Guides & How-to

Why your bio matters If you want to find a dungeons and dragons group, you should keep in mind, that the player to DM ratio is heavily skewed against you. Most DMs receive up to 10 applications per player seat. Having a great player profile will help you stand out and will create a good first impression. Finding a dnd group has a lot in common with online dating. Leaving a good first impression, seeming reliable, trustworthy and willing to commit - these are all important either on a dating profile or when creating a player profile. If your thinking is “If they want to know more about me, they will ask.” It is very likely that they won’t. Remember that you are fighting an uphill battle. Groups aren’t really facing a shortage of players and you need to use any tool and skill you have to display yourself as someone they want to have in their group. Ofcourse it will be a balancing act - introducing yourself in as much detail as possible, while not ending up with more paragraphs than a book. The anatomy of a player bio Preferences, playstyle, experience, logistics, reservations and much more - all of these are things that help a Dungeon Master find the right person to even start a discussion with. If your profile introduces you on a superficial level: “Hello, I am Holger and I would love to find a group to play with.” Then you aren’t really saying much (other than your name, which is a good start). /images/general-media/1774870056_ib7o9mRg.gifThis could be you. Playstyle Are you someone who enjoys roleplay above anything else? Or do your eyes light up whenever the DM tells you all to “Roll Initiative”? Perhaps you find enjoyment in both deep character interactions, social encounters but when need be, have a good understanding of how combat works and enjoy casting fireball too close to your fighter (It happens…). If you know what you’d prefer in a game, be sure to explain which core pillars of the game you enjoy - a game that is all about dungeon crawling and heavy combat situations will not be something a roleplay-focused player will find as enjoyable as one with political intrigue, social manipulation or characters with a deep and devious backstory. You can pick and add various tags to go with your post. Groups filtering players by “Roleplay focused” will find you, if your profile has that tag added to it. Adding tags in addition to describing your preferences in the bio is a powerful tool. Experience level Have you played Dungeons & Dragons before? If not - don’t feel discouraged. There are new players discovering DnD every day and a newcomer is not a rare sight. Whether you've played the D&D 2014 rules version or are a newcomer starting fresh with the 2024 revised edition, tell the reader which version you are interested in playing. It can be both, if you are not overly picky. Many Dungeon Masters, either new themselves or veterans of the hobby, happily welcome new players to their tables. If they are just starting out with DnD and bravely decided to take up the role of the DM immediately (These players are heroes), they are very likely to enjoy other players with less experience. This is not to say that veterans are not suitable for their games, if the ones with experience are capable and willing to explain, guide and correct (when needed/asked). Nobody wants a “rules lawyer” player who insists on “Um Actually…” whenever the DM calls for a Perception roll, although Investigation might’ve been more appropriate. There are also veteran DMs who enjoy hosting newcomers at their games. Making sure that they understand the basics of the game, the core elements and grow them into capable players who will understand the game and how to be a great player.   Having previous experience is not a requirement. But being honest about it is a must. You are unlikely to not get “caught” if you attempt to overplay your experience. And that will just leave a bad impression of you. Logistics and location Whether you are looking for an online game, or seeking for an in-person at-a-table group, make sure to be specific. For online games, mark down your timezone. This will help you find a game, that won’t start after midnight, or early in the morning (Unless this fits well with your schedule). Joining a group where for other players it is 6PM, but you just woke up and are still working through your bowl of cereal, might not be the best fit. /images/general-media/1774870467_hf8VVPRp.pngThere are players from all across the world (also in regions that did not fit on this map. This is not the entire world, even though some bands arranging their"World Tour" see it that way) If you are trying to join an in-person game, mark your location. This isn’t to say, that give out your home address - don’t do that. There is no reason for that and putting specific personal information out there is a bad idea in general. Pick the closest town or city to you. On Groupfinder the search isn’t restricted to specific locations, but on a radius. If a DM, looking for players is searching around their area and your town falls into their search radius - they will find you.   If you have a specific schedule or time prerefences - mark those down. If you can only play from 6PM to 11PM on Wednesdays - make sure that this is clear to understand and see. You can even double down on timezones and repeat what timezone your 6PM is in. A fun fact You are not just timezones, experiences and preferences. You are a human being with a personality and thoughts. Perhaps you have a character concept that you would love to try out. A ranger that is afraid of trees, a wizard that is illiterate or a rogue that hates doing crime. Write a short introduction of that character - this will also give the DM an understanding on how you would approach the game. If you are not someone, who creates characters to store in your drawer, then this is perfectly acceptable. Many players create a character to fit the world/game they are going to join and craft it based on the lore and history of it. In addition to a pre-created character, you can list books, shows, movies that you enjoy (that could be seen as your theme or playstyle preferences). This will describe your type of fantasy to anyone reading. Love Discworld? Write it down. Not overly excited about lovecraftian horrors - understandable. Weak versus good bio: a comparison While these should be taken with a grain of salt, here are two approaches - one illustrating a superficial approach and one that shows that you put in some effort. That effort will be seen as a “green flag”. You show yourself as someone who is actually willing to put in the work when it comes to a game or crafting a great character that enhances the game. Weak bio “I want to play a rogue or a ranger. I’m free on the weekends.” Good bio “Hello. I am a 3-year veteran looking for a bi-weekly group on either Thursdays or Fridays (available after 6PM (GMT)). If life doesn’t unexpectedly come in the way, I am reliable and can commit to consistently showing up to on the game night. I enjoy character-driven games and social intrigue. In no way against combat but I would prefer to find a game with a stronger focus on the roleplay side of things. Very okay with games where our characters can die in reasonable scenarios. I am a huge fan of The Stormlight Archive series and The Kingkiller Chronicle.” These are general examples - not something you should be imitating almost word for word. But should be taken as a directing guide when you are creating or updating your profile. /images/general-media/1774870655_Tmq1TOe5.gifYou are all set now. Ready to be invited? Stop waiting for a miracle. Create your player profile now and let Dungeon Masters find you. Don’t forget to bump your post every day. You will see the button on your profile. Clicking on the bump button will move your profile to the top, increasing the odds that your profile stands out and gets noticed.

Dungeons & Dragons is usually pictured as five people around a table, or these days five people on a voice call, all talking over each other on a Tuesday evening. That is a great way to play. It is also the way that dies fastest, because the actual Big Bad Evil Guy of this hobby has never been a dragon - it is four adults trying to find three hours that work for everyone. Play by post is where a lot of players end up. You write your turn when you have ten minutes. Someone else writes theirs at lunch. The story moves forward whether or not everyone is awake at the same time. It is a different rhythm and it isn't for everybody. This guide covers what a text game actually feels like, where they happen, how dice work when nobody is watching you roll, and the specific thing that kills most of them (it isn't boredom). What is play by post? Why play this way? Where the games live A turn, from both sides Rolling dice when nobody's watching Pace: the thing groups argue about Combat, the slow part Writing a post people can actually answer Does D&D actually work in text? Finding a play by post group Start the thread What is play by post? Play by post (PbP, a tabletop game played entirely in writing rather than out loud) works on a forum, a Discord server, or any place where people can take turns posting. Instead of saying "I check the door for traps", you write it. The Game Master writes back, in their own time, and tells you what you find. That is genuinely the whole thing. Same rules, same character sheets, same dice, same arguments about whether that was a Perception or an Investigation check. The only difference is that an exchange which would take twenty seconds out loud might take a day in text. The format is also older than most of the people playing it. Players were doing this on bulletin boards decades before Discord existed. What changed is that the tools got much better, and much easier to find. One important distinction: "play by post" and "live play by post" are not the same thing. Play by post is asynchronous - there is no session, people post whenever they can, and a scene might take a week. Live play by post (sometimes called live text) has an actual session time. Everyone shows up at 7PM on Thursday like any other game, and then plays it out by typing at each other for three hours. It is still a text game - no microphones, no cameras, nobody has to find a quiet room - but you are back to scheduling. Which one a group means matters a lot, so if a listing just says "text game", ask before you commit. /images/general-media/1787851419_BEgdXlFf.gifYou can give the expression "keyboard warrior" a whole different meaning. Why play this way? Nobody has to be free at the same time. This is the big one. A group spread across four timezones can run a campaign for years. A parent with a quiet twenty minutes after bedtime can play a full character and never miss a session, because there are no sessions to miss. Quiet players get louder. If you freeze up on a voice call, or English isn't your first language, or you simply need a minute to think before committing to something - text gives you that minute. Some of the best roleplay in the hobby is being written by people who barely speak during live games. The campaign writes itself down. Every scene is a searchable log. No more "wait, what was the innkeeper called again?" There is room to actually write. Some people came to this hobby for tactics and some came for the story. If you are in the second group, text rewards you. You get space to describe how your character stands, what they are not saying, what they notice and choose to ignore. And now the honest part, because a guide that only lists upsides is a sales pitch: It is slow. A fight that takes forty minutes at a table can take two weeks in text. A story arc worth four live sessions might take six months. If your plan is to reach level 10, be realistic about the calendar. Games die quietly. Nobody announces they are quitting. They just stop posting, the thread goes cold, and everyone feels vaguely guilty about it for a month. Ghosting is how play by post games end, almost every time, and most of the advice below exists to prevent exactly that. You lose the table energy. The overlapping jokes, the collective groan when the natural 1 lands - text does not fully replicate that. Some groups run a voice call once a month alongside the posting to get it back. Where the games live The Discord default Most new play by post games live on Discord. It is free, your players are already there, and threads keep each scene tidy instead of blending everything into one channel. Add a dice bot and you have a working game in about five minutes. Pros: Zero setup cost, instant notifications, and the group chat and the game live in the same place.  Cons: Chat is built for short messages. Your beautiful three-paragraph post gets pushed off the screen the moment someone drops a meme. The forum tradition Dedicated forums are the original home of the format and plenty of them are still going. Forum software handles long posts properly, gives each character its own page, and keeps threads readable years later. Pros: Built for exactly this. Proper thread structure, decent search, and many forums have a dice roller attached to the post editor.  Cons: You need to convince everyone to make an account somewhere they don't already visit. That is a real barrier for a group of five. The VTT option Virtual tabletops can run text games too, and they bring maps and character sheets along with them. Pros: If your group wants tactical combat, seeing the battle map removes a huge amount of "wait, am I in range?" back and forth.  Cons: More setup than a text game strictly needs. Skip it unless combat is genuinely the point. You do not need all three. Pick one and start. A Discord server with three channels beats a beautifully configured VTT that nobody has logged into since Tuesday. A turn, from both sides Here is what an exchange actually looks like. The GM sets a scene: "The cellar smells of vinegar and something older underneath it. Three barrels sit against the far wall, and the middle one has been moved recently - the dust on the floor is scraped in an arc. There is a door behind it. Iron-banded, no handle on this side. What do you do?" And a player answers: Boblin crouches by the scraped dust, holding his lantern low, and traces the arc with two fingers without touching it. "Someone's been in and out of here more than once," he says, mostly to himself. He keeps his back to the wall as he edges toward the barrel - he would rather not have that door open behind him. Investigation: 17 (rolled below) [OOC: If there's anything obvious about the hinges I'd want to know before we move the barrel. Happy to hold if Torvin wants to check for traps first.] The player describes intent, not outcome. Boblin traces the dust. He does not discover the secret passage. What he finds is the GM's call. Writing "he spots the loose brick and pulls it, revealing the tunnel" takes the discovery away from the person running the game, and it is the fastest way to annoy a GM in any format. In-character and out-of-character are clearly separated. The prose is the character. Anything marked OOC (out of character) is you, the actual human, talking about rules or scheduling. Groups mark it differently - [OOC:], double parentheses, a separate channel - but every functioning group marks it somehow. Mixing the two is confusing to read and much worse to search through six months later. The post ends with a hook for someone else. Boblin explicitly leaves room for Torvin. This is the skill that separates the players everyone wants in their game from the ones who slowly stall it: your post should make the next person's post easier to write. /images/general-media/1787852213_xy2CPf1t.gifYour post is a door. Leave it open Rolling dice when nobody's watching Four options, roughly in order of how often you will see them: A dice bot. You type a command, the bot rolls publicly in the channel, everyone sees the number, and nobody can quietly reroll. Half a second of effort. This is what most Discord games use. A forum's built-in roller. Many dedicated play by post forums have a roller attached to the post editor, which timestamps the result and locks it to that specific post. Very clean, zero arguments. The GM rolls everything. Some GMs prefer this for pacing. You say what you are attempting, they roll behind the screen, and they just narrate the result. It removes an entire round-trip from every single action, which in a slow format is a genuine gift. The honour system. You roll your physical dice at home and report the number. This works completely fine among friends and is the lowest-friction option of all. It is a worse fit for a game full of strangers, and that is not an insult to anyone - it just removes a source of doubt nobody needs. One habit worth stealing whichever you pick: roll for the whole action, not one step at a time. Instead of "I attack" (wait a day) "okay, roll" (wait a day) "18" (wait a day) "you hit, roll damage" - post the attack, the roll and the damage in one go and let the GM sort out what landed. Compressing round-trips is the closest thing play by post has to a cheat code. Pace: the thing groups argue about Agree on a posting rate before the first scene, in plain numbers. "One post per weekday" is the most common standard and works well. "One post per day including weekends" is a fast game. "A couple of posts a week" is a slow burn and can absolutely still work, as long as everyone knows that is the deal going in. The number itself is not the point. The point is that everyone holds the same expectation, so nobody is quietly frustrated on day three. Then add the two rules that keep threads alive: Say when you will be away. One line - "travelling until Sunday, feel free to move Boblin along" - costs you nothing and saves the game. Absence is fine. Silence is what kills it. Let the GM skip you. Give your GM standing permission to have your character do something sensible if you haven't posted in a couple of days. Four people should never be stuck waiting on one. Most GMs use this gently and sparingly, and the groups that have this rule finish far more scenes than the groups that don't. If any of this sounds familiar, it should. It is a session zero, just with posting rates on the agenda alongside the usual boundaries and safety tools. Have one. Text games need it more than live ones, not less, because you cannot read a room you never sit in. Recommended reading: Library: Session 0 checklist: How to build a DnD group that lasts Combat, the slow part Combat is where text games grind, because initiative means everyone waits their turn, and in a format where a turn can take a day, one round can eat a week. Ways groups deal with it: Block initiative. Instead of a strict individual order, all the players go, then all the enemies go. Anyone can post whenever they like within the player block. This roughly halves the waiting on its own. Conditional posts. Write your turn with the branches built in: "If the ogre is still standing, Boblin throws the flask at it - otherwise he pulls Torvin behind the pillar." The GM resolves whichever applies. It feels strange exactly once, and then you will never go back. Fewer, bigger fights. Experienced PbP GMs tend to cut the encounter count hard and make the survivors matter. A random corridor scuffle is not worth ten days of anyone's life. Or move the boss fight to a call. Some groups do everything in text and hop on voice for the big one. Hybrids are allowed. There is no purity test here. Writing a post people can actually answer You do not need to be a good writer (your GM is not grading you, and nobody is expecting literary history). You need to be a useful one. Four habits cover most of it: Give other people something to react to. End on an action, a question, or an open door. A post where your character silently thinks about their backstory for four paragraphs is a dead end for everyone else. Don't move other people's characters. You can describe Boblin reaching for Torvin's arm. You cannot describe Torvin flinching. Same rule as not rolling for the GM. Match the group's length. If everyone else writes two paragraphs and you write twelve, you are not being more engaged - you are creating homework. If everyone writes twelve and you write "I attack", same problem in reverse. Post something rather than nothing. A short post keeps the thread alive. A perfect post you never finish writing does not. This is the single most useful habit in the format. /images/general-media/1787851678_zkLlK0d8.gifDon't overthink it - type, send and keep the game going. Does D&D actually work in text? Yes, and D&D 5th Edition is by far the most common system in play by post games - partly because it is what everyone already owns, and partly because its structure survives the format fine. Worth knowing though: 5E's combat is the fiddliest part of it, and combat is the part text handles worst. Systems built around conversation, investigation and drama, with lighter mechanics and fewer exact positions to track, often run smoother in a format where nobody can just point at the map. If your group is open to it, the Library is full of alternatives and a rules-lighter game can be a genuinely better fit here. But if the answer is "we want to play D&D" - play D&D. A slightly clunky game everyone is excited about beats a perfectly suited one nobody cares about. Finding a play by post group Look for a listing that states its system, its posting rate and its tone up front. Those three things tell you almost everything about whether you will enjoy it. "5E, one post per weekday, heavy roleplay, low combat" tells you exactly what you are signing up for. "Epic adventure awaits!!!" tells you nothing at all. If a listing mentions a session time, that is a live text game rather than an asynchronous one - which is great if your Thursdays are free, and useless if the whole reason you are here is that they aren't. When you apply, write two or three sentences in the voice you would actually post in. In a text game your writing is the audition, and GMs are mostly checking one thing: can this person write a post that gives everyone else something to respond to? Sure, we might be a bit biased here, but this is exactly what Groupfinder was built for. There is a "Play by post" tag you can filter by, so you can skip every game that needs you free on Wednesdays at 7. Set your system, set your tags, and see who is recruiting. Pros: Free, filterable by tag, system and timezone, and built for this one job rather than being a message board with a hobby attached. Cons: The platform is still growing, so there are more live games listed than text ones. Posting a player profile helps fix that faster than waiting does. Start the thread Text games do not need a calendar, a headset, or three uninterrupted hours. They need one person to open a thread and a few people willing to write a paragraph a day. If you are the GM, post your game and put "Play by post" in the tags. If you are looking to join, post your player profile, mention that you are after a text game, and bump it daily so it stays near the top. Then go write your first post at whatever hour suits you. Your future self, at 11pm on a Tuesday with no group call to join, will thank you.

In the world of tabletop gaming, there is one system that towers above all others. Whether you are a veteran of the hobby or just getting into it, you are aware of the elephant in the room. As the hobby evolves with new rulesets and indie titles, we dived deep into the numbers we are seeing on Groupfinder. Based on the currently active posts on Groupfinder, which comes down to 1560 active players and 688 active groups, here are some numbers that better describe the current landscape. /images/general-media/1775486691_3CWZADDB.pngThe current active posts on Groupfinder, as of April 6, 2026. You can see the live numbers here. The dominance of D&D It will come as no surprise to most of us, that Dungeons & Dragons remains as the dominant force in the hobby space. And while some of us (generally veterans who have played for a long period of time) feel like D&D has outlived itself and is losing to the newer titles. The numbers tell another story: Groups: ~60% of all the groups currently looking for players are for Dungeons and Dragons, either 5.5E, 5E or some previous edition. Players: If groups are over half, then the player side is even steeper. As 90% of all player posts on Groupfinder are looking for a D&D game. While many players are also open to playing other game systems, the vast majority still treats D&D as their go-to system. Looking to start your TTRPG hobby journey? It seems like you should find a dungeons and dragons group first. Beyond just D&D An encouraging trend we can see from our data, is the players' willingness to experiment and also try something else. While 90% of the players are looking to play D&D, they aren't only looking for a D&D group. When we exclude Dungeons & Dragons from the statistics, we can draw a clear "Top 5" of adjacent systems. Based on the currently active posts in April 2026, these are the most popular systems on Groupfinder right now: Pathfinder 1 & Pathfinder 2 combined Daggerheart Call of Cthulhu Vampire: The Masquerade Cyberpunk RED /images/general-media/1775485987_rve3K01J.pngCurrently popular systems (players and groups combined) The Groupfinder Library We believe that exposing players to alternative systems will keep the hobby-space fresh and thriving. This is why we have created the Groupfinder Library - an all-encompassing collection of various resources: Tools, Platforms, Creators, Communities and Game systems. We are hoping that players looking for a D&D game, might stumble upon some other game system in the library and discover that the hobby isn't just Dungeons & Dragons. Perhaps their journey won't have a traditional start and their first game is something else entirely. By lowering the barrier to entry for non-D&D systems, we hope to make the hobby more diverse and vibrant for everyone. 10.04.2026 Edit: The library is now live - read more about it in our Update log. Are you already part of the data? Whether you are a DM looking for a party or a player looking for a home, your voice helps us understand where the hobby is going. Looking for a game? Browse the player profiles and let DMs find you. Looking for players? Take a look at all the groups looking for players and start your next adventure. What is Groupfinder? Groupfinder is a free global tabletop gaming "looking for group/players" matchmaking platform. The platform's growing userbase is a clear indication of a need for such an unifying place.  Read more about the platform here.

“Covering the basics” is a easy-to-follow set of articles helping players get through the first steps of the game. You found a game to join? Well done, but now what? A character What makes a good character to play? Is it optimizing your stats to be the most overpowered character? Picking the right skills, feats, powers or spells? For some players, yes - that is important. And at the end of the day, you don’t want to end up with a character who will be outdone by everyone else in your party. But at the same time, your character should be more than just useful - they should be interesting. They are more than just “Human Fighter” or an “Elf Ranger”. When creating a character, what is important, but to create a character the other players and the world will want to interact with, focusing on who is even more vital. We will not be focusing on the intricate details of how you should create your character sheet, instead the article will serve as a guideline of how to flesh out your new hero (or anti-hero). /images/general-media/1776695082_Yb187gsl.jpgYour character should be more than just a two-dimensional adventurer. Make them real and the game will treat them as such. Who is your character? To start weaving your character into someone interesting, you need to find that core concept to start building around.   For inspiration, think back at some characters from a book, movie, tv show, game or real life. Find someone that has that core essence that you feel would be interesting to roleplay. Perhaps Rincewind the tourist from Discworld, Beorn from The Hobbit, Donna from Doctor Who or perhaps Esquie from Clair Obscur. Whichever character comes to you as someone you’d like to somehow pay homage to, can be worked with. Think of what makes that character interesting to you, is it their attitude towards problems, other people or nature. Are they clumsy, perceptive, analytical or indifferent towards things? The way they see the world is a great direction to have. Now the end-goal is not to copy the character 1 to 1. That is almost never going to work. The nature of the game is likely to be very much based on random outcomes, no matter how well-planned and foolproof your approach is. As dice determine the success of various attempts, it is best to keep that in mind.   A bad roll can turn your James Bond into Johnny English. Flesh them out If you have a core concept, you can start working on making them more real. Ask yourself various questions about them. “What made them like this?” “Why would they be adventuring?” “Is there a problem they are running from?” “What is their favourite dish?” Yes, even figuring out their favourite food can be a great process of figuring out who they are. It might not be a fact that would ever come to play, but can be a good stepping stone to actually understanding them. Knowing their favourite dish or colour can be helpful when diving deeper into that answer. Their favourite colour is pink - why? Did they grow up in a house that had pink wallpaper? Or was there an ever-blooming cherry blossom tree that they have fond memories of? Where was that tree? Does it hold some significance to them? Was there another person involved with that fondness? What happened to them? And so forth. Just like actual humans have preferences that don’t derive from nothing - neither should your character. The more you ask, the more real they become through this. It is highly recommended to write those points down - so you have a written understanding of them. And you can later refer back to the document to remind yourself of who they are. /images/general-media/1776695107_mBmxHoQ9.jpgWhat made them like this? A tragic event in their past or a goal they haven't yet reached? Backstory Ask your GM questions about the world and the setting. The more you understand, the easier it will be for you to place them there. If your GM is willing to work with you to flesh out the world around your character’s past, you will end up adding towns, locations, events and traditions to their world.   You may find it difficult to write your character’s backstory. You are not a writer, at least thats what you keep telling yourself. Doesn’t matter - your GM is hardly expecting you to write an eloquent piece of literary history. And that is not really that important. What is, is to know where your character came from - do they have a past that slowly catches up to them. A debt that will eventually have to be repaid. Or a goal that they are striving towards, as they have set out on their adventuring path. You shouldn’t try to aim for a 7-page backstory from the start. Some GMs might find backstories that are too detailed and long to be counter-productive. But setting where they grew up, with whom they interacted back then - how they grew up and mark down some important events that formed them as a character. Think back to the core concept of your character - and reverse-engineer your way towards the events and reasons why they ended up that way. Generative AI Now that various AI tools exist, players might find it easy to prompt the LLM with something like “Write a backstory for my elf ranger. When they were young, their parents abandoned them in a forest. There, wolves adopted them. But the wolves also abandoned them. Now they trust nobody. Their aspiration, though they keep it a secret from others, is to open a bakery.” And AI will give you a long backstory to work with.   But you are not done. Don’t just copy-paste it into a document and send it to your GM for approval. While using Gemini, ChatGPT or any other AI tool is useful for fleshing out some ideas, you need to make sure they are your ideas. You can take the draft you have been provided with and start working on the details - AI is unlikely to understand your character perfectly - what it is, that got you interested in them in the first place. Remove, add, rewrite and polish the initial draft. Make sure it is consistent with the world your GM has given you. And once you are done with an initial version, take some time and read through the whole backstory. Does it make sense to you? Do they feel real? And is the core idea still present? At the end of the day, it is your character. Using various tools to help you flesh out is helpful, but you should know them better than anyone else. Consider making a short summary section for you and the GM to reference later. Highlight various bits that are important to you. Connecting people Your character doesn’t have to be a lone wolf in the world. At times it can be better and more convenient to connect your character with another player’s.   Talk with your party before the game and see if you can find some common ground with some other character. Perhaps they were childhood friends, but drifted apart. Or perhaps they met once on opposite sides of a battlefield. Creating a connection to another character can make it easier for your GM to connect them to their world.   A shared past can be a great framework to make sure your party ends up as a cohesive group, not just “written together”. Your Game Master will have their hands full with various aspects of running the game, they will appreciate it, if you hand them characters that have a reason to adventure together. /images/general-media/1776695187_W8cxu9E4.jpgYour character's journey is just beginning. A good backstory is a great foundation to build on. Work in progress Your character should not be something that is completed once the first session rolls around. Instead feel free to add bits and pieces as you discover the world through playing. You are bound to find new aspects of the world, that your character could be connected to. Of course make sure that your GM is notified of these additions. And that it still fits with their vision of the game. Find your story If you have a great idea that you want to play with, but haven't found a game to play yet. Look at the games that are looking for players. Or post your player profile and find a tabletop rpg group to play with.

“Covering the basics” is a easy-to-follow set of articles helping players get through the first steps of the game. You found a game to join? Well done, but now what? Do you have what it takes to be a DM (Dungeon Master)? Short answer: yes Long answer: You might’ve spent most of your games on the other side of the DM screen or watching people masterfully direct their games on Youtube. All this might seem like a daunting and difficult role to fill - all the rules, ruling, voices, worldbuilding and keeping track of everything that is going on. Feels a lot for one person to manage. But here is the honest truth - most DMs are mostly just “winging it” as they go. They might not know every rule in the book or have every alleyway and farmhouse carefully plotted with intricate details for the world their players roam around. You don’t have to be a master of the game to be a dungeon master. It’s just a title, it doesn’t mean they know what they are doing. The context effect You may have watched various expert Dungeon Masters on different streams or Youtube actual plays. And thought that this is the minimum skillset you should have to even dare to take up the role of a DM. But keep in mind, context matters. These shows do not represent your average players or DMs. These are professional productions featuring professional actors. Your players are not expecting a cinematic masterpiece with custom miniatures, terrain or orchestral soundtrack. They are your friends, either new or old. And they just want to hang out, eat snacks, tell stupid jokes and see what happens when they push too many buttons. Don’t compare yourself to others, whether they are your last DM, or someone on Youtube. Your style will be your own. And your mistakes will be part of your journey. You are there to react to their actions and tell them what happens next. That’s it. If your players end the game session feeling happy with how they spent their time, you’ve won as a DM. /images/general-media/1777376584_RRnkxK9n.gifIt is your game, as long as your players are enjoying it, you are winning Start small It is easy to fall into the pit trap of building your own epic world for the players to discover and enjoy. And while there is nothing inherently wrong with it, it would be better to start off small. You will reduce the amount of stress and headache you will endure by not preparing a 50-page lore document beforehand. Instead, consider running a oneshot. A self-contained short adventure, that starts and ends within one session. You will gather your bearings during the game, realize what parts of DMing you enjoy and what you would rather not focus too much on. Use a pre-written adventure. For D&D, you could look towards The Delian Tomb or A Most Potent Brew. These include maps, monsters and all the relevant knowledge you need to run your players a game. Or grab one of the starter sets (ex. Heroes of the Borderlands) and run that. Make sure that you understand the whole story beforehand, so you know where the story is supposed to go. If, however, you feel like creating something of your own, you can simply build a oneshot that follows some specific rules. Entrance: A puzzle or a simple monster fight to get the players involved. Cause: A situation to tie the players’ characters to the story. A clear call to action to guide the characters towards the end-goal of the adventure. Problem: With the goal set, present your adventurers with a situation that requires them to overcome it. Whether by brute force, thinking outside the box, or something completely different. Here’s a DMing secret: You can have your players face a situation that needs solving but as a DM, you do not have to know what the right solution to that needs to be. Let your players attempt different approaches and if they come up with something that seems reasonable, take that as the solution. Final encounter: Your oneshot should be leading towards a finale. Whether it is a boss fight, or a grand puzzle or situation that requires effort and teamwork - anything goes. It should be connected to the previous blocks to establish a cohesive narrative story. The ending (optional): Once the final encounter has been resolved, you can offer your adventurers a conclusion, perhaps it is a treasure hoard, public praise or something different. Since it is a oneshot, you don’t really have to worry about consequences, as the story ends there. Keep in mind, that oneshots should be reactive. Players should be forced to react to situations and not given too much time to wander around, chat with Boblin the Goblin at the tavern, or get bogged down with planning.   A good idea would be to have some pre-made NPCs in the background, so you can pull those up at moments notice. These characters should not have intricate backstories that aren’t vital to the story itself. They may have a simple motive or goal, that can support the story at hand, but isn’t a vital piece of information, should your players completely ignore or miss encountering them. You can use a name generator (like Fantasy Name Generators) to prepare a list of various names to make it seem, like you had those characters prepared and planned ahead of time. Pace over rules Nothing kills the vibe of the game than having to spend ten minutes looking for the correct ruling for a situation. As a rule of thumb, it is recommended to spend up to a minute looking up the rules - and if by then you don’t have the correct answer, make a ruling on the spot. Just be transparent about it and let them know that this ruling might be wrong and is temporary, in the future this might get ruled differently. But for now, to keep the story going, you should decide on the spot. If you have a more experienced player at the table, consult them. As a DM you are already managing way more than one single player should be (you are still a player, even though you are a DM). And offloading some of those responsibilities to someone else is the right thing to do. The DM does not have to be the most knowledgeable player at the table - they are the narrative engine, not the wikipedia. /images/general-media/1777376267_EGzmZM7I.webpDon't spend too much time pondering the orb finding the correct ruling, keep the game going A session zero It is highly recommended to have a quick session zero before starting your first game. Whether it is a brief oneshot or the start of a longer campaign - leveling with your group will help you avoid misunderstandings in the future. Recommended reading: Library: Session 0 checklist: How to build a DnD group that lasts Gather your tools Now prepare your adventure. You will most likely spend a lot more time than you should preparing for the first session. But being somewhat overprepared will help you in the long run. Once you start understanding how DMing works, you will get better at preparing for each session, eventually cutting down on the time spent on prep.   A DM trick worth remembering and learning, is called “moving castles”. You may have prepared a location or an encounter for your players to discover or run into. But through the magic of player agency they head in the complete opposite direction to your prepared piece of content (it happens). Instead of scrapping the work you have prepared, you can simply move it, so that the adventurers still run into it. A worn-down castle filled with a tribe of goblins, waiting to ambush anyone entering the front gate? Simply move it, perhaps adjust some elements to fit the new location. Instead of goblins, they are now human mercenaries or bandits. Instead of a castle, it is a small village. This isn’t to say, that you should focus on railroading the players (although for a oneshot it would be highly recommended, that you keep your players on the track you have prepared). But re-using prepared content in a new and appropriate way is the smart play. Other than that, all you need to get started, are your dice (or digital dice, if that is more convenient for you), and some paper, to write down notes, events and questions for you to look up between sessions. Remember, you are a player too. You should be having fun, although it will feel intimidating and stressful at first, it will get better. /images/general-media/1777376172_KgL1adMK.webp Take the leap You are stepping into a very rewarding experience of the game. Even if you are not planning on becoming a recurring DM, you will gain a better understanding of the game and the system. This will, in turn, make you a better player. Guaranteed. If you are ready to give DMing a shot, you can start off by creating a group on Groupfinder and find your players. Be sure to use the “Newbie friendly” tag to indicate the tone of the game. If you have a player in your group who has been interested in DMing, but has not had the courage to get started - “gently” send them this article, to nudge them to get started.

“Covering the basics” is a easy-to-follow set of articles helping players get through the first steps of the game. You found a game to join? Well done, but now what? Think of your favourite characters from either a book, movie or a tv show. Can you form a list of what actually makes them stand out from all the others? Not just what they look like or what their actions were in the story. Most likely, once you stripped those characters of their physical appearances and put aside the plot of what they achieved throughout you are still left with elements that actually made them become memorable. The time you had with that character was most likely a fragment of their entire life. Their actions, beliefs and behaviour was likely derived from something that made them that way.   It was their backstory. A backstory as a structure When creating your character, once you set aside the technical attributes and specifics, it is worth spending more time on figuring out who they are. While it might feel like a waste of time and effort to spend too much time on building their backstory, it is likely to help you out in the long run. Assuming your character will be yours for a longer period (not one that is built for a quick oneshot), understanding them will become invaluable. Not just for the Game Master to know where your character is from and how they ended up as an adventurer - but it will help you stay consistent throughout the campaign. Your character should stay consistent. This isn’t to say that they can’t evolve and grow throughout the adventure - they most definitely should be affected and moulded by their experiences throughout the story. But at their core, they should still be the same person from session to session. And this is why having a thorough backstory is important. Knowing how they would react in a situation should come from understanding why they would act that way. What experience in their previous life set them up to see the world in this way. It will also be a great framework for your Game Master to have and construct around. After all, they dont know your character. But having a reference document (a backstory) will be of great help. Matching the theme Before you start collecting various ideas and concepts for your character be sure to familiarize yourself with the game and it's world you are about to bring them into. Whether the story will focus heavily on the world and the politics or will there be enough "screentime" for the characters to develop their story. Hoping to fully go through your character's backstory in a game that will not give enough time for that will lead to disappointment and potentially disinterested players. All of that should be discussed during your session zero, where the theme and topics are set and agreed upon. The theme of your character should fit both with the world and potentially with other players. Of course the generic tabletop gaming table will include characters of different styles and themes. However, depending on the immersion balance and expectations, you might want to discuss this with other players, without delving too deep into specifics. Agreeing on following a similar theme or storyline will help your party feel more likeminded and in the same genre.  /images/general-media/1779464200_QOr2M7LS.jpg Think big, write small Before you end up with a document, that is stretched over tens of pages (Which most GMs will not bother to read and memorize) try and create a rough overview of their story so far. Limit yourself to a few paragraphs at the most. As an example, let’s create a character alongside this article. Meet Bork… the orc. To start off with, let’s focus on simply creating an outline of who they are. Bork’s life began in tragedy when a brutal bandit raid destroyed his birth-tribe's village. His parents either perished or were forced to flee in the chaos, leaving the infant behind to perish in the smoke. He was saved by a twist of fate when Ningo, an aging gnome hunter drawn by the smoke of the burning huts, discovered the crying orc baby in the ashes and chose to adopt him. Raised in Ningo’s secluded woodland home, Bork’s upbringing was completely upside down for an orc. Instead of being taught bloodlust and brute force, he was raised on gnomish values of curiosity, patience, and meticulous planning. Ningo taught him how to survive using stealth, tracking, and clever traps, resulting in a towering, muscular adult orc who could move with surprising grace and possessed a gentle, analytical mind. Once Bork reached adulthood, Ningo realized his adoptive son was shrinking himself down to fit into a gnome's world. Wanting Bork to forge his own identity rather than just mimic his upbringing, Ningo encouraged him to venture out into the world. Equipped with a heavy pack, a hunting bow, and a mind full of gnomish meals, Bork set off into the wider world to discover who he truly wanted to be. And thats it - this is Bork in a nutshell. But what we have established throughout this brief introduction are multiple key elements we can built upon. What was the tribe like, who were the bandits? Why did they raid the tribe? Who were his biological parents? What is Ningo’s story? What kind of values did he instill in Bork? And many others. But as a brief overview we have much to work with. From here you can fill in the blanks, separate it into various other subsections to dive deeper into. Find answers, more questions and potentially leave things vague. Many elements can be left vague so that your Game Master can pick elements to integrate into the campaign story. Unique. In this version To quote Mark Twain: "There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations." While you can try and work on an uniquely unique concept, it is unlikely that you will be negatively called out for "reskinning" an existing character from a popular franchise. But if your goal is to create an interesting character, borrowing from other creators and slightly modifying them is perfectly acceptable. Just be respectful about it and acknowledge that your character is either an intentional or unintentional between you and someone else. There is no shame in basing different bits of your character off something else.   /images/general-media/1779464798_xLnOlEbn.webpYour GM will thank you for any cutlery you prepare for him Knives and other “cutlery” Knives Years ago a reddit user jimbaby introduced a system called “Knife theory”. A simple system to build plot hooks into your character’s backstory. These “knives” are elements that resonate with your character - and your Game Master can use to “stab” your character with (metaphorically). There are various types of knives you can craft:   Relationships - Bork’s biological parents. Or his adoptive father, Ningo. Debts/Vows - Bork’s somewhat suppressed hatred towards the bandits and his desire to one day avenge his tribe. Unanswered questions - Who were his parents? Why did the bandits assault the tribe? What is the deal with Ningo? Internal conflict - Being part orc, part gnome, he might have found it difficult to fit in with his non-traditional life. A secret - Perhaps Bork has throughout the years ventured back to where he grew up and discovered something that he shouldn’t know. And many others in a similar style. While these knives aim in different directions and are rather vague, pick those that  resonate with you and dive deeper. You don’t have to cover all five themes - a few will suffice. But by creating those knives (and handing them to your Game Master), be aware that you are giving them permission to use those at any point in time. If you don’t want Ningo to be put into any danger - make that explicitly clear and keep any knives pointing away from them. Try and aim for three to five different knives. Some of them might require you to collaborate with your GM to make sure they can find a way to fit it into their story. Spoons In addition to sharp knives, you can create “spoons” - these are minor, everyday character flavor details that bring them to life (Their favourite tavern meal, their distinct posture, or how they sleep). These are not elements that are to replace knives - you can include them to bring more character and personality to your adventurer. These will help you flesh out your character in a more real sense. Connecting these spoons to their backstory, you can discover what makes them tick, what brings them joy and what hobbies or habits they might have. Even a powerful warlord can find enjoyment in knitting. And it makes them less two-dimensional, showing them as more "human". Forks The character's core motivations and prongs of desire. Goals and ambitions that they would like to strive towards throughout their story. These are more proactive elements that you as a player will gravitate towards throughout their journey. Forks should also be shared with your GM, as they could seed the story with situations and possibilities you would like to stick a fork in. Expand and summarize By now you will have a general overview of your character with various plot hooks and ambitions. While preparing those, you can expand your current overview with additional details to connect various bits and pieces. Adding additional characters your character may have had encounters or relationships with is a great way of introducing additional knives and expanding the character’s story.   When collecting your knives, you are bound to discover gaps or missing connections: Bork enjoys reading  - but it is likely that he has exhausted Ningo’s library many times over. This allows you to expand his backstory with a travelling librarian or a salesman who would bring him books to consume. Or a friend who shares a similar passion with whom he used to discuss various stories with. Throughout this process you may want to have a separate section for key takeaways. In addition to describing his book club friend and their encounters, create a short summary: Frank(27), a human farmer, also interested in books - friend, but hasn’t seen him in over two years. These quick summaries will help you to quickly recall various elements from Bork’s backstory. And your Game Master has a handy list to quickly reference, as they will most definitely not be able to remember your entire backstory at all times. /images/general-media/1779465015_mS7MPpFH.gifKeep in mind. You are not writing a book, you are creating a refererence document Done but never completed Make sure to give your Game Master enough time to process your character’s backstory, ask for clarifications and potential changes. You want your character to be part of their world, not have it as a separate entity forced into their story. And feel free to continue expanding your backstory throughout the campaign. Not exactly changing anything overly important (unless the change is explicitly done with the permission of your GM), but instead expanding on elements that already exist in your story. The more different elements your backstory has, the more the other characters’ have to discover and find out about. Understanding and knowing your character will help you make decisions on the spot, that feel in-character for them. Ready to find a dnd group and start working on your character? Post your profile and put yourself out there.

Are you just getting into D&D? You most likely already know the hardest part of playing Dungeons & Dragons isn't defeating a Red Dragon or figuring out what kind of bonuses should apply when picking a lock. The actual "Big Bad Evil Guy" of any tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) is scheduling and finding a reliable group. Whether you are brand new to the hobby, having just either discovered Critical Role or finished the last season of Stranger Things, or you are well-versed in the tabletop gaming scene, you are most likely aware that finding a group or other players is not as easy as you might’ve thought initially. Even though Dungeons & Dragons is more popular than ever, it still can feel like you are the only one interested in trying it out. We have compiled this article to try and help you find your way to your next D&D game. Quick Steps to Find a Group: 1. Create a Groupfinder player profile. 2. Define your schedule and timezone. 3. Browse open games or wait for a DM to find you. The traditional methods: forums and LFG subreddits The internet works. It works in the sense that there are others like you looking for a game to join. But navigating through all the different mediums is going to most likely feel like a chore. Reddit (r/lfg and r/LFG_Europe) The standard answer to "where to find D&D players" has historically been Reddit. The Pros: A massive volume of players. If you post a compelling game pitch as a DM, you will get dozens of applications within hours. The Cons: Because of the sheer volume, it is incredibly easy for your post to get buried. Players often find themselves filling out dozens of Google Forms without ever hearing back. Plus, formatting restrictions make it difficult to filter for specific needs like exact timezones (a massive headache for EU/Global players), Virtual Tabletop (VTT) preferences, or safety tools. Discord LFG channels Many TTRPG YouTubers, podcasters, bloggers, game systems, and communities have their own dedicated Discord servers with LFG channels to allow players to advertise their interest. The Pros: Discord is great for instant communication. You can start a chat with potential party members quickly and in real-time to see if your personalities fit before committing to an actual game night. The Cons: Discord LFG channels are essentially endless scrolling text feeds. Searching through thousands of chat messages to find a oneshot or campaign that fits your specific schedule is exhausting. The "paid vs. free" game debate Over the last few years, there has been a massive rise in "Pro DMs" hosting games on platforms where players pay per session (often $15 to $30+). If you have the budget, paid games practically guarantee that a session will actually happen, as players are financially invested. However, for many, the soul of D&D is about gathering around a virtual table as friends playing a game for free. While we are in no way trying to negatively portray paid games, they will most likely not have that “organic” feel to it that regular games do. For many players, it might be the perfect fit. Games happen when they are scheduled, the DM is prepared for the session and will most likely have figured out all the technical aspects beforehand. The modern solution: dedicated LFG platforms If you want to stop scrolling through forums and social media posts, you need a tool actually built for the job. If you are looking to join a D&D campaign online (or even find a local game), Groupfinder is the best dedicated tool available today. Built specifically to solve the age-old problem of TTRPG matchmaking, it completely streamlines the process. Why a dedicated platform beats a forum post Timezone & schedule filtering: No more guessing timezone conversions. On Groupfinder, you can filter game and player posts by timezones. That way you will know that what you are seeing will match your preferences and your real-life schedule. Detailed player profiles: Instead of pitching yourself to new DMs, you can create your permanent player profile (How to write a great player profile that helps you find a DnD group). You can introduce yourself, mark down any specific preferences, or even describe your previous experiences if you have any. You can also list your preferred systems (D&D 5E, D&D 5.5E, or if you are open to trying out other systems, those too can be listed), and let groups search for you. Advanced game tags: You can filter groups and players by various tags. Whether it is for themes, topics, inclusivity, or experience level, such as "Beginner friendly," "Roleplay focused," or "LGBTQ+ friendly." How to make your player profile stand out Whether you are posting on a forum or filling out your profile on Groupfinder, what you write matters. DMs sift through a lot of profiles; here is how to make yours stand out: Be Honest About Your Experience: DMs do not mind beginners! For many, it might be exactly who they are looking for. New DMs are more likely to feel more comfortable playing with other newbies. Their mistakes are less obvious and you will all learn together. Define Your "Pillars of Play": Do you prefer emotional roleplay and character voices, or are you more interested in tactical, grid-based combat? Be detailed about what you like and dislike about the game. List Your dealbreakers: If you are not comfortable with certain topics, mark them down. Being open about those will give the reader a good overview of whether you would fit their group or not. The age-old saying “No D&D is better than bad D&D” holds true. Red flags to watch out for Once you find a group that seems to be a good fit on paper, you still need to ensure whether the game style and dynamic between players is for you. If the game has a “Session zero”, you can get a better understanding of who the people involved are, what they are looking for, and whether your preferences align. Watch out for these red flags: The "Main character syndrome": If a player is constantly talking over others during introductions or insists their homebrew character concept overrides the DM's worldbuilding, it is a sign of bad table etiquette to come. This might be something that, when addressed, can be resolved - but don’t let those instances go by without taking note. Poor Communication: If the group doesn’t seem to be able to respond to important messages within a reasonable time, it might indicate that the group members are not that interested or have the time required to manage an ongoing game. Prioritizing safety: The "Session 0" essentials Finding a group is only half the battle; ensuring the group is a safe and comfortable environment for everyone is what makes a campaign last. Modern TTRPG matchmaking relies heavily on **Safety Tools** to set boundaries before the first die is rolled. Commonly used safety tools If you are joining a new group, look for these terms in the game description. If they aren't there, don't be afraid to ask the DM which ones they use: Lines and Veils: "Lines" are hard limits (topics that will never be in the game). "Veils" are topics that can happen but "fade to black" without graphic detail. The X-Card: A tool that allows any player (or the DM) to edit out content in real-time if it becomes uncomfortable. Monte Cook Games RPG Consent Checklist: A physical or digital form where players check off their comfort levels with various horror or social themes. Why this matters for online play When playing with strangers online, communication can sometimes be misinterpreted. Using these tools isn't about being "sensitive"—it's about professionalism and clear communication. Groups that use safety tools have a significantly lower "ghosting" rate because expectations are set early. On Groupfinder, we encourage all DMs to list their preferred safety tools in their group descriptions. This helps players find the right "vibe" and ensures a long-lasting adventure. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Can I play D&D online for free? Yes. The basic rules for Dungeons & Dragons are available for free online (view the Basic Rules here). You do not need any books to get your first few sessions going. You can use free Virtual Tabletops like Roll20 or Owlbear Rodeo, talk over Discord, and find your group for free using Groupfinder. Will I need a webcam to play D&D? Not necessarily! While some groups prefer playing with cameras on to read facial expressions during roleplay, many groups play "audio-only" using just a microphone. Play by post is also a very viable approach. What if I haven’t played D&D or any other TTRPG before? Not to worry - everyone has to start somewhere, just like you. If you have found a beginner-friendly group, feel free to ask any question, no matter how simple it might seem. You can also find a multitude of resources online. But be aware that you will never know everything about the game. That is not how it goes - knowing where to find information is how you get by. Stop searching and find your group Finding an online D&D group might seem like a daunting task. But in reality, you just need to put yourself out there and start your search. It might take weeks before you get contacted by a group. Remember to keep your post “bumped”. That will move your profile in front of all the other listings, refreshing it to the top. You can bump your post every day. Your profile also doesn’t have to be perfect from the start. Whenever you think of something to add, just return and edit your post. Feel free to share your profile link in other channels, you no longer have to spam individual messages - you now have a player profile that introduces you and your preferences. Create your free player profile on Groupfinder today, browse open games, and let the perfect campaign find you.

What is a “session zero” (and why should you have one) You have decided to start playing D&D, keep in mind that Dungeons & Dragons is a social game. Sure, we have dice, miniatures, maps, terrain, rules and books. But they are all connected by social interactions and connections. And managing those social situations before they become problematic will save you a lot of headache. After all, you are looking to find a dungeons and dragons group not be defeated by the recruitment process. A session zero (named so, because the first session will most likely be the one where you all sit down and finally get the game going) is a validation checkpoint. A change for all the players to discuss what they expect from the game and the group. Voicing any concerns or topics that should be addressed beforehand, not when they have already become issues. During the session zero, players (including the DM, they are a player as well) will be given a general pitch of the game, the theme, the style and the direction the DM is expecting you to go. This most likely will not be a two-hour lore-dump session, where you make notes and try to remember all the important bits. It should resemble an elevator pitch. Short, straight to the point, without too much flavouring and getting bogged down in details. This is a chance for the players to understand and align their expectations regarding the game. Going into the first session with Boblin the Goblin, aiming to be the funniest character known to man and then realizing that the DM has prepared a serious, down to earth, adventure focusing on social intrigue and moral choices… Well Boblin might’ve not been the best character for that. /images/general-media/1774882359_X6rlHtg9.jpgRead the room. Create a character that fits the atmosphere of the game. And if you were hoping for constant laughs, you will find that the game and your expectations were severely mis-aligned. Session zero will try to manage expectations and set themes. Aligning players, aligning characters Understanding the world, the themes and topics is useful for the players to understand whether the game they are about to commit to is really for them. Whether it will be something they will look forward to prior to every session, or will it eventually become something that “you are not feeling”. Perhaps the tone can be adjusted - from gothic horror with no room for laughs to something that is still eerie, but the players can find humor in appropriate places. This is the time to discuss these questions. The time to adjust the game is now, as it will be rather difficult to do a complete shift when you are ten sessions deep. This is also the point where players can discuss their characters. Whether they have anything complete prepared by then or just a fragment of a concept. Your characters shall be adventuring together - try and figure out how that plays into the world you were presented with. Can you find some common background pieces with another player to somehow connect your characters? Or perhaps come up with a reasonable theme that would bring all your characters together. If your plan was to play an edgy loner, who doesn’t like people and works alone. Discuss this with others, as this might become an issue later, when the other characters can’t figure out a way to establish any reasonable connection with your edgelord. Be flexible, adjust concepts, ideas, goals and character details. A social contract Nobody likes contracts. Unless you are a warlock, then you live for contracts. But a social contract is more for managing expectations. How often will you play? Figure out whether your group can agree on a fixed schedule that everyone can book in advance. Every second Thursday evening? Booked now. Ofcourse this is subject to change as life happens.   Is it a 100% attendance game? If someone can’t attend, will the session be cancelled or will they be somehow “dragged along” without any narrative focus on them for the session. Is there a narrative way to exclude characters from certain moments, if the player is unable to participate? Agreeing on these will help you avoid situations, where some players might feel left out and might decide to start ghosting the sessions, until they are eventually removed from the roster. /images/general-media/1774882564_47pDcYw0.webpIf you have trouble setting some systems up, ask others to help you What systems and platforms will you be using if this is an online game? What video or voice platform will you be using, is everyone okay with the choice or does someone need help setting something up? Whether combat happens on a VTT or some other platform, can everyone manage that? Check in with others and figure out that the technical aspects won’t become too much of a burden to manage. Boundaries. A vital part of session zero. Even if you think these are not necessary - It is still strongly recommended. Using various safety tools can make sure that various themes or topics that the game might tackle are accepted by everyone. Especially if you haven’t played with all of the members of the group before. You can find various different tools to help set the right boundaries and make sure everyone feels comfortable with the game. Take a look at “Lines and Veils”, “X-Card” or “Monte Cook Games RPG Consent Checklist”. Vibes. How are the vibes Keep track of the vibes during session zero. Do you notice anything that might be considered a “red flag”? Is the humor off, does everyone feel like they get enough respect and attention from the others? All of these are important to keep in mind. While some things can be discussed and corrected, if needed. People are different and while they might be great people to be friends with, it doesn’t mean that they would be great people to play D&D with. If there are issues that you feel should be discussed, turn towards your DM and talk things out. Perhaps you were not the only one who noticed it. Or maybe it was a case of miscommunication. Clearing the air before the game actually begins is important. Otherwise the problems will start festering and your enjoyment of the game will decrease over time. “No D&D is better than bad D&D?” - No. Not at all. With Groupfinder you can  find a dnd group that fits your preferences. Maybe it will take a few tries and session zeroes, but once you find your group, you will know these are your people. And you will enjoy the games a lot more. Why bother with all of this? It might feel like all of this is too much trouble just to get the game going. But statistics have shown, that groups who go through a "session zero" before their actual game are  significantly less likely to ghost or fall apart after a few sessions. Spending a few hours talking about expectations might save you hours of frustration later on.

The “LFG” struggle is real. How do you find a group to play with in 2026 “LFG D&D 5E”, “LFP D&D 2014/2024 5E”, “LFG Dungeons & Dragons” - it is very likely that you have seen (or even posted) such messages in various places. LFG, or Looking for Group, is the common acronym to indicate that you are looking for a table to join. The opposing acronym is LFM - Looking for Members. Posting these messages will wear you down eventually. Are there really no groups that have room for you? Is there something obvious that you are perhaps missing? Is the hobby not meant for you? It is natural to feel worn down by either rejection or just silence. You see a group that is looking for players, you reply and you get nothing back. Playing Dungeons & Dragons should feel like fun. Because it is fun. Find the right group that fits your style and you will absolutely fall in love with the game and look forward to every session. But. You have to get there first. You need to find a group of players to take you in and only then, can you take the next steps. Reddit, Discord, Facebook or a dedicated platform? When you are looking for a dnd group, you are faced with various different paths to take. They all have their cons and pros. Lets take a look at some of the more popular approaches: The subreddit spam Reddit has been a reliable all-inclusive platform for a long time now. With a massive amount of users all over the world covering various different topics, themes, questions, experiences and interests - it is safe to say, that reddit has everything. But including that everything, you might run into a lot of “noise”. Pros: A lot of users making many posts every day. Global platform connecting you to various people all across the globe. Cons: The noise. An active subreddit will see multiple posts every hour. Your post might get immediately covered by other redditors’ posts. Filtering the posts to find something relevant to you will be difficult, as it is all text-based and with no detailed search functions. Finding a group that is focused on a specific theme or topic will be a chore. The Discord discourse As a platform for messaging and being involved with various communities - there isn’t a good alternative to Discord. Different communities have various versions of #looking-for-group channels. And as clustered as Discord is, with everyone starting their own server, gathering users and growing a community, you are either locked to a few LFG channels - or you have to find a ton of various community servers to join, to share your post with as many pairs of eyes as you can. Pros: It is an instant messaging platform. You post - it gets sent. You get a reply, it happens instantly. And once you find a group to join, you don’t have to look further, as most likely further communication will continue on Discord. Cons: You need to know where to go. There isn’t a one-stop-shop server that gets your message out to everyone in the hobby-space. It also lacks a search functionality beyond basic text search. Unless the server you have found separates games by theme, type, timezone or some other parameter - you are usually stuck with a single channel to post and search. The Facebook fatigue You most likely already are on Facebook. Either you have an account that is collecting dust, or you use it for messaging. And similar to Discord, there are tons of various D&D LFG groups to find, join and post in. You just have to find the right one, get your join request approved and get posting. Pros: Once you find a group that fits your search criteria, you can post your message. And have people either leave a comment or message you directly. Keep in mind, that messages from users who you are not connected with will be filtered to a separate mailbox. Be sure to check there, if you are waiting for a reply. Cons: Just like the other methods listed above, Facebook also falls short when it comes to searchability. And compared to Reddit or Discord, the search functionality is even more limited. It was never designed for that. You also need to find an appropriate Facebook group to join. One that still has active users and has not been abandoned yet. The Groupfinder gateway And then there is Groupfinder. A dedicated platform for your LFG needs. Free to use, with users all across the world and a simple user interface to get you going. While other platforms are, at the end of the day, messaging boards - Groupfinder has been built from the ground-up to serve a specific purpose (You won’t be selling a lawnmower here any time soon). You are here to find a dungeons and dragons group. Pros: Filtering. Finding a group (or other players) is easy with various filtering options. Looking for an online dnd group? Limit your search results to a specific timezone. Whether you are on the east coast, central Europe, or even in Australia - you can manage who’s posts you are shown. /images/general-media/1774999635_UxGFgbcv.pngThe filtering system will help you narrow down your search Or if you are trying to find a local, in-person game - you can use the map filter to pick a specific location on the map, adjust the search radius and only be shown the groups that match your specified area. In addition to timezones, you can use the tags. You can only view groups who have added various predefined tags to their post. Looking for a game that is suitable for a newcomer - “Beginner friendly”. Want to play over messages - “Play by post”. Interested in games that have a spooky theme - “Horror”. Take a look at the various tags that you can use to filter the posts. Are you looking for a game that follows the 2014 ruleset? Pick “Dungeons & Dragons 5E”. Or are you ready to switch over to the newer rules? - “Dungeons & Dragons 5.5E (2024)”. Even if you are looking for games for another game system, like Daggerheart, Pathfinder, Shadowrun, Mothership or Savage Worlds - use the game system filter. (Read more about the popularity of alternative TTRPG systems in this article) Not currently looking to join a paid game? Understandable - you can use the “Paid game” switch to filter out all the games run by professional GMs. Cons: The platform is still growing and more people are still discovering it. How to increase the odds of your post succeeding? While there isn’t a specific and guaranteed approach that is bound to get you into a group within 5 minutes of posting. You can still follow a few suggestions to increase the odds. Who are you and what do you want?  This might sound like a line from a cheesy detective movie - but it holds some truth. Writing a compelling and descriptive profile bio will give you a massive advantage Tag appropriately. Some groups search for players via tags. If you don’t have any added to your profile, you are immediately cutting yourself out of their search results. Don’t go overboard and add all the tags. Pick only the ones that represent your preferences the best. Share your profile. All the platforms listed above are messaging boards after all. If you spot a group or players thinking about forming a party - post your profile link. Instead of sending them a wall of text, you now have a page that describes who you are, what games you are looking for, what your timezone is and displays you as someone willing to go the extra mile. Bump yourself. Bumping (Bring up my post) is how we have eliminated the constant message spam. Instead of returning every day or two to write up a new post to introduce yourself, you can take your current profile and just click the button on the right side of your cover image. That will bump your post to the top of the listings, completely refreshing it’s position. Stop wearing yourself thin Instead of spending all that time posting on various different platforms. And then doing a second lap of checking for responses - post your profile and find your dnd group.

If you are new to Dungeons & Dragons, getting started can be a daunting task, one of the first hurdles to overcome is to find a dnd group. The game has over 50 years of history, rules, knowledge, changes and players. Just picking it up and getting started will seem like a lot of work. Let’s break the whole process down to simple steps you can follow. What is D&D? How is D&D? Why is D&D? Gather your gear Finding a group Creating your character Go play What is D&D? The core of the game is collaborative storytelling. Instead of following a linear path, the game takes the players through a story. One that doesn’t generally have a set structure or end-goal.   Lets explain it through an analogy - a book. The players decide that they want to play D&D, and one of them steps up and states that they are willing to be the Dungeon Master. The DM is the one who will come up with the world, the setting, the locations, various events and even history for the world the game will take place in.   And the others are the players (although the DM should also be considered a player as well, but we will separate these two roles for now). The players will be the main characters of the story. Mighty heroes, accidental adventurers or incompetent bandits - as long as the story the DM will be running makes sense for those characters. The game is a collaborative story, where the DM will present the players with various characters, situations, problems and encounters and the players will try and figure their way through all those. Either by talking their way out of them or getting into combat and resolving the situation in another way. There is no right path to take in D&D - the DM can never anticipate what the players will do in a certain situation - and the players will have no way to know what the right approach would be. But stumbling through these situations will be the story. Whether things work out for your characters and you become heroes, or you fail at doing the most mundane tasks, leading to humiliation, failure and a lot of laughs - this makes it your story. /images/general-media/1776431683_KlnMNNhS.jpg How is D&D? The game has a lot of rules - this might seem daunting, but generally you will try and understand them as you start playing. If your DM (or other group members) have more experience than you, you can rely on them to help you figure things out. Nobody knows all of the rules by heart - referencing the rulebooks is a part of the game. But how exactly is D&D played? Is there a game board? Is it a computer game? This is what separates D&D from traditional board and video games. It is a narrative game. You will play the game through explaining what your character would do. Whether you succeed or fail, is determined by rolling dice (and applying some rules). There is no board to move your figurine on. Instead the DM describes (verbally) what you are seeing, hearing, smelling and so forth. Based on all that information, you can tell the DM what your character would like to do - “I would like to find someone who looks like a guard” / “I would like to punch the first person I see in the face” / “Looking around, do I see something that looks like a dragon?” And so forth.   As a player, you are in control of your characters intentions and actions. The success of all of that is determined by the Dungeon Master and their response. If your characters have reached a dungeon and are looking for a hidden door in the room, the DM might tell you to roll Perception. Whether your character is good at that stat or not, will affect the likelihood of you succeeding. Once again, it is a story that your character is going through. How you solve different situations is up to you. You are limited by what is realistic for your character to be able to do and what kind of an approach you come up with.   D&D is a game where there is no exact way of winning. You are not playing the game against the others - as an adventuring group, your focus should be on cooperation - to overcome various obstacles by working together, relying on others and their characters’ abilities. If you leave the game session and you had fun - that really is the only way to be “winning” at D&D. Why is D&D? While the article revolves around Dungeons & Dragons, almost all of it can be taken and applied to any other tabletop roleplaying system. The hobby space does not only consist of the behemoth that is D&D. Ever since the first edition of the game was released back in 1974, a vast number of other tabletop systems have been created by other creators. You can find various other systems listed in the library here. Dungeons & Dragons is a great gateway to the hobby thanks to it's rather streamlined gameplay process, rules structure and publicly available resources and knowledge. And many of the skills and knowledge can be transferred over to other systems, even if their focus is on more mechanical systems or different themes. While you will be able to find more groups and other players for D&D, once you are more familiar with the whole TTRPG genre, you should branch out and experiment with other systems to get a better understanding of what kind of a game system you would actually prefer. Gather your gear To start playing, you don’t need much. You need other players and someone willing to be the Dungeon Master. You may have seen various memes about the dice. D&D is famous for dice and dice-related obsessions and while some players get themselves a set of dice and hold onto those for their entire tabletop gaming career - there are others (commonly referred to as dice goblins) who can’t stop buying new dice. But dice are dice, at the end of the day. But you don’t even need dice - there are various digital dice rolling tools to replace the need for physical dice. Then there are the rules. Fortunately the free basic rules are available online. You can familiarize yourself with the rules free of charge and get the general idea of the system. With the rules at your hand, you need to create a character. Your character is boiled down to your character sheet - a document that holds a technical overview of what your character is. How strong they are, how smart, how charismatic, how good they are at picking a lock and many other aspects that make your character unique. If you are just starting out, it is recommended to not spend too much on trying to remember and understand all the rules. Without context (since you haven’t played the game before) the rules are likely to not be very intuitive and understandable. Same goes for creating a character. Sure, you might have the idea of a character floating in your mind, but it is important that your character’s concept fits the story the DM will be setting you into. Creating a silly character might not be the best fit, if the story will take place in a dystopian vampire-infested world. /images/general-media/1776431690_WRNbTOBM.jpg Finding a group A typical D&D party consists of 3-6 players. This is definitely not a hard limit (on either end), some game groups are two players and a DM, some are eight. Although the sweet spot of 3-6 generally might be the most enjoyable for a new player. The best way of finding a group is forming one with your friends or family - you most likely know these people already and know whether you’d like to spend 3-5 hours at a time with them. The second best way is Groupfinder. Sure, we might be a bit biased here, but Groupfinder is here to solve one of the biggest hurdles a newcomer might encounter when trying to start playing - finding a group. Create your profile, introduce yourself and it is highly recommended to add the “Newbie friendly” tag to your profile. If you are looking for an in-person game or to play online, Groupfinder will help you find your group for both. Read: DnD Looking for Group: How to find your next table Creating your character Once you have found a group of players, you will need to create a character before your first game. It is highly recommended to have a “Session Zero” before the game actually starts. That is the session before the first session where the DM will tell you about the world, what kind of a story he is hoping to run you through and other technical details regarding the games. Now knowing what the theme and topic of the game will be, you can finally create a character that fits the game. Head over to dndbeyond.com and create your character there. The whole process should be more or less intuitive. But don’t feel like you have to figure everything out on your own. Talk to your DM and other players if you feel lost at any point. In addition to the technical aspects of your character (Their species (human, elf, halfling etc.) and their class (rogue, ranger, wizard etc.) and their stats) figure out who your character is. What makes them them. On paper they might be a human fighter - but they should have a backstory, who they were before the adventure began. What they like and dislike. Do they have hobbies, favourite dish, friends or family? The more you flesh our your character, the more real they become. The realness of the character is one major aspect that distinguishes D&D from a traditional board game. Instead of playing as the “boot” in Monopoly, you are playing as a character with a personality, with unique quirks and thoughts - all of these will shape the way they approach different situations in the game. Go play Hopefully you will have a better understanding of what D&D is, how to get started and how to take your first steps into the hobby space.   You can start off by heading over to the Groups page on Groupfinder and browsing through the various games that still need players. Or instead post your player profile and introduce yourself. Of course remember to be proactive. Just posting your profile might not be enough - reach out to groups that are looking for players and let them know that you are interested in joining.

You have found a D&D group, your characters are ready and the players are hyped for the start of the game. However there is a thought that keeps cropping up in the back of your head: “What if they take the story in a direction I don’t feel comfortable with?” Tabletop roleplaying games are built on imagination and improvisation. Therefore setting boundaries might feel wrong or tricky. Perhaps you or someone else has a phobia of spiders, or some situations might make you uncomfortable. This is where safety tools come to play. Before you start thinking that these are borderline “censorship” methods - they are communication shortcuts that ensure everyone in your group is having fun, even if the story gets dark or brutal. What are safety tools? Think of safety tools as subtle “safe words” in a stunt show or a timeout in sports. It doesn’t mean that the show can’t go on, instead it allows for the participants to pause, edit or skip certain bits of content that might not be something everyone is comfortable with. It avoids the need for that awkward, long speech about themes and decisions while making some people feel uncomfortable with either expressing their creativity or feeling targeted in another way. When everyone at your group knows where the “emergency brake” lever is, players usually feel more comfortable with intense roleplay situations, as everyone feels more in control of the direction the story is going. /images/general-media/1778077472_okHsoUPF.gifIf the game goes in a direction that everyone is comfortable with - rewind. The big three Lines and Veils This is a list that is collaboratively created during Session Zero. Everyone agrees upon setting limitations regarding various topics and when to let the story progress in a “skip cutscene” manner. Lines: Hard boundaries. If a “line” is drawn at harming animals, these situations do not occur in your games. Veils: A soft boundary - this is more of a “fade to black” moment, where the story overlooks specific details and situations, but still acknowledges their existence. The X-card If a situation makes you uncomfortable, signaling (either with a physical card with an X on it, or writing it in the chat) the X-card means that whatever is going on is skipped or retconned. The game continues but avoids the specific direction it is currently headed. This is a no questions asked situation. You don’t have to explain why this situation bothers you, a healthy group will respect your choice and preference and move on. Open door policy In a situation, where you do not feel comfortable, you are permitted to simply get up and leave the table to either “take five” or stay away until the current situation is resolved. Or if the theme is simply overwhelming, you can excuse yourself for the rest of the session. It is important that the group agrees beforehand to respect the open door approach and will not judge the person choosing to opt out. “This will ruin the mood!” As a DM (or a player), you might fear that using safety tools will break the immersion. In reality, the opposite is true - players knowing that they and their preferences are respected will keep everyone on the same page. When a group has no discussed boundaries beforehand, players are likely to simply “shut down” during specific situations and simply disconnect either mentally or digitally from the game at hand. Since the story involves everyone in the group, everyone should feel like they want to be part of it. Knowing beforehand which themes and topics may be an issue for your players will help everyone in the group focus more on the game, and less on worrying or playing the “guessing game”, wondering whether the topic at hand is appropriate for everyone. How to react when a tool is used If you are the DM and someone uses the X-card or reminds of a “line”, here is a professional way to handle it: Stop. Pause the narration or situation immediately. Acknowledge. Say “Thanks for letting me know.” Don’t ask “Why” or try to downplay the situation. Respect the player and their decision Adjust. Change the scene. Feel free to “rewind” the scene and take it in a different direction. Instead of spiders in the room, there are goblins, wolves, mimics, dragons (okay lets not overdo it…), or nothing at all. Check-in. A quick “Everyone good?” to check whether the situation has been resolved. And continue the game. Why do we promote using safety tools? When meeting new people for the first time, you don’t have years of history to know what their triggers or boundaries are. And circling back to the “guessing game” - you shouldn’t be expected to know these. Instead clear communication will help your group in the long run. Using safety tools should be seen as a strong green flag. It tells others that you are a thoughtful player or a DM, who cares about the people behind the characters. You will turn the group of strangers into trusted players much faster. Be a brave player Great tabletop gaming stories are ones where players take risks, are vulnerable, come up with stupid plans (that somehow work) and defeat villains. Safety tools will guide your game in a direction where you don’t step on anyone’s toes and lets you focus on the game at hand. Ready to get into a game? Post your player profile on Groupfinder, or find a group where you can gather other like-minded, respectful, players.  If you know of a DM, who is looking to level up their group management - then share this article with them and help make the tabletop community a better and more enjoyable place for everyone. If you are ready to jump into a game, head over to our directory to find a D&D group looking for players right now.

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Software, Hardware, and Finding the Perfect Digital Table Dungeons & Dragons is known to be illustrated by people sitting around a table, rolling dice and eating snacks together. But with the rapid rise in popularity, many games are now happening online. Tables have extended beyond physical limitations and can now connect players in different countries or even continents.  Playing tabletop RPGs online has evolved from a backup plan into the preferred way to play for millions of players worldwide. Whether you are struggling to coordinate schedules with local friends or want to dive into the hobby for the very first time, playing online removes geographic boundaries entirely. This guide breaks down exactly how to play dnd online, detailing the tools you need, the best software available, and how to find a welcoming group. Hardware and setup You don't need a powerful gaming computer to play D&D, although making sure you meet the baseline requirements will help you avoid any technical glitches or issues and make sure the focus remains on what matters - the story itself. The computer A standard laptop or desktop computer is highly recommended. While you can access certain character sheets via your phone, running a virtual map, looking up rules, and participating in a voice call simultaneously requires the screen real estate of a proper monitor. The microphone Bad video is tolerable, bad audio ruins games. Built-in laptop microphones may pick up the sound of your computer's fans, your typing and every nearby siren. Invest in a dedicated USB microphone or a decent headset. Your party will thank you. Headphones over speakers Always wear headphones while playing online. If your microphone picks up the game audio coming out of your desktop speakers, it creates an unbearable echoing feedback loop for everyone else in the call. A webcam Ask your group what their camera policy is before Session 0. Some tables require webcams because reading facial expressions drastically improves roleplay and keeps players focused. Other groups prefer voice-only "Theater of the Mind" style play to protect privacy and keep things casual. The Virtual Tabletop (VTT) A Virtual Tabletop (VTT) is the software that acts as your digital table. It displays maps, tracks the locations of character tokens, and handles dice rolling (if your group decides to roll digital dice). Choosing the right one depends entirely on your budget and how much time you want to spend learning the software. Owlbear Rodeo Free (with premium tiers) Best for: Casual groups, fast setup, simplicity Roll20 Free / Optional subscription Best for: Browser-based play, massive player base FreeVTT Free with no registration required Best for: Online and in-person games Foundry VTT One-time GM fee ($50, free for players) Best for: Advanced automation, heavy modding, lighting Fantasy Grounds One-time Subscription or license tiers Best for: Deep rulebook integration, tactical automation and many others you can browse here If your game does not rely on battlemaps, you might not even need to set up a VTT system. Or your GM might direct a webcam at their table, where they have a physical grid or terrain removing the need for a digital platform setup. Video and voice Unless your game is "play by post" (text-based game through a chat or forum) you will need a platform to communicate on. For most people the primary choice will be Discord. Although there is a multitude of various other platforms (Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and many others alike) that work just as well. Some VTT platforms have integrated a video and voice module to keep things in one place. Make sure to test your microphone and video before the game begins to avoid the classic "Can you hear me? I cant hear you? Why can't you see my video" situation. How to be a great digital player Playing through a monitor requires a distinct set of social manners to keep the game moving smoothly. Implement these four simple habits to ensure your Game Master invites you back: Art of the Pause Online audio cuts out when multiple people speak at once. Practice leaving a tiny half-second buffer zone before speaking up to prevent accidentally talking over your fellow players or the GM. Minimize digital distractions It is incredibly easy to open a second browser window to browse social media or play a video game while another player is taking their turn in combat. Avoid this at all costs. GMs put hours of unpaid work into prepping maps and stories; give them your full attention. Remove the background noise If you are playing in a loud household, have pets that bark, or are chewing on snacks, turn on Push-to-Talk or keep your microphone muted whenever you aren't actively speaking. Test your tech early Don't wait until exactly game time to find out your browser needs an update or your headset isn't syncing. Log into your Discord channel 5 to 10 minutes early to run an audio diagnostic test and ensure everything is working smoothly. How to find an online group Once you have your headset plugged in and your necessary accounts created, you face the most notorious hurdle in the entire hobby: finding an active group of people to play with. With Groupfinder you can filter players and games by timezones, to make sure that your schedules align. There is a multitude of groups and players looking for their next game - Either reach out to a group or create your own player post.