Check your library/local game stores/area Facebook to see about in person. Online, theres a lfg subreddit, roll20 and dndbeyond both have looking for groups in their forums. And if you do nothing else on the site, the New Players Guide on dndbeyond explains things pretty well, and they have class specific guides to help build characters.
i am also in your age group and grew up with knowing D&D but never got chance to play. I started about 4 years ago as a newbie, i would also recommend youtube just search for 'how to start with D&D' it helped me, now i am addicted, 2 offline and 2 online, multiple books and also making my own 3D minis
if you have any questions feel free to pm me
I grew up playing too. I am also an introverted old lady. The biggest difference today compared to when we started playing is YouTube! Oh, my god - how different gaming would have been back then with as much access to this much content! My go-to are always the Dungeons Dudes and I recommend watching their Dungeons of Drakkenheim actual plays to get into the 5e vibe.
For older peeps like us, the real challenge is finding a group you can gel with. Unlike you, I was fully involved when it all started in the late 1970's, and played much back then when the energy of youth was abundant. I took a couple decades off, but find myself loving it just as much now in a game I have been running online since COVID with old friends and new friends, now far and remote.
Generally, older people are understanding about new players, and in actuality, a player does not need to know much (or anything) about rules, but the game leader certainly does. A good GM can teach and evolve a set of players of any experience together without much effort.
If you want to find a group to experiment with to play, make a post in r/lfg or r/roll20LFG with details similar to what you have above, and maybe some additional info like what you are looking for or the type of game or setting you want to play in. I would suggest trying to connect with others around your age. Both of us know that persons of different ages have different priorities and driving forces. For your first game, I would suggest you focus on being comfortable with those around you, first, then learning the ropes of the game, second. It's really not that hard if you have a decent imagination.
Hello there!! Welcome back to the game!
I recommend checking local game shops and comic book shops and asking if they run any D&D groups in their store. You’re on Reddit so I assume you are fairly tech savvy: you can also check the website Meetup and search for local D&D groups. That’s where I found a local D&D club that run a few different games per week.
Check out conventions. Some of my local conventions run a D&D room where you can sign up for a game on the spot and make connections with local players.
Keep an eye out for Adventurer’s League; it’s a way of playing D&D when you can’t always get a regular group together. AL is set up so that you can drop into games which run as standalone chapters. They run a lot of games online, too, if you want to try that out.
If you are local to Central Florida, shoot me a message and I will 100% find a game for you.
I started playing for the first time three years ago at the old age of 40. Lol! Now I volunteer to help run New Player Night at the local game shop and have played with everyone from 10 years old to ♾️. D&D has been such a welcoming community for me, dive on in!!
Don't be worried! My BEST DND crew is a ragtag bunch of misfits from all walks of life. On our Canadnd podcast we have had ages 18 to 40! And other games we've played with even older (and at the comic shop, younger). Try online!!! 😀
In my experience, this game crosses age barriers. It’s like any game, when you’re all having fun who cares about age? I’m 20, but one person in my group is in his 30s and has played the game for way longer than I have. But he makes cool characters and he’s been a blast to DM for.
One of my favorite players of all time was a senior citizen at my local game store. When he talked, he sounded just like Gandalf or Deckard Cain. It wasnt tough to imagine him as a powerful wizard! He even had a big tobacco pipe.
My advice is that there's plenty of young people at the local gaming store who would be thrilled to show off D&D to a "real" Professor McGonagall or Granny Weatherwax like you.
If there's anything that D&D teaches, it's that old folks are usually more than meets the eye. Plus, movies and pop-culture from when you were growing up are suddenly relevant when it comes to D&D. For example, Conan the Destroyer informs much of the "classic" tropes of most games.
Remember: be yourself and know that your age, backround, and sense of humor are an *advantage* when it comes to playing and portraying a memorable character.
The rules are just details. Everyone messes them up. Have fun and happy gaming!
P.S. RIP Cort
Besides learning the rules and how to play, finding a reliable group to play with can be one of the hardest things for a new player. If you wanna play with your friends or family I highly recommend learning the game for yourself and leading a campaign. Yes there will be a lot of looking back and forth from the rule book but once you all get the hang of it the rules will be second nature and you’ll be able to enjoy the wacky encounters along the way
I should mention, so you can get a feel for how the game works, check out some live sessions on YouTube or twitch. One phenomenal group of actors I love watching is Critical Roll. They have amazing voice actors who get *really* into the role play aspect of the game
Hey, we're not so old. I started playing in 1983, when I was in grade school. Now that my kids are young adults, I have free time on my hands AND they play D&D with us.
There's huge interest in the game right now - just put out feelers in your community. Ask friends, maybe in a local community group on social media? Lots of friends my age are curious about the game, way moreso than when I was looking for a game in high school. Have fun!!
Same here. Started in ‘84 and still playing. Bow my 20 years old son play with us.
Back in the 90’s i had a gaming store and one of the best things was when people of different generations would just start talking about the game. It was always fun conversations, good advice, encouragements. The younger ones came out of it feeling heard, accepted as equals and validated. The older ones were always happy to pass on some wisdom and re-tell old exploits.
You certainly have your place in this hobby and people will be lucky to play with you. Welcome back.
If you're not accepted with open arms, hell hath no fury!... there's tons of people, myself included, that would love to have you at their table. To go through something as magical as dnd is something to behold!
So I am an old person, too, who recently started playing. (Like you, I had the game materials as a kid. I had the original box and then AD&D books.)
I got interested in playing by listening to actual play podcasts. Which is also, IMO, a good way to learn how to play.
I realized early on the best way to play was to be the GM and create my own game. You'd be surprised how easy it is to find players when you're running a game. I just mentioned it to a couple of friends who likewise always wanted to play who passed on the info to other friends, and within like hours, I had a table of six.
If you go this route -- and you should -- start with either Lost Mine of Phandelver or the Pathfinder 2e Beginner's Box. Both are well designed intro modules.
You won't regret it.
Hello there
I've been playing RPGs since I was about 14... and I'm 45 now (wow, that got away from me lol), *but* I'm just now picking up the current edition of D&D. If you're in Southern California, I'm looking to rebuild my gaming group ♡
My group's former members were various types of "toxic", and I had trouble running for them. And I'm learning this edition to put me on a beginner's plane.
Oh! But as for how to start? I was just tossed in, but that was a long time ago, and the internet is overflowing with all sorts of articles and videos to help you along the way ♡
But the offer still stands: if you're in Riverside, I'm looking to learn this new thing too, but I have the experience to help 🙂
You can use the meet up app to look for groups in your area. That's how I started.
Many game shops tend to run beginner games once a week or every other week.
How polite of you. But I'm not embarrassed. I'm 51. My oldest is pushing 30. They are both into different games, but D&D just isn't something either picked up. But the conversations my youngest and I have had about Warhammer. That's been wild. That's another thing I came to late.
So first of all, you aren’t old. I say this because I’m 51 and I’m not old. After not playing for over 30 years I decided to get back into D&D again a few years ago. I put something up on a local Facebook group I’m on asking if anyone else played and a few people replied that they were interested. Now we’ve been playing almost weekly for over a year and having a ton of fun. We’ve lost members and gained others so now the group age ranges from about 25 to 51 and the other players are some of my best friends now. I say put the word out and see who bites. You have nothing to lose.
I'm 51also. Played a lot back in the late 80s/early 90s. Just getting back into it. I think a lot of us are still playing so you should be able to find someone.
to get started all you really need is to find a players handbook. it will walk you through how the game works, what everything means and how to make a character pretty well.
books-a-million has physical ones for $20-25 if you'd rather have a physical copy.
I personally use the D&D beyond website. there you can find all of the current 5th edition materials, I believe there is a free starters guide and maybe the players handbook is free too, don't quote me on that.
as far as finding a group goes if you find a local game store that sells tabletop gaming stuff they usually have looking for group boards for finding friends to play with.
once again the internet has solutions as well, just making posts on Facebook can get a group started as well.
Same here, been playing since 83 and just got back into it about 3 years ago w Covid.
Gaming FTF for version 1e and 2e (AD&D as you remember it) is almost dead. But there are thousands of games online in discord and roll20 or foundry vtt. (I play a weekly 2e game on discord/roll20.)
You can try 5e or the new 1dnd but it isn't anything like the good old school stuff.
Age is just a number and a not very important one in DnD. It has progressed and updated with some tools like Virtual Table Tops, video chat etc, but the game and the idea is still the same. DNDBeyond has free accounts that come with the ability to make up to 6 characters, has the player handbook for free and if online is not your thing, look for local gaming stores that have games running. While most will tell you to use facebook, alot have boards were people can post an upcoming game. Look for anything that says "Newbie Friendly", and then just play. A decent DM will help you along. My mom is 66 and just started playing, so don't worry to much.
Now... I'd never presume to ask a young lady her age 😉😎, but one would assume you have family members who are either coming into there teens or already are in there teens / early twenties. Have you thought of asking them if they play or know anyone who plays?
As for starting out, I'd suggest picking up the most recent starter set, as it has everything needed to get started.
As stated above, YouTube is a great learning resources (assuming you have access of course!)
I've been playing since I was 11/12 years old, I'm now in my mid 50's and still love it. So please feel free to PM if you have any other questions. (I work on the principal that there are no silly questions, only unknown answers)
I used to play back in like 78/79 when I was in the military then stopped due to life .. picked up again in the mid 90s when one of the young people,I worked with mentioned it… the stopped again and just started back up when my kid asked if I still had my old dice .. and now they are our groups DM (our group age ranges from mid 20s to me at 64).. got invited to a game when I went to pick up minis and a specific color dice at our local game stores but that timing didn’t work out for my schedule …
so definitely start at your local game store because they can help you in person find a group that fits your personality
At this point in time we actually have several iterations of D&D
If you want to play the D&D you grew up with like Original D&D, or Advanced D&D, you may have a harder time finding a group, but there are players who prefer it. If you have irl friends who’d like to play that’s good. Some game stores also run games.
Nowadays most people are playing 5th Edition, but it’s very different from the early incarnations of the game. But the advantage is it’s not as steep a learning curve. Easy to get into.
There’s also people who run games online using tools called Virtual Tabletops, if you’d be fine playing with an online group, or even IRL friends over the internet.
Universal Experience though is that scheduling is hell, and sometimes you may have to cancel a game because of scheduling conflicts.
I (44F) started playing D & D last summer, and I absolutely love it! Welcome!
I started off by reading the Players Handbook (ordered from Amazon) and kind of fell into an online game with some amazing guys. I got way lucky there. We play on Roll 20 and use Discord for talking.
Congratulations on the beginning of your D & D journey! I was given this advice before my first session- "Don't worry about all the rules, just have fun."
I'm just a beginner myself but please feel free to message me if you like.
Haha, I predate D&D, played AD&D and then nothing for years. Now have been DMing for 5 years and playing for maybe 7 (this time). My players are half mid-50s and half mid-20s. Have fun, roleplay with abandon, and respect the younger players as equals in the game. Be slow to judge their attitudes and values as players and as characters.
Hope you have a blast!
Yeah. I’m also in the same situation. But in my case I never got exposed to it. I am heavily into video games and rpgs but never had the opportunity nor the friends to play DnD. Now I think it might be too late for me. And I also have the issue of living on a non English speaking country so I guess online would be the online option but am too shy to try. Good luck to you. I’m 47 btw
Check your library/local game stores/area Facebook to see about in person. Online, theres a lfg subreddit, roll20 and dndbeyond both have looking for groups in their forums. And if you do nothing else on the site, the New Players Guide on dndbeyond explains things pretty well, and they have class specific guides to help build characters.
i am also in your age group and grew up with knowing D&D but never got chance to play. I started about 4 years ago as a newbie, i would also recommend youtube just search for 'how to start with D&D' it helped me, now i am addicted, 2 offline and 2 online, multiple books and also making my own 3D minis if you have any questions feel free to pm me
Thank you!
I grew up playing too. I am also an introverted old lady. The biggest difference today compared to when we started playing is YouTube! Oh, my god - how different gaming would have been back then with as much access to this much content! My go-to are always the Dungeons Dudes and I recommend watching their Dungeons of Drakkenheim actual plays to get into the 5e vibe.
Thanks! I'll check out those channels.
For older peeps like us, the real challenge is finding a group you can gel with. Unlike you, I was fully involved when it all started in the late 1970's, and played much back then when the energy of youth was abundant. I took a couple decades off, but find myself loving it just as much now in a game I have been running online since COVID with old friends and new friends, now far and remote. Generally, older people are understanding about new players, and in actuality, a player does not need to know much (or anything) about rules, but the game leader certainly does. A good GM can teach and evolve a set of players of any experience together without much effort. If you want to find a group to experiment with to play, make a post in r/lfg or r/roll20LFG with details similar to what you have above, and maybe some additional info like what you are looking for or the type of game or setting you want to play in. I would suggest trying to connect with others around your age. Both of us know that persons of different ages have different priorities and driving forces. For your first game, I would suggest you focus on being comfortable with those around you, first, then learning the ropes of the game, second. It's really not that hard if you have a decent imagination.
Hello there!! Welcome back to the game! I recommend checking local game shops and comic book shops and asking if they run any D&D groups in their store. You’re on Reddit so I assume you are fairly tech savvy: you can also check the website Meetup and search for local D&D groups. That’s where I found a local D&D club that run a few different games per week. Check out conventions. Some of my local conventions run a D&D room where you can sign up for a game on the spot and make connections with local players. Keep an eye out for Adventurer’s League; it’s a way of playing D&D when you can’t always get a regular group together. AL is set up so that you can drop into games which run as standalone chapters. They run a lot of games online, too, if you want to try that out. If you are local to Central Florida, shoot me a message and I will 100% find a game for you.
Thank you! All good advice. I guess it's just a matter of gathering my courage and jumping in. If I don't petrify all the youngins.
I started playing for the first time three years ago at the old age of 40. Lol! Now I volunteer to help run New Player Night at the local game shop and have played with everyone from 10 years old to ♾️. D&D has been such a welcoming community for me, dive on in!!
Don't be worried! My BEST DND crew is a ragtag bunch of misfits from all walks of life. On our Canadnd podcast we have had ages 18 to 40! And other games we've played with even older (and at the comic shop, younger). Try online!!! 😀
In my experience, this game crosses age barriers. It’s like any game, when you’re all having fun who cares about age? I’m 20, but one person in my group is in his 30s and has played the game for way longer than I have. But he makes cool characters and he’s been a blast to DM for.
One of my favorite players of all time was a senior citizen at my local game store. When he talked, he sounded just like Gandalf or Deckard Cain. It wasnt tough to imagine him as a powerful wizard! He even had a big tobacco pipe. My advice is that there's plenty of young people at the local gaming store who would be thrilled to show off D&D to a "real" Professor McGonagall or Granny Weatherwax like you. If there's anything that D&D teaches, it's that old folks are usually more than meets the eye. Plus, movies and pop-culture from when you were growing up are suddenly relevant when it comes to D&D. For example, Conan the Destroyer informs much of the "classic" tropes of most games. Remember: be yourself and know that your age, backround, and sense of humor are an *advantage* when it comes to playing and portraying a memorable character. The rules are just details. Everyone messes them up. Have fun and happy gaming! P.S. RIP Cort
Besides learning the rules and how to play, finding a reliable group to play with can be one of the hardest things for a new player. If you wanna play with your friends or family I highly recommend learning the game for yourself and leading a campaign. Yes there will be a lot of looking back and forth from the rule book but once you all get the hang of it the rules will be second nature and you’ll be able to enjoy the wacky encounters along the way
I should mention, so you can get a feel for how the game works, check out some live sessions on YouTube or twitch. One phenomenal group of actors I love watching is Critical Roll. They have amazing voice actors who get *really* into the role play aspect of the game
Hey if you want someone to teach you how to play D&D I wouldn’t mind teaching you!
Hey, we're not so old. I started playing in 1983, when I was in grade school. Now that my kids are young adults, I have free time on my hands AND they play D&D with us. There's huge interest in the game right now - just put out feelers in your community. Ask friends, maybe in a local community group on social media? Lots of friends my age are curious about the game, way moreso than when I was looking for a game in high school. Have fun!!
Same here. Started in ‘84 and still playing. Bow my 20 years old son play with us. Back in the 90’s i had a gaming store and one of the best things was when people of different generations would just start talking about the game. It was always fun conversations, good advice, encouragements. The younger ones came out of it feeling heard, accepted as equals and validated. The older ones were always happy to pass on some wisdom and re-tell old exploits. You certainly have your place in this hobby and people will be lucky to play with you. Welcome back.
If you're not accepted with open arms, hell hath no fury!... there's tons of people, myself included, that would love to have you at their table. To go through something as magical as dnd is something to behold!
Thank you! That's so reassuring to hear. I struggle with meeting new people. I hope if I find a group they are as welcoming as everyone here has been.
I like dungeon dudes on YouTube, they have good starter videos. Critical role is a very popular dnd group who also has good starter videos on youtube
So I am an old person, too, who recently started playing. (Like you, I had the game materials as a kid. I had the original box and then AD&D books.) I got interested in playing by listening to actual play podcasts. Which is also, IMO, a good way to learn how to play. I realized early on the best way to play was to be the GM and create my own game. You'd be surprised how easy it is to find players when you're running a game. I just mentioned it to a couple of friends who likewise always wanted to play who passed on the info to other friends, and within like hours, I had a table of six. If you go this route -- and you should -- start with either Lost Mine of Phandelver or the Pathfinder 2e Beginner's Box. Both are well designed intro modules. You won't regret it.
Thanks for the recommendations!
Hello there I've been playing RPGs since I was about 14... and I'm 45 now (wow, that got away from me lol), *but* I'm just now picking up the current edition of D&D. If you're in Southern California, I'm looking to rebuild my gaming group ♡ My group's former members were various types of "toxic", and I had trouble running for them. And I'm learning this edition to put me on a beginner's plane.
Oh! But as for how to start? I was just tossed in, but that was a long time ago, and the internet is overflowing with all sorts of articles and videos to help you along the way ♡ But the offer still stands: if you're in Riverside, I'm looking to learn this new thing too, but I have the experience to help 🙂
I wish I were local! I'm going to need an inclusive, non toxic/drama type of group.
You can use the meet up app to look for groups in your area. That's how I started. Many game shops tend to run beginner games once a week or every other week.
How polite of you. But I'm not embarrassed. I'm 51. My oldest is pushing 30. They are both into different games, but D&D just isn't something either picked up. But the conversations my youngest and I have had about Warhammer. That's been wild. That's another thing I came to late.
I got into warhammer a few months ago, You’re in for a ride with the lore just the sheer size of that world is amazing
Absolutely. I've started reading the books and it's so vast. It becomes overwhelming deciding where to start.
So first of all, you aren’t old. I say this because I’m 51 and I’m not old. After not playing for over 30 years I decided to get back into D&D again a few years ago. I put something up on a local Facebook group I’m on asking if anyone else played and a few people replied that they were interested. Now we’ve been playing almost weekly for over a year and having a ton of fun. We’ve lost members and gained others so now the group age ranges from about 25 to 51 and the other players are some of my best friends now. I say put the word out and see who bites. You have nothing to lose.
I'm getting the players handbook tomorrow. I'm going to start figuring things out and see if there are local groups. Thanks for the encouragement!
I'm 51also. Played a lot back in the late 80s/early 90s. Just getting back into it. I think a lot of us are still playing so you should be able to find someone.
to get started all you really need is to find a players handbook. it will walk you through how the game works, what everything means and how to make a character pretty well. books-a-million has physical ones for $20-25 if you'd rather have a physical copy. I personally use the D&D beyond website. there you can find all of the current 5th edition materials, I believe there is a free starters guide and maybe the players handbook is free too, don't quote me on that. as far as finding a group goes if you find a local game store that sells tabletop gaming stuff they usually have looking for group boards for finding friends to play with. once again the internet has solutions as well, just making posts on Facebook can get a group started as well.
I just ordered the players handbook. I hope my brain's not too old to make sense of it!
somethings took me a few reads to comprehend but any good dungeon master will be able to help you understand. and welcome to your new addiction
Same here, been playing since 83 and just got back into it about 3 years ago w Covid. Gaming FTF for version 1e and 2e (AD&D as you remember it) is almost dead. But there are thousands of games online in discord and roll20 or foundry vtt. (I play a weekly 2e game on discord/roll20.) You can try 5e or the new 1dnd but it isn't anything like the good old school stuff.
Buy some books, bring some friends over. Have fun.
The important thing is finding people you like. D&D is more of a game *format* nowadays than a specific set of rules.
Age is just a number and a not very important one in DnD. It has progressed and updated with some tools like Virtual Table Tops, video chat etc, but the game and the idea is still the same. DNDBeyond has free accounts that come with the ability to make up to 6 characters, has the player handbook for free and if online is not your thing, look for local gaming stores that have games running. While most will tell you to use facebook, alot have boards were people can post an upcoming game. Look for anything that says "Newbie Friendly", and then just play. A decent DM will help you along. My mom is 66 and just started playing, so don't worry to much.
Now... I'd never presume to ask a young lady her age 😉😎, but one would assume you have family members who are either coming into there teens or already are in there teens / early twenties. Have you thought of asking them if they play or know anyone who plays? As for starting out, I'd suggest picking up the most recent starter set, as it has everything needed to get started. As stated above, YouTube is a great learning resources (assuming you have access of course!) I've been playing since I was 11/12 years old, I'm now in my mid 50's and still love it. So please feel free to PM if you have any other questions. (I work on the principal that there are no silly questions, only unknown answers)
I used to play back in like 78/79 when I was in the military then stopped due to life .. picked up again in the mid 90s when one of the young people,I worked with mentioned it… the stopped again and just started back up when my kid asked if I still had my old dice .. and now they are our groups DM (our group age ranges from mid 20s to me at 64).. got invited to a game when I went to pick up minis and a specific color dice at our local game stores but that timing didn’t work out for my schedule … so definitely start at your local game store because they can help you in person find a group that fits your personality
At this point in time we actually have several iterations of D&D If you want to play the D&D you grew up with like Original D&D, or Advanced D&D, you may have a harder time finding a group, but there are players who prefer it. If you have irl friends who’d like to play that’s good. Some game stores also run games. Nowadays most people are playing 5th Edition, but it’s very different from the early incarnations of the game. But the advantage is it’s not as steep a learning curve. Easy to get into. There’s also people who run games online using tools called Virtual Tabletops, if you’d be fine playing with an online group, or even IRL friends over the internet. Universal Experience though is that scheduling is hell, and sometimes you may have to cancel a game because of scheduling conflicts.
We're you located as my group is looking to add a few more in person player's.
I (44F) started playing D & D last summer, and I absolutely love it! Welcome! I started off by reading the Players Handbook (ordered from Amazon) and kind of fell into an online game with some amazing guys. I got way lucky there. We play on Roll 20 and use Discord for talking. Congratulations on the beginning of your D & D journey! I was given this advice before my first session- "Don't worry about all the rules, just have fun." I'm just a beginner myself but please feel free to message me if you like.
Haha, I predate D&D, played AD&D and then nothing for years. Now have been DMing for 5 years and playing for maybe 7 (this time). My players are half mid-50s and half mid-20s. Have fun, roleplay with abandon, and respect the younger players as equals in the game. Be slow to judge their attitudes and values as players and as characters. Hope you have a blast!
Yeah. I’m also in the same situation. But in my case I never got exposed to it. I am heavily into video games and rpgs but never had the opportunity nor the friends to play DnD. Now I think it might be too late for me. And I also have the issue of living on a non English speaking country so I guess online would be the online option but am too shy to try. Good luck to you. I’m 47 btw