Self Paced Dungeons and Dragons for Absolute Beginners

PLEASE NOTE: this class is for students who do NOT know how to play D&D.  Students who already know how to play will be bored!

Are you interested in D&D but overwhelmed by all the rules and options?   Whether you've never played, or only played a few times, this five week class will explain all the different choices and rules when it comes to Dungeons and Dragons!

Each week's lesson includes a video and a PDF that cover one aspect of D&D.  Each week includes an activity that learners will take part in using the Outschool classroom.  The first lesson will involve creating a character portrait either by finding appropriate images online or artistically creating their own.   Subsequent weeks will feature short, easy play-by-post style sessions that highlight what learners have just learned, giving them a chance to see the rules applied in action.

The first lesson will go over the options for choosing races and classes and the benefits given by each.  We'll also look at an official character sheet and recommend websites where learners can quickly generate their own character sheets or find premade character sheets.  Learners can choose or create artwork to portray their character.

The second lesson will discuss stats and skills - in other words, what all those numbers mean, and what skill gets used when.  Learners will learn about the differences between ability checks, saving throws, and contests.  To see how these things work in action, we will play through a short scenario featuring several different obstacles to overcome.

The third lesson will cover spellcasting, including how to calculate spell attack bonuses and spell save DCs, and when to use each of those.  I'll explain the difference between cantrips and spells that use spell slots, targeted spells and area of affect spells, and what is needed to cast spells.  We'll have a fun dueling session to practice casting spells.

Lesson four will focus on monsters.  We'll go over the different types of monsters, how to read a monster's stat block,  and what the different animal-taming skills and spells can actually do.  To try out what we've learned, we'll play through a short encounter where students will find an injured monster and figure out how to tend to it.

In the fifth and final lesson, we'll talk about the mechanics of combat.  I'll explain the different properties of weapons and armor, how to make an attack roll, and how to calculate damage.  We'll also go over other actions you can take during combat, and when to expect an opportunity attack.  We'll also fend off an attack by goblins to end the class!

By the end of this five week long class, learners should feel confident in playing D&D!  My goal is to make sure that you have a lot of fun while getting a good grasp of the basics.  I'll also make sure to remind learners that NOBODY knows all the rules to D&D, and that even very experienced Dungeon Masters and players have to look up rules or info on spells or monsters, so they will have the confidence to play with friends and family!