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Find something that interest you the most. Do you like the idea of sneaking around, magical attacks, or charging head on sword swinging. Beginners Note: Try starting off with a core class at first: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, or Wizard before trying any of the more advanced classes.

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Before you start, you might find it helpful to think about the basic kind of character you want to play. You might be a courageous knight, a skulking rogue, a fervent cleric, or a flamboyant wizard.

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This is the best part in my opinion, while you can do and be anything in this game (depending on your DM) picking a race is the best. Also all races give extra abilities/upgrades to your character. Even playing a human has advantages.

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Greetings gamers! Karthas here, and today I'm back with another guide for all you new players out there: which race should you choose. Dungeons & Dragons has many different races to choose from and once you start digging into some of the expanded content, you may get overwhelmed! But don't worry, I am going to keep it simple, today we are just going to look at the races in the Player's Handbook .

I will make some suggestions of good classes or builds that each race might have, but the reality is you can pick any race you want to. If you want to be a Half-Orc Rogue, do it! If you want to be a Halfling Barbarian, go for it! There is no best race, all that matters is that you have fun while you play! The suggestions I make are based purely on the ability score increases and other features each race may get. And if you are looking for some pre-made D&D characters, be sure to subscribe to our site to gain access to our Dropbox folder where we are always adding more characters!

As I go over each race I will mention a few words you may not be familiar with, below you will find a small guide to what these words mean in game.

Ability Scores

I created a detailed guide for abilities here, but below is a quick summary

Strength: Pretty self explanatory, but in-game it plays into how much damage you do with melee weapons, how much you can carry, how athletic you are, and how easily you are to push around.

Dexterity: How quick you are and how good your reaction time is. In-game this plays into damage you do with ranged weapons (bows) and even certain melee weapons (rapier, dagger, etc), how sneaky you can be, and how acrobatic you are.

Constitution: This primarily deals with how much health, or hit points. To put it simply, the higher the constitution, the harder you are to kill.

Intelligence: This mostly has to do with certain skills. Intelligence is different than wisdom in that Intelligence is typically book knowledge, how many facts you know. So it plays into skills like: history, magic, religion, and even how well you understand nature. Additionally Intelligence plays into the damage that spells do for certain classes.

Wisdom: This has to do with skills as well, but is different from intelligence in that it has to do with "worldly knowledge". So for example, how well you can read people, you're understanding of medicine, and how well you can read a situation. For some classes Wisdom plays into the damage their spells deal.

Charisma: This has to do with how well you can do in social situations or the strength of your "inner-self". Mainly plays into skills like how well you can lie, how well you can intimidate people, how well you can persuade people, or perform in front of people. For some classes charisma plays into the damage their spells deal.

Additional Features

Darkvision: Able to see in the dim light up to 60ft (Dark Elves can see 120ft).

Skill: These are areas of expertise for your character such as historical knowledge, knowledge of medicine, feats of strength, affinity for animals, etc.

Critical Hit: Rolling a 20 on the D20. This is great for you!

Proficiency: This represents the familiarity you have in a particular area (weapons, armor, skills, etc) that you add to your rolls. At level 1 it is +2.

Advantage: This means you roll the D20 twice and take the higher result.

Saving Throw: This is typically done to resist something. You roll a D20 for the result.

Cantrip: A spell that can be cast as many times as you'd like.

Resistance: Take half damage.

Feat: An area of expertise. These are little upgrades you can get and they are very strong.

Stubborn yet hardy, a Dwarf is one of the most loyal companions you can have. Thematically Dwarves are skilled warriors, miners, and workers of stone and metal. Though they are a bit shorter than the other races, their courage and endurance makes them a valuable asset to any party. They can live to be more than 400 years old and typically belong to a clan within Dwarven society.

In-game Dwarves make great warriors. All Dwarves get an increase to Constitution and know how to use certain weapons like a battleaxe or warhammer. They also have Darkvision, advantage on saving throws against poison, and resistance against poison damage. Finally they gain proficiency in a set of artisan's tools (smith's tools, brewers supplies, mason's tools), and can add double their proficiency bonus on history checks regarding the origin of stonework.

Subraces

Dwarves have 2 main subraces to choose from Hill Dwarf and Mountain Dwarf. Hill Dwarves are known for having keen senses, deep intuition, and remarkable resilience. They get an increase to Wisdom and they gain 1 extra hit point each time they level up.

Mountain Dwarves are strong and sturdy. They get an increase to their Strength and can wear light or medium armor regardless of class.

Good classes for a Dwarf: Barbarian, Cleric (Hill), Druid (Hill), Fighter (Mountain), Paladin, & Ranger.

Slender & graceful, Elves are a mystical race. Thematically Elves are lovers of the arts but also fierce warriors. Typically they can be found in one of their woodland kingdoms but many Elves venture out into the world. They are about the same size as humans with more angular features, but live much longer than humans (750 years).

In-game Elves are good at a wide array of roles. All Elves get an increase to their Dexterity, have Darkvision, gain proficiency in the perception skill, and have advantage on saving throws against being charmed and can't be put to sleep by magic. Unlike many of the others races, Elves do not need to sleep. They enter a trance instead remaining semiconscious during it, making for excellent watchmen.

Subraces

Elves have 3 different subraces to choose from: High Elf, Wood Elf, & Dark Elf. High Elves have a keen mind and a mastery of the basics of magic. They get increase to their Intelligence as well as 1 free cantrip. They gain proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, & longbow.

Wood Elves have keen senses and intuition. They get an increase to their Wisdom score, & gain proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow & longbow. Additionally they get an increase to their base walking speed and can attempt to hide when lightly obscured.

Dark Elves are mysterious yet deadly. They get an increase to their Charisma score and get Superior Darkvision allowing them to see twice as far as other races. They get access to some spells, have proficiency with the rapier, shortswords and hand crossbow. But because Dark Elves are use to living dark areas, they get some penalties when they stand in direct sunlight.

Good classes for an Elf: Bard (Dark Elf), Cleric (Wood Elf), Druid (Wood Elf), Fighter, Monk (Wood Elf), Ranger (Wood Elf), Wizard (High Elf)

Kind & curious. Halflings are a practical race, seeking only to find a quiet place to settle and live their lives. Although some set out on adventures to see the world around them. Thematically Halflings are a cheerful people making friends with those they come across. They value community & friendship. Very rarely will you find one who isn't excited to make new friends. Halflings can live to be around 250 years old & typically stand at 3ft tall and weigh about 40 pounds.

In-game Halflings make excellent thieves due to their small stature. All Halflings get an increase to their Dexterity and are able to move around the battlefield easily, taking advantage of their size. Additionally Halflings have exceptional luck, allowing them to re-roll a 1 on certain checks or abilities.

Subraces

Halflings have 2 main subraces to choose from: Lightfoot & Stout. Lightfoot Halflings are more prone to wanderlust than Stout Halflings, giving them an increase to their Charisma score. They are also better at hiding, being able to hide behind bigger creatures.

Stout Halflings are hardier and more resilient. They get an increase to their Constitution score, have advantage on saving throws against poison, and are resistant to poison damage.

Good classes for a Halfling: Barbarian (Stout), Bard (Lightfoot), Fighter, Monk, Paladin (Lightfoot), Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer (Lightfoot), Warlock (Lightfoot)

Adaptable & ambitious. Humans, though short lived, create legacies that last for ages. Thematically Humans are a young race in a world of elder races. It may be due to their shorter lifespans that humans strive to create a name for themselves, as if they have something to prove to the other races. Their daring ambition may come across as being brash to an Elf or Dwarf, but their success is a testament to their drive. Humans rarely reach age 100 and stand between 5-6ft tall.

In-game Humans are the most versatile race. They can literally be good at anything. When it comes to human traits there are 2 options, we will call them the variant & non-variant options. The non-variant option increases every ability score by 1. The variant option increases 2 ability scores by 1 and allows you to choose a feat.

Good Classes for a Human: Honestly...any class. Since you either get an increase to all stats or, if you are using the Human variant, get to choose which stats to increase and get a feat.

Self-Sufficient and skillful. Dragonborn seek excellence in all that they do. Though they look like dragons, a Dragonborn can be as honorable as any Dwarf. Thematically Dragonborn live for their clan, without their clan they may struggle to find purpose. They are larger than humans weighing about 300 pounds and standing at 6 1/2 feet tall. Their scales typically reflect their heritage, which may be a good thing or bad thing. Typically Dragonborn seek mastery of some skill, finding companionship with those who strive for the same goal.

In-game Dragonborn make great melee characters as they get an increase to their Strength & their Charisma. Additionally they get an ability called Breath Weapon which lets them attack enemies with either acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison damage. This damage is dependent upon which type of dragon they are descended from. This also gives them resistance to that type of damage due to their draconic ancestry.

Good classes for a Dragonborn: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Fighter, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock

Energetic and vibrant. Gnomes squeeze every moment out of life. They always find something of interest no matter the task. Thematically Gnomes love to understand and explore the world around them. At times they may struggle to get all of the thoughts in their head out of their mouth. Their curiosity typically leads them to become engineers, alchemists, tinkers or inventors. They are willing to make mistakes and even take bold risks in the name of dreaming large. Gnomes can live to be between 350-500 years old, stand between 3-4ft tall, and usually weigh about 40 pounds.

In-game Gnomes do well with magic. All Gnomes get an increase to intelligence, have a base walking speed of 25 feet, Darkvision, and have advantage on all Wisdom, Charisma, and Intelligence saving throws against magic.

Subraces

Gnomes have 2 subraces to choose from: Forest Gnome & Rock Gnome. Forest Gnomes have a knack for illusion magic and are inherently quick and stealthy. They get an increase to their Dexterity ability score, know the minor illusion cantrip, and are able to communicate with small creatures.

Rock Gnomes have a natural inventiveness & hardiness. They get an increase to their Constitution ability score, get to add double their proficiency when they make a history check on magical items, alchemical objects, or technological devices. Finally they can spend an hour and some gold crafting a small device such as a clockwork toy, fire starter, or music box.

Good classes for a Gnomes: Barbarian, Fighter, Ranger (Forest), Rogue, Wizard

Diplomats & wanderers. Half-Elves are stuck between two worlds. Some say they combine the best qualities of Humans & Elves. The curiosity, inventiveness, and ambition of humans, tempered by the refined sense of a love of nature and the arts from Elves. Thematically Half-Elves are diplomats and wanderers. They don't truly belong to either race, thus they are use to being the outsider. This typically leads Half-Elves across the land until they find a place they can fit in. Half-Elves typically live to be around 180 years old, and are about the same size as Humans.

In-game Half-Elves can fill many roles. Their human ancestry gives them some versatility while their Elven heritage grants them some affinity toward magic. Half-Elves get an increase to their Charisma score and 2 other ability scores. They have Darkvision, advantage on saving throws against being charmed and magic that would put them to sleep. Finally they gain proficiency in 2 skills of their choice.

Good classes for a Half-Elf: Most classes due to freedom in choosing ability score increases, but Bard, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock

Scarred & Strong, Half-Orcs are similar to Half-Elves in that they don't truly belong anywhere. Thematically Half-Orcs are either fighting their Orcish desires or giving in to them. They feel emotion powerfully, laughing heartily & feeling the shame of defeat strongly. Some live among their Orcish brethren living in their clans, while others may seek to make a name for themselves among the more civilized races. Half-Orcs rarely live longer than 75 years, usually weigh about 250-300 pounds, & are between 6-7ft tall.

In-game Half-Orcs make great melee fighters, getting an increase to their Strength & Constitution. They also have Darkvision and gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. They are able to keep standing after taking a hit that would drop them below 1 hit-point & deal extra damage when they score a critical hit.

Good classes for Half-Orcs: Barbarian, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, & Paladin.

Self-reliant and suspicious. Tieflings are the result of a pact long ago that infused their human ancestors with the essence of the overlord of the Nine Hells, Asmodeus. And while they may have the physical characteristics of a devil, they are still mostly human. Thematically Tieflings are outcasts. They are looked upon by some with distrust while others outright despise them. Their horns and tails remind many of the horrors and atrocities committed by creatures of the Nine Hells. Because of this, Tieflings often grow up on the fringe of society, becoming common thieves or swindlers. Tieflings live a little longer than Humans, and are about the same size as Humans.

In-game Tieflings can do well in many different roles. They get an increase to their intelligence & their Charisma. Their infernal blood gives them an innate connection with magic and a resistance to fire. They have Darkvision and learn a few spells as they level up.

Good classes for a Tiefling: Bard, Paladin, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock, & Wizard

So that wraps up my guide on the core races from the Player's Handbook. If you did not find a race that interested you, you can check out the Elemental Evil PDF which is free, or pick up Volo's Guide to Monsters for more playable races. Please let me know your thoughts below in the comments! And be sure to subscribe to our site to stay up to date on all the latest!

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Dungeons & Dragons: Which race should I choose? - The Goblin Gazette

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Greetings gamers! Karthas here, and today I'm back with another guide for all you new players out there: which race should you choose. Dungeons & Dragons has many different races to choose from and once you start digging into some of the expanded content, you may get overwhelmed!

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If you are like me the idea of math and games should not even go together, but in D&D there is a lot of it so wrap your head around that first. But it is just basic math so if you do not have the ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide in your head just get a calculator.

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It is important to remember that every DM/GM is different. They set their worlds different, different rules, basically the DM/Gm has final say on everything. BE RESPECTFUL AND DO NOT ARGUE.

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In D&D all characters have 6 ability scores: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. These scores decided pretty much everything you can and cannot do in game. They grow with your character, there are ways to add even more, and you can loose them. But how do you get the first set of scores? The video below shows how to role up your stat block and how to use it

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Part 1 - How to make a Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition Character (Rolling Stats, Race & Class)

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There is not much needed for this game, especially for experienced players, but for beginners first you need to locate a DM/GM or Dungeon Master/Game Master.

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If hours spent watching Critical Role have inspired you to start playing Dungeons & Dragons again or to pick up the Player's Handbook for the first time, you're in luck! Finding a group of your own has never been easier.

You can play in a group every week at the game store, find a dedicated group that meets in someone's home, or even play online without ever leaving your favorite chair. Here's how to find the perfect group for you.

D&D Adventurers League

If meeting in a stranger's house makes you uncomfortable, start by looking at the weekly D&D nights hosted by game stores that are part of the official D&D Adventurers League. Games are played in sessions for different levels of experience at participating game stores.

All you have to do is get in touch with the store staff to sign up and find out more, but they can usually fit you in at any time in the campaign. If you're new to D&D, simply begin by creating your own character. You don't even need to buy the Player's Handbook: Wizards of the Coast provides online resources for making and printing your first character sheet.

The LFG (Looking for Group) Subreddit

Whether you're new to D&D or a longtime player, or if you want to play in person or over Skype, you can find what you're looking for in the LFG subreddit. Browse for groups recruiting players in person ("offline") or over video chat ("online"), and most listings will let you know the game type and rules edition.

You can also let others know about yourself and what you're looking for in a tabletop group. Just be sure to use the post format on the right side of the page for your best chance to find the group of players that fits you.

Facebook Groups

Use a basic search on Facebook for Dungeons & Dragons groups to start looking for your next adventure. You can also search for "dungeons & dragons [city]" and click Groups to see if there's a local gathering nearby.

And of course, if you're feeling particularly brave, you can also create a group of your own to get the party started yourself.

Meetup.com

Not only can you find board gaming groups on Meetup.com, you can also search for D&D players that congregate nearby. You may have to expand the search to over 5 miles beyond your city or town, but groups motivated to invite more members will have their info ready and waiting for you.

Now What?

You've done it! You've found a group that looks promising and is open to taking new players. So... now what?

Get in touch with the Dungeon Master and ask some basic but important questions if they're not already mentioned:

What's the expected time commitment (every Monday night, etc)?

How would he/she describe their play style? Is the group encouraged to be casual and chatty, or do they have a serious mindset with only a little joking around?

How much role-play is expected? This could be a deal-breaker if staying in character for a long time makes you uncomfortable, so decide if the group matches your style and comfort level.

As one final tip, try to give the group more than one chance to get a good feel for the dynamic. But don't be afraid to admit if the group isn't the right fit for you!
Do you have any other tips for someone looking for a new D&D group? Let us know! Top image courtesy © Wizards of the Coast Photo: Kelly Knox

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Finding a D&D Group: How Do You Want to Do This? | Geek and Sundry

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If hours spent watching Critical Role have inspired you to start playing Dungeons & Dragons again or to pick up the Player's Handbook for the first time, you're in luck! Finding a group of your own has never been easier.

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More power do you, but if you want to learn to DM/GM take a look here for some tips. There are also plenty of YouTube videos on this topic as well

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Being a good steward of a tabletop game experience is hard work. Any Dungeon Master can tell you that setting the right tone and crafting the perfect story is difficult, fiddly work. I asked Matthew Mercer, famed Dungeon Master, how he's so good at what he does.

As the Dungeon Master of Critical Role, probably the most notable livestreamed Dungeons & Dragons game going, Mercer has a respectable amount of practical knowledge for how to run a tabletop gaming experience. Debuting in 2015, the show stars actors, including video game voice acting luminaries like Laura Bailey and Ashley Johnson, who Mercer wrangles every week into a longform, engaging D&D story. He's also the DM of Force Grey, the celebrity-packed group that are on display in this weekend's major Dungeons & Dragons streaming event named " Stream of Many Eyes."

I'm no stranger to DMing myself, having performed the noble deed off and on for about a decade now, so I was eager to engage Mercer in some "shop talk" about how he runs the game. I hit him with the hard questions, too, putting him in an infinitely awkward position of telling me what the job of a Dungeon Master is in one single sentence. He graciously gave me this answer:

"A DM creates and directs a story for your friends to live and play in, and working with their ideas, collaborates with them in real time to write the next chapter together."

This speaks to a fundamental way that Mercer approaches the relationship between his players and the fictional world that their actions take place in. Instead of a place for story to happen, or characters for a story to happen to, he sees the entire apparatus of D&D to be an opportunity for story and plot to emerge.

"I find many folks enjoy a balance of 'being told a good story (especially if it involves their character directly),' and 'I want to influence and change the story you are telling.' It becomes a game of push-and-pull between DM and players, where you are throwing the ball back and forth and weaving this tale together. Sometimes they want to just witness the tale you've made, and right when you have them on that hook... you present them that wonderful question: "So... what do you do?"

It is definitely possible to mess this dynamic up in a game of Dungeons & Dragons due to its long legacy of putting most of the storytelling and worldbuilding power in the hands of the Dungeon Master. As Gita Jackson wrote about this week, games like The Sprawl have a little more of that push-and-pull dynamic between players and DMs built into their rules. D&D, by virtue of its age and its legacy, can still fully be run as a Dungeon Master squeezing their players through a tightly defined, and limited, story of their choosing. What makes Mercer's work on Critical Role so interesting to witness is his unwillingness to fully take control away from his players. His games feel organic and open to the contributions of people at the table.

In contrast to Mercer, I'm the kind of Dungeon Master who likes to over-prepare. When my rebellious party of miscreants and rogues travels across the Southlands, avoiding the evil Empire and negotiating with the rebellious Army of the Iron Harridan, I prepare for any eventuality that could arise. I try to create a big, weird sandbox of potential for my players where I attempt to predict what they will do. I see the world as a set of contexts out of which players create stories, and I'm maybe a little too controlling when it comes to how those contexts are shaped.

Mercer comes at it from a different way. When I asked him about his preparation process, he didn't have any mindblowing secrets, just some practical, simple steps. "If I'm preparing a session picking up from a previous one, I look back and recall where it left off, where it COULD go from there, and how the player's choices/successes/failures may impact the path ahead of them," he wrote to me. "I implement those threads into the coming story, pulling in the consequences for what has already transpired."

I did find real insight in the way that he talked about the non-player characters he creates and portrays, though. After all, Mercer is an actor, and acting requires taking on a role, thinking about how a character got to where they are, and then meaningfully communicating that mental and emotional state to an audience. At its core, this is what every Dungeon Master is trying to do with an entire world that they are presenting to their players. As he explained, "I consider the seed of what I am inspired to present to the players in the context of the story I'm hoping to tell, and expand from there. What about this character will make them as important to the players as I'd like them to be?"

This ethic is what separates a good DM from a bad one, or at least good sessions of tabletop roleplaying games from bad ones. In his YouTube Dungeon Master advice series " Running The Game," Matthew Colville often discusses the alignment between the desires of a Dungeon Master and their players, and I see shades of that same thing in how Mercer understands what he wants from a game and what his players want. People are only going to have a good time at a table if what they want to do and what the game asks of them are in some way similar to one another. If I want to fight gods on mountaintops and my Dungeon Master wants me to roll to see if I'm getting drunk in the tavern, then no one in the room is going to have a good time.

I believe that thinking about this process of investment and shared desire is what separates bad DMs, good DMs, and great DMs. I've been all three of those at various points in my life (and even within sessions), and I take the way that Mercer conceives of the entire play experience as an opportunity for bringing players and the Dungeon Master tightly together as a serious philosophy for playing the game:

"An adventuring party is, at its core, a family. It may take some time to become one, but that's the eventual path it takes in most cases. Consider narrative beats that emphasize that relationship, enable them to put their skills and teamwork together to surmount a challenge, and really appreciate each other."

While Mercer didn't extend this to the DM, it's easy to see how the person controlling the game fits into this. After all, everyone around the table should want everyone else to succeed, and being a great DM means facilitating those successes within the context of peril and danger. So the next time that Diese, the disinherited dwarf fighter, totally beefs a hit on a skeleton, I might have it cackle in her face and remind her of her dead father. But it will all be in service of bring the table closer together. Hopefully she'll knock it into bone dust on the next swing.

About the author

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Matthew Mercer Explains How To Be A Good Dungeon Master

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Being a good steward of a tabletop game experience is hard work. Any Dungeon Master can tell you that setting the right tone and crafting the perfect story is difficult, fiddly work. I asked Matthew Mercer, famed Dungeon Master, how he's so good at what he does.

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Now if you just play using electronic devices, the paper thing will not be an issue, but that is not for every one, so grab a crap ton of paper and some gaming dice. You will need: D20, D12, 2D10 (percent die) D8, D6, and a D4. Some people choose to buy multiple set, plus extra D6. Mine look like this!

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For those who do not wish to buy dice, there is an app for that.