Dungeons & Dragons 5e (2014)

Overview

Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (D&D 5E) is a heroic fantasy tabletop roleplaying game published by Wizards of the Coast. Released in 2014, it is the edition that brought D&D from a niche hobby into mainstream pop culture - showing up in TV shows, podcasts, and actual-play streams, and introducing millions of new players to the hobby for the first time. 5E was designed after a massive public playtest ("D&D Next") with the explicit goal of being approachable to newcomers while still satisfying veteran players. The Basic Rules are free, and a game can start with nothing more than those rules, some friends, and a set of dice (or a digital dice roller https://groupfinder.gg/library?category=tools-platforms&f1=143 app). In 2024 the core rules received a significant revision, now commonly referred to as
Dungeons & Dragons 5.5E (2024) https://groupfinder.gg/library/dungeons-dragons-55e-2024
. Both versions are fully compatible and most groups mix material freely. The system it directly evolved from is
Dungeons & Dragons 4E (2008) https://groupfinder.gg/library/dungeons-dragons-4e-2008

Description

In D&D 5E, players create fantasy adventurers (a half-orc barbarian, an elven wizard, a tiefling rogue) and one player takes on the role of the Dungeon Master (DM). The DM builds and describes the world, voices the non-player characters (NPCs), controls the monsters, and acts as both the lead storyteller and the rules referee. There is no board. The game is a conversation: the DM describes a scene, the players say what their characters do, and the dice decide what happens when the outcome is uncertain. A typical session runs three to four hours with a group of three to six players plus the DM. The game describes itself as resting on "Three Pillars": Combat, Exploration, and Social Interaction. A single session might include all three, from tracking a monster through the wilderness and negotiating with a shady merchant to fighting a troll at the entrance to a cave. Combat is the most mechanically detailed of the three and tends to take up the largest share of table time, though groups are free to lean as hard into roleplaying or exploration as they like. The default assumption is a high-fantasy world filled with magic, monsters, and ancient ruins. The flagship published setting is the Forgotten Realms, but Wizards of the Coast has released adventures across a range of worlds, and many DMs create their own. The game does not ship a single canon story. Every table's story is different, shaped by what the players do. 5E is designed to be approachable. The core philosophy is "rulings over rules," meaning that when something comes up that the rules do not explicitly cover, the DM is encouraged to make a quick call and keep the game moving rather than stopping to look things up. The rules reward creativity and improvisation, and the system explicitly expects that no one at the table has memorized the entire rulebook. That said, the DM carries most of the preparation work between sessions: building encounters, preparing maps, and keeping the story moving. Players can show up with nothing but their character sheet and a set of dice.

Key features

The Core d20 Mechanic

Nearly every meaningful action in the game is resolved the same way. The player rolls a twenty-sided die (d20), adds a relevant modifier from their character's abilities or skills, and compares the total to a target number called the Difficulty Class (DC), which is set by the DM. Meet or beat the number, and the attempt succeeds. This single mechanic covers everything from swinging a sword to picking a lock to persuading a king, which means learning one procedure teaches a player most of what they need to play the game.

Advantage and Disadvantage

This is 5E's signature innovation and one of its most praised design choices. Instead of stacking small numerical bonuses and penalties for situational factors (+2 for higher ground, -1 for dim light, +1 from a blessing), the system uses a binary. A character either has Advantage or Disadvantage on a roll. With Advantage, the player rolls two twenty-sided dice (2d20) and takes the higher result. With Disadvantage, they roll two and take the lower. It replaces an entire layer of bookkeeping with a single, intuitive rule that keeps the game moving.

Races, Classes, and Character Creation

Character creation is where most players first fall in love with the game. Players choose a Race (or Species, in later printings) such as Human, Elf, Dwarf, Halfling, Dragonborn, or Tiefling, and a Class that defines their abilities and role in the group. The twelve core classes range from the spell-slinging Wizard and the heavily armored Fighter to the nature-bound Druid and the musically inclined Bard. A character can be a dwarven paladin, a half-elf warlock, or a gnome barbarian. The combinations are intentionally wide open, and building the character is often the first creative act of the game.

Subclasses

While players choose their Class at level one, they branch into a specialized Subclass typically between levels one and three. A Fighter might become a Battle Master (focused on tactical maneuvers) or an Eldritch Knight (a fighter who also casts spells). A Cleric chooses a divine Domain, such as Life, War, or Trickery, that shapes their abilities and identity. Subclasses let two players at the same table both play Rogues while feeling entirely different in combat and roleplay.

Backgrounds

Beyond stats and abilities, every character picks a Background (Acolyte, Criminal, Sailor, Noble, Folk Hero, and dozens more) that represents who they were before the adventure began. A Background grants additional skill proficiencies and, more importantly, comes with built-in story hooks: Personality Traits, Ideals, Bonds, and Flaws. These are concrete roleplaying prompts that give a new player something to play even before they have figured out their character's voice. A Folk Hero might have a bond to the village they swore to protect. A Criminal might have a flaw that they cannot resist a risky score.

Bounded Accuracy

In older editions of D&D, attack bonuses and Armor Class (AC) values scaled dramatically as characters gained levels, and high-level characters became statistically untouchable by low-level threats. 5E deliberately keeps these numbers within a narrow band. A first-level character might have an attack bonus of +5; a twentieth-level character might have +11. The gap exists, but it is not a chasm. This means a group of goblins can still pose a real threat to high-level adventurers if there are enough of them, and a clever low-level party can punch above its weight.

The Proficiency Bonus

A single, scaling number (starting at +2 and reaching +6 at the highest levels) represents a character's training and experience. If a character is proficient in a skill (like Stealth or Persuasion), a weapon type, or a saving throw, they add their Proficiency Bonus to the relevant twenty-sided die (d20) roll. The bonus applies equally to every area the character is trained in, which keeps the math simple and makes it immediately clear what a character is good at.

Rests and Resource Management

The game manages health and limited-use abilities through two types of rest. A Short Rest is a roughly one-hour breather during which characters can spend Hit Dice (a pool of recovery dice based on class and level) to heal and regain certain abilities. A Long Rest is a full eight hours of downtime that restores all hit points, replenishes all spell slots, and resets most class abilities. This system creates a natural rhythm to the adventuring day: push too hard without resting and the group runs out of healing and spell power. Knowing when to press on and when to rest becomes a real tactical decision, especially in dungeons where resting safely is not guaranteed.

Getting started

Active games and players

DND5E
Dungeons & Dragons 5E
Online
West Marches / Living World
Revalis
Players
18
Dungeons & Dragons 5E
en English

Revalis

West Marches / Living World
One world and a big pool of players, but no fixed party - whoever signs up that week is who plays.
Newbie friendly
New players are welcome, and nobody expects you to know the rules beforehand.
Just a bit of a passion project given how there's not many if any other servers of my liking. A custom world setting that's still growing (Mainly because i'm not a writer...but i do try) with a few stipulations that aren't like most other WM servers. First order of business is that it's only rolled stats with at least one forced negative stat somewhere in every set, like it better that way. As well, it's a lvl 1 start, not a fan of lvl 3 or higher starts so I thought i'd tap into those who like starting at the very bottom of the ladder. The other major ruling is that PvP is more laxed as the only real condition is that you don't just be a mass player killer for no reason, however wanting to knock someone out for commiting an atrocity would be fair game even if they otherwise out of character say no, another major reason as to why I made the server is being forced to act out of character due to OOC discussions. Other then that it's just what i'd call a somewhat normal 5/5.5e westmawrch server, join or don't it's up to you https://discord.gg/yD6ZWB2PQ3 If you want the link to join

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DND5E
Dungeons & Dragons 5E
Online
West Marches / Living World
The Wandering Tavern
Players
24
Dungeons & Dragons 5E
en English

The Wandering Tavern

West Marches / Living World
One world and a big pool of players, but no fixed party - whoever signs up that week is who plays.
1-on-1
One Game Master and one player - no party to coordinate with.
Welcome adventurers if you have made your way here you somehow or for some reason received an invite or stole on. But if your here sign up join the guild and start taking on quests at you own pace. They can be anything for random monster hunts to longer research missions for the guild master. All we ask is that you respect our patreons, respect the guild master and enjoy yourself  There are even external beings that come to offer some interest stuff. Visit the mysterious stranger at your own risk. At night the Sandman may send you to another realm in your sleep. Or either look out for a randomly appearing door with a neon sign. To join just follow the link below; https://www.dndbeyond.com/campaigns/join/6294143219320702 You also don't have to stick to one character we were going westmarch style so each quest can be someone new if you want to play multiple characters                                                                                     Info for character building; Start your character at level 5, Any content available through through the D&D beyond campaign is usable (however i do have additional sources for story purposes) Go for a manual roll of stats. Rolling 4d6 and dropping the lowest. Your characters are level 5 so equip yourself just dont go crazy. (Make it make sense) d100x8 worth of gold and 1 uncommon magic item I posted my availability as events in discord andthus you can request a session whenever I'm free

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DND5E
Dungeons & Dragons 5E
Online
West Marches / Living World
The Cracked Realms
Players
249
Dungeons & Dragons 5E
en English

The Cracked Realms

West Marches / Living World
One world and a big pool of players, but no fixed party - whoever signs up that week is who plays.
Homebrew
House rules, a custom setting, or a system the Game Master wrote themselves.
TCR is D&D 5e with re-balances to make it more fair and fun. we operate like an MMO, you simply create your character then you can sign up to join any quest. you keep all loot and level up after each quest. You can have multiple characters if you want to try different set up out. We have 13 classes with a total of 170+ subclasses. We have re-worked the races and plan to add more as we go. if we dont have something that your looking for let us know :D We use discord for voice and Foundry VTT for battle maps, rules and character creation. The VTT is heavily modified to be easier to use and more automated so you can focus more on the combat and roleplaying rather than finding stuff in a clustered system. We have a group of active GM's throwing out quests on a weekly basis. Alot of these quests are also part of a larger quest series that lets you delve into more lore and investigations. Contact me if you wish to know more or join our discord! https://discord.gg/yGRMnh8cXg

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DND5E
Dungeons & Dragons 5E
Online
West Marches / Living World
Tales of Nwivern
New
Posted 14 hours ago
Players
31
Dungeons & Dragons 5E
en English

Tales of Nwivern

West Marches / Living World
One world and a big pool of players, but no fixed party - whoever signs up that week is who plays.
Welcome to Nwivern, an expansive and diverse continent from the great southern jungles of the Emerald Deep to the cold north of the Frozen Isles. We offer -RP FOCUS A play by post experience that focuses on story and character, while still allowing enjoyable combat. Players are free to interact in a variety of locations, with or without DM supervision. -AVRAE POWERED COMBAT A well educated staff and capable bot able to get the most out of DND combat and mechanics. Combats are easy to understand and follow, so if you love them you've got plenty to work with, and if you hate them they're easy to get through. -CUSTOM PLAYER QUESTS Personal attention for your character and their stories, and potentially unique items. DMs will tailor entire story archs for your characters journey. So alone or with others, your character will matter. -LORE Extensive lore covering species and nations of all kind. Much of it available to read from the start, some hidden for players to discover, and none required to have fun. So whether you love deep lore or hate it, you can enjoy our server. -GREAT STAFF A caring staff is always on hand to provide help and get the most out of your characters. DMs are always open and pings are always allowed. -HOMEBREW Reasonable homebrew subject to staff review is offered and accepted. -VARIED Politics A variety of nations and cultures to start in and players to match. From the chaotic streets of the city-state of Nox Tabula to the apocalyptic deserts of the Tamuran Sultanate, from street gangs to mafias, something is always happening and players can always have an effect. -CHARACTER OVER STATS We place the emphasis on character options and so give you enough stat points to make the character you want. We also allow several starting magic items to create a custom and personal story.

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Posted 8 minutes ago
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DND5E
Dungeons & Dragons 5E
...
's-Hertogenbosch
Online
FlorianMambosa
Forever D&D DM who wants to increase his horizons by playing and learning new systems from experienced DM's as a player
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es Spanish
DND5E
Dungeons & Dragons 5E
PATH2E
Pathfinder 2E
...
Online
Gabriel
The tactician Tragic hero
Im Gabriel, 22 years old. Im new to this hobby of board games. Im relatively new to DnD, Pathfinder and 40k. Im pretty advanced in Marvel Crisis Protocol. Im very anxious to learn the creative ways DMs develope their stories.
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