Getting started
Your first two weeks with original D&D
A calm onboarding path for new players and first-time original-edition referees.
Day one
Start with Original D&D (1974) on Wikipedia and our glossary for hit dice, referee, and underworld & wilderness.
Pick a scope
One underworld wing or wilderness stretch, a stocking reminder, two faction wants—enough for a night. Empty rooms are allowed.
Teach the table
Show the two scales with one short delve. Explain when you will call for a ruling instead of hunting a missing paragraph.
After session one
Key what you touched, date the stocking rolls, name any stronghold seeds. Guest referees inherit paper, not vibes.
Chainmail lineage pages and named designer posts beat anonymous proto-OSR roundups. Next stops: Guides, Resources, Community, FAQ.
Related desks in this neighborhood
Sibling desks cover AD&D, OSR frameworks, and later edition crates when you need a different dialect with the same sandbox heart.