Quick Starting RPGs
Opening the dungeon doors
The premise - a resource of TTRPG quick starts. Free to access, often with simplified rules, introductions to games of all kinds.
I originally wanted to create this resource for a gaming-centered employee resource group at my workplace, but that group has failed before launch thanks to the current federal administration and previous governor of my state doing everything they could to kill DEI efforts in professional settings (I work for a state agency, so our leadership and policies can be heavily influenced by the executive branch of state government). With the official group stuck in the planning phase, we're just going to have to take things into our own hands. This resource is for anyone who asks "how can I get started with playing RPGs?" or asks their friend who plays "hey, can I join your group?".
Having been a gamer all my life, of basically every media and form of gaming, I know first-hand the ability for gaming to be a strong social force. I really do believe in The Importance of Play for Adults, and since starting to play TTRPGs in 2024 I agree with Mike Shea that Playing D&D Can Save Your Life. I've always loved playing all kinds of games with my friends, or talking about our solo gaming experiences together, but TTRPGs have the added strength of being inherently social experiences. Of course, there are solo RPG options, but that's outside my experience so I'll just point here if that's what you want.
Which brings me back around to this post. I want an easy way to share free entry-points into the hobby of TTRPGs for people who are curious. Remove as many barriers to entry as possible. Even invite people to be the one who organizes their friends and offers to be the Game Master.
What's not included? I wanted to keep this as focused as possible, so I have tried to restrict it primarily to free quickstarts. A few, very cheap, paid options were allowed for one game's quickstarts due to the significance of that particular game. After I exhuasted all the quickstarts, I have included some games which provide their full rules for free, and some other general resources for RPGs. I did not include games which only provide a starter set and no free option (there may be one exception, specific beats general), but starter sets are another great way to get into the hobby or a particular game!
The 800 pound dragon
Dungeons & Dragons is the obvious choice for most people, and the only game that I've played in my 18 months worth of RPG experience. It's the one game that could truly be considered a house-hold name, and for many people it holds a similar position to Band-Aid - the brand is synonymous with the generic product. So much so, that even if people are playing a thoroughly different RPG they will still tell "outsiders" that they are "playing D&D." I'll start with the free options for playing D&D, but it's far from the only choice.
Dungeons, dragons, elves and wizards not your thing? No problem, we've got RPGs to fit every genre.
Put off by the idea of three massive hardback core rulebooks? Cool, here's a simplified version covered in a few dozen pages. Still too much? We can get down to a single sheet of paper. Roleplaying games are an ocean, but this resource is intended to be your first step into the river leading to that ocean. Similarly to D&D, there are a few other games which warrant special mention thanks to their historical significance and popularity in the RPG community; however, that doesn't mean the remaining games presented in the list should be viewed as lesser. Find the game that appeals to you, and your friends, and start with that one!
But I don't know anyone to run the game for me...
Congratulations, you've just won honor of being the Game Master for your friends! Seriously, don't be afraid to try! The page for D&D will include some great advice resources for starting the journey of being a GM, but the best lesson is just to get started. If you're the type of person who wants to read and understand the full rules of the game, you can make a great GM. If you can't decide what kind of character you want to play, because you want to play all the class options, then you can make a great GM. The GM gets to play loads of different characters and class options (monsters); on top of that, you get to see all the characters in action as your players do their cool things! If you like to help and teach other people, you can make a great GM; your players will always need your help in understanding the rules and how their character should function. Being a GM is great, and not nearly as hard as it seems from the outside. It's not exactly easy, and it can be a nearly limitless pursuit for improvement, but that's not the same thing as being hard to do.
Doorways to the depths
Libraries are another great (free) source for starting with RPGs! Many libraries will have copies of all kinds of RPG books, including full rulebooks. You may also find learn to play events, gaming group nights, or you could start your own!
I'll offer just one last tip for once you're hooked into playing RPGs, and ready to spend some money. Check out the book and software bundles on Humble Bundle and the ever revolving offerings from Bundle of Holding for some absolutely unbeatable deals on collections of RPG books.
A living resource for the community
I have to say a huge "thank you!" to the Sly Flourish Discord community for helping me compile all these resources; they provided me with the links to all but two of the quickstarts presented in this series of posts.
I would like to consider this a living resource, and I'm happy to continue to update it with quickstarts I have missed or which come later. Please leave a comment here or on the appropriate sub-post, or contact me some other way, if you want to add your favorite game to the resource and share it with the RPG community.
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