D&D Basics: Dice, Character Sheets, and How Turns Work

Rachel Dove
1 day ago
2 min read

Starting Dungeons & Dragons for the first time? Here’s a simple guide to the core basics, perfect for new players who want to jump in without feeling lost.

How to Roll Dice in D&D

D&D uses a set of polyhedral dice, each with a different number of sides. The most important is the d20 (twenty-sided die), used for most actions. Here’s what you need to know:

d20: Roll this for attacks, skill checks, and saving throws. Add any relevant modifiers from your character sheet.
d12, d10, d8, d6, d4: Used for damage, spells, and special abilities. The rules or your character sheet will tell you which to use.
How to Read Rolls: If you see “1d6+2,” that means roll one six-sided die and add 2 to the result.

What’s a Character Sheet?

A character sheet is your D&D “profile.” It tracks everything about your character:

Ability Scores: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. These shape what your character is good at.
Skills: Things like Stealth, Perception, or Persuasion. Each is tied to an ability score.
Armor Class (AC): How hard you are to hit.
Hit Points (HP): How much damage you can take before going down.
Equipment: Weapons, armor, gear, and magic items.
Spells: If you’re a spellcaster, this section tracks your spells and how often you can use them.

If you’re using a digital sheet (like D&D Beyond), most of this is filled in automatically as you make choices.

How Turns Work in D&D

D&D is played in rounds, especially during combat. Here’s how it works:

Initiative: Everyone rolls a d20 to see who goes first and adds their DEX or initiative modifier to the result.
On Your Turn: You can usually move (up to your speed) and take one action (like attacking, casting a spell, or helping a friend). Some characters can also take a bonus action or reaction.
Order of Play: Players and monsters take turns in initiative order until combat ends.
Roleplay: Outside of combat, turns are flexible. Players talk, make decisions, and interact with the world in whatever order makes sense.

Ready to Try It?

D&D is about having fun and telling a story together. Don’t worry about memorizing everything, your group and DM will help you out as you play. If you want to learn more or find a beginner-friendly group, join our community on the Dungeons Not Dating App or check out our other guides for new players!