Deborah Ann Woll teaches Jon Bernthal the basics of D&D

Learn to play Dungeons & Dragons can be a daunting task, even as each edition helps to simplify and streamline the rules. Doing it without a buddy can be a tough ask, with all the origins, abilities, and, well, feats to choose from. If only we all had someone like Deborah Ann Woll to teach us the ropes. In this highlight video from the Real Ones With Jon Bernthal podcast, Woll gives Bernthal a rundown of how to roll up a character and experience a campaign.

Woll is a talented Dungeon Master, who can set up a simple scene — Bernthal is traveling through the forest, a bow on his back, a knife at his belt, and only the faint light of the moon to guide his path. Bernthal’s first question, as a completely new player, is “How far away?” He’s quickly hooked, and Woll teaches him about owlbears, history checks, and the differences between wizards and fighters.

A rookie mistake is to sit down with a character sheet and walk a newbie through the form step by step, which can be a little intimidating. Learning how to inhabit a world, build a cool (but flawed) character, and deal with stage fright can be a lot, but Woll covers it all in a simple, concise, and interesting way.

Woll and Bernthal have a history of working in nerdy spaces; they both worked on Marvel’s Daredevil series and Bernthal played the villain in Ghost Recon Breakpoint. Still, Bernthal admits in the video that as a former jock, he suffers a bit from imposter syndrome — but he sees the appeal of a board game. It’s an example of how universal D&D is a hobby; lowly gamers and Hollywood stars can all sit around a table and roll some dice. I wouldn’t mind seeing the two of them play a full campaign with some friends sometime, especially if Woll is the DM.