Originally written and posted on Medium.com August 8th, 2018
This guide assumes you have at least a basic idea of what D&D is. If the words role playing game make you think of risqué bedroom antics, or the idea of choosing a race gives you flashbacks of signing up for that 10K fun run you regret, turn back now.
Instead, this guide is for people who have expressed an interest in playing D&D to their resident nerd of the friendship group, who then replied to them casually…
“Make a character? What?”
In D&D, you don’t win or lose. You role play a character and participate in hilarious antics and ridiculous shenanigans until you’re bored. Its a thousand times better than it sounds, trust me.
Role play?
Acting, I’m talking about acting. You will roll dice, however, to determine if the things you want to do are successful or not! But that all comes much later- baby steps, people. For now, lets just decide what race your character is. So choose one.
“Choose a race?”
Yep — basically your species in the world. Your race is the core of who you are; it determines your physical characteristics, how others in the world will react to you, plus any natural benefits or disadvantages you might have.
“I’m not sure what race I want to play as though, what if I get it wrong?”
Don’t sweat it! For starters, there is no wrong. Sure, there are differences, but they’re all pretty well balanced, and besides, this is a role playing game. Think about what kind of thing you want to be in this fantasy world, and go for it!
As for choosing a race, if you’re really stuck, think of a character you like from a book or film.
Like Gimli from Lord of the Rings? Boom, you’re a Dwarf!
Enjoy the idea of talking down to people, being smug all the time, and pissing around with bows and arrows in the woods? Easy, an Elf.
Enjoy the idea of being a cool outsider who can breathe fire? Also you kinda wanna fuck Eragon? Awesome, you’re a Dragonborn