Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Dingar 05-16-06, 10:26 AM	Hi, me and my friends recently discovered we want to start playing D&D. I've been looking over the forums and through the main site and other things as well. Here is what I've got so far: 1st we will need the Basic Game 2nd we will need the 3 major rulebooks(players' handbook, monster manual, and DM manual) 3rdly, i havent gotten that far As i was looking, I came across the maps from Tome of Magic, Complete Psionic, ect. I was wondering what these really are. Are they necessitys? Also the miniatures rose a question for me, are they something completely different from D&D? I know certain minis are for D&D gameplay, but also saw several hints that they might be for something else. Ok, thank you for listening and help would be most kind. :)
Witch 05-16-06, 10:53 AM	Books such as Tome of Magic, the Complete Series, the Races series are all optional, and will probably be used by the time you want a few extra things that aren't in the PHB. When you start, the PHB already has tons of rules, however, so I'm sure you'll have enough with those 3 books. Miniatures can be used for the special miniatures game, or to illustrate the things you fight in D&D. They're useful, but it's not necessary. Edit: Why did I write Cooks instead of Books?
WarColonel 05-16-06, 11:14 AM	Honestly, you only need the PHB, DMG, and MM (hence forth refered to as the core books). Of course, you should also get ahold of one of those experienced players. Other than that, yes, the basic game is great since it teaches you how to play using the four "basic" classes. What is interesting is the fact you mentioned two of the books which present some of the hardest rule systems in the game. For now, stay away from "splat" books. After your group has mastered, or at least learned, the core books, expand into Song & Silence, Tomb & Blood, Sword & Fist, Defenders of the faith, Masters of the wild, and if you are feeling adventerous, Expanded Psionics Handbook. The first five named present new options for the base classes and the last is a new magic system. After that, go wild. EDIT: And, of course, always feel free to post questions on these boards.
Witch 05-16-06, 11:18 AM	After your group has mastered, or at least learned, the core books, expand into Song & Silence, Tomb & Blood, Sword & Fist, Defenders of the faith, Masters of the wild, and if you are feeling adventerous, Expanded Psionics Handbook. Except for that last one: No. Those are 3.0 books. Buy 3.5 books: the Complete series and the Races series.
Dingar 05-16-06, 11:32 AM	Wow, thank you both, this has helped me tremidously. But I still can't spell! lol EDIT: Ok, one more question. The maps I will need to play, i can get from where?
Krug_the_smasher 05-16-06, 12:53 PM	The mats, Also known as Battlemats, can be found at your nearest hobby shop, and if they dont have it, they can certainly order it in. If you are lazy and dont want to get it ordered in, you can get it from http://www.crystalcaste.com/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=CC&Category_Code=CM They have the 2-sided mats for about 20-35$ US. That includes the HEX mat, which is useful for cones and such. They are entirely optional, and if you dont have minis or aren't using them, dont bother with this. HINT: you can get the mat and minis cheap off of E-bay.
Dougaljb 05-16-06, 01:46 PM	Ok i will chip in here and say that you really really do not need minis. Maps you need to play? Well i must say that if you are new to the game a published adventure may help you run a game. That would come with all the maps for the adventure and have helpful hints in how to run the adventure. For future reference, if you want a map, get some paper and sketch it. IMHO a lot of people live far too heavily by the rules in D&D. As long as you are having fun then that is the most important thing. And let me be the first to say welcome to one of the best hobbies you could possibly wish to be involved in... Roleplaying.
Dingar 05-16-06, 01:58 PM	Thank you kind sirs doug and krug. And it's nice to know that ppl here are REALLY friendly! hehe. Once again thanks for all this, its been a great help
kelvinaw273 05-16-06, 02:05 PM	You don't actually need battlemats and miniatures to play, although they help in a purely tactical situation. You can start with the three core rulebooks, pen and paper. Download and print a few character sheets as well, but otherwise go for it. Oh, and there are quite a few scenarios you can download to play to begin with. The other thing you might need is a campaign setting. There are quite a few around - Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms and Eberron are all set around the 'basic' game in their own sweet way. These will help you set your adventures in a consistant world.
Sevil 05-16-06, 02:24 PM	Dingar, First, welcome aboard. As stated before, the core rulebooks are all you really need to begin gaming. The PHB (Players Handbook) lay out general rules of the game and outline guidelines by which you, as a player, should follow. The DMG (Dungeon Masters Guide) will help the 'Dungeon Master' create a world in which your adventurer's live in. It will help him/her think up story ideas, or plot lines to get the players engaged. The MM (Monster Manual) is a resource for the Dungeon Master - a list of monsters at their disposal to throw at the players. So, with this being said, only the dungeon master actually needs all three books. Each player should simply have a copy of the PHB. All the other books made for D&D are merely supplemental. You'll find after you've become experienced in the rules that you need more depth (hard to imagine at first hehe). All the other books contain more spells, new classes, new races, more techniques, more equipment, etc. These are only meant to heighten the detail and flexibility of the game. For example, you might find that the standard 'fighter' class in the PHB isn't exactly what you want, and decide to make a Samurai/Iajitsu Master detailed in Oriental Adventures. Finally, a note about miniatures and maps. In the PHB, it details a way to orchestrate combat sequences. It's based off of a 5' x 5' grid. It's a way of knowing just how far your character can move in a 'round'. What obstacles are in your way? How are the monsters reacting to your actions? Now, some people do without this, and simply define the environment and people in it by elaborating with words. I find this difficult to really get my head around what is actually going on. You should try both ways to see what you're comfortable with. If you DO tend to use physically drawn maps, that's where the miniatures come in. They are just a to-scale representation of your player on the map. You don't need to go out and spend a bunch of money on these though - dice work just as well, or even a half eaten cheetoh. Again, the 'battlemats' are just for combat scenarios or laying out a 'dungeon' or environment. Larger maps detailing the country or world that you live in could just be sketched or bought from vendors. I hope this helps. Don't hesitate to ask anything here. Good Luck! Sevil
geekling 05-16-06, 02:28 PM	Ok i will chip in here and say that you really really do not need minis. What he said, besides jelly beans as a visual aid to identify friends and foes locations and movement is just tastier. Kill a kobold, eat the jelly bean. :)
BobtheBiotitan 05-16-06, 03:28 PM	I will pitch you a word of advice. Do not get frustrated when you go to make your first character. When I say make a character I mean just that. Making the character instead of using premade ones. My first character took me over six hours to make and it was all worth it! The more characters that you make the faster you can do it and the more enjoyable it gets. One thing that I did to myself frustrated me. I would read about everyone's wonderful and unique characters, but I could never come up with some on my own. That may come very quickly to you. If not then don't worry about it, because it comes with time. Right now in my game I am playing a level 11 rogue who is the parties "Wizard" because I carry around tons of scrolls, wands, and staves. It's great fun. As to what the books. Everyone else has stated that you should stay with the core three for now. Make sure to dowload a level 1 adventure off of this site so your Dungeon Master can get the hang of DnD. Hope you enjoy the hobby as much as I have.
Krug_the_smasher 05-16-06, 06:35 PM	Thank you kind sirs doug and krug. And it's nice to know that ppl here are REALLY friendly! hehe. Once again thanks for all this, its been a great help No problem. Nice to know people apreciate my comments! :d
Tuah 05-17-06, 01:30 PM	Yay! Starting out can be so much fun! ^o^ Basically, to learn the rules and such, you'll need to play the Basic Game. It's basically a halfway-scripted battle through a dungeon. To actually start playing after that, each player should have at least a Player's Handbook, and the Dungeon Master should have a Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and a Monster Manual. Version 3.5 has the current rules. Once you start getting a lot better, I suggest buying the Comlete (Arcane/Adventurer/Divine/Warrior) series. They will come in handy, and give you a lot of examples to look at. Some others you really want to consider getting are Player's Handbook II and Dungeon Master's Guide II. They give a TON of information on character building and running games. As for Monster Manuals 2 and 3, well, I didn't care for them too much, but you might have some use for them. To get you started a little better though, you all might want to buy some premade adventures; around half the size of a magazine, have a blue border, and a premade adventure inside (it'll have the level around the outside, or on the front page). Tomb of Magic, as you were talking about, is good if you want more flavorful (but not nessicarily better) characters. You'll want to hold off for a while though. The characters in this book include characters who make pacts with spirits, characters who use shadow to cast spells, and characters who tap into the language of creation. Miniatures- The D&D miniatures game is just like D&D, but with premade stats for miniatures so you can play a quick duel or something with your friends. The miniatures are actually the only kind of miniatures I use with D&D though. If you want to make things easier, I suggest buying a set of miniatures. Also, buy a vinyl gridmat. It will make things a LOT easier. There are special markers to use on them, too. They wash off easily, and won't damage the mat.
Dingar 05-17-06, 04:18 PM	Once again, thank you all for your help. Me and my friends are on a budget, so what we are going to do is just buy the basic game this weekend, then over the summer buy the 3 handbooks. I really look foward to start playing considering my friends can't get WoW! :P Thank you.