This article wants to provide the Game Master an answer, and a method, to the daunting question…
How to explain D&D rules to newbie players
When I say “D&D rules” I’m including Rpg like D&D 3.0/3.5; Pathfinder 1ed; Pathfinder 2ed; Starfinder and D&D 5ed.
The list can be extended to other Rpg rulesets of course, but for the sake of convenience I’m mentioning the ones most played.
However, being this article about a method, you will be able to employ its principles to any ruleset.
Before talking about a method that works, let’s analyze a method that most of the time doesn’t.
Academic Method
This method is the simplest for the Game Master – who is supposed to know the rule – but it’s a pain in the ass for new players.
Many players gave and give up on playing because Game Masters employ this method to explain the rules.
Academic Method, as the name suggests, consists in explaining all the rules before even playing the first game session.
Eventually the Game Masters, once the players have been bombed by notions, rules, exception to rules and so on, decide it’s time to roll the characters.
And again, you see the players trying to figure out why they are rolling weird dices, what abilities to pick, where is the table with the modifiers, what spells to add in their books, trying to understand the difference between skills, feats, special abilities, traits, special traits and only God knows what else.
Things get worse if at least one player’s handbook for each players is not available.
Hourse have passed, and yet no one has started to play D&D.
The outcome is a disaster!
The first impression the new players have about the game is that you need to graduete in Law in order to play.
At this point many people quit after the first session, and do not come back.
That’s why I call this method an Academic Method.
Because it’s like the classrooms you take at the university.
You absorb a bunch of notions and rules, and then it’s up to you to figure out how to employ what you learned.
Now, I’m sure that many Game Masters have possess the patience of a Green Dragon, and they are willing to explain the rules every time they are asked to.
However this usually implies stopping the game session, and explain again and again the same rules to players because they forget something.
It’s frustrating for the Game Master, but even more frustrating for the players, who most of the time come to conclude the Rpg are not for him.
Now, in such a case I side with the player, because if I have to feel frustrated to play a game, then better doing something else or get back to play Monopoly.
It’s not the player’s fault!
It’s your (game master) fault!
Conclusion
Is this the way to introduce new players to the world of D&D?
Absolutely not!
Do we want to find a new way to explain rules?
Absolutely yes!
It’s time to open ancient tomes and discover new secrets…
Let’s see together the method I call…
Learn by Employing
Yes, it’s something like “learn by doing”, but I consider this one even better.
For the following reasons:
a) You’ll be able to start your game session the very day you meet to play.
b) You’ll have much more fun while roleplaying, because you will be rolaplaying!
c) You’ll give a good imprinting to your new players, and if you think about it for a momento, it is a big responsibility.
Forewords for you, the Game Master
Sometimes you convinces friends, relatives, school mates or whoever to ply D&D.
Sometimes people come to you and ask about roleplaying because they are curious and probably interested.
Sometimes it’s both cases.
Just make sure that talking about Rpg it’s not talking about weird orgies and everything is going to be all right, or at least it should.
Today is much more easier for someone to have heard about Rpg games as a tabletop game, and thus being curious about the topic.
It’s your duty not to screw it.
Step One – Talk with the Players (not to the players)
Now, let’s assume that you have found a group of three or four players.
Eventually a group of two players can work, you may want to split them in two groups of two players each to play the same on-shot so that later you can have them tell about their game session and compare the different path taken by both.
So, talk with the players we were saying.
This implies that you have to listen and take seriously their answers.
Imagine the worst possible scenario, where they have seen the kids in Stranger Things playing D&D, or even worst they take the guys from Big Bang Theory as a benchmark.
(sometimes it’s hard to be game master)
The first thing you want to know from the players is what kind of character they have in mind.
What kind of wanna-be hero” is stimulating their imagination?
By analysing his/her answers you will be able to determine many useful informations.
Examples:
If a players answers: ” I like Riddick from the movie Pitch Black”.
The player needs to play a rogue. He/She likes the idea of a badass anti-hero who is capable of solving problems in the most exotic way. You probably don’t want to put this player with a group of other twelve players!
If a player answers: “I have read/watched the book/movie of Conan the Barbarian and that guy is very cool”
Needless to say that this player is dreaming about a skilled and brutal barbarian, or why not a fighter. This kind of player enjoy bloody combats and he/she is interested in pursuing badass villains.
If a player answers: “I love the characters of Sailor Moon, becuase they cast cool spells”
Well, be fine with that. We have a spellcaster here.
Whatever the player’s answer will be, you need to be clear about one aspect.
The characters in D&d style Rpg are not heroes, at least not yet, and they are not forced to be heroes after all.
For sure they are not superheros! Unless you plan to play one of those boring Rpg where you play a custom made super-hero.
Step Two – Ask for a Background
Yes! Don’t tell the players about the rules, and if the player tells you that he heard the rules are complicated then your answer will be “Don’t worry about the rules!”.
You lie in other words, which is fine because it doesn’t matter if the rules seem complicated, matters how you present – not explain – the rules to the player.
So, ask for a background or ask to prepare something close to a background. It doesn’t have to be long or super detailed, just something that you can read (or listen) before you meet for the game session.
At this point you have something to work on.
You know what kind of fictional characters intrigues the player, and you know what kind of character the player is dreaming of.
We can proceed to step three.
Step Three – You package the PCs
Yes, you!
Not the players!
Didn’t I tell you that we want to keep the players safe from the rules, at least for now?
I did, and I did it for a reason, because the first time you’ll meet to play, you will be going to play.
In order to prepare the PCs, you do all the stuff required.
Stats, skills, feats, languages, races, class, hitpoints and so on.
Now, you decide if it’s better to roll the stats or not.
You may decide to assign a score to each statistic without employing dices.
Whatever you decide in such a case, it will be fine!
You will not present these character’s sheet to the players however. Nope!
The players will receive a copy of them, where only the primary stats – strenght, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, wisdom and charisma – are shown, together with the stats’s modifiers.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Well, you may want to include the charater’s name and other non relevant details like weight, height, genre etc.
And some equipment also! The basic stuff an adventurer needs in other words.
Remember! Learn by employing!
I bet you starting to understand what I am talking about, don’t you?
Step Four – Prepare or Pick a One-Shot Adventure
Yes!
Don’t waste too much time in worldbuilding.
Unless you love worldbuilding of course, in such a case do it!
However don’t whine if you spend ideas and energies in worldbuilding and then the players don’t give a shit about your work.
It was your decision to build it, not theirs.
A one-shot was, is and will always be the best choice to start new players up.
Just kepp in mind the following details when preparing the adventure:
a) Create a moment where players don’t roll dices but interact with NPCs with other PCs.
b) Create a moment where players buy stuff, so they understand rthe concept of coins and equipment.
c) Create a moment where players, while interacting with NPCs, make use of social and perception skills
d) Create a moment where players travel, to get used to keep track of time and they may employ some survival skills.
I think it’s enough content for an alpha session. You don’t want to have a melee in your first game session, that would be too complicated.
The idea here, is to have the players compile their character’s sheet piece by piece.
Keep in mind that the player’s sheet you are presenting the first session contains very few information, because the players have not the slightest idea of what a character sheet is.
So, by carefully administrating the informations, you will be explaining rules while playing.
From time to time, critical situations will arise, and this situations will trigger some abilities. One by one, with patience.
A sort of roadmap, where you slowly release “rules” by employing proper situations to explain how they work.
Step Five – The First Session!
The day has come!
Your players are ready.
Maybe you are not, but that doesn’t matter right now, because you are confident that you are in control.
You explain to the players that they are going to learn the rules by and while playing, and that the session will be like a tutorial…that’s why they don’t have to worry.
You give to each player his/her character’s sheet, telling them you prepared each character by taking into account their preferences.
Now the players are watching their sheets, wondering what all those empty square and words mean.
The first thing you explain is what each primary stat means (str, dex, con, int, wis and cha).
Now, strenght, dexterity and constitution are pretty easy to describe, they are intuitives.
Intelligence and wisdom may be not so intuitives, so just read what the player’s handbook says and give proper explanations to your group.
Charisma. Make sure to explain what charisma is. This stat is not only about being sexy, it’s about self-confidence, personality and actitude.
Fine! Now the players know that their characters are defined by six primary stats.
If they ask what the other number mean – tha stats modifier – just say to be patient, because soon you will explain that also.
Give a D20 to each player…the lesson start!
Now, I will make an example of a first session, by presenting one of the most classical adventure start.
The characters are prisoners in a prison cell and they have to break free
Describe the prison cell, and how they ended up there.
It is obviously a horrible, stinky and dirty place, and probably they find themselves underground.
Their equipment is gone, who knows where!
Now, it’s the turn of the players.
Ask them what they want to do to break free.
Many things may happen here.
I imagine player will declare he attempts to force the door of the cell.
You have it! The first dice roll is coming.
Asl the player to roll a strenght check.
In this very moment th eplayers become aware that the primary stats can be employed to make something called check.
Assign a “DC”. Have the player roll…and unless he/she rolls a natural 20 have him fail the check.
Now they know that checks are possible, but not always successful.
so they need to change strategy, and employ a different approach.
Now, it’s your turn.
Pick a character you know have high perception skill or is proficient in perception skill.
Ask him to roll such skill check to spot a rat bone – that may fit into the lock of the lock – hidden in the dirt of the floor of the cell.
Assign a low DC and have him/her succeed unless he/she rolls a natural 1.
In this moment the players aknowledge that they can employ stats to make check and something a bit different called skill check.
So, you’ll ask the players to write on their sheet their respective rank in perception. Now they all know they can spot something, but some among them is better than others.
Take care to explain why some characters have higher skill ranks than others.
In this moment you are accomplishing the following goals:
a) The players are facing a critical situation, and they are interacting.
b) The players are understanding what a stat check is.
c) the players are understanding what a perception skill check is and how it relates to their wisdom modifier.
Remember! Delay combat situations as much as possible, this is going to be the last lesson to learn.
Now you may have a player attempt to pick-lock the door.
It means you can introduce another dexterity based skill.
Long story short, the first session aim to explain how primary stats and skills interact with each other and that the players duty is to declare and describe, when to employ their skills, what they want to accomplish with their skills.
You can repeat this with all the skills you want to explain.
The characters eventually break free and starting looking for their equipment. It musy be somewhere in the underground prison, hidden in one of the many rooms.
That’s why you will have designed a small dungeon.
Remember, no monsters if possible.
Exploring a dungeon means explaining move actions and standard actions.
By having the players explore a “safe” dungeon they learn the basic “action economy” of the game.
Move and do something, move and do, move and do, etc…
If you are employing a squared battlemat and some miniature than the better.
So…Learn by Employing
You can apply this method to more complex abilities like feats, class’s traits and spells.
Just be patient and carefully prepare your roadmap.
Good luck and have fun!