Decent start, or no? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Decent start, or no? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
jukar
03-28-05, 05:56 PM So, I'm totally new to DnD- Thursday night was my first game ever, and it was pretty cool. I've played MtG for some time, as well as a huge myriad of console RPGs, and after having done some reading about DnD, I decided to take the plunge.

I bought the requisite core books, and also bought the Complete Divine, Complete Adventurer, and the Expanded Psionics Handbook. (I've always liked cleric/priest/holy type characters, and usually always play one in games where you model your own character. My brother, on the other hand, adores the XPH and begged me to buy it). I also have my full regiment of every type of dice.

What else should I look into in order to have a more enjoyable DnD experience? I already have a feeling I will probably want the Complete Arcane and the Complete Warrior, but are there other books or supplies I might want to look into?

Also, what is the general consensus on Miniatures?
PurdueDave
03-28-05, 06:08 PM Miniatures help. The D&D miniatures are pretty rugged and work well in play. You'd also need a battle mat (1 inch grid, about $20 at the game store) and some wet-erase markers (like $2 at Wal-Mart). For use with role-play you might want to think about getting individual mini's online rather than buying random distribution packs. Either way's OK but it's pricier to get to a playable number buying random.

As far as books go, I've personally enjoyed Races of Stone and Races of the Wild at least as well as any of the "Complete..." books.
jukar
03-28-05, 06:21 PM Miniatures help. The D&D miniatures are pretty rugged and work well in play.

Okay, do you prefer to use miniatures for everything, or just for PCs and perhaps some notable NPCs?
Sarella Starshine
03-28-05, 07:35 PM i would use them for every encounter just so the players can have a visual of at least what the combat looks like.
weasel fierce
03-28-05, 08:17 PM the plastic figures are cheap, and many of the figures that are usefull for normal play (hordes of grunts, etc) can be found cheap online, since they arent all that good in the miniatures game.

If you know anyone with a Warhammer army, there';s plenty to be had there, as well.

I;'d buy the Unearthed Arcana. It has a lot of interesting options and alternatives, which you may want to explore as you go along.
NehpetsTtocs
03-28-05, 09:57 PM You can literally nickel and dime yourself into oblivion with DnD. It's fun to do, but a bit depressing at times. If you don't want to put a lot of effort into building a fantasy setting, you could always buy a source book for another campaign world. I've been doing this lately, because I'm a very lazy type of guy.
Stuntman
03-28-05, 10:09 PM Just play with what you have, man. You have enough to start. If after playing, you want more stuff, then get it.
jukar
03-28-05, 10:39 PM You can literally nickel and dime yourself into oblivion with DnD. It's fun to do, but a bit depressing at times. If you don't want to put a lot of effort into building a fantasy setting, you could always buy a source book for another campaign world. I've been doing this lately, because I'm a very lazy type of guy.

Actually, I really enjoy creating elaborate settings and worlds, and I'm looking forward to doing so once I have a better grasp of the game. But for now, pre-developed worlds and campaigns sound appealing, because I can get a feel for how things work a little better that way.
jukar
03-28-05, 10:40 PM I'd buy the Unearthed Arcana. It has a lot of interesting options and alternatives, which you may want to explore as you go along.

What exactly does the Unearthed Arcana entail? The name alone is intriguing.
weasel fierce
03-28-05, 10:43 PM Its a re-used title of an old expansion for AD&D.

The current book is basically some 200odd pages of optional rules, variants, alternatives and just generally interesting stuff.
If there's something in the rules you may want to do differently, odds are, its in there.
Highly recommended (and I dont even like 3.x ;) )
Hengwrt Ellesmere
03-29-05, 01:54 AM If you're new, hold off on buying Unearthed Arcana. Don't mess with rule variants until you understand (and are a bit tired of) the standard rules.

The "Complete" series, however, is more of a rule supplement than a rule variant. It gives you more options within the existing framework, rather than changing the framework. Since you already have CD and CV, I'd go ahead and finish that collection.

Miniatures are very useful, but it's easy to go overboard. Abberations is a nice well rounded set, designed to replace the original Harbinger and also much higher quality. What I did was pick out a few metal Reaper miniatures that I knew I would use no matter what for PCs and paint them, and then I took my chances with the randomized plastic minis for the rest. So far I've been happy with one starter box of Harbinger, one starter box of Abberations, and one box of Giants of Legend. I'd suggest you get the Abberations starter box, a Giants box, and one or two of the new Deathknell boosters when they come out this month.

Actually in terms of minis, the best money I ever spent was on the D&D Basic set, simply because with that you're guaranteed one dragon, two orcs, two skeletons, two (or three?) kobolds, etc. This forms the basis for most of my low level encounters, and I can easily throw in random minis from other sets and just say that this gnome is actually another kobold, or this bandit is another orc. Having at least one mini that looks like what it's supposed to in each encounter allows you to fudge a bit with the rest.
Hengwrt Ellesmere
03-29-05, 02:10 AM Oh, about the battle mat. I have one that i use for outdoor encounters, which is nice because it's nice and big and because I can just randomly toss stones on it to represent trees and rocks and shrubs. However I've been having trouble finding markers that will both leave a mark and can be easily removed, since the surface of my mat is kind of porous.

So lately I've trying different things for non-wilderness encounters. I've cut a sheet of paper into long 1/8" strips to use as the walls of large rooms and simple structures. Then for more complicated rooms and structures, I have some sheets of graph paper on which there is a larger 1" square drawn around every five 1/5" squares. I draw out the room on this and then place it over the battlemat.

Most office supply stores sell big pads of graph paper with the larger 1" squares around the smaller 1/5" squares, and you can use it both for making DM maps using the 1/5" squares, as well as a battlemat using the 1" squares. So that's what I'd suggest using if you don't already have big laminated battlemat.
PurdueDave
03-30-05, 12:55 AM Okay, do you prefer to use miniatures for everything, or just for PCs and perhaps some notable NPCs?

All PCs and monsters in combat.
Attila
03-30-05, 01:13 AM We almost always use minatures for the PCs and either use dice or minatures for the monsters, depending on how lazy we are. We don't use battle grids or anything like that though.

I haven't seen the new plastic minis, one of our players has a couple of suitcases full of old lead/pewter minatures that we use.

With the books I say start with the minimum and only add as you feel you need. If painting minis and building sets is your thing than go for it. It really adds a nice visual touch to the game.
simen_88
03-30-05, 05:07 PM So, I'm totally new to DnD- Thursday night was my first game ever, and it was pretty cool. I've played MtG for some time, as well as a huge myriad of console RPGs, and after having done some reading about DnD, I decided to take the plunge.

I bought the requisite core books, and also bought the Complete Divine, Complete Adventurer, and the Expanded Psionics Handbook. (I've always liked cleric/priest/holy type characters, and usually always play one in games where you model your own character. My brother, on the other hand, adores the XPH and begged me to buy it). I also have my full regiment of every type of dice.

What else should I look into in order to have a more enjoyable DnD experience? I already have a feeling I will probably want the Complete Arcane and the Complete Warrior, but are there other books or supplies I might want to look into?

Also, what is the general consensus on Miniatures?
Compared to M:tG, D&D relies little on what gaming material you own. Extra supplements won't make the game more fun, it will only give you different options as to what your character will be good at. Most of the stuff you do in the game depends little on your skills and feats anyway, its all in the mind. Sure, being able to apprehend criminals with your eyes closed and one foot behind your back is neat sometimes, but it usually does not make the game any more fun to play. If you are looking for material objects to improve your gaming experience, I suggest that you invest in a battle mat (unless your group has one), some potato chips, a bottle of soda, and maybe a few miniatures. This will make the game easier and more fun to play, instead of just complicating things.
ImagoKid
03-31-05, 02:25 AM I have one thing to say to you.

Miniatures are a very unnessesary add-on to any D&D game. They were simply invented by Wizards of the Coast to make more money. I have played for ages and have never needed minis.
amethal
03-31-05, 03:42 AM I have one thing to say to you.

Miniatures are a very unnessesary add-on to any D&D game. They were simply invented by Wizards of the Coast to make more money. I have played for ages and have never needed minis.
Welcome to D&D.

You don't need minis.

But they are fun!

We even used to use minis for 2nd edition games, just to make it easier to visualise the situation. When I am designing encounters, I always have a look through my minis to see if anything grabs my attention.

I wouldn't rush out and buy a load of minis yet though. If you can find a figure you think would do well as a representation of your character then just buy that one (and only if you can get it cheaply - some minis are much more expensive than others).

You also don't have to buy pre-painted plastic ones. I used to enjoy painting minis (and over the years managed to raise my level of skill from "awful" to "below average") but I don't have the time these days.
Attila
03-31-05, 05:10 AM I have one thing to say to you.

Miniatures are a very unnessesary add-on to any D&D game. They were simply invented by Wizards of the Coast to make more money. I have played for ages and have never needed minis.

Minis have been around since the very beginning of DnD. DnD actually evolved from a minis wargame.

They're certainly never required but really do add to the game if you like that sort of thing.

You may have missed the part where the OP states that he really enjoys making sets for use with minis.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
jukar 03-28-05, 05:56 PM	So, I'm totally new to DnD- Thursday night was my first game ever, and it was pretty cool. I've played MtG for some time, as well as a huge myriad of console RPGs, and after having done some reading about DnD, I decided to take the plunge. I bought the requisite core books, and also bought the Complete Divine, Complete Adventurer, and the Expanded Psionics Handbook. (I've always liked cleric/priest/holy type characters, and usually always play one in games where you model your own character. My brother, on the other hand, adores the XPH and begged me to buy it). I also have my full regiment of every type of dice. What else should I look into in order to have a more enjoyable DnD experience? I already have a feeling I will probably want the Complete Arcane and the Complete Warrior, but are there other books or supplies I might want to look into? Also, what is the general consensus on Miniatures?
PurdueDave 03-28-05, 06:08 PM	Miniatures help. The D&D miniatures are pretty rugged and work well in play. You'd also need a battle mat (1 inch grid, about $20 at the game store) and some wet-erase markers (like $2 at Wal-Mart). For use with role-play you might want to think about getting individual mini's online rather than buying random distribution packs. Either way's OK but it's pricier to get to a playable number buying random. As far as books go, I've personally enjoyed Races of Stone and Races of the Wild at least as well as any of the "Complete..." books.
jukar 03-28-05, 06:21 PM	Miniatures help. The D&D miniatures are pretty rugged and work well in play. Okay, do you prefer to use miniatures for everything, or just for PCs and perhaps some notable NPCs?
Sarella Starshine 03-28-05, 07:35 PM	i would use them for every encounter just so the players can have a visual of at least what the combat looks like.
weasel fierce 03-28-05, 08:17 PM	the plastic figures are cheap, and many of the figures that are usefull for normal play (hordes of grunts, etc) can be found cheap online, since they arent all that good in the miniatures game. If you know anyone with a Warhammer army, there';s plenty to be had there, as well. I;'d buy the Unearthed Arcana. It has a lot of interesting options and alternatives, which you may want to explore as you go along.
NehpetsTtocs 03-28-05, 09:57 PM	You can literally nickel and dime yourself into oblivion with DnD. It's fun to do, but a bit depressing at times. If you don't want to put a lot of effort into building a fantasy setting, you could always buy a source book for another campaign world. I've been doing this lately, because I'm a very lazy type of guy.
Stuntman 03-28-05, 10:09 PM	Just play with what you have, man. You have enough to start. If after playing, you want more stuff, then get it.
jukar 03-28-05, 10:39 PM	You can literally nickel and dime yourself into oblivion with DnD. It's fun to do, but a bit depressing at times. If you don't want to put a lot of effort into building a fantasy setting, you could always buy a source book for another campaign world. I've been doing this lately, because I'm a very lazy type of guy. Actually, I really enjoy creating elaborate settings and worlds, and I'm looking forward to doing so once I have a better grasp of the game. But for now, pre-developed worlds and campaigns sound appealing, because I can get a feel for how things work a little better that way.
jukar 03-28-05, 10:40 PM	I'd buy the Unearthed Arcana. It has a lot of interesting options and alternatives, which you may want to explore as you go along. What exactly does the Unearthed Arcana entail? The name alone is intriguing.
weasel fierce 03-28-05, 10:43 PM	Its a re-used title of an old expansion for AD&D. The current book is basically some 200odd pages of optional rules, variants, alternatives and just generally interesting stuff. If there's something in the rules you may want to do differently, odds are, its in there. Highly recommended (and I dont even like 3.x ;) )
Hengwrt Ellesmere 03-29-05, 01:54 AM	If you're new, hold off on buying Unearthed Arcana. Don't mess with rule variants until you understand (and are a bit tired of) the standard rules. The "Complete" series, however, is more of a rule supplement than a rule variant. It gives you more options within the existing framework, rather than changing the framework. Since you already have CD and CV, I'd go ahead and finish that collection. Miniatures are very useful, but it's easy to go overboard. Abberations is a nice well rounded set, designed to replace the original Harbinger and also much higher quality. What I did was pick out a few metal Reaper miniatures that I knew I would use no matter what for PCs and paint them, and then I took my chances with the randomized plastic minis for the rest. So far I've been happy with one starter box of Harbinger, one starter box of Abberations, and one box of Giants of Legend. I'd suggest you get the Abberations starter box, a Giants box, and one or two of the new Deathknell boosters when they come out this month. Actually in terms of minis, the best money I ever spent was on the D&D Basic set, simply because with that you're guaranteed one dragon, two orcs, two skeletons, two (or three?) kobolds, etc. This forms the basis for most of my low level encounters, and I can easily throw in random minis from other sets and just say that this gnome is actually another kobold, or this bandit is another orc. Having at least one mini that looks like what it's supposed to in each encounter allows you to fudge a bit with the rest.
Hengwrt Ellesmere 03-29-05, 02:10 AM	Oh, about the battle mat. I have one that i use for outdoor encounters, which is nice because it's nice and big and because I can just randomly toss stones on it to represent trees and rocks and shrubs. However I've been having trouble finding markers that will both leave a mark and can be easily removed, since the surface of my mat is kind of porous. So lately I've trying different things for non-wilderness encounters. I've cut a sheet of paper into long 1/8" strips to use as the walls of large rooms and simple structures. Then for more complicated rooms and structures, I have some sheets of graph paper on which there is a larger 1" square drawn around every five 1/5" squares. I draw out the room on this and then place it over the battlemat. Most office supply stores sell big pads of graph paper with the larger 1" squares around the smaller 1/5" squares, and you can use it both for making DM maps using the 1/5" squares, as well as a battlemat using the 1" squares. So that's what I'd suggest using if you don't already have big laminated battlemat.
PurdueDave 03-30-05, 12:55 AM	Okay, do you prefer to use miniatures for everything, or just for PCs and perhaps some notable NPCs? All PCs and monsters in combat.
Attila 03-30-05, 01:13 AM	We almost always use minatures for the PCs and either use dice or minatures for the monsters, depending on how lazy we are. We don't use battle grids or anything like that though. I haven't seen the new plastic minis, one of our players has a couple of suitcases full of old lead/pewter minatures that we use. With the books I say start with the minimum and only add as you feel you need. If painting minis and building sets is your thing than go for it. It really adds a nice visual touch to the game.
simen_88 03-30-05, 05:07 PM	So, I'm totally new to DnD- Thursday night was my first game ever, and it was pretty cool. I've played MtG for some time, as well as a huge myriad of console RPGs, and after having done some reading about DnD, I decided to take the plunge. I bought the requisite core books, and also bought the Complete Divine, Complete Adventurer, and the Expanded Psionics Handbook. (I've always liked cleric/priest/holy type characters, and usually always play one in games where you model your own character. My brother, on the other hand, adores the XPH and begged me to buy it). I also have my full regiment of every type of dice. What else should I look into in order to have a more enjoyable DnD experience? I already have a feeling I will probably want the Complete Arcane and the Complete Warrior, but are there other books or supplies I might want to look into? Also, what is the general consensus on Miniatures? Compared to M:tG, D&D relies little on what gaming material you own. Extra supplements won't make the game more fun, it will only give you different options as to what your character will be good at. Most of the stuff you do in the game depends little on your skills and feats anyway, its all in the mind. Sure, being able to apprehend criminals with your eyes closed and one foot behind your back is neat sometimes, but it usually does not make the game any more fun to play. If you are looking for material objects to improve your gaming experience, I suggest that you invest in a battle mat (unless your group has one), some potato chips, a bottle of soda, and maybe a few miniatures. This will make the game easier and more fun to play, instead of just complicating things.
ImagoKid 03-31-05, 02:25 AM	I have one thing to say to you. Miniatures are a very unnessesary add-on to any D&D game. They were simply invented by Wizards of the Coast to make more money. I have played for ages and have never needed minis.
amethal 03-31-05, 03:42 AM	I have one thing to say to you. Miniatures are a very unnessesary add-on to any D&D game. They were simply invented by Wizards of the Coast to make more money. I have played for ages and have never needed minis. Welcome to D&D. You don't need minis. But they are fun! We even used to use minis for 2nd edition games, just to make it easier to visualise the situation. When I am designing encounters, I always have a look through my minis to see if anything grabs my attention. I wouldn't rush out and buy a load of minis yet though. If you can find a figure you think would do well as a representation of your character then just buy that one (and only if you can get it cheaply - some minis are much more expensive than others). You also don't have to buy pre-painted plastic ones. I used to enjoy painting minis (and over the years managed to raise my level of skill from "awful" to "below average") but I don't have the time these days.
Attila 03-31-05, 05:10 AM	I have one thing to say to you. Miniatures are a very unnessesary add-on to any D&D game. They were simply invented by Wizards of the Coast to make more money. I have played for ages and have never needed minis. Minis have been around since the very beginning of DnD. DnD actually evolved from a minis wargame. They're certainly never required but really do add to the game if you like that sort of thing. You may have missed the part where the OP states that he really enjoys making sets for use with minis.