D&D For Beginners: Things To Buy Before You Can Start Playing

Dungeons and Dragons (D&D or DnD) has endured as a tabletop game for so long that it has created its own universe. There are clubs and societies and podcasts built around playing the game and there are even conventions.

If you want to play DnD, you’ll need to buy or make a few things before playing. So, here is what you need to start playing D&D.

1. The Game

The game itself is pretty unique and not like other tabletop games like checkers, chess, or monopoly. You’ll need to familiarize yourself with the rules, You can download the D&D Basic Rules for free from Wizards of the Coast (the publisher) or you can purchase a physical copy of the Player’s Handbook from your favorite local game store or digital copy from D&D Beyond, which. The basic rules are just that, just enough to get you started for your first few games. The complete Player's Handbook is everything the intrepid adventurer needs to delve into the dungeons of this iconic universe.

2. Dice Set

Some say that the dice are the most important materials in a DnD game, and they’re not wrong. Or is it the rules? Hmm, maybe it was a sense of adventure. Regardless, you can’t play D&D without dice! There are 7 dice in a typical DnD dice set e and they are all used within a game. They are used to develop your character, determine the outcomes of certain actions, who attacks and when, and even the amount of damage an attack does.

The standard dice set includes a d20, d12, d10 (a standard set has 2 d10s), d8, d6, and d4.

It’s most convenient for each player to have their own set because:

1. a) a) Dice can be used in quick succession
2. b) Players may prefer different types of dice for their character
3. c) Let’s face it, it’s also just more hygenic if each player has their own dice!

3. Character Sheets

Each character needs to have a character sheet. This sheet contains their personality traits, their allegiances, their weapons, attacks, stats, etc. It isalso be used to keep track of a character’s progress, their level ups, and their improved stats, etc

These character sheets can be referred to when a character needs to remind themselves of their motivations. It can also be used to refer to when they come to an area where their abilities can be particularly useful.

This is very useful material when learning D&D for beginners.

4. A DM Screen

Every D&D game must have a Dungeon Master, the person who facilitates the game and acts as the game’s narrator.

A DM screen is for a dungeon master what a car dashboard is for a driver. It helps the DM keep track of the game and keeps important information close at hand. Also, it can help DMs prepare for what the next room or dungeon has without giving too much away to the players. Finally, it can help the DM take notes and keep track of what has changed.

There are DM screens provided for some of the official game modules and Forged Gaming offers a fully customizable dry erase GM screen! 

5. A Game Board (or Battle Grid)

A game board (sometimes called a battle grid) serves as a map and can help keep track of the characters’ positions in a dungeon or during combat when placement and location are important.. It helps everyone see where they are in relation to other player characters, monsters, and other important features of the story.

There are a lot of things that can work as a game board from simple graph paper to elaborate dungeon tile systems. Forged Gaming offers a range of options including the Deluxe Campaign Edition Battle Board which comes in 3 styles and with a slew of convenient items for a DM to create amazing immersive environments. 

6. Miniatures or Tokens

Miniatures are stand-ins for the players and other game characters on the game board or map. They can be as simple as scrap of paper or a beautifully painted miniature representation of a dragon in its lair. They help everyone keep track of what’s going on and create a more immersive game environment as well.

7. Pencils and Paper

Pencils (rather than pens!) and paper can be used by players to keep track of their characters and to take notes about important aspects of the story. We recommend that players dedicate a notebook or journal to each game they are playing. It makes it a lot easier to keep track of what’s happening if it’s all in one place!

This should be enough to get you started s playing D&D. Go forth, adventurer. There are countless worlds for you to explore! When you’re ready for an awesome new set of dice or a dice tower, take a look around at ForgedGaming.com!