Back in the Dungeon [Archive] - Wizards Community

Back in the Dungeon [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
realisticdreaming
02-03-05, 12:29 AM Hi All!

OK.

I played D&D back in tha day. I got out of it for a variety of reasons.

I am now back. I bought the Basic Game box yesterday, and I have these really noob questions. I hope you'll indulge an old man's curiosity.

1. What's with the little painted game pieces?
2. When did we stop drawing our own mission maps?
3. When did we stop rolling our own characters?
4. Where do I go from here?

I apologize for these questions. I guess what I'm asking is, can we still create our own adventures and roll our own characters?

Thanks for your time. Its good to be back.
Solaris
02-03-05, 12:36 AM You probably should have gotten the rulebooks (Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's guide, Monster Manual). I don't know anything about this basic set, but if your impressions are correct it would seem to be too basic. The actual game is D&D as you know it, but with some streamlined mechanics and new rules.
realisticdreaming
02-03-05, 12:42 AM Thanks!

I was wondering about this. If my stepson were to get started, he'd need this package. I may read the AD&D rulebook that came with it anyway.

What started all of this: I bought Baldur's Gate for PC. I failed miserably at playing it.

I then took out the manual and saw d20 on the cover. When I delved deeper I realized it is based on AD&D combat, etc.

Much to learn. I haven't played since 1988. It has been awhile.

Thanks again!
Draco Strang
02-03-05, 12:46 AM Dude, welcome back.

Yea, you've been out of it for a while, maybe missed 2nd ed. and I'm sure 3rd entirely. Today we're in what's called 3.5

You basically blew your money on the basic set. Well, "blown" is a harsh term, as it's an excellent intro for those who have never played before, and you did get the miniatures out of it.

That basic set contains a set of pregenerated characters for people who might be daunted by buying the core rulebooks, and it's to suck them into the hobby and get them to like it before they throw down 30 bucks for a PHB and countless hundreds on the supplements.

Yes, we still roll our own characters, you need a Player's Handbook for that. Your local Border's, Costco, Chapters, Barnes&Noble, or whatever will carry it. Order on Amazon and you'll get a deal.

The minatures (little painted game pieces) are for combat these days. Combat is a lot different from 1st ed. There's a grid, lots of movement rules, and the list goes on. Hell, attacking someone is about the most basic thing you can do now. There are rules for tripping, disarming, bullrushing, flight, movement.....the list goes on. Again, all covered in the PHB.

You can still draw your own mission maps, if you desire. That necessitates you (in the capacity of the DM) writing your own adventures and campaigns. My suggestion is, first thing you do when you play is buy "The Sunless Citadel" adventure module. It's for 1st level characters. An excellent introduction to how a classic dungeon crawl works for 3.5 D&D.

Where to go from here? Well, if I were you, I'd head on down to my local gaming shop and try to find a group that's established, either to get in on, or just watch and see how the game runs. It'll help you infinitely more than just sitting down and trying to play on your own. Trust me, seeing it in action sure does help.

Hope I was of some assistance, happy playing!
realisticdreaming
02-03-05, 01:09 AM Yes! You have been very helpful. Is there some significance to miniatures? Regdar and Aramil look like something I would have rolled. I don't remember having as many abilities/skills/thinks to keep track of, however.

I only ever played AD&D. Newer than the books of old. Older than most hills. My friends and I filled reams of graph paper with adventure maps. LOL, it was because of D&D that I learned to draw!

Anyway, thanks again!
Solaris
02-03-05, 01:17 AM Regarding the miniatures: D&D has returned somewhat to its wargaming roots. AD&D, with its measurements in tabletop inches, always had the option, but most people tended to disregard it. The new combat system, however, was designed with the assumption that people will be playing with miniatures; relative positions and movement of even five feet can have important consequences for attacking and being attacked.

I'll be denounced as a heretic for saying it, but the game can still be played without miniatures. The DM needs to be a bit more descriptive, and the players sometimes need to ask "Can I move over there without provoking an attack of opportunity," or say "I'll move around to flank him," and then be willing to trust the DM and accept his answers and statements of results.

It worked well enough with a group of veteran AD&D players, anyway.
realisticdreaming
02-03-05, 01:22 AM I noticed that when reading the Quick Start Guide in the Basic set. There are moves we weren't able to do without spells (shooting around corners?). Its going to be fun, though. I have missed gaming. I play alot of computer games, but going back to paper and groups sounds like fun!
Draco Strang
02-03-05, 04:43 AM Yea....corners provide cover, yet ANOTHER rule you'll fast become familiar with.

Also, there's an insane amount of spells. Your mind will be blown.
Emrick Blackthorn
02-03-05, 09:22 AM realisticdreaming~

Hi! Don't feel bad. I'm in the same boat as you are. I haven't played in years either and now I'm looking at get'n back into the game. Back in the day, I used both a mix of 1st & 2nd ed rules in my games (kind of a homebrew I guess). Now they got this new 3.5 thing going on. I have yet to get anything and I not sure yet if I will, there are somethings I like about it and others I don't. What am I saying, I know I will get the core books someday. When I do, I'm sure I'll mix them right into the "brew" using what I like from them.

~Emrick

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
realisticdreaming 02-03-05, 12:29 AM	Hi All! OK. I played D&D back in tha day. I got out of it for a variety of reasons. I am now back. I bought the Basic Game box yesterday, and I have these really noob questions. I hope you'll indulge an old man's curiosity. 1. What's with the little painted game pieces? 2. When did we stop drawing our own mission maps? 3. When did we stop rolling our own characters? 4. Where do I go from here? I apologize for these questions. I guess what I'm asking is, can we still create our own adventures and roll our own characters? Thanks for your time. Its good to be back.
Solaris 02-03-05, 12:36 AM	You probably should have gotten the rulebooks (Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's guide, Monster Manual). I don't know anything about this basic set, but if your impressions are correct it would seem to be too basic. The actual game is D&D as you know it, but with some streamlined mechanics and new rules.
realisticdreaming 02-03-05, 12:42 AM	Thanks! I was wondering about this. If my stepson were to get started, he'd need this package. I may read the AD&D rulebook that came with it anyway. What started all of this: I bought Baldur's Gate for PC. I failed miserably at playing it. I then took out the manual and saw d20 on the cover. When I delved deeper I realized it is based on AD&D combat, etc. Much to learn. I haven't played since 1988. It has been awhile. Thanks again!
Draco Strang 02-03-05, 12:46 AM	Dude, welcome back. Yea, you've been out of it for a while, maybe missed 2nd ed. and I'm sure 3rd entirely. Today we're in what's called 3.5 You basically blew your money on the basic set. Well, "blown" is a harsh term, as it's an excellent intro for those who have never played before, and you did get the miniatures out of it. That basic set contains a set of pregenerated characters for people who might be daunted by buying the core rulebooks, and it's to suck them into the hobby and get them to like it before they throw down 30 bucks for a PHB and countless hundreds on the supplements. Yes, we still roll our own characters, you need a Player's Handbook for that. Your local Border's, Costco, Chapters, Barnes&Noble, or whatever will carry it. Order on Amazon and you'll get a deal. The minatures (little painted game pieces) are for combat these days. Combat is a lot different from 1st ed. There's a grid, lots of movement rules, and the list goes on. Hell, attacking someone is about the most basic thing you can do now. There are rules for tripping, disarming, bullrushing, flight, movement.....the list goes on. Again, all covered in the PHB. You can still draw your own mission maps, if you desire. That necessitates you (in the capacity of the DM) writing your own adventures and campaigns. My suggestion is, first thing you do when you play is buy "The Sunless Citadel" adventure module. It's for 1st level characters. An excellent introduction to how a classic dungeon crawl works for 3.5 D&D. Where to go from here? Well, if I were you, I'd head on down to my local gaming shop and try to find a group that's established, either to get in on, or just watch and see how the game runs. It'll help you infinitely more than just sitting down and trying to play on your own. Trust me, seeing it in action sure does help. Hope I was of some assistance, happy playing!
realisticdreaming 02-03-05, 01:09 AM	Yes! You have been very helpful. Is there some significance to miniatures? Regdar and Aramil look like something I would have rolled. I don't remember having as many abilities/skills/thinks to keep track of, however. I only ever played AD&D. Newer than the books of old. Older than most hills. My friends and I filled reams of graph paper with adventure maps. LOL, it was because of D&D that I learned to draw! Anyway, thanks again!
Solaris 02-03-05, 01:17 AM	Regarding the miniatures: D&D has returned somewhat to its wargaming roots. AD&D, with its measurements in tabletop inches, always had the option, but most people tended to disregard it. The new combat system, however, was designed with the assumption that people will be playing with miniatures; relative positions and movement of even five feet can have important consequences for attacking and being attacked. I'll be denounced as a heretic for saying it, but the game can still be played without miniatures. The DM needs to be a bit more descriptive, and the players sometimes need to ask "Can I move over there without provoking an attack of opportunity," or say "I'll move around to flank him," and then be willing to trust the DM and accept his answers and statements of results. It worked well enough with a group of veteran AD&D players, anyway.
realisticdreaming 02-03-05, 01:22 AM	I noticed that when reading the Quick Start Guide in the Basic set. There are moves we weren't able to do without spells (shooting around corners?). Its going to be fun, though. I have missed gaming. I play alot of computer games, but going back to paper and groups sounds like fun!
Draco Strang 02-03-05, 04:43 AM	Yea....corners provide cover, yet ANOTHER rule you'll fast become familiar with. Also, there's an insane amount of spells. Your mind will be blown.
Emrick Blackthorn 02-03-05, 09:22 AM	realisticdreaming~ Hi! Don't feel bad. I'm in the same boat as you are. I haven't played in years either and now I'm looking at get'n back into the game. Back in the day, I used both a mix of 1st & 2nd ed rules in my games (kind of a homebrew I guess). Now they got this new 3.5 thing going on. I have yet to get anything and I not sure yet if I will, there are somethings I like about it and others I don't. What am I saying, I know I will get the core books someday. When I do, I'm sure I'll mix them right into the "brew" using what I like from them. ~Emrick