D&D: A newbie perspective
The8BitBear tells us why we are all capable of playing Dungeons and Dragons - and why we ought to
Dungeons and Dragons has always held a strong appeal to me. The immersive tabletop storytelling game gives you the opportunity to explore weird and wonderful worlds with other people. It allows you to create and personalise a character to an extent that video games have never achieved; and it gives you the freedom to do, pretty much, whatever your imagination can conjure up. However, I only started playing it at the age of 36, something that I now deeply regret.
D&D has always had a stigma attached to it. The image of a group of nerdy teenage boys springs to mind. Spotty, wearing glasses, no friends outside of their small clique. These are apparently the people who play Dungeons and Dragons. Although I’m ashamed to admit it, this put me off playing for a while. What would my friends think if they found out I was into this? Would they make fun of me? Do I want to be seen as a massive nerd? Looking back I feel a little embarrassed. The truth is that a huge range of people, from all walks of life, play D&D.This has been helped recently with it appearing in the Netflix hit Stranger Things as well as a number of celebrities coming out of the D&D closet. More and more people are jumping into campaigns and showing the world that this game is socially acceptable. D&D is a cool thing to be part of!
The main issue that prevented me from getting into Dungeons and Dragons sooner was a mixture of social anxiety and general nerves. From the perspective of an outsider who has never played before it can seem hugely intimidating. The Player’s Handbook, or PHB (pretty much what it says on the tin, a general guide on how to play) has almost 300 pages and picking that up for the first time would easily overwhelm most people. I assumed that I’d need to know every monster, character, class, item and spell in the game before setting off on my first adventure. However, after speaking to a few people who were already playing the game I realised that this wasn’t the case at all. The PHB is more of a reference book than something to be read cover to cover and be remembered. Yes, it does help to know some of the basics before venturing into a game; it keeps the game moving at a good pace and means you don’t break immersion as much; but it is not essential to know everything. In fact it’s pretty much impossible to remember everything related to D&D. You’ll find that the more you play the more you remember; you need to think less about how to do things and more about what you can do.
The other aspect of the game that made me hesitant was finding a group. I didn’t know anyone in real life to play with and, having never touched D&D before, I felt it would be silly to approach a group of strangers online and expect them to adopt me into their campaign and hold my hand. The thing I’ve realised since playing D&D is just how welcoming the community is. I’ve not come across any elitism, snobbery, patronising or negativity with any of the groups that I’ve played with. You sense a real passion when talking to people who play D&D, they are proud to be adventurers and they love sharing this with others. Never be afraid to ask for help; these people will be your go-to for information and advice; and I find I’m asking people questions more than scrambling through rule books for answers. The support is there and these current adventurers are always on the lookout for new recruits!
It will feel odd when you start roleplaying for the first time. I remember my first session; I was very matter of fact and direct. I played D&D like a computer game. It was very mechanical to start with. However once I began to relax, and listened to how the Dungeon Master described all the situations we encountered and the people we met, I found I was more and more part of the story. I was with two other people who didn’t have much experience with the game and we began to encourage one another. Our participation in the narrative grew, we began interacting more with the world around us and eventually we even began to add voices to our characters (something I never thought I’d be able to do). I found it all became natural quickly and the self-consciousness that plagued me at the start of my campaign was soon a distant memory. That’s not to say you need to heavily role play in D&D. Another thing I’ve learnt is that there are many different ways to engage in the game. There is no right or wrong way to play. I’ve met players that don’t role play at all. They are very mechanical in their style. They progress the story dealing with combat and searching in a methodical and efficient way. You have people who love the maths behind the game. They will optimize their build to be as successful as possible; deal the most damage, be as tanky as possible etc. The important thing here is that you find a group that fits your style. When you work out your own particular style, you should easily be able to find a group of similar players. That way you are more likely to feel at ease quicker and settle in the game sooner.
I’ve been playing Dungeons and Dragons for just over half a year now and I really wish I’d joined a group years ago. It gives me the opportunity to relax and escape the harsh realities of the adult world. It lets me exercise my imagination and break free of the confines put upon me by the usual computer games I play. Most importantly though, it’s allowed me to meet new, interesting people whom I never would have befriended had I not ventured out as my crazy shoe-throwing Warlock Halfling. D&D won’t be for everyone but I urge you all to give it a go. Its immensely entertaining and a great social activity. If you’ve read this and feel like I did before I began playing then all I can say is talk to people already in the community. They could very well be your gateway to dragon slaying adventures!
