Benevolent people, please show me where to start. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Benevolent people, please show me where to start. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Ta'veren
09-28-04, 04:14 PM I'd like to get started with D&D becasue it seems a bit cheaper than Magic: The Gathering-- I don't have to keep on buying the new sets that come out about every three months. What are the majority of expenses assicated with D&D? And I'd like to introduce the game to a group of friends so we could start playing on a regular basis. Where should I begin with the whole D&D experience?
bjjrick
09-28-04, 04:36 PM With the three essential corebooks. Players Handbook, Dungeon Masters Guide, and the Monster Manual.

There are different editions to choose from:

1e Out of print
2e Out of print
3.x Current

You can get the boxed 3.5e gift set on amazon.com for $62.00.
Ta'veren
09-28-04, 04:39 PM Thanks a lot bjjrick! How much money on average does D&D require and what is it precislely that any paticular person would spend their money on?
TheGreenGriffon
09-28-04, 04:47 PM Only the 3 core books are turly required, anything you buy after that is your choice to expand but usually new players can go for years on just the core stuff before becomming bored while some never loose interest in just the 3 main books. Your lucky. 3rd edition has a lot more to offer starting players in the core books than 2ed did. 2ed made you buy all these source books just so you could play something unique for once. 3ed doesnt have many restrictions on what you can play, especially after the 3.5 Monster Manual came out which has lots of Monsters that have statistics for creating PC"s out of them

I bought my 3 core books for about $100 dollars Canadian. So that figure will proabbly come down if your In the US
Nived
09-28-04, 04:50 PM The Players Handbook will run you about $30 (I've seen it on sale for cheaper)
A good set of dice will cost you about $5
Misc pencil and paper costs.

That's all you /need/ to be a player, assuming you can find a DM to run a game. If you have no DM or wish to be a DM you'll need the DMG and the MM.
Dungeon Master's Guide $30
Monster Manual $30

You can get all three books in a set as seen here. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndcore/966480000)...

Though you could probably get by with the 3.5 PHB and the SRD.
Ta'veren
09-28-04, 04:52 PM That's so awsome! MTG comes out with a new expansion every three months (or somethin like that) and to keep up to date you need to shell out a good chunk of change-- try like $50 to $100.
Thank you very much TheGreenGriffon, you've boosted my spirits after a lousy day.
Shadow Blademaster
09-28-04, 04:55 PM First, hats off to Mr. Jordan, who I believe I noticed in your sig, very nice.

Now, the Core Rulebooks stated above are $30 apiece plus tax, but hey, Amazon works. You'll each need about $3-20 to spend on dice and a dice bag, depending on how good of a bag you want.

Most people just need the Player's Handbook, so for all but the DM the minimum cost is about $35. Not bad, right? But there are so many other books that you can get, supplementals and character builds for the players as well as books and pre-generated adventures for the DM (works well).

Supplemental books that can apply to campaigns and to all characters generally range from $20-35. You don't need these, but if you all get really into it, you and your players WILL be buying them.

The pre-generated adventures are small and cost $15, and so it's often cheaper just to make your own. Perhaps at the start to help the DM out, you could buy one. They're usually good for a little while, but after the adventure is over, it becomes kinda useless.

There are also books that target specific class (e. g. Sword and Fist is for Fighters and Monks, respectively). These books I believe are still aroun $15 but don't quote me on it; they're reusable and very nice.

If you stick will one type, and there are those who do, you're looking at $120-180. This might seem like a lot, but that's just for the DM. The others should be able to stay under $100. I don't want this to discourage you, or for it to seem like you're gonna blow it all in one shot, 'cause you won't. But PHB's, a DMG, and a lvl 1-5 adventure for a grand total of $100 to split. If you like it, over the years, birthdays and whatnot, you buy more books and get better stuff. It's a game that will grow on you and you can slowly adapt to, becoming more complex and spending more money as you go on. But the base of the manner is, and the thing that makes it so awesome, is that this can last your LIFE. True, many will convert when the next edition comes out, after 10 or 15 years, but even so, considering the timespread, it's a well-worth investment.

Whatever decision you make, I hope it works out the best for you, but I'll tell ya, DnD is a helluva lot of fun.
Ta'veren
09-28-04, 04:56 PM Thanks to you too Nived. The link significantly assisted me.
It's nice to see such helpful people.
~Ta'veren
(what's SRD)
Shadow Blademaster
09-28-04, 05:02 PM SRD= System Reference Documents.
3.0 SRD (http://www.opengamingfoundation.org/srd.html)
3.5 SRD (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/srd35)
Ta'veren
09-28-04, 05:04 PM I thank you Shadow Blademaster for your generous assistance. Yes Mr. Jordan is a magnificant writer... but that's for another board...;)
Sorry but I must've missed something in your post, as I don't understand:If you stick will one type, and there are those who do, you're looking at $120-180.
What is the "type" that you mention?

And do I need a board to play on or some sort of pieces?
Thanks again everyone. :)
Ta'veren
09-28-04, 06:18 PM Where do you play (ie on a board)
Are there pieces? (to represent your character)
Do I need to buy these?

How is D&D oriented?-- is a strategy based game? Do people win and lose?
Can you compare it to anything?-- chess, final fantasy/ other rpg's, card games etc.

What is it that you acutally do?

Thanks
~Ta'veren
edgelett
09-28-04, 08:43 PM Where do you play (ie on a board)
Most of the game is played with no board - the DM (Dungeon Master) explains to you "OK you're all walking in a forrest filled with exotic plants you've never seen before" and it's up to YOU to imagine/visualise what the DM is describing. You will have your character sheet in front of you, which describes your characters abilities, skills, etc.

Are there pieces? (to represent your character)
Do I need to buy these?

Usually when combat starts (I.e the DM says "suddenly a group of creatures jumps out from behind a large clump of ferns and draws steel") it's often helpful to have a miniture to represent your character...this helps stop arguments such as "but he can't get me I said I was BEHIND the tree not in front of it!" Placing your miniture on a gridded board where each square represents 5 feet will make combat easier to manage.

[QUOTE=Ta'veren]How is D&D oriented?-- is a strategy based game? Do people win and lose?
Can you compare it to anything?-- chess, final fantasy/ other rpg's, card games etc.QUOTE]

Have you ever played Balders Gate, Neverwinter Nights or Diablo?? D&D is similar to these...your DM takes the role of the computer & gives your character quests/goals to complete. He/she will put challenges before you in the form of monsters, traps & puzzles. There is really no "winner" as such, as you will need to work with others in the group to overcome these challenges. Once you've achieved your goal the DM doesn't say "Game over you win"..instead you level your character up, and seek out new fortunes. You continue on a new adventure with the same character. You use strategy during combat, problem solving, many skills.

Hope this helps.
Ta'veren
09-28-04, 08:51 PM THANK YOU Edgelett! Man I was losing hope there; people were viewing, but there weren't helping :weep:
But then you came to the rescue :D
Thanks again, and it helped more than you know.
~Ta'veren

anyone: anything else I should know?
TheGreenGriffon
09-28-04, 09:17 PM However minatures are not neccessary for play. Lots of players do all the combat in their heads for a quicker version of play. Minatures can take some time and they can be pricy. If your gonna use mini's in combat I suggest you buy a battlemap, I dry erase grid square plastic map that you can draw on to keep track of combat.
Ta'veren
09-28-04, 09:19 PM Thanks GreenGriffon.
What are the minitures? (like Warhammer size and material or something else?)
Are they specifically for D&D or I can use whatever I choose?
BlaineTog
09-28-04, 09:22 PM One of the best ways to learn the rules is to A) Read the Player's Handbook cover to cover (although you can skip the chapters on Magic and Spells if you arn't going to play a spellcaster right away) and B) watch a group of experienced players play through a few gameing sessions.

However, WotC has recently released (or will soon release) the Dungeons and Dragons Basic Set (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/966470000) targeted at new players like yourself. Its $25.00 but has everything you need to start playing right away with a simplified version of the rules. You can't really use it much after you get the hang of it (since it will probably only have rules for the first few levels), but it looks like a good way to get started.

What are the minitures? (like Warhammer size and material or something else?)Thats about the right size, but most are plastic.

Are they specifically for D&D or I can use whatever I choose?By all means, use whichever you wish. My gaming group generally just uses spare dice, change, or whatever small objects are lieing around to represent characters and NPCs (non player characters).
Gir
09-28-04, 11:11 PM Yeah, you can use basically whatever you want for miniatures if you are going to use them. When we use them at my house, we generally just use whatever is lying around, (Even Happy Meal toys have joined in the fun. ;) )

However somewhat-realistic looking miniatures can enhance the gameplay if you are a visual person. You can find them at hobby/gaming stores and such and there are also sets of them that come in boxes that you can find usually nearby the rulebooks.

Also, if you haven't already, I would suggest taking a look at the Basic Game Demo that can be found on this website (I believe under the "What is D&D" tab) It is very condensed but it will give you a good general idea of how D&D works, especially if you are going to be using miniatures.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ta'veren 09-28-04, 04:14 PM	I'd like to get started with D&D becasue it seems a bit cheaper than Magic: The Gathering-- I don't have to keep on buying the new sets that come out about every three months. What are the majority of expenses assicated with D&D? And I'd like to introduce the game to a group of friends so we could start playing on a regular basis. Where should I begin with the whole D&D experience?
bjjrick 09-28-04, 04:36 PM	With the three essential corebooks. Players Handbook, Dungeon Masters Guide, and the Monster Manual. There are different editions to choose from: 1e Out of print 2e Out of print 3.x Current You can get the boxed 3.5e gift set on amazon.com for $62.00.
Ta'veren 09-28-04, 04:39 PM	Thanks a lot bjjrick! How much money on average does D&D require and what is it precislely that any paticular person would spend their money on?
TheGreenGriffon 09-28-04, 04:47 PM	Only the 3 core books are turly required, anything you buy after that is your choice to expand but usually new players can go for years on just the core stuff before becomming bored while some never loose interest in just the 3 main books. Your lucky. 3rd edition has a lot more to offer starting players in the core books than 2ed did. 2ed made you buy all these source books just so you could play something unique for once. 3ed doesnt have many restrictions on what you can play, especially after the 3.5 Monster Manual came out which has lots of Monsters that have statistics for creating PC"s out of them I bought my 3 core books for about $100 dollars Canadian. So that figure will proabbly come down if your In the US
Nived 09-28-04, 04:50 PM	The Players Handbook will run you about $30 (I've seen it on sale for cheaper) A good set of dice will cost you about $5 Misc pencil and paper costs. That's all you /need/ to be a player, assuming you can find a DM to run a game. If you have no DM or wish to be a DM you'll need the DMG and the MM. Dungeon Master's Guide $30 Monster Manual $30 You can get all three books in a set as seen here. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndcore/966480000)... Though you could probably get by with the 3.5 PHB and the SRD.
Ta'veren 09-28-04, 04:52 PM	That's so awsome! MTG comes out with a new expansion every three months (or somethin like that) and to keep up to date you need to shell out a good chunk of change-- try like $50 to $100. Thank you very much TheGreenGriffon, you've boosted my spirits after a lousy day.
Shadow Blademaster 09-28-04, 04:55 PM	First, hats off to Mr. Jordan, who I believe I noticed in your sig, very nice. Now, the Core Rulebooks stated above are $30 apiece plus tax, but hey, Amazon works. You'll each need about $3-20 to spend on dice and a dice bag, depending on how good of a bag you want. Most people just need the Player's Handbook, so for all but the DM the minimum cost is about $35. Not bad, right? But there are so many other books that you can get, supplementals and character builds for the players as well as books and pre-generated adventures for the DM (works well). Supplemental books that can apply to campaigns and to all characters generally range from $20-35. You don't need these, but if you all get really into it, you and your players WILL be buying them. The pre-generated adventures are small and cost $15, and so it's often cheaper just to make your own. Perhaps at the start to help the DM out, you could buy one. They're usually good for a little while, but after the adventure is over, it becomes kinda useless. There are also books that target specific class (e. g. Sword and Fist is for Fighters and Monks, respectively). These books I believe are still aroun $15 but don't quote me on it; they're reusable and very nice. If you stick will one type, and there are those who do, you're looking at $120-180. This might seem like a lot, but that's just for the DM. The others should be able to stay under $100. I don't want this to discourage you, or for it to seem like you're gonna blow it all in one shot, 'cause you won't. But PHB's, a DMG, and a lvl 1-5 adventure for a grand total of $100 to split. If you like it, over the years, birthdays and whatnot, you buy more books and get better stuff. It's a game that will grow on you and you can slowly adapt to, becoming more complex and spending more money as you go on. But the base of the manner is, and the thing that makes it so awesome, is that this can last your LIFE. True, many will convert when the next edition comes out, after 10 or 15 years, but even so, considering the timespread, it's a well-worth investment. Whatever decision you make, I hope it works out the best for you, but I'll tell ya, DnD is a helluva lot of fun.
Ta'veren 09-28-04, 04:56 PM	Thanks to you too Nived. The link significantly assisted me. It's nice to see such helpful people. ~Ta'veren (what's SRD)
Shadow Blademaster 09-28-04, 05:02 PM	SRD= System Reference Documents. 3.0 SRD (http://www.opengamingfoundation.org/srd.html) 3.5 SRD (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/srd35)
Ta'veren 09-28-04, 05:04 PM	I thank you Shadow Blademaster for your generous assistance. Yes Mr. Jordan is a magnificant writer... but that's for another board...;) Sorry but I must've missed something in your post, as I don't understand:If you stick will one type, and there are those who do, you're looking at $120-180. What is the "type" that you mention? And do I need a board to play on or some sort of pieces? Thanks again everyone. :)
Ta'veren 09-28-04, 06:18 PM	Where do you play (ie on a board) Are there pieces? (to represent your character) Do I need to buy these? How is D&D oriented?-- is a strategy based game? Do people win and lose? Can you compare it to anything?-- chess, final fantasy/ other rpg's, card games etc. What is it that you acutally do? Thanks ~Ta'veren
edgelett 09-28-04, 08:43 PM	Where do you play (ie on a board) Most of the game is played with no board - the DM (Dungeon Master) explains to you "OK you're all walking in a forrest filled with exotic plants you've never seen before" and it's up to YOU to imagine/visualise what the DM is describing. You will have your character sheet in front of you, which describes your characters abilities, skills, etc. Are there pieces? (to represent your character) Do I need to buy these? Usually when combat starts (I.e the DM says "suddenly a group of creatures jumps out from behind a large clump of ferns and draws steel") it's often helpful to have a miniture to represent your character...this helps stop arguments such as "but he can't get me I said I was BEHIND the tree not in front of it!" Placing your miniture on a gridded board where each square represents 5 feet will make combat easier to manage. [QUOTE=Ta'veren]How is D&D oriented?-- is a strategy based game? Do people win and lose? Can you compare it to anything?-- chess, final fantasy/ other rpg's, card games etc.QUOTE] Have you ever played Balders Gate, Neverwinter Nights or Diablo?? D&D is similar to these...your DM takes the role of the computer & gives your character quests/goals to complete. He/she will put challenges before you in the form of monsters, traps & puzzles. There is really no "winner" as such, as you will need to work with others in the group to overcome these challenges. Once you've achieved your goal the DM doesn't say "Game over you win"..instead you level your character up, and seek out new fortunes. You continue on a new adventure with the same character. You use strategy during combat, problem solving, many skills. Hope this helps.
Ta'veren 09-28-04, 08:51 PM	THANK YOU Edgelett! Man I was losing hope there; people were viewing, but there weren't helping :weep: But then you came to the rescue :D Thanks again, and it helped more than you know. ~Ta'veren anyone: anything else I should know?
TheGreenGriffon 09-28-04, 09:17 PM	However minatures are not neccessary for play. Lots of players do all the combat in their heads for a quicker version of play. Minatures can take some time and they can be pricy. If your gonna use mini's in combat I suggest you buy a battlemap, I dry erase grid square plastic map that you can draw on to keep track of combat.
Ta'veren 09-28-04, 09:19 PM	Thanks GreenGriffon. What are the minitures? (like Warhammer size and material or something else?) Are they specifically for D&D or I can use whatever I choose?
BlaineTog 09-28-04, 09:22 PM	One of the best ways to learn the rules is to A) Read the Player's Handbook cover to cover (although you can skip the chapters on Magic and Spells if you arn't going to play a spellcaster right away) and B) watch a group of experienced players play through a few gameing sessions. However, WotC has recently released (or will soon release) the Dungeons and Dragons Basic Set (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/966470000) targeted at new players like yourself. Its $25.00 but has everything you need to start playing right away with a simplified version of the rules. You can't really use it much after you get the hang of it (since it will probably only have rules for the first few levels), but it looks like a good way to get started. What are the minitures? (like Warhammer size and material or something else?)Thats about the right size, but most are plastic. Are they specifically for D&D or I can use whatever I choose?By all means, use whichever you wish. My gaming group generally just uses spare dice, change, or whatever small objects are lieing around to represent characters and NPCs (non player characters).
Gir 09-28-04, 11:11 PM	Yeah, you can use basically whatever you want for miniatures if you are going to use them. When we use them at my house, we generally just use whatever is lying around, (Even Happy Meal toys have joined in the fun. ;) ) However somewhat-realistic looking miniatures can enhance the gameplay if you are a visual person. You can find them at hobby/gaming stores and such and there are also sets of them that come in boxes that you can find usually nearby the rulebooks. Also, if you haven't already, I would suggest taking a look at the Basic Game Demo that can be found on this website (I believe under the "What is D&D" tab) It is very condensed but it will give you a good general idea of how D&D works, especially if you are going to be using miniatures.