Can you play D&D without buying anything?

Dungeons & Dragons is more popular than ever, and each year we see more and more people join the hobby. But the expensive range of hardcover books available might give you pause—especially if you are on a budget. So, can you play D&D without buying anything? The answer is an emphatic Yes!

Basic Rules

The company that publishes Dungeons & Dragons is called Wizards of the Coast (WOTC). They have generously released a free, slimmed-down version of the game called the D&D Basic Rules. You can download it here. 

Some of you will be dismayed when you realize that the "slimmed-down" and "basic" version of the rules run to about 180 pages of tightly packed text! Don't worry. The vast majority of published D&D material is just for reference, and there is no need to try and learn it all. 

If you are new to the game, I recommend you read the following pages in the Basic Rules:

• Pages 3-6, which introduce the main concepts

• Pages 60-65, which describe the core mechanic

• Page 68, specifically the section on the adventuring environment

• Page 70, specifically the section on resting

• Pages 72-80, which describe combat

• Pages 82-85, which describe spellcasting

That's about 25 pages in total, which is a bit more digestible!

Dice Alternatives

Aside from the rules, you need pencils, paper, and polyhedral dice to play D&D. The different dice are referred to by the letter d followed by the number of sides: d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20. For instance, a d6 is a six-sided die. 

You can order dice very cheaply online (search for "cheap polyhedral dice"), but there are alternatives if you don't want to spend any money at all. For example, Google publishes a free online dice roller—click here to see it. It works pretty well.

There are also many dice rolling apps available on your smartphone. Go to the app store and type in "dice roller," then scroll down until you come to those that support polyhedral dice. 

There are also some physical options using everyday household items. You could pull out the numbered cards from a regular deck of playing cards and use those. You could also use a permanent marker to number a set of marbles or coins and then draw them from a cup. Finally, you can divide a piece of paper or card into square chits and number those, also pulling the chit from a cup. 

Characters

To play Dungeons & Dragons, you need a character. Creating a new character is one of the really fun aspects of the game, but it can be a little daunting for newcomers. If you want to give it a go, pages 8-58 of the Basic Rules describe how to do it. 

There are alternatives to creating a character. WOTC has released five pre-generated characters, which you can download here. These come from their Starter Set, and they include personality information, suggested names, and information about how to "level up." 

WOTC also provides this page, which contains 16 pre-generated characters. These characters are presented in a compact format, and the download package includes versions for every level up to 10. This page is an excellent option if you need a higher level character in a hurry.

For those who want more variety, the Digital Dungeon Master has an archive of over a thousand pre-generated characters. You can access it here. It includes options for various subclasses, and it gives character statistics for levels 1 through 20. Truly impressive. 

Those who prefer digital tools should consider registering on D&D Beyond, the official D&D digital platform. The free account lets you create characters with the Basic Rules, using sophisticated digital tools. 

An Adventure

The final thing you need to play D&D is an adventure. A D&D adventure is a set of challenges that you place before the characters you have just created. You use a combination of your wits and the dice to overcome those challenges. 

You can create your own adventures, and many people do just that. But for those starting out, it is probably best to run some pre-written adventures first to get a feel for the game. If you google up "free D&D adventures," you will see a LOT of options, but it can be hard to navigate through it all.

I recently put together a list of 20 high-quality free D&D adventures, which you can access here. Look for titles aimed at 1st level characters.

Here is another option. If you use the box at the bottom of this page to join my mailing list, I will email you a FREE copy of an adventure called Temple of the Nightbringers. Hundreds of people have played this adventure over the years, and everyone says it is effortless to run and also provides a solid introduction to the game. I recommend you check it out.

Happy gaming!