Why Are We Here?

"You've never heard of Dungeons and Dragons?"

"I've heard of dungeons," Jace said. "Also dragons. Although they're mostly extinct."

Simon looked disappointed. "You've never killed a dragon?"

"He's probably never met a six-foot-tall hot elf-woman in a fur bikini, either," Clary said irritably.

- Clary Fray, Jace Wayland, and Simon Lewis, City of Bones

Dungeons and Dragons is an immense world full of magic and monsters, and sometimes Elf-Women in Fur Bikinis. That world, to someone who is just starting their adventure, can be intimidating. I get it, I’m right there with you.

With a rekindled popularity and a solid sense of camaraderie, Dungeons and Dragons is not only an enjoyable pastime but also a good way to build skills like teamwork, critical thinking, leadership and problem solving. DnD is likely the most well known table-top role-playing game, with all of the expansions and ability to develop things on your own DnD certainly has something for everyone. Under The Dungeon was developed to be a source of tools and a safe place for players who may not have someone to guide them through the world of DnD. Everyone starts somewhere and here we’re beginners just like you, we’re going to learn as we go and help provide tools, tips, tricks and advice to make the adventure a bit easier for beginners just like us.

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Speaking of needing a place to start:

A good resource for people looking to get started with DnD is gathering source materials. (If you aren’t there already) Really the lifeline for new players is the Player’s Handbook. Truly and honestly, we hope that Under The Dungeon will be your go-to supplement for understanding and navigating the basics of DnD, but we can’t give you everything and if you plan on getting into a party and playing regularly the handbook is an invaluable tool.

Click the image of the Handbook to buy a copy should you need one.

Along with your new found Player’s Handbook, there are a few other things that you’ll likely need to get yourself ready for the journey ahead:

-A Sturdy Journal/Notebook: Sessions of game-play can go on for more than 3 hours and sometimes happen only once a week. You’ll need a notebook to keep a record of all the things that happen. If regular notepads aren’t your style, some companies make campaign diaries just for DnD. Check this one out at The Rook and The Raven

-Pencils, Pencils, Pencils: Things happen quickly and change in a moment. Spells get used and spell slots get reset. Things can change at a moment's notice and pencils are the key! You don’t want to have your notes cluttered up with places where you’ve scratched things out over and over. (Here I speak from experience, learn from my mistakes and just use pencil)

-All of the Dice: Dungeons and Dragons is a tabletop game, and these are generally identified by the use of dice to determine actions, skills, interactions as well and successes and failures. Some people like to collect dice like dragons hoard jewels, and some prefer one or two tried and true sets. If you prefer to shop online than in your local game shop, DnD Dice is a great site for dice sets, you can even customize your own set.

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DnD can be really overwhelming, there’s tons going on and an entire world’s worth of rules and things to remember. Knowing what to do and where to go may not come easily, it sure didn’t for me. Sadly, some parts of the community are filled with gate-keeping and players who make it difficult for people who are learning to join in and develop the skills and knowledge needed to enjoy DnD to the fullest. However, this is not one of those places.

We’re here for you, there’s so much to understand and the source material can be hard to work with and intake. We’re going to break things down and write our way through them; hopefully helping a few of you learn a thing or two along the way.

Next Week: Who's and What's - A Look at Races and Classes