Library entry example

If you are new to Dungeons & Dragons, getting started can be a daunting task, one of the first hurdles to overcome is to find a dnd group. The game has over 50 years of history, rules, knowledge, changes and players. Just picking it up and getting started will seem like a lot of work. Let’s break the whole process down to simple steps you can follow. What is D&D? How is D&D? Why is D&D? Gather your gear Finding a group Creating your character Go play What is D&D? The core of the game is collaborative storytelling. Instead of following a linear path, the game takes the players through a story. One that doesn’t generally have a set structure or end-goal.   Lets explain it through an analogy - a book. The players decide that they want to play D&D, and one of them steps up and states that they are willing to be the Dungeon Master. The DM is the one who will come up with the world, the setting, the locations, various events and even history for the world the game will take place in.   And the others are the players (although the DM should also be considered a player as well, but we will separate these two roles for now). The players will be the main characters of the story. Mighty heroes, accidental adventurers or incompetent bandits - as long as the story the DM will be running makes sense for those characters. The game is a collaborative story, where the DM will present the players with various characters, situations, problems and encounters and the players will try and figure their way through all those. Either by talking their way out of them or getting into combat and resolving the situation in another way. There is no right path to take in D&D - the DM can never anticipate what the players will do in a certain situation - and the players will have no way to know what the right approach would be. But stumbling through these situations will be the story. Whether things work out for your characters and you become heroes, or you fail at doing the most mundane tasks, leading to humiliation, failure and a lot of laughs - this makes it your story. /images/general-media/1776431683_KlnMNNhS.jpg How is D&D? The game has a lot of rules - this might seem daunting, but generally you will try and understand them as you start playing. If your DM (or other group members) have more experience than you, you can rely on them to help you figure things out. Nobody knows all of the rules by heart - referencing the rulebooks is a part of the game. But how exactly is D&D played? Is there a game board? Is it a computer game? This is what separates D&D from traditional board and video games. It is a narrative game. You will play the game through explaining what your character would do. Whether you succeed or fail, is determined by rolling dice (and applying some rules). There is no board to move your figurine on. Instead the DM describes (verbally) what you are seeing, hearing, smelling and so forth. Based on all that information, you can tell the DM what your character would like to do - “I would like to find someone who looks like a guard” / “I would like to punch the first person I see in the face” / “Looking around, do I see something that looks like a dragon?” And so forth.   As a player, you are in control of your characters intentions and actions. The success of all of that is determined by the Dungeon Master and their response. If your characters have reached a dungeon and are looking for a hidden door in the room, the DM might tell you to roll Perception. Whether your character is good at that stat or not, will affect the likelihood of you succeeding. Once again, it is a story that your character is going through. How you solve different situations is up to you. You are limited by what is realistic for your character to be able to do and what kind of an approach you come up with.   D&D is a game where there is no exact way of winning. You are not playing the game against the others - as an adventuring group, your focus should be on cooperation - to overcome various obstacles by working together, relying on others and their characters’ abilities. If you leave the game session and you had fun - that really is the only way to be “winning” at D&D. Why is D&D? While the article revolves around Dungeons & Dragons, almost all of it can be taken and applied to any other tabletop roleplaying system. The hobby space does not only consist of the behemoth that is D&D. Ever since the first edition of the game was released back in 1974, a vast number of other tabletop systems have been created by other creators. You can find various other systems listed in the library here. Dungeons & Dragons is a great gateway to the hobby thanks to it's rather streamlined gameplay process, rules structure and publicly available resources and knowledge. And many of the skills and knowledge can be transferred over to other systems, even if their focus is on more mechanical systems or different themes. While you will be able to find more groups and other players for D&D, once you are more familiar with the whole TTRPG genre, you should branch out and experiment with other systems to get a better understanding of what kind of a game system you would actually prefer. Gather your gear To start playing, you don’t need much. You need other players and someone willing to be the Dungeon Master. You may have seen various memes about the dice. D&D is famous for dice and dice-related obsessions and while some players get themselves a set of dice and hold onto those for their entire tabletop gaming career - there are others (commonly referred to as dice goblins) who can’t stop buying new dice. But dice are dice, at the end of the day. But you don’t even need dice - there are various digital dice rolling tools to replace the need for physical dice. Then there are the rules. Fortunately the free basic rules are available online. You can familiarize yourself with the rules free of charge and get the general idea of the system. With the rules at your hand, you need to create a character. Your character is boiled down to your character sheet - a document that holds a technical overview of what your character is. How strong they are, how smart, how charismatic, how good they are at picking a lock and many other aspects that make your character unique. If you are just starting out, it is recommended to not spend too much on trying to remember and understand all the rules. Without context (since you haven’t played the game before) the rules are likely to not be very intuitive and understandable. Same goes for creating a character. Sure, you might have the idea of a character floating in your mind, but it is important that your character’s concept fits the story the DM will be setting you into. Creating a silly character might not be the best fit, if the story will take place in a dystopian vampire-infested world. /images/general-media/1776431690_WRNbTOBM.jpg Finding a group A typical D&D party consists of 3-6 players. This is definitely not a hard limit (on either end), some game groups are two players and a DM, some are eight. Although the sweet spot of 3-6 generally might be the most enjoyable for a new player. The best way of finding a group is forming one with your friends or family - you most likely know these people already and know whether you’d like to spend 3-5 hours at a time with them. The second best way is Groupfinder. Sure, we might be a bit biased here, but Groupfinder is here to solve one of the biggest hurdles a newcomer might encounter when trying to start playing - finding a group. Create your profile, introduce yourself and it is highly recommended to add the “Newbie friendly” tag to your profile. If you are looking for an in-person game or to play online, Groupfinder will help you find your group for both. Read: DnD Looking for Group: How to find your next table Creating your character Once you have found a group of players, you will need to create a character before your first game. It is highly recommended to have a “Session Zero” before the game actually starts. That is the session before the first session where the DM will tell you about the world, what kind of a story he is hoping to run you through and other technical details regarding the games. Now knowing what the theme and topic of the game will be, you can finally create a character that fits the game. Head over to dndbeyond.com and create your character there. The whole process should be more or less intuitive. But don’t feel like you have to figure everything out on your own. Talk to your DM and other players if you feel lost at any point. In addition to the technical aspects of your character (Their species (human, elf, halfling etc.) and their class (rogue, ranger, wizard etc.) and their stats) figure out who your character is. What makes them them. On paper they might be a human fighter - but they should have a backstory, who they were before the adventure began. What they like and dislike. Do they have hobbies, favourite dish, friends or family? The more you flesh our your character, the more real they become. The realness of the character is one major aspect that distinguishes D&D from a traditional board game. Instead of playing as the “boot” in Monopoly, you are playing as a character with a personality, with unique quirks and thoughts - all of these will shape the way they approach different situations in the game. Go play Hopefully you will have a better understanding of what D&D is, how to get started and how to take your first steps into the hobby space.   You can start off by heading over to the Groups page on Groupfinder and browsing through the various games that still need players. Or instead post your player profile and introduce yourself. Of course remember to be proactive. Just posting your profile might not be enough - reach out to groups that are looking for players and let them know that you are interested in joining.

What is a “session zero” (and why should you have one) You have decided to start playing D&D, keep in mind that Dungeons & Dragons is a social game. Sure, we have dice, miniatures, maps, terrain, rules and books. But they are all connected by social interactions and connections. And managing those social situations before they become problematic will save you a lot of headache. After all, you are looking to find a dungeons and dragons group not be defeated by the recruitment process. A session zero (named so, because the first session will most likely be the one where you all sit down and finally get the game going) is a validation checkpoint. A change for all the players to discuss what they expect from the game and the group. Voicing any concerns or topics that should be addressed beforehand, not when they have already become issues. During the session zero, players (including the DM, they are a player as well) will be given a general pitch of the game, the theme, the style and the direction the DM is expecting you to go. This most likely will not be a two-hour lore-dump session, where you make notes and try to remember all the important bits. It should resemble an elevator pitch. Short, straight to the point, without too much flavouring and getting bogged down in details. This is a chance for the players to understand and align their expectations regarding the game. Going into the first session with Boblin the Goblin, aiming to be the funniest character known to man and then realizing that the DM has prepared a serious, down to earth, adventure focusing on social intrigue and moral choices… Well Boblin might’ve not been the best character for that. /images/general-media/1774882359_X6rlHtg9.jpgRead the room. Create a character that fits the atmosphere of the game. And if you were hoping for constant laughs, you will find that the game and your expectations were severely mis-aligned. Session zero will try to manage expectations and set themes. Aligning players, aligning characters Understanding the world, the themes and topics is useful for the players to understand whether the game they are about to commit to is really for them. Whether it will be something they will look forward to prior to every session, or will it eventually become something that “you are not feeling”. Perhaps the tone can be adjusted - from gothic horror with no room for laughs to something that is still eerie, but the players can find humor in appropriate places. This is the time to discuss these questions. The time to adjust the game is now, as it will be rather difficult to do a complete shift when you are ten sessions deep. This is also the point where players can discuss their characters. Whether they have anything complete prepared by then or just a fragment of a concept. Your characters shall be adventuring together - try and figure out how that plays into the world you were presented with. Can you find some common background pieces with another player to somehow connect your characters? Or perhaps come up with a reasonable theme that would bring all your characters together. If your plan was to play an edgy loner, who doesn’t like people and works alone. Discuss this with others, as this might become an issue later, when the other characters can’t figure out a way to establish any reasonable connection with your edgelord. Be flexible, adjust concepts, ideas, goals and character details. A social contract Nobody likes contracts. Unless you are a warlock, then you live for contracts. But a social contract is more for managing expectations. How often will you play? Figure out whether your group can agree on a fixed schedule that everyone can book in advance. Every second Thursday evening? Booked now. Ofcourse this is subject to change as life happens.   Is it a 100% attendance game? If someone can’t attend, will the session be cancelled or will they be somehow “dragged along” without any narrative focus on them for the session. Is there a narrative way to exclude characters from certain moments, if the player is unable to participate? Agreeing on these will help you avoid situations, where some players might feel left out and might decide to start ghosting the sessions, until they are eventually removed from the roster. /images/general-media/1774882564_47pDcYw0.webpIf you have trouble setting some systems up, ask others to help you What systems and platforms will you be using if this is an online game? What video or voice platform will you be using, is everyone okay with the choice or does someone need help setting something up? Whether combat happens on a VTT or some other platform, can everyone manage that? Check in with others and figure out that the technical aspects won’t become too much of a burden to manage. Boundaries. A vital part of session zero. Even if you think these are not necessary - It is still strongly recommended. Using various safety tools can make sure that various themes or topics that the game might tackle are accepted by everyone. Especially if you haven’t played with all of the members of the group before. You can find various different tools to help set the right boundaries and make sure everyone feels comfortable with the game. Take a look at “Lines and Veils”, “X-Card” or “Monte Cook Games RPG Consent Checklist”. Vibes. How are the vibes Keep track of the vibes during session zero. Do you notice anything that might be considered a “red flag”? Is the humor off, does everyone feel like they get enough respect and attention from the others? All of these are important to keep in mind. While some things can be discussed and corrected, if needed. People are different and while they might be great people to be friends with, it doesn’t mean that they would be great people to play D&D with. If there are issues that you feel should be discussed, turn towards your DM and talk things out. Perhaps you were not the only one who noticed it. Or maybe it was a case of miscommunication. Clearing the air before the game actually begins is important. Otherwise the problems will start festering and your enjoyment of the game will decrease over time. “No D&D is better than bad D&D?” - No. Not at all. With Groupfinder you can  find a dnd group that fits your preferences. Maybe it will take a few tries and session zeroes, but once you find your group, you will know these are your people. And you will enjoy the games a lot more. Why bother with all of this? It might feel like all of this is too much trouble just to get the game going. But statistics have shown, that groups who go through a "session zero" before their actual game are  significantly less likely to ghost or fall apart after a few sessions. Spending a few hours talking about expectations might save you hours of frustration later on.

Why your bio matters If you want to find a dungeons and dragons group, you should keep in mind, that the player to DM ratio is heavily skewed against you. Most DMs receive up to 10 applications per player seat. Having a great player profile will help you stand out and will create a good first impression. Finding a dnd group has a lot in common with online dating. Leaving a good first impression, seeming reliable, trustworthy and willing to commit - these are all important either on a dating profile or when creating a player profile. If your thinking is “If they want to know more about me, they will ask.” It is very likely that they won’t. Remember that you are fighting an uphill battle. Groups aren’t really facing a shortage of players and you need to use any tool and skill you have to display yourself as someone they want to have in their group. Ofcourse it will be a balancing act - introducing yourself in as much detail as possible, while not ending up with more paragraphs than a book. The anatomy of a player bio Preferences, playstyle, experience, logistics, reservations and much more - all of these are things that help a Dungeon Master find the right person to even start a discussion with. If your profile introduces you on a superficial level: “Hello, I am Holger and I would love to find a group to play with.” Then you aren’t really saying much (other than your name, which is a good start). /images/general-media/1774870056_ib7o9mRg.gifThis could be you. Playstyle Are you someone who enjoys roleplay above anything else? Or do your eyes light up whenever the DM tells you all to “Roll Initiative”? Perhaps you find enjoyment in both deep character interactions, social encounters but when need be, have a good understanding of how combat works and enjoy casting fireball too close to your fighter (It happens…). If you know what you’d prefer in a game, be sure to explain which core pillars of the game you enjoy - a game that is all about dungeon crawling and heavy combat situations will not be something a roleplay-focused player will find as enjoyable as one with political intrigue, social manipulation or characters with a deep and devious backstory. You can pick and add various tags to go with your post. Groups filtering players by “Roleplay focused” will find you, if your profile has that tag added to it. Adding tags in addition to describing your preferences in the bio is a powerful tool. Experience level Have you played Dungeons & Dragons before? If not - don’t feel discouraged. There are new players discovering DnD every day and a newcomer is not a rare sight. Whether you've played the D&D 2014 rules version or are a newcomer starting fresh with the 2024 revised edition, tell the reader which version you are interested in playing. It can be both, if you are not overly picky. Many Dungeon Masters, either new themselves or veterans of the hobby, happily welcome new players to their tables. If they are just starting out with DnD and bravely decided to take up the role of the DM immediately (These players are heroes), they are very likely to enjoy other players with less experience. This is not to say that veterans are not suitable for their games, if the ones with experience are capable and willing to explain, guide and correct (when needed/asked). Nobody wants a “rules lawyer” player who insists on “Um Actually…” whenever the DM calls for a Perception roll, although Investigation might’ve been more appropriate. There are also veteran DMs who enjoy hosting newcomers at their games. Making sure that they understand the basics of the game, the core elements and grow them into capable players who will understand the game and how to be a great player.   Having previous experience is not a requirement. But being honest about it is a must. You are unlikely to not get “caught” if you attempt to overplay your experience. And that will just leave a bad impression of you. Logistics and location Whether you are looking for an online game, or seeking for an in-person at-a-table group, make sure to be specific. For online games, mark down your timezone. This will help you find a game, that won’t start after midnight, or early in the morning (Unless this fits well with your schedule). Joining a group where for other players it is 6PM, but you just woke up and are still working through your bowl of cereal, might not be the best fit. /images/general-media/1774870467_hf8VVPRp.pngThere are players from all across the world (also in regions that did not fit on this map. This is not the entire world, even though some bands arranging their"World Tour" see it that way) If you are trying to join an in-person game, mark your location. This isn’t to say, that give out your home address - don’t do that. There is no reason for that and putting specific personal information out there is a bad idea in general. Pick the closest town or city to you. On Groupfinder the search isn’t restricted to specific locations, but on a radius. If a DM, looking for players is searching around their area and your town falls into their search radius - they will find you.   If you have a specific schedule or time prerefences - mark those down. If you can only play from 6PM to 11PM on Wednesdays - make sure that this is clear to understand and see. You can even double down on timezones and repeat what timezone your 6PM is in. A fun fact You are not just timezones, experiences and preferences. You are a human being with a personality and thoughts. Perhaps you have a character concept that you would love to try out. A ranger that is afraid of trees, a wizard that is illiterate or a rogue that hates doing crime. Write a short introduction of that character - this will also give the DM an understanding on how you would approach the game. If you are not someone, who creates characters to store in your drawer, then this is perfectly acceptable. Many players create a character to fit the world/game they are going to join and craft it based on the lore and history of it. In addition to a pre-created character, you can list books, shows, movies that you enjoy (that could be seen as your theme or playstyle preferences). This will describe your type of fantasy to anyone reading. Love Discworld? Write it down. Not overly excited about lovecraftian horrors - understandable. Weak versus good bio: a comparison While these should be taken with a grain of salt, here are two approaches - one illustrating a superficial approach and one that shows that you put in some effort. That effort will be seen as a “green flag”. You show yourself as someone who is actually willing to put in the work when it comes to a game or crafting a great character that enhances the game. Weak bio “I want to play a rogue or a ranger. I’m free on the weekends.” Good bio “Hello. I am a 3-year veteran looking for a bi-weekly group on either Thursdays or Fridays (available after 6PM (GMT)). If life doesn’t unexpectedly come in the way, I am reliable and can commit to consistently showing up to on the game night. I enjoy character-driven games and social intrigue. In no way against combat but I would prefer to find a game with a stronger focus on the roleplay side of things. Very okay with games where our characters can die in reasonable scenarios. I am a huge fan of The Stormlight Archive series and The Kingkiller Chronicle.” These are general examples - not something you should be imitating almost word for word. But should be taken as a directing guide when you are creating or updating your profile. /images/general-media/1774870655_Tmq1TOe5.gifYou are all set now. Ready to be invited? Stop waiting for a miracle. Create your player profile now and let Dungeon Masters find you. Don’t forget to bump your post every day. You will see the button on your profile. Clicking on the bump button will move your profile to the top, increasing the odds that your profile stands out and gets noticed.

Draw Steel is a tactical heroic fantasy tabletop roleplaying game designed by Matt Colville and the team at MCDM Productions. It is built to provide a modern, cinematic alternative to traditional d20 fantasy games. It focuses on high action, tactical depth, and ensuring that every player character feels like a legendary hero from the very first level. The system it is a spiritual successor to is Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Description In Draw Steel, players take on the roles of Heroes. Unlike other systems, the characters are heroes from the start. The characters are already capable of taking on the world and whatever threats may arise. The system encourages a highly tactical approach to combat encounters, promoting teamwork and clever use of abilities to control and affect any battlefield they might find themselves at. System Overview & Key Features The 2d10 Core Mechanic The game abandons the d20 focus and instead offers two ten-sided dice (2d10) instead. This creates a better mathematical average and becomes more predictable and reliable. No To Hit Rolls Draw Steel eliminates the traditional roll to hit. Instead, heroes automatically hit their targets with their primary abilities, but they roll to determine how much Power or impact the effect has. This keeps the game focused on making meaningful tactical choices rather than wasting turns on a miss. Heroic Resources Each class manages a unique resource, such as Focus or Valor, which builds up during a fight. These resources are spent to activate powerful Signature Moves and Heroic Abilities, ensuring that combat has a rising sense of drama and escalation as the heroes grow more powerful the longer a battle lasts. Tactical Movement and Forced Position Combat is designed for a grid. Many abilities do more than just deal damage; they allow players to slide, push, or pull enemies and allies across the battlefield. Positioning is vital, and the environment is intended to be a weapon that heroes can use to their advantage. Tiered Success Action resolution often uses three tiers of success. A low roll might provide a success with a cost, a middle roll is a standard success, and a high roll is a spectacular success that might trigger bonus effects or additional damage. This ensures that every roll contributes something to the ongoing narrative. Links mcdmproductions.com - Official MCDM Productions website mcdm.gg - MCDM community and developer portal

Posts ranging from announcements and GM tips to game design and behind-the-scenes

Wanderhome is a pastoral fantasy role-playing game about traveling animal-folk, the world they inhabit, and the way the seasons change. It is a game filled with grassy fields, mossy shrines, herds of chubby bumblebees, opossums in sundresses, salamanders with suspenders, starry night skies, and the most beautiful sunsets you can imagine. You might be a tamarin who dances with small and forgotten gods, a leporine mail carrier who relies on moths to get packages where they belong, a little lizard with a big heart and a mysterious past, or a near-endless number of other thrilling possibilities. No matter what, we’re always travelers—animal-folk who go from village to village and get to see the length and breadth of all the world of Hæth. The seasons will change as we play, and we will change with them. Description Wanderhome is built on the Belonging Outside Belonging engine by Avery Alder and Benjamin Rosenbaum. That means there’s no dice, no math, no Game Masters, and no complicated rules. It’s all about getting you into game as smoothly as possible, and filling your imagination with richly developed worlds and evocative text. The game is designed for any length of session, and with any number of folks. Whether you’re sitting down with a couple of friends for a cozy after-dinner hangout or throwing a party for a decade-long campaign, Wanderhome always has space for your experiences and needs. /images/general-media/1779960617_hvwl1UPt.webpThe World of Hæth Wanderhome is set in the wholly original fantasy world of Hæth, inspired by the works of Brian Jacques, Tove Jansson, and Hayao Miyazaki. The game hints at and builds a mythological language around forces like the bitter King of the Floating Mountain, the Lily Rebellion, the Slobbering God and the blade that killed her, and the fall of the great dragons of old, but refuses to elaborate or define them—leaving that exercise to the players through the journey itself. Instead, Wanderhome is focused on the lives of ordinary people, and the world that exists for farmers, merchants, and crafts-folk. Wanderhome is a world filled with animal-folk and their buggy livestock. Unlike many worlds with animal-folk, there is no morality or judgement ascribed to the various animals of Hæth—a snake is just as capable of being a kindly farmer as a rabbit, and you can’t assume much about someone based on what animal they are. You might find a fluffy shepherd with a herd of bumblebees, a shrewish merchant riding a stag beetle the size of a house, a lonely fox riding a grasshopper from place to place, or a praying mantis that hangs out in a gecko’s pocket. Links possumcreekgames.com - Official website reddit.com - Wanderhome subreddit