So you’ve heard of Dungeons and Dragons, maybe from a friend, family member, or even off of Stranger Things, and you think ‘That looks fun! Maybe I’ll give it a try…’ but in reality, you have no idea where to start.

Dungeons and Dragons (a.k.a. D&D) isis, it is a tabletop RPG (Roleplaying Game) where you get together with friends and play a story that one person creates or stories created by the owners of the D&D brand: Wizards of the Coast. Your party goes through a series of adventures directed by the dungeon master (DM) who directs and ultimately controls the game from a story standpoint. But what do you need?

Now, you could be looking to play as a character or be looking to start your campaign as a DM. If you want to be a player, you’ll need to find someone to DM your game, and you can’t play without them. Essentially, the beginning of any campaign begins with the DM and the story that they push towards the players. For stories, you can find a free premade one online, a paid premade one online, or through Wizards of the Coast, or create your own. This game will revolve around the campaign, and what you put in, both as a DM and as players, you will get out of it.

In any way that you want to play, it is highly recommended to look into other people that interest you and to take inspiration from other stories. But as for basic rules, if you decide to go the analog route, you will need a Player’s Handbook to explain it to you, or you can go off of YouTube videos.

Now you’re even more excited about starting your campaign, but now you have some more of an idea of where to start. Remember to have fun with friends and love what you are doing, because that is the most important part of the game.