Getting Started with D&D 5e
A beginner's guide to starting your D&D 5e journey, covering the basics of character creation, gameplay, and finding a group.
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Welcome to D&D!
Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition is a tabletop roleplaying game where you and your friends create characters and embark on adventures together. One player takes on the role of the Dungeon Master (DM), who narrates the story and controls the world, while the other players control their individual characters.
What You Need to Play
To get started, you'll need: the Basic Rules (available free from Wizards of the Coast), a set of polyhedral dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20, and d100), a character sheet, pencil, and some friends to play with. The Player's Handbook provides more options but isn't required to start.
Creating Your First Character
Character creation involves choosing a race (like Human, Elf, or Dwarf), a class (like Fighter, Wizard, or Rogue), rolling or assigning ability scores, and developing a backstory. Check out our character creation tools to help you build your first character!