Where does a newfag go to play proper D&D?

[Old One]

I would not be a bad thing to start with say, 3 people. One person DM for two PCs and maybe an NPC character to fill out the trio.

That's how I started when I was 10 or 11 years old, and it worked fine. Keep the scale small at first.

 

[perfectslumbers]

Easiest way to start is to pick a system (probably 5e since you'll never get a group together if you choose something else), and autistically learn the rules and watch videos about dming until you have a good idea of how to do it and then ask your friends to play. My advice as a perma-DM is to not get too caught up in your own ideas. You're not an author, you're there to play a game with your friends and you have to work with them to make it work (and they have to work with you, which some people are unwilling to do.) DMing is a hard job, maybe it's just because I'm a gen-zer and most of my D&D experience has been as a teenager and playing with teenagers but be prepared to have to act like an adult herding fully grown adults with the brains of chimpanzees to make the campaign work.

If you want to be a player your best bet is to join an online group. I used to play Mork Borg with total strangers on Discord and it was a lot of fun but it would always peter out after 2 or 3 sessions. That's how all online games go unless it's with close friends so don't feel too bad about it.

 

[The_Mask]

just because I'm a gen-zer

I had a much higher opinion of you... *sigh*

 

[Dr1f7]

the ONE time i tried D&D irl, I made a dwarf who hates elves
so when our party came across an elf, I said "I PULL OUT MY HAMMER AND ROLL TO SMASH THE ELF FACE INTO THAT TREE YONDER!"

and the DM said "uhhh that's problematic... you're not allowed to dislike elves just for the sake of being elves.. and you've triggered Christy, our (MtF) elf player!"
Christy was crying, and the other party members were trying to console them(?) ***OUT OF CHARACTER***, not even rolling for charisma
then the DM offered me a pack of skittles and said I could keep playing if I chill out

 

[ind33d]

the ONE time i tried D&D irl, I made a dwarf who hates elves
so when our party came across an elf, I said "I PULL OUT MY HAMMER AND ROLL TO SMASH THE ELF FACE INTO THAT TREE YONDER!"

and the DM said "uhhh that's problematic... you're not allowed to dislike elves just for the sake of being elves.. and you've triggered Christy, our (MtF) elf player!"
Christy was crying, and the other party members were trying to console them(?) ***OUT OF CHARACTER***, not even rolling for charisma
then the DM offered me a pack of skittles and said I could keep playing if I chill out

the problem with D&D is the playerbase. if you played Classic Traveller with the cast of Rent it wouldn't be fun either

 

[0wca]

I'm on twitter (or X or whatevr) and have found a lot of oldschool grognards who play and run older editions or OSR.

I suggest you check those out, they're bound to point you towards some groups since I know they often post pics and info on old D&D editions they run.

Here a few accounts you can try:
@JoeGrognard
@GiantSlayerRPGs
@A_DungeonDelver
@ThoughtPunks
@TheBasicExpert1
@biggeekemporium

 

[Ladonna]

Or is there a way I could play D&D that's not gay?

 

[ind33d]

I'm on twitter (or X or whatevr) and have found a lot of oldschool grognards who play and run older editions or OSR.

I suggest you check those out, they're bound to point you towards some groups since I know they often post pics and info on old D&D editions they run.

Here a few accounts you can try:
@JoeGrognard
@GiantSlayerRPGs
@A_DungeonDelver
@ThoughtPunks
@TheBasicExpert1
@biggeekemporium

OSR doesn't fix the problem. the problem is nobody tracks the passage of time like Gygax wanted. no shit 5e is too easy if you can just take a "long rest" whenever you want. you need a DM who is keeping strict records of what is happening in the setting so you can fail quests if you dick around too much, something almost nobody does

 

[JamesDixon]

I'm on twitter (or X or whatevr) and have found a lot of oldschool grognards who play and run older editions or OSR.

I suggest you check those out, they're bound to point you towards some groups since I know they often post pics and info on old D&D editions they run.

Here a few accounts you can try:
@JoeGrognard
@GiantSlayerRPGs
@A_DungeonDelver
@ThoughtPunks
@TheBasicExpert1
@biggeekemporium

OSR doesn't fix the problem. the problem is nobody tracks the passage of time like Gygax wanted. no shit 5e is too easy if you can just take a "long rest" whenever you want. you need a DM who is keeping strict records of what is happening in the setting so you can fail quests if you dick around too much, something almost nobody does

I do in my game. I have the year broken down into 4 kingdom turns that are 3 months long. Each turn is further subdivided into 1 month action rounds.

 

[Rincewind]

Or is there a way I could play D&D that's not gay?

Heh, should re-watch the whole series again

 

[goregasm]

I played D&D once in my life. Right after 5th came out.

Wife and I moved halfway across the country about 10 years ago, and I was looking for some new folks to get to know outside of work. I go to a hobby shop hosting an open session, I have no character, dice, etc.

Fellow random, a guy in maybe his late 50s, in full sweat pants and shirt (in summer) gives me a hill dwarf druid.

He sits next to me at table. He smells of dry urine.

I haven't played D&D since. 10/10 on the fun scale though. I killed the big bad guy in our session and perhaps our barbarian.

Go to a hobby or comic shop if you have one accessible. Bring fabreeze.

 

[Dr1f7]

most hobby shops break up groups/remove players from the store if their campaign involves orcs as an enemy, WoTC rulings

 

[0wca]

I'm on twitter (or X or whatevr) and have found a lot of oldschool grognards who play and run older editions or OSR.

I suggest you check those out, they're bound to point you towards some groups since I know they often post pics and info on old D&D editions they run.

Here a few accounts you can try:
@JoeGrognard
@GiantSlayerRPGs
@A_DungeonDelver
@ThoughtPunks
@TheBasicExpert1
@biggeekemporium

OSR doesn't fix the problem. the problem is nobody tracks the passage of time like Gygax wanted. no shit 5e is too easy if you can just take a "long rest" whenever you want. you need a DM who is keeping strict records of what is happening in the setting so you can fail quests if you dick around too much, something almost nobody does

That's why I said or OSR. They play both.