Four adult players gathered around a candlelit table with character sheets and dice
Dice Without Drama · D&D without the fog

D&D without the fog.

A friendly, mildly unhinged field guide for complete beginners who want to play without first completing a postgraduate degree in goblin administration.

You do not need to know everything.

You need to understand the next useful thing. We’ll handle that bit together.

The names behind the examples

One table started it. Every beginner is invited.

This guide began at one D&D table. Elaine was the beginner, Kin was her tiefling bard and Chris was the Dungeon Master turning chaos into a campaign. Their adventures appear throughout as real examples, but everything here is designed for any beginner, any character and any DM.

Elaine, the beginner this guide was first built for
The beginner

Elaine

Asked the questions that experienced players forget beginners need answered. Usually while somebody was waiting for her to take a turn.

Kin, Elaine’s tiefling bard, holding her flute and scorched journal
The character

Kin

Elaine’s charming, impulsive tiefling bard and occasional cause of the emergency. Kin Mode uses her as a worked example.

A Dungeon Master’s books, dice and notes arranged on a table
The Dungeon Master

Chris

Runs Kin’s campaign and inspired many of the examples. At your table, your own DM’s ruling is the one that counts.

Where shall we begin?

Choose your current flavour of bafflement.