Advice for a possible newbie-to-be? :D [Archive] - Wizards Community

Advice for a possible newbie-to-be? :D [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
rwk87
10-28-04, 03:52 PM Alright, let me explain...

I have never, ever played Dungeons and Dragons before. The best I can say is that I've played a lot of roleplaying video games...which isn't really comparable. :D However, for some reason or other, I saw an ad for D&D the other day--and I started to consider why I never had. I'm still not really sure, but I know now that it's probably really, really fun.

Basically, I put this post here to ask a few major questions regarding myself playing D&D. If you could answer them, that'd be awesome. Thanks! I totally appreciate it.

1.) What do you think is your absolute, most favorite part about playing D&D?

2.) What kind of costs or money requirements are necessary for being moderately interested in a hobby like this? (And by moderately interested, I don't mean collecting every brand new miniature my eyes fall on. :rolleyes: )

3.) If you had to offer one piece of advice to someone like me, what would it be? What do you, experienced players of D&D, think is the most important thing someone like me could learn from you?

Again, thanks a lot!
Cymraegmorgan
10-28-04, 04:25 PM 1.) I DM alot, so the creation of a campaign world and adventures is my favorite part.

2.) The Core Rulebooks have a list price of $90. Some big chain bookstores offer them at a huge discount. Beyond that you can spend about fifty dollars a month and in a year you will have quite a lot of stuff.

3.) Make it fun, keep it fun. Don't let ruleslawyering make the experience miserable for anyone.
Mordmorgan the Mad
10-28-04, 05:08 PM 1.) I DM all the time (in fact, I've only been a PC twice in 12 years), so my favorite part is running games and creating plot lines.

2.) I buy (at least) one book each month, and it costs me about $40 a month.

3.) Making it fun is the best advice anyone could give or receive. Oddly enough, some people forget that this is a game and it should be fun.
Phantom Reaper
10-28-04, 05:25 PM 1.)I like both creating worlds and playing those worlds since I both DM and am a PC.

2.)Theres actually a starter guide thats about $10-$20 then I would buy the Player HandBook asap.

3.)Find a group you can't play dnd by yourself and two people can and will get boring so find a group thats interested.
UltimateReality
10-28-04, 06:17 PM 1.) What do you think is your absolute, most favorite part about playing D&D?

MUNCHIES! *ahem* Well, that, and the fun roleplaying that goes on...the satisfaction of finally kicking a baddie's butt when we were almost toast...the look on my DM's face when we do something completely unexpected (like make an NPC a full party member and reform her from her LE alignment, rather than kill her). That, and bonus XP. :)

2.) What kind of costs or money requirements are necessary for being moderately interested in a hobby like this? (And by moderately interested, I don't mean collecting every brand new miniature my eyes fall on. :rolleyes: )

All you'll absolutely need is a copy of the Player's Handbook. $30-$50 depending on where you get it (got one for $18 once from a guy who didn't want it anymore). A book usually costs in the $40-$60 range (Canadian dollars, mind you), and depending on how big your group is, who owns what, and how leniant/diverse your DM is with allowing source material your costs will vary. I'm sure my fiance and I have spent upwards of $500 on books, dice, etc. And we're about to plunk another $90 down for the new 3.5 core books.

Oh, and check around before you buy, too -- we used to get our books from the hobby shop. Then we found out they sold them at 33%-66% MORE than our chain bookstore...so yeah, guess where we go for books now. :P

3.) If you had to offer one piece of advice to someone like me, what would it be? What do you, experienced players of D&D, think is the most important thing someone like me could learn from you?

Be patient. Don't let all the numbers overwhelm you. Communicate with your group when you have an issue, and don't stick with shoddy DMs and constant PITA players. Read these boards. ;P

Actually, the two best pieces of advice:
1) Have fun! It's a game after all...and
2) bring munchies. Share. Everyone will love you.
Mordmorgan the Mad
10-28-04, 06:27 PM I'm sure my fiance and I have spent upwards of $500 on books, dice, etc.

Wow, you guys got off light. I've been playing since 2e and probably spent over $2,000 (American) so far.
UltimateReality
10-28-04, 07:55 PM Wow, you guys got off light. I've been playing since 2e and probably spent over $2,000 (American) so far.

We also have 7 other players to share the cost. :) Combine our collections and I wouldn't be surprised if it rang up around that amount...some of them literally haul GYM BAGS full of stuff over each week.
rwk87
10-28-04, 08:00 PM Hey, thanks for the good advice so far. I looked into the chain bookstore thing online, just to check it out. As it turns out, I could order the core bookset from Barnes & Noble for only about $60, instead of $90. Dang!

Sooo...I'm pretty sure I won't be starting as a DM right off the bat. :rolleyes: But would you still recommend I buy the entire core set of books, DM Guide included, anyway? I mean, is there a lot of useful information in the Monster and DM guides that could be important to helping me off as a beginner? Or...do you think I should just get it because I might eventually be a DM when I'm better at the game and more used to how it works?
Son of Khoron
10-28-04, 11:08 PM As it turns out, I could order the core bookset from Barnes & Noble for only about $60, instead of $90. Dang!
Why bother with $60?
I mean if you just wish to play the game, get a used player's handbook. Check out EBay or Amazon.com, unless you need to have it new.

But would you still recommend I buy the entire core set of books, DM Guide included, anyway?
Just buy the player's handbook.
Unless you wish to DM, the monster manual, DMG is not required.
If you need to look into the DMG (the only thing I can think a player would look into it is for prestige classes), I am sure the DM you play with would have one...I hope.

do you think I should just get it because I might eventually be a DM when I'm better at the game and more used to how it works?
If you plan to DM, that is great. However, learn the insides and outsides of the game by playing first until you feel comfortable with the rules, meaning not looking into the pages on every roll or plan of action.
Once you feel ready, then choose whether or not you wish to take a bit more responsibility to sit in the DM's chair.
Nom
10-29-04, 01:38 AM Each group needs 1 copy of each of the "core" books: Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, Monster Manual. It's not a bad idea for their to be more than 1 copy of the PH, but it's not necessary.

Each player needs a set of polyhedral dice. The minimal set is 7 dice: 1 each of 4, 6, 8, 12 and 20 side dice, and a pair of 10 side dice in different colours (to roll %, one die is 'tens', the other 'units'). Having extra 4, 6 and 8 side dice (especially 6 side dice) doesn't hurt.

Each player needs a pencil and eraser. Access to a photocopier and a printer is a good idea.

Beyond that, you don't need anything other than time. There is plenty of free stuff on the web (check out the Wizards of the Coast sit for starters), and you can make your own. Some of the extra stuff for sale is useful, but it's not required.
MortalPlague
10-29-04, 03:53 AM I'd also recommend additional 20 sided dice, but that's probably because I DM. I usually end up rolling many attacks at once. But some players are very superstitious about dice, and will generally want additional d20s in case "this one is unlucky". :D

All you really need are the three core books. I'd recommend getting all three... the MM can be useful for players if you ever intend to play a monstrous humanoid (not recommended for beginners, but can be entertaining when you're comfortable with the game), and the DMG has the entire magic item listing, which is useful if you ever start off a campaign with a sizeable sum of gold.
whisper
10-29-04, 04:22 AM It should cost you $0. You are a player. Everyone else should have the books.
If you decide that you want to get into to this later, hint at X-mas and birthday for books. Do not spend money on a hobby that you might not like.
Joe Khol
10-29-04, 07:44 AM 1.) What do you think is your absolute, most favorite part about playing D&D?

The social and human aspects. I can play the game on a computer but interacting with other players (via their characters) and the DM makes for a much more intense, varied and interesting game.

2.) What kind of costs or money requirements are necessary for being moderately interested in a hobby like this?

You can really spend as much or as little as you want. It is perfectly possible for a group to run with just a PHB, DMG and MMI (for the most part, my group does). Absolutely everything else is optional.

3.) If you had to offer one piece of advice to someone like me, what would it be? What do you, experienced players of D&D, think is the most important thing someone like me could learn from you?

Don't be put off if your first experiences aren't that good. If you start with a group of other newbies, you will make mistakes. If you join an existing group, you might not hit it off. Finding a group you enjoy playing with and building up a bit of experience, knowledge and confidence in the game makes a world of difference.

Enjoy.
amethal
10-29-04, 10:48 AM 1.) What do you think is your absolute, most favorite part about playing D&D?

2.) What kind of costs or money requirements are necessary for being moderately interested in a hobby like this? (And by moderately interested, I don't mean collecting every brand new miniature my eyes fall on. :rolleyes: )

3.) If you had to offer one piece of advice to someone like me, what would it be? What do you, experienced players of D&D, think is the most important thing someone like me could learn from you?

My favourite part about D&D, either as a player or as a DM, is when one of the other players does something unexpected - this could be as simple (or stupid) as the halfling rogue quizzing the hobgoblin king about what food he had available, or as heroic (or stupid) as the party bard deciding the best way to kill a wyvern was to leap onto its back and stab it with his dagger.

To be moderately interested, you have to buy your own players' handbook. When I have a spare 5 minutes I look at the feats chapter, or read a few spell descriptions. If you get one second hand, make sure it is the latest version "3.5" rather than the old version "3.0"

My one piece of advice is - don't cheat! I find it so tempting sometimes (don't know if others feel the same or if I am just a bad lot) but the satisfaction of succeeding on an adventure is so much greater if it has been achieved fairly. If playing fair means your character dies, its sad but character death does happen and you roll up another one.
rwk87
10-29-04, 11:17 AM Man...reading that stuff so totally makes me want to play.

The best thing I love about RPGs in general is that chance to challenge and improve your imagination. I mean, tons of people think Fable, for instance, is an awesome game because you can make so many choices and do so many things. But D&D has been like that since the beginning--from what I understand, your choices really are unlimited. It's that intriguing factor, the fact that when played correctly it could never get old--that's what sounds so totally freakin' awesome. :D

I'll give my local card store a call, and see what they have in terms of prices, campaign availabilities, and so forth. Maybe I could just go there and play with some other people once a week or so, so it doesn't interfere with my school stuff. (Yeah...high school...bleh. :rolleyes: )

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
rwk87 10-28-04, 03:52 PM	Alright, let me explain... I have never, ever played Dungeons and Dragons before. The best I can say is that I've played a lot of roleplaying video games...which isn't really comparable. :D However, for some reason or other, I saw an ad for D&D the other day--and I started to consider why I never had. I'm still not really sure, but I know now that it's probably really, really fun. Basically, I put this post here to ask a few major questions regarding myself playing D&D. If you could answer them, that'd be awesome. Thanks! I totally appreciate it. 1.) What do you think is your absolute, most favorite part about playing D&D? 2.) What kind of costs or money requirements are necessary for being moderately interested in a hobby like this? (And by moderately interested, I don't mean collecting every brand new miniature my eyes fall on. :rolleyes: ) 3.) If you had to offer one piece of advice to someone like me, what would it be? What do you, experienced players of D&D, think is the most important thing someone like me could learn from you? Again, thanks a lot!
Cymraegmorgan 10-28-04, 04:25 PM	1.) I DM alot, so the creation of a campaign world and adventures is my favorite part. 2.) The Core Rulebooks have a list price of $90. Some big chain bookstores offer them at a huge discount. Beyond that you can spend about fifty dollars a month and in a year you will have quite a lot of stuff. 3.) Make it fun, keep it fun. Don't let ruleslawyering make the experience miserable for anyone.
Mordmorgan the Mad 10-28-04, 05:08 PM	1.) I DM all the time (in fact, I've only been a PC twice in 12 years), so my favorite part is running games and creating plot lines. 2.) I buy (at least) one book each month, and it costs me about $40 a month. 3.) Making it fun is the best advice anyone could give or receive. Oddly enough, some people forget that this is a game and it should be fun.
Phantom Reaper 10-28-04, 05:25 PM	1.)I like both creating worlds and playing those worlds since I both DM and am a PC. 2.)Theres actually a starter guide thats about $10-$20 then I would buy the Player HandBook asap. 3.)Find a group you can't play dnd by yourself and two people can and will get boring so find a group thats interested.
UltimateReality 10-28-04, 06:17 PM	1.) What do you think is your absolute, most favorite part about playing D&D? MUNCHIES! ahem Well, that, and the fun roleplaying that goes on...the satisfaction of finally kicking a baddie's butt when we were almost toast...the look on my DM's face when we do something completely unexpected (like make an NPC a full party member and reform her from her LE alignment, rather than kill her). That, and bonus XP. :) 2.) What kind of costs or money requirements are necessary for being moderately interested in a hobby like this? (And by moderately interested, I don't mean collecting every brand new miniature my eyes fall on. :rolleyes: ) All you'll absolutely need is a copy of the Player's Handbook. $30-$50 depending on where you get it (got one for $18 once from a guy who didn't want it anymore). A book usually costs in the $40-$60 range (Canadian dollars, mind you), and depending on how big your group is, who owns what, and how leniant/diverse your DM is with allowing source material your costs will vary. I'm sure my fiance and I have spent upwards of $500 on books, dice, etc. And we're about to plunk another $90 down for the new 3.5 core books. Oh, and check around before you buy, too -- we used to get our books from the hobby shop. Then we found out they sold them at 33%-66% MORE than our chain bookstore...so yeah, guess where we go for books now. :P 3.) If you had to offer one piece of advice to someone like me, what would it be? What do you, experienced players of D&D, think is the most important thing someone like me could learn from you? Be patient. Don't let all the numbers overwhelm you. Communicate with your group when you have an issue, and don't stick with shoddy DMs and constant PITA players. Read these boards. ;P Actually, the two best pieces of advice: 1) Have fun! It's a game after all...and 2) bring munchies. Share. Everyone will love you.
Mordmorgan the Mad 10-28-04, 06:27 PM	I'm sure my fiance and I have spent upwards of $500 on books, dice, etc. Wow, you guys got off light. I've been playing since 2e and probably spent over $2,000 (American) so far.
UltimateReality 10-28-04, 07:55 PM	Wow, you guys got off light. I've been playing since 2e and probably spent over $2,000 (American) so far. We also have 7 other players to share the cost. :) Combine our collections and I wouldn't be surprised if it rang up around that amount...some of them literally haul GYM BAGS full of stuff over each week.
rwk87 10-28-04, 08:00 PM	Hey, thanks for the good advice so far. I looked into the chain bookstore thing online, just to check it out. As it turns out, I could order the core bookset from Barnes & Noble for only about $60, instead of $90. Dang! Sooo...I'm pretty sure I won't be starting as a DM right off the bat. :rolleyes: But would you still recommend I buy the entire core set of books, DM Guide included, anyway? I mean, is there a lot of useful information in the Monster and DM guides that could be important to helping me off as a beginner? Or...do you think I should just get it because I might eventually be a DM when I'm better at the game and more used to how it works?
Son of Khoron 10-28-04, 11:08 PM	As it turns out, I could order the core bookset from Barnes & Noble for only about $60, instead of $90. Dang! Why bother with $60? I mean if you just wish to play the game, get a used player's handbook. Check out EBay or Amazon.com, unless you need to have it new. But would you still recommend I buy the entire core set of books, DM Guide included, anyway? Just buy the player's handbook. Unless you wish to DM, the monster manual, DMG is not required. If you need to look into the DMG (the only thing I can think a player would look into it is for prestige classes), I am sure the DM you play with would have one...I hope. do you think I should just get it because I might eventually be a DM when I'm better at the game and more used to how it works? If you plan to DM, that is great. However, learn the insides and outsides of the game by playing first until you feel comfortable with the rules, meaning not looking into the pages on every roll or plan of action. Once you feel ready, then choose whether or not you wish to take a bit more responsibility to sit in the DM's chair.
Nom 10-29-04, 01:38 AM	Each group needs 1 copy of each of the "core" books: Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, Monster Manual. It's not a bad idea for their to be more than 1 copy of the PH, but it's not necessary. Each player needs a set of polyhedral dice. The minimal set is 7 dice: 1 each of 4, 6, 8, 12 and 20 side dice, and a pair of 10 side dice in different colours (to roll %, one die is 'tens', the other 'units'). Having extra 4, 6 and 8 side dice (especially 6 side dice) doesn't hurt. Each player needs a pencil and eraser. Access to a photocopier and a printer is a good idea. Beyond that, you don't need anything other than time. There is plenty of free stuff on the web (check out the Wizards of the Coast sit for starters), and you can make your own. Some of the extra stuff for sale is useful, but it's not required.
MortalPlague 10-29-04, 03:53 AM	I'd also recommend additional 20 sided dice, but that's probably because I DM. I usually end up rolling many attacks at once. But some players are very superstitious about dice, and will generally want additional d20s in case "this one is unlucky". :D All you really need are the three core books. I'd recommend getting all three... the MM can be useful for players if you ever intend to play a monstrous humanoid (not recommended for beginners, but can be entertaining when you're comfortable with the game), and the DMG has the entire magic item listing, which is useful if you ever start off a campaign with a sizeable sum of gold.
whisper 10-29-04, 04:22 AM	It should cost you $0. You are a player. Everyone else should have the books. If you decide that you want to get into to this later, hint at X-mas and birthday for books. Do not spend money on a hobby that you might not like.
Joe Khol 10-29-04, 07:44 AM	1.) What do you think is your absolute, most favorite part about playing D&D? The social and human aspects. I can play the game on a computer but interacting with other players (via their characters) and the DM makes for a much more intense, varied and interesting game. 2.) What kind of costs or money requirements are necessary for being moderately interested in a hobby like this? You can really spend as much or as little as you want. It is perfectly possible for a group to run with just a PHB, DMG and MMI (for the most part, my group does). Absolutely everything else is optional. 3.) If you had to offer one piece of advice to someone like me, what would it be? What do you, experienced players of D&D, think is the most important thing someone like me could learn from you? Don't be put off if your first experiences aren't that good. If you start with a group of other newbies, you will make mistakes. If you join an existing group, you might not hit it off. Finding a group you enjoy playing with and building up a bit of experience, knowledge and confidence in the game makes a world of difference. Enjoy.
amethal 10-29-04, 10:48 AM	1.) What do you think is your absolute, most favorite part about playing D&D? 2.) What kind of costs or money requirements are necessary for being moderately interested in a hobby like this? (And by moderately interested, I don't mean collecting every brand new miniature my eyes fall on. :rolleyes: ) 3.) If you had to offer one piece of advice to someone like me, what would it be? What do you, experienced players of D&D, think is the most important thing someone like me could learn from you? My favourite part about D&D, either as a player or as a DM, is when one of the other players does something unexpected - this could be as simple (or stupid) as the halfling rogue quizzing the hobgoblin king about what food he had available, or as heroic (or stupid) as the party bard deciding the best way to kill a wyvern was to leap onto its back and stab it with his dagger. To be moderately interested, you have to buy your own players' handbook. When I have a spare 5 minutes I look at the feats chapter, or read a few spell descriptions. If you get one second hand, make sure it is the latest version "3.5" rather than the old version "3.0" My one piece of advice is - don't cheat! I find it so tempting sometimes (don't know if others feel the same or if I am just a bad lot) but the satisfaction of succeeding on an adventure is so much greater if it has been achieved fairly. If playing fair means your character dies, its sad but character death does happen and you roll up another one.
rwk87 10-29-04, 11:17 AM	Man...reading that stuff so totally makes me want to play. The best thing I love about RPGs in general is that chance to challenge and improve your imagination. I mean, tons of people think Fable, for instance, is an awesome game because you can make so many choices and do so many things. But D&D has been like that since the beginning--from what I understand, your choices really are unlimited. It's that intriguing factor, the fact that when played correctly it could never get old--that's what sounds so totally freakin' awesome. :D I'll give my local card store a call, and see what they have in terms of prices, campaign availabilities, and so forth. Maybe I could just go there and play with some other people once a week or so, so it doesn't interfere with my school stuff. (Yeah...high school...bleh. :rolleyes: )