How to Help Beginners With Magic in D&D

One of the greatest draws of Dungeons & Dragons is the magic system. Players can control great forces of nature and divine energy to harness effects that can change the world around them. But magic is one of the greatest learning challenges in D&D, and beginning players can struggle to figure out how to use their magical characters' abilities. You can help your beginners to master magic with a handful of tips in the guide below, and soon your players will be master mages. 

If you're a beginner, you may also find this guide useful to learning basic game concepts.

The first step in understanding magic is in grasping the concept behind it. The first detail to consider is the source of the magic. In D&D, magic is either arcane or divine; arcane magic uses natural forces to capture the energy required for spells, while divine magic appeals to the player character's god for use of magical energy. All spellcasting classes are divided into either arcane or divine magic. The arcane classes in D&D 5e are Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard; the divine classes are Cleric, Druid, Paladin, and Ranger. 

Whether your character casts with arcane or divine magic, they have a distinct statistic that determines how powerful their spells are. This statistic is an ability score, such as Intelligence or Wisdom. The statistic that your class uses should be one of your highest ability scores. Let's touch on which classes use which spellcasting ability. Charisma is the base stat for Bards, Paladins, Sorcerers, and Warlocks. Wisdom is the score that fuels the Cleric's, Druid's, and Ranger's magic. The Wizard uses Intelligence for their magic. 

This ability score translates into what is called the Difficulty Class of your spells, which is how difficult to resist your spell is. Your Spell Save DC, as this statistic is known, is determined by combining your ability modifier (if your Wisdom is 16, your modifier is +3--look next to the larger number for the one with the plus) and your proficiency bonus, which is scaled to your character level, and then added to the number 8. That formula, when written out, looks like this: (8) + (ability modifier) + (proficiency bonus). If your character sheet was not written out by hand, you'll be able to find this number automatically calculated on the sheet with your spells. When you cast a spell on an enemy, they roll to resist, and the number they must beat is your Spell Save DC. 

The other vital number that shows up on this sheet is your Spell Attack Bonus. This is the number that you add to your rolls when you're trying to hit an enemy with a spell. This number is once again your ability modifier added to your proficiency bonus, but this time without the addition of the number 8. That means that your Spell Attack Bonus should usually be your Spell Save DC, minus 8. Look out for phrases like "ranged touch attack" or similar phrases about striking the enemy in your spell description--that means you're looking for your Spell Attack Bonus. 

Let's get into some other terminology used in spell descriptions. (It would be helpful to be looking at your character sheet for this part to follow along.) There's the spell's save--this is usually the Spell Save DC we already talked about, but some spells have their own unique Save DCs and will indicate it this way. Then there is the time it takes to cast a spell. In D&D 5e, you get one standard action, a move action, and a bonus action per turn, and the time it takes to cast the spell is almost always either one round or one action. If it's an action, it takes up your standard action for your turn. If it's a round, it takes up all your actions for the rest of the turn. The range of a spell tells you how far its effect reaches; this may be a distance that it affects or an area that it concentrates on, and the spell will clarify this in the description. The "Components" of a spell are also listed; these describe what it takes to cast the spell. The traditional three options for spellcasting are Verbal, Somatic, and Material. A Verbal component means that your character must speak aloud to cast the spell. A Somatic component indicates that the spell requires physical movement to cast. A Material component signifies that a special item is required to cast the spell. Many DMs don't follow the component rules very closely, so you should ask what will be required of you in this regard; nevertheless, it is good to know what these mysterious letters indicate on your character sheet. The duration of the spell indicates how long the spell lasts. It's worth noting here that a round of combat is six seconds long, so if the duration is given in rounds/units of time, you can use the 1:6 ratio to understand. Finally, a spell lists its page reference (where in the Player's Handbook the spell can be found for more information) and any further notes about the spell. This is a lot of information--look at how long this paragraph ended up being--but almost all of it will be useful at some point. Just don't be overwhelmed and don't be afraid to ask for help when you're unsure of things. 

So now you have the general gist of how magic works. But you almost certainly still have questions. Magic opens many doors to you, and it's difficult to process all the information at once. Let's address some details of the magic casting system to give you a better idea of what's going on. Each spell has a level, and this level describes both how powerful the spell is (the higher level, the more powerful the spell) and when your character gets access to it. This second detail is more complicated than it seems it might be at first glance. First, you have cantrips. These spells are considered level 0. Then, beginning at a set level (1 for the Cleric, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard, and later levels for the Bard, Druid, Ranger, and Paladin), the character gains access to 1st-level spells. The character, on their next level up, gets more spell slots (uses of a spell) in their existing spells. On their following level up, they get access to 2nd-level spells. This means that you only gain new levels of spells every other level up, which means that a 3rd-level Wizard has access to 2nd-level spells, and a 5th-level Wizard can cast 3rd-level spells, and a 7th-level Wizard is able to cast 4th-level spells, and so on. This staggered levelling system can confuse a lot of players; the easy way to think about it is that the level of spell you want is multiplied by 2, and then subtract 1. So a 6th level spell would be accessible to an 11th-level Wizard (6x2=12, 12-1=11). You won't need this information directly in the game very often, but this should help make sense of the strange levelling system. 

Another important idea in spellcasting is Concentration. In earlier editions of D&D, Concentration was a skill that spellcasters used to preserve a spell's effect in the face of great distraction (such as being attacked). In 5e, Concentration is translated into a different expression; instead, it represents the idea that a spell doesn't last a certain length of time automatically; rather, the spellcaster can extend the effect as long as they concentrate on it (though there is usually a limit placed on this as well, as in "Concentration, up to 1 minute," indicating that it lasts between one round and ten rounds, depending on the player's concentration). It's worth noting that you can't cast another spell that requires Concentration while you're already concentrating on another spell, but you can still cast spells which don't require Concentration. 

Magic has a lot of rules, and not all of them are followed directly by every DM. The rules state that some spellcasting classes have to prepare their spells ahead of time, that other spellcasting classes can cast spontaneously but only know a few spells, that components are required for spells, and other considerations. As I've written before, not all details in the game are worth roleplaying, and your DM may be either a rules stickler or a loose cannon or somewhere in between. It's important to talk to them and get a sense of which of these rules you'll need to pay attention to. If you're feeling anxious about jumping in and learning magic, talk with your DM about it. They may be willing to waive certain details like components and spell preparation to make it easier for you to learn. Then again, they may add these details to what you need to monitor, and listen closely if that's the case: don't be discouraged. You'll figure it out in time. Just ask for patience and help, and soon you'll be casting spells with the best of them. 

I've addressed some big picture ideas and the details you need to understand the magic system. It's likely, though, that you still have concerns about learning and want a leg up. Fortunately, I have a few suggestions for that as well. Let's consider some tools that can make things a little easier. 

The Player's Handbook, as a standard physical book, has limitations. It's true that you can find most any information about the game that you need in it, but that doesn't means that finding all that information is easy. The layout of spells in D&D Player's Handbooks for several generations now displays short, detail-less lists of spells according to the spellcaster's class, which means you can view all your spells at once, but without the advantage of the necessary details. The part of the book that actually displays all of the details on spells is done in alphabetical order, not by class, so you would need to do a lot of searching to get that information (unless you can use the reference page listed on your character sheet, and even then, you're flipping through the book). Fortunately, I can recommend two strong alternatives to searching for spells than using the Player's Handbook. 

The first, the cheapest, and the most widely accessible is to use the many internet sites that have hyperlinked versions of the Player's Handbook information. For folks who want a hypertext version of the complete 5e spellbooks, categorizable by level, class, school, and much more, check out these three databases. With a computer or smartphone, you have access to an organized and highly useful list of spells you can cast. The only downside to using these databases is that some out there include homebrew spells from across the internet that are wildly unbalanced or which are removed from the canon of acceptable spellbooks. I recommend that you check with your DM before getting too set on a spell that you find online, as it may not be a balanced part of the game. 

A solution which is more useful and elegant, but yet which can cost a bit of money, is the official D&D spellbook cards. I addressed spellbook cards when I wrote about which gaming accessories to collect, and I still stand by my opinion. These handy little cards are decorated so that all the information I described above about a spell (like duration, range, and components) is clearly listed, along with designs that indicate what level and class a spell is. When you have the deck of spellbook cards that matches your class, you have the ability to easily flip through the deck for just the right spell, and you'll never be without the information you need. I can say that as a GM, I always have my beginners use spellbook cards, and when they are overwhelmed by searching for information on the card, they can simply hand it to me so I can help them find the important information. A well-organized deck of spellbook cards will give even the most lost newbie a chance to become a master spellcaster. 

While we're on the topic of helping beginners, let's have an aside for DMs. Whether you remember it or not, there was a time that you, too, were a beginner at D&D. There was a time that you couldn't make heads or tails or what a saving throw was or which spells do extra damage against undead or what have you. Don't let your players flounder! They want to learn, and if you take a bit of extra time here and there to help them, you'll soon have a player who can navigate magic on their own. 

Another note for DMs: a player doesn't have to struggle with casting spells in order for them to be struggling to learn the system. My mom, who plays in a family campaign that I run, controls Broomhilda the Cleric. In the game, Broomhilda is a menacing force who loves to threaten to light people on fire. But after a couple of sessions, I began to realize that Broomhilda wasn't casting spells at all. For a Cleric to avoid casting magic is like a Rogue avoiding using Sneak Attack; it's one of their main powerful abilities. Not using magic with a spellcasting class is a sign that the player doesn't necessarily get the rules for magic yet. I'm working with my mom to use spellbook cards and teach her about how and when to use spells, but there's a lot for her to learn, and it's a slow process. This is likely what you'll face as a DM--players who don't grasp the rules but still want to play, and who are perhaps nervous to admit that they're still figuring it all out. Be on the lookout for players ignoring their abilities, magical and otherwise, to diagnose struggling players. 

So with all of this in mind, I hope that magic doesn't seem too forbidding now. Once you've learned the rules presented here, you get to start on the fun part: familiarizing yourself with your spells and how they work. A good DM makes spells have different (yet mostly predictable) effects depending the situation, so there's lots of learning left to do, and this time, in a way that should be fun for you. After all, mastering magic is one of the most high-flying and satisfying parts of D&D. So get out there, jump in, and start casting. 

That's all for now. Coming soon: common sayings by D&D race, how to develop a historical event in your setting, and a list of ideas for Big Bad Evil Guys/Gals (BBEGs). Until next time, happy gaming!

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A Guide to Dice

I write most often about the higher-level thinking of TRPGs--about how to tell stories and create memorable games--but sometimes players' needs are more basic than that. I've written before about how to get started as a beginning D&D player, but your beginning players may still be struggling with more simple questions, like how to roll and read the dice. After all, one of the things that is new to experienced board game players who haven't played TRPGs is wrapping their minds around which die to use and when. This guide breaks down this component of gameplay for beginners. 

The first step is familiarizing yourself with how we think about dice. The first and most vital information is that a die is referred to by the amount of faces it has; you can also think of this as the die being referred to by the highest number it can roll. Let's start with the smallest die: the d4. 

You can recognize the d4 by its sharp pyramidal shape. This die is used pretty rarely in D&D; it is responsible mostly for rolling low-level damage, as from an unarmed strike or magic missile. Some beginners have a hard time reading this die; in the image above, the number that appears at the top is the selected number, whereas other d4s will list the number along the bottom. If you're not sure which your die is supposed to read, turn it without flipping it, and the number that remains consistent on the top or bottom will be your answer. Let's move to a more common die: the d6.

The d6 is the most recognizable die for most players. It's a simple cube, and it's the same die that most games of chance use. The d6 is used for a number of rolls, especially standard damage for simple melee weapons and early spells. It is also used to select your attribute scores (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma) at the beginning of making a character. Keep a d6 handy when you're playing a lower-level character since d6 rolls are so common in the early stages of the game. The dice continue to grow, so let's look at the d8. 

The d8 is recognizable as being similar in shape to a top, or two pyramids stuck together at the base. You'll need a d8 for common weapons in the early game, most especially ranged attacks and martial weapons. Aside from damage, the d8 is pretty rarely used, but for some players, every successful attack will be followed by a d8 roll. Be aware that the d8 looks very similar to a d10, so be wary of how rounded its edges are; sharp edges like in the picture above are a d8. Let's move on to the more rounded d10:

The d10 is an exception among the the six types of dice you have as a D&D player. Whereas the other five dice are all ideal platonic solids, the d10 has a more irregular shape. Not all d10s are shaped the same way, but most generally follow the image above. D10s cross up a lot of beginners because there are two of them, but it's actually a fairly simple concept. A d10 can be rolled individually for higher level damage, but it can be paired with a second d10 with double digits on it to form a d100. If you were to roll both simultaneously, you would take the single-digit die as your ones digit and add it to your double-digit die, which would be the tens digits. Rolling a d100 is used sparingly according to the rulebooks--it is mostly for DMs to determine random information--but some DMs use it for player actions that require chance (I use it when players pray to see if their god answers). Overall, you aren't likely to use your d10/d100, but when you do, just keep in mind that a single-digit "0" is actually a 10 and not a 0. Let's move on to the d12: 

The d12 is, aesthetically speaking, my favorite die. Every face of the die is a pentagon and it has a pleasantly sturdy appearance. The d12 is used only very rarely, mostly for high-level damage from special weapons and powerful spells. Beginners can mix up the d12 and the d20 because they both have rounder shapes overall, but you can recognize the d12 by those pentagons (the d20 uses triangles). While you won't use d12s very often until you're a higher-level character, keep it in mind as you level up, as you may end up using it regularly with the right layout. Onto the final (and most important) die: the d20. 

The d20 is, without a doubt, the most commonly used die in the whole of D&D. Other TRPGs switch up the usage of dice; Call of Cthulhu uses primarily d100s and Don't Rest Your Head is only d6s, but D&D is a d20-based system. Let's break the numbers down. A single face on a d20 represents a 5% chance of coming up as a result, which means that there is a 5% chance you will automatically succeed with a natural 20 and a 5% chance of automatically failing with a natural 1. The results in between will be added to your respective bonus and compared to a Difficulty Class (DC) on the DM's part. The d20, with its triangular faces and nearly round profile ("the big one," as many beginners refer to it), will be most of your rolls. You roll a d20 to attack, to perform a skill check, to roll a saving throw, and to determine initiative order. If your DM asks you for anything with the word "attack" or "check" (as in skill checks), you need a d20. But don't get complacent with the d20--your damage will almost never be a d20 (only for very powerful spells). 

These pictures can be helpful, but a lot of players still struggle with learning which die is which. In particular, knowing which die is called for when the DM requests a d20, for instance, is something that takes time. You can give yourself a leg up, though, by laying out your dice with the highest number of each die facing upwards. If you do this, you can simply listen for the die that is being used and grab the die with that number on top. It should look like this: 

With this layout, you can easily grab the die you need without having to search or inspect the dice. If you keep your dice this way, though, you will be denying yourself one of the pleasures of TRPGs: dice stacking. It is a long venerated practice among TRPG players to stack the dice into towers, carefully strategizing which dice will stack on others in a stable manner. It's a game within a game, but until you're comfortably familiar with each die's appearance and can reliably grab the right one, stick with the layout in the picture above. You'll be inaugurated into the dice-stacking world soon enough, and your DM will delight in your joining a time-honored tradition in gaming. 

A very satisfying way to occupy yourself while the game progresses. 

That's basically all you need to know about the dice and how to use them. I recommend using this list as a guide for beginning players, so refer this to anyone who's just starting out and needs a leg up in familiarizing themselves with the dice. This is a major step in learning the game, so take your time to get to know the dice, and you'll be ready to take on any adventure. Look out for a guide to describing magic, a rundown of the accessories you need to play, and how to build a strong party. As always, if there's something I didn't cover here or you would like to see written about here, comment below! Happy gaming!

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A Guide for Beginning Players

The advice here on Over the DM's Shoulder is mostly oriented toward GMs, but sometimes a good GM could use some help teaching beginning players how to adapt to TRPGs. This guide contains everything a player will need to know to succeed in a game of Dungeons & Dragons. The same rules will generally apply to all TRPGs, but for the consideration of statistical details, I will be focusing on D&D. If you are playing a different TRPG, ask your GM for help understanding the rules--they will help you to work through all the numbers and give you an understanding of how to play. But building a game-ready character is more than understanding rules; let's address what you need to be ready as a player. 

The first piece of information you will need is what the focus of your game is going to be. Ask your fellow players and your GM what you'll be trying to accomplish with the game--will it be a combat-focused journey, a creative story, a roleplaying exposition? The character you create should be made according to this information. Once you have determined this information, it's time to create your character. I'll handle each possible focus, beginning with roleplaying. 

I've written elsewhere about how to roleplay, and the basics are simple. You'll need a backstory--check out the linked article for full tips on creating a backstory, but the core idea is that you're providing enough details to give yourself inspiration for how to behave in small moments. You want to know without doubt how your character would behave in any given scenario, and that takes an understanding of who they are, where they came from, and what they want. A good roleplayer is someone who contributes to the overall story through individual actions, and you will find that simply trying to honestly portray your character will do so. 

If your GM wants to focus more on storytelling than roleplaying for the sake of roleplaying, it's a good idea to tailor your character to the campaign. Let's say your GM has designed a story about falling stars which explode in fiery bursts when they strike land. They want the party to discover what's going on and do something about it. To contribute to the storytelling, it's a good idea to pick a character design that would be interesting or helpful in this scenario. You could decide to be a stargazer or astronomer and have a background in the campaign's focus area. You could also decide to be an explosives expert who is interested in the detonation upon impact, or a nature preservationist who is alarmed at the destruction of land, or a humanitarian bent on helping those whose lives were impacted by the falling stars. The important thing is that your character be able to contribute to the story with their own unique perspective. 

A roleplaying or storytelling approach also means that you as the player are going to be expected to generate content in concert with your fellow players. That means that in either case, you'll need a healthy improvisational spirit. You can read about how to use improv rules to work together on a story, but the basics are that you accept whatever detail is added by another player or the GM and you add to it. If the GM says that stars are falling near you, you can respond in many different ways as long as you add something to it. "I run away from the falling stars, trying to warn nearby townspeople," or "I stand still, too frightened to move," or "I cast a spell on the star to determine whether it is magical" are all great options, but the important thing is that you added your character's action to the mix. 

If you're playing a combat game, you'll want to be ready with appropriate rules and strategies, and you'll especially want to be familiar with your character sheet. Here are the basics:

The most vital information is how the stats generally work. As I've written before, the key is in understanding the attribute scores. The basis is simple: each score for an attribute like Strength or Charisma has a corresponding scaled modifier. This modifier reflects the bonus you get to rolls for skills and attacks, as well as your difficulty to be hit (your armor class) and your overall hit points. A +3 to Strength means that you get +3 to your "to hit" (plus your proficiency modifier as well); it also means you get +3 damage on top of what your damage dice roll. If you understand this basic formula, you can grasp 90% of the numerical values in D&D. Check out the linked article for more detail on how this is applied. 

But just knowing how your numbers relate to one another won't be enough--you'll also need to know how to find specific information on your character sheet. And among that information, there's specific details that you will want to memorize. First though, let's break down the character sheet, using the official template from D&D Beyond. Here's the character sheet for Asa, who I introduced here.  

Highlighted: the attributes and their bonuses. 

As mentioned above, the attributes are the core of the statistical framework of D&D. Take a look at the attribute bonuses and compare them to the skill check scores in the middle column. Skills which rely on Intelligence have a +1 bonus, which is because Asa's Intelligence has a +1 bonus. The only differences are when a character is proficient in a skill--Asa gets an additional +3 to these skills because of his proficiency bonus (located right next to the attributes). This will clear up much of the confusion about stats in the game. 

Highlighted: your actions. 

It's very important to be familiar with your actions. Many first time players freeze on their turns, unsure of what to do in combat, but this actions box covers basically everything you can do. It includes attacks, spells, and special actions. Anything you want to do related to these will be found here. If you're using the online character sheet, you can click on the top menus in the box to move between attacks, spells, equipment, and more. 

Highlighted: vital statistics. 

The final area of interest on our character sheet is this bundle of numbers in the upper right corner. It includes your hit points, your speed, your initiative, and your armor class, amongst other details. If you are in the midst of playing and you need information about your characters ability to remain unharmed in combat, it will be found here. This information is so important in general that it would be helpful to memorize it. In fact, you should memorize the following numbers so that you can keep combat rolling on your turn:

• Armor Class
• Total Hit Points
• Initiative
• Attack and Damage for your most common weapon(s)
• Checks for your most common skills (dependent on the game, but perception is often used in most games)

The first four items on this list are information which can change, but generally stays the same for long periods of time. Thus, if you memorize the information, you can save yourself having to reference your character sheet when these common rolls come up. The checks, as mentioned, depend on the game, but you will quickly learn which skills your GM wants you to use most often. Once you have this information ready, you'll be able to play like a pro. 

But there are other ideas about combat you should be aware of. Since the creation of D&D in the 1970s, players and GMs have theorized that the perfect party has a definite breakdown of components. The common wisdom holds that a four-person party follows a certain pattern: a healer, a tank, an expert, and a striker. Generally this would mean, respectively, a cleric, a fighter/barbarian, a rogue/bard, and a spellcaster. It's not that every adventure demands this balance, and a good GM won't require a party to have this makeup in order to succeed. But the wisdom holds that the party should be prepared for anything, and having one party member who is well-versed in each eventuality is a good way to ensure you've got what it takes. You can collaborate with the other players to build a balanced party, but you can also just as easily assign roles to the player characters who are best suited for the job. A fighter might take up the striker position if they're a ranged weapons specialist, and a sufficiently skilled sorcerer could be the party's expert. It's all about what works for you, but try to figure out your role in the party and lean into it. 

There are also specific strategies you can adopt in the game to make the most of your attacks. In D&D, there are a variety of special attacks that allow you to target an enemy in a specific way. You can view a hypertext list of them here. You have access to a range of special attacks; you could strike your foe's weapons or shield (Sunder), knock them prone (Trip), push them back (Bull Rush), or knock the weapon from their hands (Disarm). And that's just a bit of your options. These special attacks are among the most commonly overlooked abilities in the game, and if you can begin familiarizing yourself with them as a beginning player, you'll get the most out of combat in no time. 

"This is all great and fine," you might say, "but I'm still hung up trying to design my character." Inspiration for a good character can be a challenge, but there are a variety of routes I find helpful. You might first be inspired by the physical look of the character. You could design a character or stumble upon inspiration, and looking at figurines for combat can be a great option. If you're looking to browse options and be inspired, check out a mini seller like Miniature Market. If you want to have control over the appearance of your character-to-be, try Hero Forge with its many options for appearances. In either case, you'll get a clear picture of who your character is on the surface, and that will help fill in details later. 

You could also start with the core of the character's personality. A good place to start here is with the works of fiction or nonfiction you enjoy. Really enjoy a specific character out there? Tweak some details and fashion them into your character. Wish that a specific character were different in some way? Make them as you wish they were. Enjoy a figure from history and find them inspiring? Create them in the game world. It doesn't matter where your inspiration comes from--you just want to make a complex, realistic character who you can inhabit in game. 

The final method for coming up with a character idea I'll recommend is in working closely with another player. So often are player characters lone wolfs with no real past--and how sad that we deprive ourselves of the opportunities to fill in those details with something interesting. You could sit down with another player and discuss how they know each other and what their relationship is like. This method allows you to get right to the heart of your character's connections with the real world and present a more realistic group dynamic in the game. It's rare that people use this option, but I highly recommend it if you're looking for a storytelling or roleplaying campaign. 

And for players who are very new to TRPGs, the dice themselves can be a challenge. Use this guide to dice for D&D for beginning players, which will teach all the basics of recognizing and using the dice, including what each is commonly used for. Don't underestimate the difficulty of starting out in D&D--there's a lot to learn, and dice can be just the beginning of player issues. 

This guide has covered a variety of concerns for players, and I hope that it allows a few beginning players out there to get a leg up on the intensive process of becoming a seasoned D&D player. As always, if you as a player or GM need guidance on some part of the TRPG process, let me know! I'd be happy to write about your concerns. Look out soon for guides to dice for beginners, describing magic, and what accessories you need to play. Until next time, happy gaming!

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How to Deal with Player Issues

Every GM has seen issues with players in their time at the table. It's your job as GM to provide the majority of the game, but the players are vital--without them, there is no game. And not every player is ready to provide the game with their input in a consistent way. But you have the ability to work with them on what they bring to the table, and this guide will teach you how to get the most out of your players. 

There are two basic types of issues that arise with players: commitment issues and knowledge issues. Let's start with the commitment issues, which are in my opinion the greatest challenges that most GMs face. These issues keep players from engaging completely with the game in some way, and they can be handled with a simple if delicate conversation.

The first issue associated with commitment issues is scheduling difficulties. Especially for games with players who are in their adulthood, finding the right time to play can be a challenge. People have jobs, school, and other social commitments to deal with, and sometimes D&D can take a backseat. There are two ways to deal with scheduling difficulties. You can work with your players to make the best of your schedules, or you can build a party with scheduling in mind. 

If you've already got a party and you're struggling to get everyone in the same place at the same time, there are options. You can have an in-depth conversation with your players about what times work and what times don't; I recommend setting a default time that everyone tries their hardest to meet at best, but you can also just play it by ear and schedule whenever an opening comes up. My players for the mystery campaign and use this second method because one of our players has an inconsistent work schedule, and it works just fine. What matters is that everyone is on board with the method you're using to schedule. No matter which method you're using, you might be helped by a site like whenavailable that lets people input times they're free and outputs a time that works for all or most people. 

If you have particular players who are struggling to be there for the game rather than a systematic problem for everyone, you can talk to your player. Ask them if they're committed enough to the game to make scheduling work. Remind them that everybody wants to play and would appreciate some effort to meet more regularly. See what you can do as GM to make it easier for them to attend. You want your player to understand that you're not trying to force them out of the game; you just want to look out for everyone's enjoyment of the game. If a player is unable or unwilling to work more on being present, you have a few options. You can consider having their character be out of commission for a session or two to allow the rest of the party to play. You can also hold a smaller campaign or one-shot for a few sessions before returning to the main campaign when the player can join. Or, if it creates serious issues for the foreseeable future and there are no other solutions, you can work with that player to write their character out of the campaign. This is a last resort option--writing someone out is usually messy and leaves a bad taste in the mouths of the other players--but it can serve you if it's the only way back to the game. Think of it as an amputation: the rest of the party wants to survive, so they must remove the dead limb. 

Another commitment issue is, simply put, a product of a player just not being committed. Maybe they're a first time player, or maybe they're used to another style of play, or maybe they're in the game more to socialize than to play. Whatever the reason, the player doesn't seem interested in paying attention to what is going on, and it's affecting the rest of the game. You can either meet the player on their terms, or you can try to get them to meet you on yours. Generally, meeting the player where they are is a better option, but it depends on the scenario. 

Let's say it's a first time player. They grasp that there's a story going on, but they don't seem very invested. They're asking more questions about what they can do than actually doing anything. It may be that they need help learning to play--more on that later. But if they're just stringing the adventure along without participating, you can draw them in. Create a small storyline that's specific to the player. Bring back NPCs and themes that player has responded well to. Make them the center of attention. Now, it will either become clear that they have a knowledge issue, which we'll solve below, or we'll see what happens when the player has little choice but to get engaged. 

Let's say that you're running a roleplay-heavy campaign and your unengaged player only seems to care about combat. When the party is talking to NPCs, the player is sizing up their battle stats and doesn't really talk much. Or alternatively, it's a combat-heavy campaign and your player doesn't seem to care about maximizing their abilities while fighting; instead they're using their turns to communicate with enemies who aren't looking to talk. Give them a little something that they can get into. Mix up the story for a moment and give them what they respond to. If they react positively, you can either work more of what they're enjoying into the campaign or start to include elements of their preferred playstyle in what you're already doing. For instance, if the player wants to engage in combat during a roleplaying campaign, offer more encounters when you can and emphasize roleplaying in combat. Use what they already enjoy to get them hooked in the thing you're running. If this doesn't work, ask the player directly: What can I add to this story that will keep you invested? It's perfectly fine to admit to your players that you need help giving them what they want. 

Let's say that the player is mostly interested in socializing. This is an especially difficult one. You don't want to put up walls between them and their friends, but you do want to pull the player into the gameworld. I recommend increasing the exposure that player has to NPCs--let them become friends with characters in the game. Work on creating rich characters who the player will probably like. If the other players engage with the NPCs, it's an even more social experience. Don't be afraid to run an entire session where your players are in a tavern with friends. A little bit of this will go a long way for the player. But you can also just ask them: You're into hanging out with people while we play: what can I do to make the game more exciting for you? Not every player will have a thought-out answer right away, so give them time to think about it and be ready to change your plans a bit. 

The last common type of commitment issue can be understood as table discipline. Do you have players who are always surprised when it's their turn? Players who start out-of-game conversations in the middle of important scenes? Players who are always on their phones? These are all examples of players who just aren't really paying attention, and pretty much every GM knows what that's like. Fortunately, all these problems have solutions, although they can be delicate matters. 

What do you do about players who don't pay attention? It may be that they're not feeling engaged because of one of the above issues, or perhaps they don't understand what's happening, which I'll discuss below. But oftentimes, not paying attention is just a product of being distracted. You can solve these issues with a few tweaks to your playstyle as GM. Occasional zoning out is to be expected, but always being caught off-guard is a systematic problem--involve that player more if you can. Write mini-stories that involve that player, or have an NPC who's interested in their character who's constantly asking their opinion. Whatever you do, make sure that the player is regularly engaged--you basically want to train them to always be plugged into the game. If this fails, there's always a conversation: I notice that you're caught off-guard a lot when we play; is there something that's distracting you that I can fix? If they have an answer, that's your guide, but if they don't, you'll have to keep experimenting to see what keeps them engaged. 

What about players who derail your work as GM? Starting conversations and making jokes and telling stories are part of what TRPGs are about, but there's also a time to be focused on the drama you're creating. There are little things you can try to curtail this. Put on a narrator voice and get extra dramatic--people are less likely to interrupt that. If it's especially pervasive at a critical moment, you can interrupt your players, but this should be reserved for serious issues. My preferred method is to allow the player to finish what they're saying and then return to the game with an "Anyway..." This reminds everyone that you're here to play and that the game is waiting for them--it's enough to get most folks back on board. If all else fails, resort to directly addressing it: We're having a hard time staying focused--how can we stay on task? The important thing is to teach your players that you're going to focus. 

What about the ever-present issue of phones? Players are often browsing memes when it's other players' turns or liking statuses during combat. As a ground rule, you can let people tune out every now and again, but you don't want them to be removed from the game entirely. I like to catch phone-users by surprise during their browsing with a question: What does your player think of that? How does your player respond? This gets people directly hooked back into the game with only minimal prodding. But if it's a serious issue, you can make a no-phone rule at the table. People can check incoming messages and calls, but should otherwise be paying attention even when their characters aren't doing something. The key is to remind players that they're gathered for a special occasion and that they should be engaged. 

But let's say your players are committed to the game and there are still issues. You're probably dealing with a knowledge issue. Your players may not have the tools they need to understand what's going on. It's your job as GM to teach them what they need to succeed. It could be that your players need something as basic as learning how to use the dice. Largely, though, you'll be concerned with more complex rules. Let's look at the two kinds of skills players need to succeed in a TRPG. 

The first issue many players are likely to face is a lack of understanding how all the numbers work. Some systems are very simple in terms of mechanics: the fantastic game Don't Rest Your Head uses only a collection of d6s and has clear rules for what is a success and what is a failure. But Dungeons & Dragons is far more complex. There are rules for practically everything. So where should a new player start? 

My theory is that players should be taught D&D from the standpoint of the attributes (strength, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma). Each of these attributes has a modifier--a wisdom score of 16 means a +3 wisdom modifier. This is a good place to start because essentially all rolls a player makes are based off the numbers. All skill checks are determined by the modifier of the appropriate score, and this makes up the majority of dice-rolling moments. But they affect other important stats, too: your strength modifier plus your proficiency bonus is your number for attacking (in 5e, at least). Your damage is your weapon's die plus that same strength modifier. Your dexterity modifier plus your armor bonus is your armor class. Your hit points per level are your class's hit die plus your constitution modifier. Spellcasters' difficulty for spells is equal to 10 + the spell's level + their spellcasting attribute modifier. All of these are major considerations (some would argue the most important stats in the entire game), and all of them are rooted in the attribute modifiers. There are many details to cover, but if you convey to your players that the modifiers are the basis of basically all rolls, they'll be in good position to be able to understand the process as a whole. I recommend explaining this when players roll characters to begin with since it affects how the player will control the character, but any time you notice a player struggling with stats, this is the model to go back to. 

But your players could be focused on the game, proficient in mechanics, and still be struggling. This is where roleplaying issues come in. I'll be providing a guide to roleplaying soon, but there are some big ideas to keep in mind which will help your players go from lost with their character to fully inhabiting that character. 

The first key, as I've discussed before, is in good improv. When a player encounters something new, their response should be to accept what they're presented with and add to it. This takes practice, but if a player is able to understand that their role as player is to take part in the world *and* add to it, they'll be on the right track to roleplaying well. They should also know that backstory is a vital to having a complete character to roleplay with. I've written about my method of writing for characters before, and players should take away from this that a complete understanding of their character will allow them to understand them well enough to portray them with fidelity. 

These are tools the players can use to succeed as roleplayers, but they might still be hesitant to stretch those roleplaying muscles. You can and should encourage them with your playstyle. Create scenarios that allow the players to guide their characters toward important decisions--present the players with divisive issues you know they'll be fired up by. This lets the players wade gently into the ocean of roleplaying in a safe and simple way. As they get more comfortable with taking stances on in-world issues, it will become more natural for them to have responses to other things. Soon, they'll be able to play their character confidently in just about any scenario. 

Finally, when it comes to roleplaying, there is no measure of success. Good roleplaying for one player might look nothing like good roleplaying to another player. Even if it's not to your taste, give players the room to roleplay in a way that makes sense to them. As long as you can tell your player is considering how their character actually behaves, then it's a success. Don't try to get everyone on the same page roleplaying-wise unless that's an explicit goal of your campaign and all your players. Even if a player's main roleplaying is in creative food and drink orders, allow them to make those choices. But don't be afraid to offer them challenges to get them more engaged, either. 

So how can you lead your players to understanding stats and roleplaying better with your GM style? The key is to offer easy challenges for the players to meet. It's your job as GM to challenge the players, so think carefully about how the players could be succeeding that they aren't. Give them an easy way to get practice with it. And I promise, most any eager player will rise to meet that challenge. Let's look at some examples:

When it comes to combat, inexperienced players will be intimidated by all but the most basic challenges. So if people are being overwhelmed by combat, simplify. Hold off on the huge encounters and give the player(s) experience with less overwhelming odds. If an individual player is afraid of all the numbers, separate them from the party and have a mugger attack them. It will be dramatic, but it will also give that player a chance to work out how to defend themselves in a straightforward way. It's important that a fight like this be easy to win--if your player is afraid their character will die, they're less likely to learn how to succeed. After a few easy challenges and with your coaching on how to navigate the stats, most players will be ready for more complicated and intimidating combat. The only way to improve is practice, so give your players easy practice, and they'll get there. 

What about roleplaying? This is a much more abstract world than combat. But we can solve it the same way. Take a talkative NPC with no ulterior motives and have them latch onto your player who's struggling with roleplaying. Have this NPC ask lots of personal questions, such as about the character's family or past, or even just asking opinions on the news of the day. Even if the player only wants to get away from this character, they'll still have to roleplay being off-put and trying to end the conversation. If a player like this responds well to an important NPC, have the NPC become friends with the player. In their conversations, focus on what animates the player and gets them talking. The important thing is that you get your player invested in being a part of the world. By bits and pieces, you'll be able to train your players to roleplay. 

There are of course many other issues you may face as a GM when it comes to your players. These, though, are the most common, and fortunately, they all have a number of solutions. So take these ideas, run with them, and whip your party into shape. You owe it to yourself to have a table full of engaged players who are comfortable with the game. 

In posts coming soon, lore about dragons in my homebrew world, a Con Air one-shot, and how to get started as a player of D&D. 

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