Tabletop RPGs hold a special place in my heart. From middle school and through college, my friend group would regularly convene to go on spectacular adventures. However, I noticed it was difficult for me to get new friends to join in on the fun. Whenever I invited someone to come play, there was one common response I got all the time: “You guys have played for years! I wouldn’t even know where to start!”

And I reckon you likely feel the same if you’ve come across this post. But don’t worry, this article is going to give you 8 beginner-friendly tips so you can hit the ground running and have a heck of a time playing TTRPGs.

Get a Group Together

If you already have friends that play or are interested, then congratulations, you’ve accomplished the first step. If not, you’re going to need to get a group together because most TTRPGs require multiple people– and part of the fun is seeing what wacky shenanigans you and the group get up during the game.

Luckily, there are ways to find people who are already interested, so you don’t need to awkwardly find a way to bring the conversation up. The internet is your friend, and you can likely find local Facebook or Meetup groups with people looking for new members. Just do a simple Google search for your game of choice + your city, and you’ll surely come across someone. And if you have a local comic book or game card shop, they likely host events and you can just show up on game day. Don’t worry if you don’t quite gel with the first group you find. You can continue your search until you find people whose personalities and temperaments mesh well with yours.

Pick Your Game and Learn as Much as You Can

The next step is deciding what game you guys will play. Dungeons & Dragons is a great place to start, but there are plenty more like Cyberpunk Red, Vampire: The Masquerade, and Starfinder. Each game has its own mechanics and setup, so you’ll need to do a lot of research on your chosen game to learn how to play and the rules behind it.

If you’re not into reading (some manuals are 100s of pages), then you can watch tutorial videos so you can see the game in action. These are free on YouTube, so you can learn the game and see if it is something you’d like without spending a penny. But keep in mind that those are experts with years of experience, so you don’t need to play exactly as they do. Just use the videos as a way to gauge the gameplay and rules.

Purchase the Supplies You Will Need

For some games, you’ll only need a pencil, some paper, and a D20 die. Other games require more, such as a game board. However, don’t make the full investment until you’re sure it’s a game you’re into. For example, D&D offers an essential kit for around $25 that has everything you need such as dice, the rules, paper handouts, and campaign scenarios for you to play. You’ll likely come across the best starting supplies during your research, so be sure to jot anything of interest down so you can refer to it when you’re ready.

Decide Where You Will Play

During my time, we exclusively met at one of our friend’s places on the weekend and played in the living room. It was fun because we had snacks and drinks (beer in college). And that is still a viable option. But you can also meet at a local game shop if guys don’t have a place, but you’ll have to share with other gamers. And the store could be closed for whatever reason.

Today, however, you can play over the internet. Using a system like Discord, you guys can arrange what time the game starts and have everyone online when it’s time, using voice chat to facilitate the game. However, the benefit of playing in-person is that you can use all the tools and supplies your game provides such as boards and miniatures. Plus, it’s easier to see players’ body language and feed off each other to make the game more enjoyable.

Decide When You Will Play

Once the location or platform is chosen, next you need to decide when you will play. This part is self-explanatory but there are scheduler tools that make it easy to keep track of this and poll your friends on when is best. Also, make sure you understand how long the game will run.

Choose Who Will Be Game Master (GM)

The most important role in any TTRPG is the Game Master. They’re responsible for moving the game forward and handling disputes. This person needs to have a high-level understanding of game rules and mechanics. It also helps if the person is creative so they can come up with fun and unexpected scenarios for the rest of the gang to encounter during their adventures. If you choose to take on this role, be sure to put in the extra effort during the research step so you know all the ins and outs of the game you choose to play. Or you could spend some time with some experienced players to see how they handle doing the job.

Don’t Be Afraid to Mess Up

The first time is always a bit rough, so take it as a learning experience. And you guys should work as a team to make things run smoothly. Most gamers call this warm-up game “Session 0,” where everyone learns the game and sees how they work together. This is also where you build characters, establish the world, and get the story started.

Don’t Forget to Have Fun

Finally, all you need to do is make sure you’re having fun. You don’t need to know every single rule and can learn things as you go. And remember that you can mold the game around what you and your friends think is fun. That’s the entire point so add new rules, throw out ones that you don’t like, and just have fun!