How to Find People to Play Dungeons and Dragons With (Online or In-Person)
How to Find People to Play D&D With (Online or In-Person)
Finding the right group to play Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) with is super important to the new player (or DM) experience. Whether you're looking to meet in person, or play somewhere like Discord, hopefully this guide is helpful!
Where To Find Local D&D Groups?
Honestly, I much prefer playing Dungeons and Dragons in person, as there's just no better feeling than seeing the looks on everyone's faces when a player does something stupid (ex. Rolling a crit fail on a level one townsperson):
- Game Stores: Many local game or hobby stores host regular D&D sessions or have bulletin boards advertising groups seeking new members. Places like Warhammer or trading card stores
- Meetup Groups on Facebook: Modern Facebook is kinda weird and the regular feed can be inundated with ads, I've found it to be great for joining local groups and finding people who enjoy things in my local area.
- Local College Gaming Clubs: If you're near a college or university, gaming or tabletop clubs often welcome regular people, and not just students.
- Social Media Posts: Sometimes the simplest method is best—post on your own social media accounts asking if anyone you already know plays D&D or wants to start a group.
- Coworkers: This is how I found my current DND group. At some point the topic of me wanting to play DND came up, and they said "Hey, why don't you just join my group?". And the rest is history...
How Do I Find Online D&D Games to Join?
Playing online (like on Discord) is significantly more convenient, and is a great way to find D&D groups. Here are some platforms to get try
- Discord: There are a ton of large, small, medium, and in-between sized servers that are dedicated to DND. I definitely prefer the more tight knit ones, as you get more time to bond with players and DMs.
- Roll20: Roll20 is an awesome platform for finding and playing DND. It specifically shows your DM, tags (like if it's for new players), and tons of info before you even join the group. Also, it's free tier is actually pretty good.
- PS. Foundry is similar to Roll20, but is a one-time purchase rather than a recurring subscription
- Reddit: Check out subreddits specifically for finding groups like r/lfg and r/roll20LFG.
- StartPlaying: This one is generally described as being okay by the community. I've never used it, but figured I'd include it for posterity.
Can I Play D&D as a Beginner with Strangers?
Definitely! As a first timer, it's super important to vet the group to ensure their playstyle is gonna match the style of play you're looking for (and of course, to ensure they're willing to teach newbies):
- Clarify the style of play: Are they sticklers for the rules, or do they prefer a more casual, silly style?
- Discuss expectations and comfort levels: Make sure their approach matches what you're looking for in gameplay.
What I try to remember when nervous about something in DND, is similar to the "imagine the crowd in their underwear" phrase — everyone is there to play pretend.
Thinking About Becoming a Dungeon Master (DM)?
Being a DM is super fun and rewarding. Nothing beats all the players looking at you with their mouths wide open. I highly recommend starting with a pre-made module for your first time. So check out this article on the Best Pre-Made D&D Modules.
If you want some awesome looking printable enemy cards, check out my Etsy listing below!
