Even the Dungeons & Dragons group with the greatest longevity will have some level of turnover. New people joining a table is a thing to celebrate, but for the Dungeon Master it can also be a point of stress: You have to create an engaging experience for the new player's first impression while not drawing away from your existing group.

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There are also narrative issues that a new player can introduce. If the party are lost in the wilderness it can stretch plausibility for them to accept the next person they meet as a trustworthy traveling companion. Here are a few ways of making it work.

Have A Session Zero (Again)

Library Meeting by Robsen Michel

A new player joining the group is a good time to touch base with your players, old and new. Get feedback on how the game has gone so far, the directions people want to go and any lines or veils that need discussing. If the new player is joining to fill a gap left by someone else, it can be worth getting their feedback separately on whether there is anything that could improve the game.

If your group has any house rules this is the time to go over them with everybody present. If you were planning on introducing new rules, do it now while everyone can make suggestions, discuss options, and agree to the final decision.

Lines and veils are important to reaffirm continuously:

  • Lines are the content that people do not want to be included in the game, to any degree.
  • Veils are content that they do not want to be covered in explicit detail. People are often okay with violence but might balk at graphic descriptions of blood and gore.

It's rather common for people to not know what their boundaries are until something threatens to cross them, so be willing to update these regularly. A new person joining the group is a good time to do this, but shouldn't be the only reason.

People should be able to share their lines and veils without providing justification. Asking a person why they don't want a topic to be covered could dredge up a trauma they're trying to avoid by asking for it be excluded.

How To Introduce A New Player To Your Dungeons & Dragons Group

Dungeons & Dragons Illustration by David Edwards

Once you've got everyone on board for the type of game, you want to get back into the story where your party left off while also introducing the new player. Here are a few ways to handle both at the same time:

Include New Characters Via Roleplaying Scenes

Volo, Guide to Monsters by Zoltan Boros.

A big part of introducing a new player to a group is making sure they mesh well with the other members. Create scenes that allow them to test the waters with each other.

Rather than having the party pick up the newly minted bard at the next tavern they pass across, consider them doing an improvised job interview. Have a few generic NPCs that are designed to fail comically and then let your new player take the stage as they introduce their character. This sets up the party to ask questions about the new person's backstory and goals while also getting a feel for how the player handles roleplaying and character-building.

Your new player has to catch up on character development compared to the others who have a partial campaign already under their belt. This doesn't have to mean giving them explicit spotlight time but creating scenarios where they can learn more about the other characters and themselves.

Use The Buddy System

Grunnald and Edgin Darvis by Eduardo Ferigato

Many tables will design their adventurers cooperatively. This means all the cast members from the first session will know each other from backstories and have connections they can draw on in roleplay. This also justifies why they're adventuring as a group.

A new player joining doesn't have to be excluded from this process. With the permission of another player, the new character can have an existing connection to that party member. They could have travelled together previously, gone to magic school together, or been family members.

One rule of thumb that works rather well is that each new party member should have existing relations with two other party members. When possible, accept volunteers for this so that you get the best engagement from the players involved.

Tailor An Encounter To Let The New Player Show Off

Create an encounter that plays toward the strengths of the new character joining the party. This could be a skill-focused challenge the other party members don't have the proficiency to pass or a combat encounter with a lightning weakness the new tempest mage can exploit.

In character, this helps build a reason for the characters to trust one another and agree to travel together. The newly introduced character gets to prove their use to the group and justify why they deserve to join the adventure.

Out of character, it creates a good first memory of the game that helps the new player enjoy themselves and settle in with the other players.

Be Generous With Starting Wealth

Looting The Treasure Hoard via Wizards of the Coast

The Dungeon Master's Guide has a table for starting wealth for characters above first level. Your new player will otherwise be behind on gear and wealth compared to their allies and may feel underpowered as a result.

Most characters will have more wealth than this starting amount at any given level: A character beyond fifth level will often have +1s on their armour and weapons and perhaps a unique item or permanent boon from the campaign or module. You may want to measure the wealth of your party and try to bring the new person up to the same level, but keep in mind that starting at a higher level will also mean they can make more optimised choices when levelling and picking gear.

It would be best if you didn't approve everything the new player wants, but anything you turn down can be added to the loot pool for future encounters. You can include this in your session zero and get input from other players on future loot they would like.

Introducing A Player New To Dungeons & Dragons

Team Pennant by Anna Fehr

Introducing a completely new player to the hobby by putting them in the deep end of an ongoing campaign can bring up some unique issues, and you may need to make extra accommodations to help them along. Here are a few things you can do:

Tips

Example

Notes

Have A Cheat Sheet

Include notes on the character sheet saying how features work, using a pre-generated level one character as a template.

The character sheet included in beginners' modules has a lot of explanations and details not present in the standard ones. You can also print off a separate sheet containing the basic actions and dice that the game uses.

Start With A One-Shot

Introduce the new player with a flashback or side story taking place elsewhere in the campaign setting.

A high-level character can be intimidating for a first-time player. Starting with a one-shot keeps the stakes low until they learn the basics.

Be Flexible With The Spotlight

Offer the new player a chance to engage in roleplay without forcing them.

Until you have a feel for how well the new player handles the spotlight, have suggestions for actions they could choose to take or other players that can step in if they become overwhelmed.

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