by How do you find a D&D campaign online? Follow a few “unwritten rules,” and you will have a much better chance than most—the top five unwritten rules of online D&D groups when campaign hunting are presented below.
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Rules of Online D&D are Well-kept Secrets
Most D&D people will never speak these rules aloud (let alone write them down). This is because it is SO hard to find a game right now; the fewer people that know, the better. We don’t want any more players competing with us to find a good game.
I’m going to tell you the rules anyway—because I am nice, and D&D people actually do want to grow this hobby. But we want it to grow in a positive direction, and these rules promote that direction.
Rule 1: Don’t Be That Person
Do not be someone other people don’t want to play with. The most important skill you can learn, as far as D&D goes, is how to be a fun, cooperative player. If you can truly excel at this – you will never have trouble finding a good campaign.
Do Not Do These Things…
It is easier to tell you how not to behave regarding this rule. It is impossible to overemphasize these “don’ts.” Don’t do them if you really want to play.
- Don’t hog the spotlight
- Don’t interrupt
- Don’t go off on your own
- Don’t attempt to impress with how much you know about the game (no one cares)
Rule 2: Find an Online Community and Talk
Discord is the #1 spot for online D&D, and there are a ton of D&D Discord servers out there. Find one you like and be active in it. Chat. Share. Ask questions. Let people in the server get to know you. These groups are not hard to find. Go to Facebook and join one of many D&D groups and ask for some Discord server suggestions. Your very best chance for finding a great campaign is first to find some good D&D friends. This rule will repay you endlessly throughout your D&D lifetime.
Rule 3: Scour the Big Three
There are three main online sites that have a lot of “looking for player” (LFP/G) want ads: Reddit, D&D Beyond’s Discord server and Roll20. Check them every day, multiple times a day. Those ads get a ton of responses, so you want to be one of the first to see them. Jump on anything that might work for you. Reply to way more LFP ads than you actually have time for. You will be lucky to get one response out of every five you reply to.
Rule 4: Over-Share!
When you find a game, you want to try to give them as much information about you as possible. “I’m interested. What day and time?” is not enough. The following are good things to include in your messages to potential game offers:
- Your age and where you live, and what you “do.” (For example, are you a student, parent, retired, work full-time, etc.)
- Explain why you like D&D and what kinds of game play appeal to you. Be as descriptive as possible. Over share!
- Tell them what kind of player you are. Do you crack jokes, do you tend to be a little quiet, do you prefer role play or combat, are you new to the game or an experienced player, etc.
- Make it clear that you would be a cooperative and committed player. Those are the two qualities people look for the most.
Rule 5: Try, Quit, Try Again
You will probably have to join a lot of games and quit a lot of games before you find a good one. Don’t give up. Don’t hesitate to quit. Don’t stay in a game or campaign that you are not enjoying. It is a waste of time. Trust your gut as far as whether the game is for you or not. It doesn’t “get better.” If it doesn’t feel right, leave.
People join and leave games all the time. As long as you send a brief note saying “this game is not for me,” it is perfectly fine. It is not considered rude. No DM wants a player to stay that doesn’t want to be there.
Final Thoughts on Unwritten Rules of Online D&D
These top five rules on how to find a D&D campaign online are tried and true. Ask around. But you have to ask people online how they found good campaigns. Asking how players found their “in real life” games doesn’t work. Online D&D is a different animal. You can’t just rely on your friends or friends of friends. You have to actively go out and find good games. But if you follow the above rules, you will be rewarded.
