Preparing For Your First D&D Session
- Dec 2, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 4, 2025
Let me guess ... you've been googling "how to play D&D 5e" for the past three days and now you're wondering if you need to memorize the Player's Handbook, practice your character's accent, AND understand your stats before Saturday night's session.
If you think you need to know everything before sesh one, trust me on this: YOU DON'T.
This beginner's guide will walk you through exactly what to bring to your first D&D 5e session and what you actually need to know before you start playing.
I've been on both sides of the DM screen, and welcomed new players to their first sessions, so I totally understand the pre-campaign jitters. You want to have ALL the knowledge now and the most well-rounded (or min-maxed) character at the table BUT the best new players aren't walking Player's Handbooks ... they show up ready to try something wild, laugh when shit go sideways, and ask questions when they're confused. Everyone is making up a story together, and that's the game.
Yes, there are rules, but the rules exist to make the story work AND NOT to trip you up or make you feel dumb.
Why your first D&D session isn't as scary as you think
Look, babes: literally everyone was a beginner once. Chances are, your party consists of either your friends or friends of friends, so you don't have to worry about impressing anyone. Think of it as just another game night.
What do you actually need to show up with?
The physical/virtual stuff (what you bring)
Your character sheet : printed or digital...player preference, really
A couple of pencils : your numbers will change constantly, so no pens
Notebook (optional, if you're virtual) : helpful for tracking NPC names, major locations, and any important info you learn during the sesh
Dice (optional, if you're virtual) : a standard set with d4, d6, d8, d10 (0-9), d10 (00-99), d12, and d20. Don't have dice yet? D&D Beyond or Roll20 has virtual dice
Water and snacks : sessions can run 3-4 hours so you better stay hydrated...and who doesn't like snacks?!
That's it. Five things. You probably have four of them already.
The heady stuff (what to actually know)
Your character's name, species, and class. That's the baseline. "Hi, I'm playing Val'alla, a tiefling sorcerer" is a perfectly good starter introduction. As you get more comfortable in roleplay and ease into the sesh, you'll start to fill in the physical description and some abilities of your character.
A sense of what your character does. You don't need to memorize every ability, just know the basics. Sorcerers cast spells. Rogues are sneaky and pick locks. Fighters and barbarians hit things...real good. You'll learn the specifics as you play.
How your main stats work. Your DM will tell you when to roll and what to add. You just need to know which number on your sheet is your "big one" ie. rogue mains are DEX and CHA, wizards need good numbers for their INT and WIS, etc. If you're unsure, ask your DM or another player for help!
Questions are encouraged. Seriously. "How do I do that?" and "Which die do I roll?" are not annoying questions. They're normal questions. Everyone asks them. Forever. I've been playing for years and I still ask which modifier to add sometimes.
What you don't have to worry about
You do NOT need to memorize all the rules. Nobody knows all the rules. D&D has like 40 million of them and they contradict each other constantly. Trust me, you'll learn what you need as you go.
You do NOT need to do voices or accents. Let me just put this out there: you don't have to be a trained voice actor to play D&D. Roleplaying can take different forms and on your first sesh, it's okay to not have a specific accent or tone for your character just yet. If you're comfortable using one, great! If you want to just describe what your character says in third person, that's also great! "My character tells the guard we're here to help" is 100% valid roleplaying for a new player.
You do NOT need to know what to do in every situation. Neither does anyone else! Half the fun of playing is figuring it out together.
What actually happens at a session?
Everyone catches up and settles in. If you're a lil' stoner like me, snacks are consumed and jokes are made. The downtime between sessions can be long depending on how often your group meets up and if there's any cancellations. My group meets weekly and we still spend a few minute catching up with each other and recapping the previous sesh.
The DM describes what's happening. "You're standing in the tavern. The barkeep looks nervous. You hear shouting from upstairs."
Players decide what to do. This is where you chime in! "I want to investigate the shouting" or "Can I talk to the barkeep?" or "Does my character notice anything suspicious?"
The DM tells you what to roll. "Give me a Perception check" or "Roll for Initiative" (that just means roll to see who goes first in combat OR if your party split up, this helps your DM keep track of each player's individual encounter).
You roll the dice and add your modifier. The DM will tell you which number to add from your character sheet if you're not sure.
The DM tells you what happens. "You notice a figure climbing out the window" or "Your attack hits! Roll for damage."
Repeat. The DM describes a situation, you decide what to do, you roll to see if it works, the story continues.
The most important thing
D&D is about collaborative storytelling and having fun.
Your DM wants you to have fun. Your fellow players want you there. Nobody is sitting around hoping you'll mess up so they can feel superior (except maybe whoever plays a wizard).
Even if your first D&D session feels awkward or confusing, that's normal. Everyone's first sesh is a little weird, I mean, you're learning a WHOLE NEW game in real-time while also trying to figure out who your character is and what the hell is happening in the story.
Confusion is expected.
