Reading these will help in familiarising yourself with the basic principles behind D&D, and generally build up your excitement for getting stuck into the game. Having your own copy of the handbook won’t just help with character creation, which we cover ourselves in our own guide, but it also provides some nice introductory parts for new players. Additionally, 5th Edition is probably the most accessible edition of D&D released yet, as the combat is significantly streamlined and character building is much more straightforward for beginners. Be sure to get your hands on the latest edition of the D&D handbook (which currently happens to be 5E), not just because Wizards of the Coast makes a genuine effort to improve the game with each iteration (most of the time), but it’s also usually the most widely-available version of the handbook.
Whilst you can get the basic 5th Edition rulebook for free from the D&D website, it’s always good to have a copy of the Player’s Handbook kicking around. Do I really need the D&D Player’s Handbook?
Now that you’ve developed an appetite for the ultimate tabletop RPG by learning how to get started with Dungeons and Dragons as a player, let’s get the boring stuff out of the way.