, also equally some reasonable upgrades.

If you want to know more most the game earlier you first playing, y'all should definitely check our Ultimate D&D Beginner'southward Guide and Guide to Session 0. In case y'all're buying a gift for someone who plays this game, y'all should bank check our D&D Gift Guide.

As always, try to buy your D&D products from your local game stores. They need your support more than e'er! Adept luck with your first foray into Dungeons & Dragons, and may the dice be ever in your favor!

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Source: https://cardgamebase.com/what-to-buy-dnd-beginner/

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