What is Dungeons & Dragons? It’s a question I’ve gotten many times after telling people that I’m a professional Dungeon Master (and then telling them leather suits aren’t involved). You could have even asked that question yourself after coming to StartPlaying and signing up for your first game. You might have the base knowledge that Dungeons & Dragons, or DnD, is a game where people roll dice and do silly things. But there’s so much more– a whole multiverse of more.
DnD is now a big-name franchise. There’s movies, a pricey LEGO set, branded clothing collabs, game of the year Baldur’s Gate 3, and a seemingly endless amount of books. It’s enough to make a newcomer’s head spin. You may be wondering if any of it is necessary to understand DnD. Like if there’s a Marvel-style connected storyline or decades of lore akin to Star Wars.
Thankfully, nothing is required to play other than dice, a decent knowledge of the rules, and a willingness to play with others. But if you are the type that likes to deep dive, let me guide you through the world of Dungeons & Dragons.
Dungeons & Dragons The Tabletop Roleplaying Game
The main face of DnD is the game itself, a decades old tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG). Now on its 50th anniversary, the game of DnD has changed a lot in its many years. Its original form took inspiration from wargames, a tabletop pastime where players simulate large-scale combat with lots of tiny figurines. In the 2000s, fans thought their hobby was battling with the rising popularity of World of Warcraft. And nowadays, storytelling seems to be the focus as more players are brought to the game through live play shows like Critical Role.
The history of DnD is a too vast a subject to get into here, and there’s many books on the subject written by more qualified people than I. One notable thing you will see come up a lot is that there’s several editions of DnD. Essentially, about every 8-10 years the game’s developers decide to update or completely change the rules. These edition changes come in the form of new rulebooks sporting different art styles.
The current edition is 5th Edition. The latest book is the 2024 Player’s Handbook, both a celebration of the 50th anniversary and an attempt to streamline 5th Edition rules for new players. The majority of groups use the latest edition in their games, although you’ll find dedicated fans of the older editions. As a newbie, you’ll likely end up joining a table playing with the newest rules as those are the easiest to find on store shelves.
As for how to play, you’d do well to watch videos or play a video game like Baldur’s Gate 3. The core concept is that the Dungeon Master places a scenario before you and your fellow players. Your group works together to conquer whatever puzzle, challenge, or battle the scenario leads to. When the result of your efforts are uncertain, you roll dice to represent your struggle. You may have magic or special abilities to help turn the dice roll in your favor. Whatever happens, the Dungeon Master narrates the outcome of your actions and hilarity probably ensues. If you’re the type that learns better by playing, you can find many beginner-friendly games with a professional Dungeon Master here.
Dungeons & Dragons As Video Games, Movies, And Merch
As people have grown to enjoy playing DnD over the years, this love has naturally spilled over into other forms of gaming, storytelling, and self expression.
Video games have been a very popular medium for DnD as they share the dungeon-crawling, monster slaying experience. Baldur’s Gate 3 was an intro to DnD for many, and it does closely follow the rules of 5th Edition. Most DnD video games follow the rules of the current edition and aim to capture the same feeling of exploration and tactical combat. Other DnD games span the spectrum of genres such as action, real time strategy, and even flight simulator. You can buy many of the classic DnD games for PC via Steam.
DnD has an odd and interesting history with Hollywood. The most recent and well known examples of DnD shows are things like Critical Role and Dimension 20 where performers play the game on camera. This type of “actual play” show spawned a whole genre of livestreaming entertainment. There was also the 2023 movie Honor Among Thieves that took place in the medieval-esque setting of the tabletop game. Before that, however, DnD media was a roller coaster of quality. The 80s cartoon is a fan favorite, while the movie from 2000 is widely panned.
Finally, and with 2024 being the 50th anniversary of DnD, there has been a mountain of merchandise. There’s a DnD-branded version of pretty much anything you can slap a logo on, such as toasters, t-shirts, and tumblers. Even luxury goods have gotten in on DnD’s rise. There’s been premium whiskey inspired by the game, a Converse sneaker collab, and a giant LEGO set. Of course, none of these games, movies, or merch are “required reading.” They’re just additional means to enjoy epic battles, immersive stories, and cool art of DnD.
The Actual World Of Dungeons & Dragons - The Forgotten Realms
If you’re going to play a beginner-friendly DnD session, chances are that you’ll be playing in the Forgotten Realms. But what does that mean? The Forgotten Realms is one of DnD’s many settings: a fictional world in which your character will adventure. DnD has had many settings throughout the years with genres spanning the lines of steampunk, sci-fi, and post-apocalyptic. The Forgotten Realms is seen as the standard DnD setting for the 5th Edition era.
The easiest way to describe the Forgotten Realms is that it’s the kitchen sink fantasy world. Any idea you’ve seen in fantasy novels, anime, and movies can probably be brought to life in the Forgotten Realms. The main landscape of the Realms is the Sword Coast. There you’ll find Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale, Neverwinter, and many other iconic locations from DnD video games, novels, and movies. There’s enough established lore in the Sword Coast to fill a wiki, but also room for Dungeon Masters to add their own stuff. This makes it the perfect setting for beginners as you don’t really need to do homework to understand what you’re getting into.
A DM will typically fill you in on what the campaign theme is before you play. In fact, you may have picked a StartPlaying DM’s game listing because they advertised a specific concept that appeals to you. The Forgotten Realms is such a broad setting that it can support various story genres and gameplay types. You could fight for your life in the survival horror of Icewind Dale, investigate magical mysteries at the Candlekeep library, or span the whole Sword Coast to stop the Tyranny of Dragons.
You should always work with your DM to develop your character, but the Forgotten Realms can support pretty much any kind of backstory you can think of. If you’re the type that loves lore, check out the Forgotten Realms Wiki, Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide, or the 2025 Forgotten Realms Player’s Guide.
And that is the wide world of Dungeons & Dragons. The name is a powerhouse brand that’s on all kinds of merchandise, inspires several successful Hollywood projects, and features in a vast selection of video games. The Forgotten Realms setting itself is home to countless stories and media products. Yet at the heart of it all is a game of imagination. You can watch movies or play video games to get inspiration for your next character, and you’re bound to have a blast if you do. But if you’re overwhelmed on how to start, don’t worry. All you need to do is grab some dice and start playing.
