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A review by andrewnguyen
Player's Handbook by Wizards RPG Team
5.0
I’ve been playing DnD 5e since 2015. I’ve never actually read the Player’s Handbook (PHB) front-to-back until now. The PHB is pretty much the only source material I would suggest for new players. In a game with as much depth and history as DnD, that is saying a lot.
As a player, DnD is composed of two pieces: role-playing a character and mechanics that support role-playing that character. For example, you might create a half-elf monk who has honed her body to use her fists as weapons. The monk class then describes mechanics by which you can make that character a reality via in-game actions. The combinations are endless, but must conform to the rules and mechanics in the PHB.
The biggest question I get about DnD, without fail, is “what’s the point?” There’s no notion of victory points or defeating the other players at the table. Is it really a game if I can’t win it? I would liken DnD to reading novels, building LEGOS or playing pretend. Why do people do it? Simply because it’s fun.
Okay that was pretty tongue-in-cheek. What actually makes the game fun though? I’ll talk about my two favorite aspects of DnD: the character creation and the roleplaying.
Making the character is an endless playground. My favorite thing to do is start with a really simple idea for a character. Maybe I want to try roleplaying a fisherman. Or maybe I’m really interested in the lore of Dwarves. I start with how I want to experience the world. Then I can find a race, class and background to fit in with my character.
Your character doesn’t exist in a vacuum. There are other players’s at the table. There are small and large quests to be had. This is roleplaying. As a player, you really have to step into the shoes of your character. It doesn’t matter how Andrew would react when his friends are on the precipice of an unwise battle. Gar Bagfins, the plucky Halfling Ranger, is always ready to go. Roleplaying is an exercise in empathy for someone that only exists at the table.
Even as an adult, we need to learn to play nice. When you’re playing DnD, you definitely need to be sensitive to your fellow player’s wants, needs and feelings. I have mistakenly wanted my character to be the hero of the quest. But it’s not fun for everyone else if you’re the only player making decisions and doing cool stuff. My DM, fellow players and I are constantly communicating about our character’s needs, feedback and what we want to happen. DnD is a game where you have to flex your emotional intelligence, something that is not so common in a lot of games.
If you’re interested in playing DnD, this is the place to start.
As a player, DnD is composed of two pieces: role-playing a character and mechanics that support role-playing that character. For example, you might create a half-elf monk who has honed her body to use her fists as weapons. The monk class then describes mechanics by which you can make that character a reality via in-game actions. The combinations are endless, but must conform to the rules and mechanics in the PHB.
The biggest question I get about DnD, without fail, is “what’s the point?” There’s no notion of victory points or defeating the other players at the table. Is it really a game if I can’t win it? I would liken DnD to reading novels, building LEGOS or playing pretend. Why do people do it? Simply because it’s fun.
Okay that was pretty tongue-in-cheek. What actually makes the game fun though? I’ll talk about my two favorite aspects of DnD: the character creation and the roleplaying.
Making the character is an endless playground. My favorite thing to do is start with a really simple idea for a character. Maybe I want to try roleplaying a fisherman. Or maybe I’m really interested in the lore of Dwarves. I start with how I want to experience the world. Then I can find a race, class and background to fit in with my character.
Your character doesn’t exist in a vacuum. There are other players’s at the table. There are small and large quests to be had. This is roleplaying. As a player, you really have to step into the shoes of your character. It doesn’t matter how Andrew would react when his friends are on the precipice of an unwise battle. Gar Bagfins, the plucky Halfling Ranger, is always ready to go. Roleplaying is an exercise in empathy for someone that only exists at the table.
Even as an adult, we need to learn to play nice. When you’re playing DnD, you definitely need to be sensitive to your fellow player’s wants, needs and feelings. I have mistakenly wanted my character to be the hero of the quest. But it’s not fun for everyone else if you’re the only player making decisions and doing cool stuff. My DM, fellow players and I are constantly communicating about our character’s needs, feedback and what we want to happen. DnD is a game where you have to flex your emotional intelligence, something that is not so common in a lot of games.
If you’re interested in playing DnD, this is the place to start.