DnD for dummies

art by Afreen Majumdar

Dungeons and Dragons is a TTRPG, or tabletop roleplaying game—but honestly, the table is optional. To play DnD, all you really need is a Dungeon Master (DM) and a group of players. The players make up what’s called a party, usually 3-6 people, though more or less works fine too. The DM describes and controls the world and story, while the players interact with it however they want—usually with chaos and emotional damage.

People will tell you that you need a million things: fancy math rocks (dice), detailed worldbuilding software, a DM screen, the three humongous core rulebooks (Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master’s Guide), notebooks, spell trackers, candles, vibes, and blood sacrifices. But the only thing you really need is people. (And dice. But you can use an online dice roller if you’re not married to the aesthetic.)

“But DnD is Too Complicated!”

Yeah, it seems that way at first. There’s a sea of rules, stats, saving throws, AC, DC, ability scores, hit points, and 7 weird polygonal dice that look like cursed math puzzles. But here’s the thing: DnD is only as complicated as you want it to be.

Yes, the rules exist for a reason—but they’re tools, not commandments. You don’t have to memorize how damage calculations work. You don’t need to invent 15 towns within a 20-mile radius. You don’t have to keep track of every NPC’s tragic backstory. If something’s getting in the way of your fun, cut it. The whole point of the game is to make a cool story with your friends while pretending to be a bunch of weird little guys in a pretend world. That’s it. That’s the game.

That said, if you want to learn the rules (or at least enough to fake it), here’s a rundown of the basics.

The D20

Most actions in DnD revolve around the 20-sided die. You roll it any time you want to do something with a chance of failure—attacking, sneaking, charming, jumping off a building and hoping for the best. You add a modifier (based on your character’s skills or stats), and compare the total to a target number: either a Difficulty Class (DC) for a task or an enemy’s Armor Class (AC) in combat. Beat the number? You succeed. Don’t? Well… your character probably faceplants.

ALLLLLLLLL the other dice

All the other dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12) are mostly used for rolling damage or spell effects. The bigger the weapon, the more sides the dice. The names of dice depend on how many sides they have. The exact dice depends on the weapon and how dangerous it is, so a dagger would have you roll a D4 and a battle axe a D12. Sometimes you roll multiple dice at once. Sometimes you roll a d10 and pretend you understand percentages. Just roll what the game tells you, add any modifiers, and move on.

Creating a Character

If you want to skip the math and formatting, DnD Beyond is a free website that will do all the heavy lifting for you. But if you’re building from scratch, here’s a very basic breakdown:

• Race/Species: Elf, Dwarf, Human, Halfling, Tiefling, Dragonborn, etc. Pick one. It affects some stats and gives you a few cool abilities. That’s it.

• Class: This is your role. Are you a sneaky rogue? A buff barbarian? A spell-slinging wizard? A sarcastic bard with zero impulse control? Each class has different abilities and combat styles.

• Background: Gives you some flavor, like “Noble,” “Criminal,” “Haunted One,” etc. Mostly for vibes, but you get a couple bonuses and skills from it too.

• Stats: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma. Assign numbers to these depending on how you build your character. Higher numbers = better at that thing. That’s all it means.

  • To generate ability scores, roll a 6 sided die 4 times then delete the lowest number and add the rest, do this 6 times for all your stats and assign the resulting numbers to each category. These numbers will translate to your score modifiers.

Combat

Look, if you’re deep into the mechanics of turn orders and tactical maneuvers, great. But if not, just focus on how your character reacts, not whether you remembered to use your Bonus Action.

Don’t say, “I use Disengage.” Say, “I roll backwards into the shadow of a tree and vanish behind a bush while flipping off the goblin.” You still roll dice, yes—but describing your actions with flavor makes combat ten times better for everyone.

(If you want to know the mechanics: your turn consists of a movement, an action, sometimes a bonus action or reaction, and then you cry about your dice roll.)

graphic by Afreen Majumdar

Spells

Magic is weird. Most spellcasters use spell slots—limited uses for casting certain spells before needing a rest. Some classes prepare spells daily (like Clerics and Druids), while others have a set list they know (like Sorcerers or Bards).

You can only maintain one concentration spell at a time, which is a fancy way of saying: no, you can’t juggle five different enchantments at once while also turning invisible. Pick one magical thing and stick to it.

Traveling

Traveling rules in DnD are famously boring. Don’t worry about calculating exact speeds or distances unless it’s fun for you. Just decide how long the trip takes and focus on what happens during the journey—ambushes, weird weather, spooky dreams, road trip drama, whatever. Or skip the journey entirely and say “you arrive at the town, exhausted and annoyed.”

Writing a Campaign

Everyone wants to write their own epic story full of drama and betrayal and plot twists—but if you’re new, consider using a prewritten adventure. There’s no shame in it. Even veteran DMs use modules sometimes because it makes life easier, and less stressful. You can always change names, locations, or events to fit your style, but it’s a really great jumping off point.

If you do write your own stuff, keep it simple. Your players will derail your plot in ways you could never imagine. That one random shopkeeper you invented on the spot? Yeah, they’re going to become the party’s best friend and emotional support NPC. Roll with it. So keep your general plot overarching so you can weave it in whenever necessary, remember all roads lead to plot. 

Improvisation is your best friend. Start a DM notebook or document for stuff you make up on the fly—descriptions, NPC quirks, weird plot threads. You’ll thank yourself later.

Collaboration is key.

You’re telling a story together. You’re not there to trap your players in a railroad plot where they do exactly what you want. You’re building a world, yes, but it’s also their story. Leave space for their weird choices, their dumb plans, their character arcs. It’s a push and pull.

Also, talk to other DMs! Or yell your ideas at your dog or your mom or whoever will listen. Sometimes just saying things out loud helps you figure out what works.

Final Thoughts

DnD is not about getting everything right. It’s about adventure, chaos, found family, and yelling “I want to seduce the dragon” while everyone groans. There’s no incorrect way to play DnD, if you don’t like something I’ve said here, discard it. Keep what you like and ignore the rest. Don’t worry about being perfect. Just tell a fun story and have a good time!