How to Convince People to Play DnD

How to Convince People to Play DnD

DnD can be an intimidating hobby to get into. It feels like there are many rules, a lot of reading, and a ton of time that has to be dedicated in order to get into DnD. Additionally, the constant beating that DnD received in popular media from the '70s through the early 2000s as the nerdiest activity that has ever existed doesn't help. But, DnD has only been getting more popular, and with interest growing there is no better time to convince your friends to give it a try.

It's For Fun

This is the most important thing to impress upon your friends if you want to convince them to try playing with you. While there are a lot of rules, a ton of knowledge to unlock and a lot of ways to build characters and play, the reality is that DnD is just a game designed to be fun to play. A player can have just as much fun playing a poorly optimized RAW Ranger as someone running around with a carefully created Hexadin so long as they're getting what they want out of the game. 

It's an Excuse to Get Together

In adulthood it's sometimes difficult to make and follow through with plans. Having a weekly session, or just making an event to get together and play DnD is a perfect excuse to sit around a table with your friends and chat. It's a smaller group than your average party, and even at tables where people drink it tends to be less rowdy, which is perfect for a chill evening or day of hanging out with friends. 

It Can be Anything you Want

One of the beautiful things about DnD is it's potential for variety. Your normal high-fantasy worlds are fantastic and fun, but the settings and styles do not end there. The world is your oyster, from space ship adventures to gritty survival realism any everything in between, you can play through a DnD adventure along the lines of whatever you're interested in. Granted, there is probably a ruleset or game better suited to the style if it's drastically different from classic high fantasy, but that generally means learning a whole new ruleset and DnD is extremely adaptable. Tell your friends you can make a game about whatever they want, and their interest may go up.

 Be Prepared

If you're going to be running a session for newbies or for people who are skeptical about DnD, be prepared. Pick out an adventure or write one ahead of time, make sure you know the rules well enough to explain the basics to others, and the session will go much more smoothly. Being able to explain what you're thinking and where you're going to take the party (without including any spoilers) will give them reasonable expectations and a good idea of what to be ready for.

Be Clear and Accommodating

New players will have questions. Answer questions honestly, but don't forget to  be flexible and let your new or potential players know that you can change things or tailor sessions to their wants (assuming of course that you're willing to do so). DnD is fun because of the players and the story, the rules simply guide and facilitate those, so it's important to make that clear so that players don't get lost in the lore and large number of rules.

In the end, DnD isn't for everyone, but the preconceptions and misguided notions that float around about it can be disbanded with a bit of honest communication. I haven't yet found anyone that hasn't found something about DnD to be enjoyable, so if you want to share your hobby with friends, give it a go. And they'll definitely be more interested if you get them their very own dice set.

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