On the way to the tavern… A Tutorial Session for New D&D Players

Teaching new players how to play D&D can be tricky. That’s why I’ve created a template you can use to run a tutorial session before your campaign even begins. This post breaks down how to introduce basic mechanics like combat, social interaction, and exploration in a structured, low-stakes scenario—just like a video game tutorial.

The tutorial template is intentionally simple and straightforward. It’s designed to be a ramp-up to the real adventure, so it doesn’t matter if you railroad a bit—your goal is to help new players get comfortable with the game’s building blocks, not to throw them into deep roleplay right away.

I use a scenario that includes three days of travel on the road to a tavern. On day one, players learn about movement and exploration. Day two introduces combat in a simple encounter with some low-level ruffians, so players can practice rolling initiative, attacking, and taking damage. Day three adds a social encounter, helping new players get the hang of talking to NPCs and using skills like persuasion.

I also talk about how you can adjust this template for homebrew campaigns or modules like The Lost Mine of Phandelver, tying it directly to characters like Gundren Rockseeker. Plus, I share how I incorporate dScryb—an online tool full of evocative scene descriptions—to make these practice scenarios come alive.

At the end of the video, you’ll find a link to a Google Doc with the full tutorial session, which you can tweak to fit your game’s needs. And if you’re using dScryb, there’s a discount code you can use to save on your first month’s subscription if you want to explore even more of their content.

If you’ve got your own tips for introducing new players to D&D—or if you’ve ever tried a tutorial session yourself—I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

Cheers!
Brian