Beginner Guides
Beginner D&D: What to Bring to Your First Game (and What Not To)
Good news first: Dungeons & Dragons has one of the shortest packing lists in all of gaming. New players routinely over-prepare for their first session — buying books they don't need yet, writing backstories nobody asked for, and stressing about rules the table will happily teach them. Here is what actually matters.
What to bring
A pencil and something to write on
The humble pencil is the only piece of equipment D&D truly requires from a player. You will track hit points, spell slots, and the name of the innkeeper everyone insists is suspicious. Bring a pencil, not a pen — numbers on a character sheet change constantly.
Dice, if you have them (borrow them if you don't)
D&D uses a seven-die set, from the four-sided caltrop to the famous twenty-sided die. If you own a set, bring it. If you don't, say so when you sit down — every table on earth has spare dice, and lending a set to a new player is a beloved tradition. If you would rather show up equipped, a starter set of dice runs about $10 CAD at any game store.
Your character sheet — but only if you were asked
Check with the Game Master before the session: some tables provide pre-made characters for newcomers (very common for one-shots and store events), others will help you build one at the table, and some will ask you to come with a character ready. Any of the three is normal. What you want to avoid is arriving with a character built on different assumptions than the table's — one quick question beforehand prevents that entirely.
A little money, depending on the venue
Playing at a game store or café? Bring enough for the table fee (often $5–$15 CAD) or a snack-and-drink purchase — buying something at the venue that hosts your game is good manners even when it isn't required. Our guide to what it costs to play D&D at a game store breaks down the common pricing models.
Snacks or a drink to share, if it's a home game
For home games, the currency of goodwill is snacks. You cannot go wrong showing up with something to put in the middle of the table. Nobody has ever been uninvited for bringing chips.
Curiosity and questions
The single best thing a new player brings is engagement. Ask what a roll means. Ask the rogue why they're like this. Describe what your character does in your own words and let the Game Master translate it into rules. Tables remember enthusiastic beginners far more fondly than rules-perfect ones.
What not to bring
Every rulebook you could find
You do not need the Player's Handbook for your first game — the free basic rules and a helpful table cover everything. A stack of hardcovers slows the game down and tempts you into reading instead of playing. One session in, you'll know whether the books are worth buying.
A ten-page backstory
Backstory is wonderful — later. For a first session, three sentences beat ten pages: who your character is, what they want, and one reason they're adventuring. Long backstories written before you know the campaign usually get contradicted by session two anyway. Leave room for your character to grow at the table.
A character from a different power level
Don't bring the level 12 half-dragon from your friend's homebrew campaign to a level 1 beginner table. Characters are built to a specific level and ruleset; bringing the wrong one is the tabletop equivalent of showing up to a pickup soccer game in full goalie gear. When in doubt, ask the Game Master what to bring — or take the pre-made character and relax.
Edition debates and “actually” energy
Maybe you've watched every actual-play show and read three editions' worth of forums. Wonderful — and also, let the table play the game in front of it. Correcting the Game Master's rulings or relitigating edition differences is the fastest way to not get invited back. The rule at every good table: the Game Master's call stands tonight, and questions can wait for after the session.
Your phone (mentally, at least)
Phones at the table are fine for dice apps and character sheets; doom-scrolling while the party negotiates with a goblin is not. D&D is a game of attention — the sessions that become great stories are the ones where everyone was actually there.
What the table usually provides
For store events and beginner one-shots, the Game Master typically brings the adventure, maps, miniatures or tokens, spare dice, blank character sheets, and the patience to teach. Home games vary, but the host generally covers the table essentials. In other words: the logistics are handled. Your job is to show up, roll dice, and make at least one decision the Game Master did not see coming.
Ready to find a table?
If you don't have a group yet, browse venues and events or find an open campaign that welcomes new players. Tell them it's your first game — you will be surprised how warmly that news is received.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to buy the Player’s Handbook before my first game?
No. The basic rules are available free online, and for a first session the Game Master and other players will walk you through everything you need. Buy the book later if the hobby sticks — it is a better purchase once you know you love the game.
Do I need to know the rules before I show up?
No. Knowing roughly what D&D is — you describe what your character tries to do, and dice decide how it goes — is genuinely enough. Tables expect new players to learn as they play, and most Game Masters enjoy teaching.
Do I need my own dice?
Not for your first session — almost any table will lend you a set. If you want your own, a basic seven-die set costs about $10 CAD at any game store, and picking a set you like is half the fun.
Should I make a character before the session?
Ask the Game Master first. Many beginner sessions use pre-made characters, and if you build your own it needs to fit the table’s rules and starting level. A quick message — “should I bring a character or will one be provided?” — is all it takes.