Cze and Peku are well-known in the TTRPG community for their vibrant and highly detailed battle maps. They specialize in fantasy, sci-fi, and modern settings, offering maps for everything from dungeons to sprawling cities. Their Patreon provides a variety of map styles, along with grid and gridless options, making them perfect for both virtual tabletops and print. With frequent updates, they’re a go-to for immersive game experiences.

Cze and Peku

Tom Cartos is a renowned creator of highly detailed, multi-level battlemaps for tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons. His work enhances gameplay by providing immersive environments that captivate players. Tom offers a diverse range of maps, including fantasy and modern settings, available through his website and Patreon. Patreon supporters gain access to weekly map sets, asset packs, and monthly adventures, with higher tiers offering additional benefits such as DungeonDraft integration and limited commercial licensing.

Tom Cartos

Venatus Maps specializes in creating clean, modular battle maps for virtual tabletops. Their work covers a wide range of environments, from haunted forests to ancient ruins, with meticulous attention to detail. Venatus Maps also offers map packs designed for specific adventures, making it easier to plug them into existing campaigns.

Venatus Maps

Heroic Maps delivers high-quality, printable battlemaps that cater to both fantasy and sci-fi settings. Known for their versatility, Heroic Maps provide a mix of atmospheric dungeons, vivid landscapes, and detailed interiors. Their offerings include modular designs that can be pieced together for expansive settings, perfect for GMs looking for flexibility in map design.

Heroic Maps

Tyler Jacobson is a renowned fantasy artist whose work has graced the covers of several D&D 5th Edition books, including the 2024 Player's Handbook. His dynamic and detailed illustrations capture the essence of D&D's expansive universe.

Tyler Jacobson

Wylie Beckert is known for her intricate and atmospheric artwork. She contributed the alternate cover art for the 2024 Player's Handbook, showcasing her unique style that adds depth and intrigue to the D&D world.

Wylie Beckert

Ekaterina Burmak is a Ukrainian artist celebrated for her vibrant and detailed illustrations. She provided the cover art for "Light of Xaryxis," a component of the "Spelljammer: Adventures in Space" boxed set, bringing the cosmic adventures of D&D to vivid life.

Ekaterina Burmak

Justin Gerard is a fantasy illustrator whose work has been featured in various D&D publications. He created the cover art for "Boo's Astral Menagerie," another part of the "Spelljammer: Adventures in Space" set, capturing the essence of D&D's diverse creatures.

Justin Gerard

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Proficiency refers to a few related things in Dungeons & Dragons. First, it can refer to things your character is trained to use; your character might have “proficiency” with certain weapons, types of armor, tools, and languages, meaning they can skillfully apply those things for their respective uses. It also refers to the skills your character specializes in. A wizard might have proficiency in Arcana, for example, to represent years of study; a fighter in Intimidation if they’re big and scary; and a rogue in Stealth if they’re skilled at sneaking around. Finally, it refers to your “proficiency bonus,” which is a flat number you add to your d20 rolls when you’re making a check you’re proficient in. For example, that sneaky rogue adds their proficiency bonus when they roll to hide from guards because they’re proficient in Stealth; to roll to pick a lock because they’re proficient with thieves’ tools; and to stab their target in the back because they’re proficient with daggers. A character’s proficiency bonus increases as they level up.

“Homebrew” is a term from the hobby culture of D&D and tabletop RPGs that means “not officially published.” Anything that a Game Master and their players make up, or even anything official that they modify, is considered “homebrew.” It’s believed to be the most common way to play RPGs, as virtually every table creates custom content and house rules to suit their needs.

TPK stands for “Total Party Kill,” a situation in which the entire party, or every player character, dies during a game session. While it’s frequently seen as the end of a campaign, it doesn’t have to be! Game Masters have been known to allow new adventurers to take up the cause of the fallen, or even give dead heroes a chance to cheat death.

“Min-maxing” is a term that refers to mechanically optimizing a tabletop RPG character to specialize in doing one specific thing, to the detriment of their other skills and abilities. It comes from systems where you could maximize a value in one attribute by minimizing the rest. Hyper-specializing in this way is often frowned upon when one character outshines the rest, but players can absolutely min-max productively and cooperatively with others. In fact, some players play RPGs for the purpose of crafting powerful builds that accomplish some goal to great effect. After all, a team of specialists whose strengths and weaknesses all complement each other’s can be extremely fun to play!

A critical hit occurs when a player rolls a “natural 20,” or a 20 on the die, on an attack roll in Dungeons & Dragons. Representing an especially accurate or devastating blow, a character scoring a critical hit doubles the dice they roll for damage. If a rogue would roll 1d6 weapon damage plus 3d6 sneak attack damage, for example, they’ll roll 2d6 for the weapon and 6d6 sneak attack damage on a critical hit.

The Alignment system, though it’s changed over the years, is as old as Dungeons & Dragons itself! It’s a system for categorizing a character or monster’s attitude toward both morality and law. On the morality axis, a creature can be good, neutral, or evil, depending on whether it views helping or hurting others as virtuous. On the law axis, a creature can be lawful, neutral, or chaotic, depending whether it believes civilization to be virtuous or not. The combination of these axes gives nine possible alignments, which you may be familiar with from the proliferation of “alignment charts” on the internet as a popular way to discuss characters from across or within pieces of media. Some players believe alignment is something a character should choose and adhere to, while others use it to describe a character’s position based on their actions. Many players don’t use it at all, as some find it a restrictive or inflexible way to define a character’s philosophy.

A one-shot is a self-contained, single-session game of Dungeons & Dragons (or any roleplaying game). While D&D is commonly considered a “campaign game,” that is, a longer running series of sessions that may last weeks, months, or years, it’s very popular to play just a single session focusing on a specific scenario or element of the world. Some players use one-shots to do wacky or experimental things with characters and settings, as they tend to be lower-commitment and lower-stakes, offering the opportunity to let your creativity run wild.

Classes in Dungeons & Dragons go up to 20th level.

What is the maximum level you can have in a class in D&D 5e?

The original Dungeons & Dragons was first released in 1974, and it’s come a long way since then! The most recent edition, 5E, came out in 2014 and was updated in 2024.

Dungeons & Dragons was first created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Gygax created the game after he attended one of Arneson’s sessions of a game called Blackmoor, based on Gygax’s rules for a wargame called Chainmail. It’s had several iterations and editions since then, but since 1997, the designer and publisher of D&D has been Wizards of the Coast.

The traditional Dungeons & Dragons dice set contains seven dice: a 20-sided die, or d20, as well as a d12, d10, d8, d6, d4, and a second d10 sometimes called a d100, which goes from 00 to 90 and is used for rolling “percentiles” from 1–100 when combined with a normal d10. A single set of dice is usually sufficient, but many D&D players quickly find themselves collecting as many as they can get their hands on!

There are three core Dungeons & Dragons books, namely the Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual. A typical player usually only needs the first, but a prospective Dungeon Master will usually want all three. In addition, Wizards of the Coast has released dozens of supplemental books containing additional optional rules, player options, and adventures, and third-party publishers have produced hundreds more.

Playing Dungeons & Dragons online has never been easier! All you need is a platform for voice and/or video chat and you can play just as if you were sitting around a table. Some players like to add a virtual tabletop like Roll20 or Foundry to the experience to have a visual aid for maps, tokens, and handouts. They may even have digital dice rollers, character sheets, and music! Of course, one player will need to take on the role of the Dungeon Master. If you don’t already have a group to play with, you can often find one in “Looking For Group” or LFG forums, fan communities for the game, or services like StartPlaying.Games dedicated to helping players find the right group for them.

To play Dungeons & Dragons, you’ll need a character sheet, dice, and a group of friends! All of these can be physically or virtually present, and at least one of you should understand the basic rules. Usually, that’s the Dungeon Master, the player who prepares the scenario, presents it to the players, and facilitates the game. This player can help the rest learn as they play, creating characters and letting the fantastical adventure unfold!

Dungeons & Dragons can be played with as few as two players: one Dungeon Master, and one player character. Typically, a D&D party consists of one Dungeon Master and 3–5 players, though groups can and do get much bigger than that! The system starts to strain around 7 players, and a big group certainly isn’t recommended for beginners, but some tables swear by it anyway!

How many people do you need to play D&D? / How many people can play D&D?

A single typical session of Dungeons & Dragons lasts around 3–4 hours, though different tables may play for shorter or longer amounts of time. That said, many games last far more than a single session, meeting regularly (or irregularly) for weeks, months, years, or even decades. A single-session game or “one-shot” isn’t uncommon by any means, however, and a dedicated group of players could absolutely complete a small D&D campaign in 6–12 sessions.

If you're just getting into the tabletop RPG hobby and want to know how D&D works, this video can introduce you to the basics of the game. Essentially, you and a group of three to five friends all sit down at a table to play a game of fantasy adventure where you are the heroes. One player, the Dungeon Master, or DM, will describe your situation, the rest of the players decide what to do, and the DM, who also plays the environment, the non-player characters, the monsters, and the world, says how the situation responds.

Occasionally, when your characters attempt something difficult or dangerous, you'll need to roll dice to determine whether they succeed or fail. Typically, you'll roll a twenty-sided die, add any bonuses from relevant stats or skills, and compare the number to a difficulty, a target number set by the DM. If you meet or exceed that number, you succeed! This is also how attacking works in combat, except the target number is your target's "armor class," or how difficult they are to hit. It's also how you'll make "saving throws," reactive rolls made to avoid sudden danger.

Some characters can cast magic spells, each of which has its own rules, but might involve attack rolls or saving throws to see if their most powerful effects take place. The game also has some rules for exploration, like tracking light in dark places, resources in the wilderness, and how far you can travel in a day. There's also some rules for social play, negotiating with non-player characters. Generally, the focus of Dungeons & Dragons is right in the name: going into dangerous places and fighting monsters! If you're lucky and skilled, you'll come out with treasure, some new abilities, and an unforgettable story to tell.

How to Play Dungeons & Dragons 5e

To make your very own original fantasy hero in Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition, start with a character sheet! If you're starting without a character concept, the three main things your character needs are a race, a class, and ability scores. Their race is what kind of being they are, their class is what type of hero they are, and their abilities are their innate talents. You might be a strong dwarven fighter, or a clever elven wizard, or a charming halfling bard, or anything else you can imagine. Your ability scores might be rolled randomly, but are more commonly allocated using a standard array of scores or using a point-buy system. The six scores are Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. It's important to choose scores that mesh well with your class choice, as many classes emphasize or even require certain abilities.

Your class will help you fill in much of the rest of your character sheet, as it will give you your starting abilities, hit points, saving throw bonuses, proficiency bonus, and proficiencies. You'll get to choose some skills, tools, and languages they're proficient in, and add your proficiency bonus to rolls using those things. If your character can cast spells, you'll get to choose what spells they can cast and determine how many they can cast per day. You can also choose a background, which is what your character did before they became an adventurer, which will grant them a few bonus skills and some other benefits as well. 

Next, you can pick up a starting package of equipment, or take a randomly rolled amount of starting gold to purchase equipment with, allowing you to fill in your character's armor class and their attacks, depending on their armor and weapons. Put the finishing touches on your character by choosing an ideal, bond, and flaw they have, choosing a patron deity and an alignment (like lawful good, or chaotic neutral), and of course, giving them a name!

How to Make a Character for Dungeons & Dragons 5e

I haven't been terribly impressed with WotC & Hasbro. This new stuff feels like the people who are working on the product are trying to change things for the better without the fundamental understanding of what makes the game fun in the first place. The people making changes to the game give the impression that all they are interested in is making their mark here before moving off to something else that they consider to be more prestigious

Dungeons & dragons is the first and most widely known role-playing game. The 5th edition allows more room for role-playing than previous editions. The new 2024 rules are welcome update to the 5e system! The changes are some of the best since dungeons & dragons began using the d20 system!

D&D is the definitely the best known TTRPG, to the point that it is almost ubiquitous with TTPRGs as a whole. There are a lot of rules and mechanics available to give structure to anything you might want, while being flexible enough to not have to use any of it. Because it is so big, there are plenty of resources, communities, and books available for D&D. It is a great place to start to get familiar with the hobby, even if it can be a steep learning curve at first.

I got into D&D through podcasts that were playing 5e, and now I'm playing a bi-weekly game right here on StartPlaying. The knowledge I gained from the podcasts easily applies to actually playing the game, which I was worried about, but this tells me that it is an easy to learn game with lots of creative options.

Best game there is and I’ve played them all.

I love 5e. Does it have its flaws? Sure! But it also has its merits and was one of the first systems I was introduced to. I love experiencing fast paced combat and exciting roleplay with my players both as a DM and as a player in D&D.

Dungeons & Dragons 5e

Dungeons & Dragons 5e is the world's most popular tabletop roleplaying game! With a legacy spanning 50 years, to the dawn of the fantasy RPG hobby, dozens of high-profile actual play shows, and a name synonymous with playful nerd-dom in pop culture, D&D's fifth edition has hit the mainstream. This latest edition builds on the legacy of its predecessors with streamlined rules, lavish art, a wealth of character and setting options, and a massive community of player-driven customization, third-party publishers, and homebrewed rules.

In D&D, you and a table of friends take on the roles of fantasy heroes to fight monsters, seek treasure, grow in power, and hopefully save the world! One player, the Dungeon Master, or DM, acts as the rest of the world, including environments, non-player characters, monsters, and villains. The DM describes a situation, players say what they do, maybe they roll some dice, and the DM tells them how the world responds. As they adventure, characters grow, leveling up as they gain experience and becoming more and more powerful. They'll go from hometown heroes to nigh on demigods, shaping the destiny of the world as they know it.

Whether it's epic fantasy like Lord of the Rings, sword-and-sorcery like Conan, or heroic high fantasy like The Legend of Zelda or Final Fantasy, Dungeons & Dragons can make it happen. The game's "three pillars" of combat, exploration, and roleplay allow you and your table to calibrate your experience. Play in a setting you love, whether it’s the Forgotten Realms, Critical Role’s Wildemount/Exandria, your own steampunk-themed world where wizards ride dinosaurs, or anything in between—your imagination truly is the limit!

Originally created by Wizards of the Coast

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Classes

This one’s for those who love to play the undying tank in video games. Barbarians use their rage to perform great feats of strength and halve incoming damage. You can also channel the protection of the world tree, bond with animals, or just kick butt like Grog from Vox Machina. It’s a simple but rewarding playstyle, one that’s perfect for new players who don’t want to get into the complexities of magic. 

Barbarian

Your inner theatre kid probably brought you to the Bard. This class uses a variety of performance styles to cast spells and inspire other characters. Let your imagination run wild as you unleash your power through dance, song, spirit calling, or sword dancing, to name a few. You’ll be charming enough to talk your way out of a fight, but tricky enough to hinder opponents once the fists start flying. 

Bard

MMO players might see Cleric and think dedicated healer, but that’s not the case. While a Cleric can harness powerful healing magic, their full suite of abilities depend on their god. As such, they can wield damaging radiance, craft illusions bestowed by trickster gods, or become the hammer of a war deity. Clerics end up with a nice balance of damage, utility, and sturdiness. 

Cleric

When you gotta have an animal companion (or twenty) in every game, Druid is for you. Druids draw upon nature’s fury to heal allies, bind enemies, and transform into animals themselves. You can also summon a pet or many deadly pets at higher levels. Become a feral freedom fighter by playing a Druid. 

Druid

If your power fantasy is being the big guy with a big sword, look no further than Fighter. This classic DnD class gives you all the weapons and straightforward rules for using them. Just hit the bad guys a lot. If you want to get tactical, some Fighters can use fancy maneuvers or magic. Whether you want to be swift like Legolas, strong like Guts from Berserk, or versatile like Link from Legend of Zelda, Fighter’s got you covered. 

Fighter

The martial arts fantasy is alive and well in the Monk. While Fighters often rely on heavy armor and lots of weapons, the Monk is meant to move swiftly and strike with many blows. DnD Monks wield an inner power that’s not quite magic but still lets you perform all sorts of gravity-defying maneuvers. As more abilities unlock, you can become a shadowy assassin, heal with your hands, or wield all four elements like the Avatar. 

Monk

The image of a knight in shining armor is iconic to medieval fantasy, and the Paladin delivers with magical flair. They wear armor like the Fighter and can heal like the Cleric, but pack an extra punch with their signature smite. This attack lights your weapon up with divine power and lets you roll extra dice which always feels nice. You can design your Paladin as a holy warrior of justice, guardian of nature, or tortured warrior of vengeance. 

Paladin

Become a lone warrior of the wilds, a wandering blade that protects the fringes of society from evil. The Ranger commands nature magic with pure survival skill to guide the party on long journeys. In battle, they wield weapons with precision to hunt down targets. With level ups, you can boost your Ranger’s abilities with fey powers, shadow magic, or give them a beast companion. 

Ranger

A good stealth character can tear enemies apart from the shadows or discover secrets that stop the battle before it even begins. The Rogue is where you go to get that fantasy. You can choose from a variety of skills to customize your Rogue, such as poisoning your blades to become an assassin, learning magic for illusions, or just being a crafty thief. 

Rogue

Why wait for magic items when you can build your own? The Artificer makes use of tools and science to make magic. This gives you a grab bag of abilities from healing to damage dealing to quickly making a necessary tool. Artificers can enchant normal items to take on magical properties, outfitting their team with powered-up gear or giving themselves a fantasy Iron Man suit. 

Artificer

The Sorcerer class leans into the glass cannon build popular in video games. Their health is on the lower side and they don’t wear armor, but they cast some of the most powerful spells in the game. Sorcerers also have magical mutations that let you empower your spells beyond those of other spellcasters. You also get to choose the source of your magic, be it eldritch mystery, pure chaos, or the blood of dragons. 

Sorcerer

If you like your magic creepy and mysterious, check out the Warlock. These characters get magic from a patron, which can range from a demonic pact to an unknowable elder god. This unique approach to magic grants warlocks a few spells that they specialize greatly in. When a Warlock takes their turn in combat, everyone notices. Warlocks are also fantastic for roleplay as they have a built-in storyline with their patron. 

Warlock

The original spellcaster, and the one who gets all the spells. Wizards don’t get divine help or a mysterious patron, so they have to learn magic the old-fashioned way: by reading. This allows Wizards to gain more spells than any other class as long as they can find books. Wizards can come to the rescue in almost any situation, as their magic can save allies, fool enemies, boost physical abilities, learn secrets, and blow things up. 

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