Am I a poor player? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Am I a poor player? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Alabran
05-05-05, 06:52 PM Recently, I was offered to try out D&D with a friend of mine. I had never played D&D before, however I always found descriptions of the various areas in a D&D world incredibly intriguing. Anyway, after asking if I could be a Drow Elf (I am a big fan of R.A. Salvatore), A plane touched Elf, and a race ive forgotten the name of, (Used to be a species of humanoid wizards a long time ago in the forgotten realms area, known as wizard-kings or something. After their empire failed, they went deep, into the underdark and blocked off the passage back. Everyone from that race which wished to leave had to have their memory altered so they could not return, this is because they are especially xenophobic. If anyone could remind me what the race is that would be cool.) I finally chose to be an elven cleric.

So, he started me off on a deserted beachfront in a world of his own creation. Behind me there was only the ocean, to the right and left of me there was a mountain range, infront of me there was a vast forest. For some reason I was supposed to go through this forest and make it to the kingdom on the other side. He asked me what I wanted to do, I told him I wanted to search the area for something of relative importance. He said there was nothing, then I asked him if the mountains were scalable (by chance I had brought a rope and climbing equipment). He said they were not. Frusterated that the adventure was so (apparently) straight forward, I just decided to start through the forest. Eventually I encountered some gnolls. I "hit" them, then I "hit" them, then I "hit" them, and after enough "hit"ing, I was informed I had defeated them. I asked to search their bodies, and there was nothing of value. I asked to search the area and listen for any noises, and there was nothing. So I continued onward, eventually I encounted a ranger in the middle of this path. He ran away, and then from a tree started firing arrows at me. When asked what I wanted to do I said I wanted to try to comunicate with him (My character was chaotic good and tried to avoid combat if possible). I yelled that I was just passing through and requested why he was attacking me, my responce was another arrow. Eventually I tried to cast a spell of minor healing on myself and was interrupted by an arrow. I tried again and was interrupted, I tried one more time, when I was interrupted and killed.

It was at this point that I chose to quit and do something else. I just was having no fun and was not at all interested in the storyline or my character. Am I a poor player for not just continuing through this world? Am I a poor player for expecting something like what I read on the internet? Should I have done otherwise? I ask your opinion.
Lincoln Hills
05-05-05, 07:15 PM "Careful - ask for an opinion on the Net and somebody will mail you a ticking package!"

In honesty, it sounds as if this was your friend's first attempt to DM (not just your first attempt to play.) At least, I pray that it was your friend's first attempt to DM, and that he doesn't regularly subject people to this sort of stuff.

I hadn't realized it when I was first learning to DM (with Basic D&D), but modules - they're out of fashion now, you new types might not realize it now, but they used to roam the plains in great thundering herds - where was I?

Ah yes. Modules back then did more than provide a mutual proving ground that people could converse about at conventions. Modules taught brand new DMs like the fellow in this example what to do.

Alabran, my laddie, you did not do wrong. Truth be told, I wish I knew more players whose first response to an encounter is not an initiative roll. Some DMs present campaigns which are stories. Others present fights which have a connecting motif. You were expecting the first, and the second was what you got. I'm sure that even the folks out there who are proud of the title "power gamer" will agree that this was a sad misunderstanding.
Flushmaster
05-05-05, 07:19 PM No. I'd say that the guy DMing wasn't giving you a campaign appropriate to what you want out of the game. You seem to be a person who expects some serious roleplaying and in character motivation for any combat that you get involved in. The DM seems to be the type that just does a lot of random encounters and doesn't do much in the way of a storyline (this is often referred to as rollplaying as opposed to roleplaying).

If you're the only player and the DM doesn't seem to be into roleplaying very much (or not at all), like your first experience, then you're not going to get any real opportunities to develope and express your character. Try to find a group of players who are more into roleplaying and ask if you can join them. Even if their campaign doesn't focus heavily on roleplaying there should be enough interaction between player characters to let you roleplay the character more.

And as a side note, while I do admit that Salvatore is a very talented author, I have a heartfelt request on behalf of D&D players everywhere. Please don't become one of those obsessed fanboys (or fangirls, whichever term is appropriate to your gender) who want to do nothing but play Drizzt clones, or some variation" on the chaotic good "rebel" drow. Drow are evil. Drizzt was a one in a million occurance. The closest most drow might get to that would be a neutral alignment, retaining more than a few unpleasant tendencies, and leaving their community for personal reasons (not alignment reasons; maybe they lost a power struggle and barely escaped with their lives so decided to seek power and wealth elsewhere). No offense, but I (and many others) have had experience with a player who always wanted to play a "neutral good" drow or half drow and it got really old really fast. Then agai, he was also a horrible roleplayer and a big powergaming munchkin too...
Thonili_Moonbringer
05-05-05, 07:20 PM I don't have my books on hand at the moment, but do you mean the wizards of Netheril?

It's really hard to start playing DnD. Has your buddy, the DM, played before? He sounds like he's pretty new to the whole thing as well. As for you as a player, it doesn't look like you really had much say in the matter. Walk into the woods, shot to death by some dude, and that's it. While it's generally not very practical to make combat-shy characters, especially in a solo game, your DM should try and work with you based on the kind of game you want. But one musn't be quick to judge, either--your DM may have just been having an off-day, and perhaps a fascinating adventure full of memorable characters and events awaited your poor ranger in the next town. If you're really interested in playing, my advice would be to find a group--DnD isn't made for solo characters, and more experienced players can help you learn the ropes.
Tisner44
05-05-05, 07:29 PM No you are not a bad player, does your DM actually run a game with other people in it? You may want to ask if you can join the group.

One on One is okay to learn some of the machanics of the game...which is never really exciting, but generally killing you is kind of mean.

If you feel comfortable with the rules just join a group.
Death_Mint
05-05-05, 07:35 PM you're DM=****ing NOOOoooOOOoooOOOB! as soon as you asked if you could climb the moutains and he sayd no i could tell that he would have almost no storyline my suggestion: find someone else to be a DM for you, or it sounds like you would be a pretty good DM yourself. Ask your friend if you can borrow his books read them over and try DMing a game for him and a few other people pehaps
downtown_brad
05-05-05, 07:41 PM You sound like a great player to me. It is players like you (the ones who want to roleplay) that make being a DM fun. Try to find another DM, or read the books and try DM'ing yourself.
Alabran
05-05-05, 07:41 PM And as a side note, while I do admit that Salvatore is a very talented author, I have a heartfelt request on behalf of D&D players everywhere. Please don't become one of those obsessed fanboys (or fangirls, whichever term is appropriate to your gender) who want to do nothing but play Drizzt clones, or some variation" on the chaotic good "rebel" drow. Drow are evil. Drizzt was a one in a million occurance. The closest most drow might get to that would be a neutral alignment, retaining more than a few unpleasant tendencies, and leaving their community for personal reasons (not alignment reasons; maybe they lost a power struggle and barely escaped with their lives so decided to seek power and wealth elsewhere). No offense, but I (and many others) have had experience with a player who always wanted to play a "neutral good" drow or half drow and it got really old really fast. Then agai, he was also a horrible roleplayer and a big powergaming munchkin too...

Just as clarification, I'm not so interested in Drizzt in himself that I want to make a clone of him. R.A. Salvatore just got me so very incredibly intrigued in the drow culture that I wanted to make one of them. My actual dream character is more like the apprentice of the false "Master Faceless One" which was in the book Homelands. I truely enjoyed how R.A. Salvatore presented him.

I don't have my books on hand at the moment, but do you mean the wizards of Netheril?

I don't think so, I think I remember them being called "Deep I-Somethings". Oh well.
---

Thank you all for your support, perhaps I will go out and try this again.
Draco Strang
05-05-05, 08:03 PM I don't think so, I think I remember them being called "Deep I-Somethings". Oh well.

The Deep Imaskari. Read more about them in the Underdark book!
Alabran
05-05-05, 08:05 PM Thats the one! Thank you! :D
Deekin
05-05-05, 08:08 PM Short Answer
No- you are a great player, but you had a horrible DM
was_fired
05-05-05, 08:45 PM I tend to agree with the bad DM theory. The best way to bring a new player into the game is with several experianced ones or with a full group of new players. Solo DMing should only take place with extremely experianced players or in games with nearly no combat.
Ut-Napishtim
05-05-05, 11:56 PM I asked to search their bodies, and there was nothing of value.

What? They should've at least had:
Leather Armor
Battle Axe
Heavy Seel Shield
Shortbow

You should be able to get about 35 gp for that stuff in a town. Not to mention the backpacks with all sorts of good kit to fill out your own camping equipment. I guess they could've been naked, feral Gnolls if the DM assigned them a natural attack, but even then that's pretty far out. Yeah, sounds like you just got a bum deal man. Don't lose hope, there's better stuff out there.
Flushmaster
05-06-05, 12:23 AM Just as clarification, I'm not so interested in Drizzt in himself that I want to make a clone of him. R.A. Salvatore just got me so very incredibly intrigued in the drow culture that I wanted to make one of them. My actual dream character is more like the apprentice of the false "Master Faceless One" which was in the book Homelands. I truely enjoyed how R.A. Salvatore presented him.

In that case, you're fine. I'll even say "good job" on appreciating the race for their more common traits and wanting to play a thought out character. Remember, it's okay to be inspired by a literary character (or one from TV, movies, etc), but make sure you have enough original material in there that the character is not a clone, because that's either laziness or fanboyness, neither of which get you points in most players' books. Again, sorry if I sounded harsh or judgemental, but that's just one of my peeves and there are a lot of other players out there that have similar feelings on the matter, so you'd encounter it eventually and you might as well get the heads up on it now.

So yeah, again, go find a group with another DM. Preferably at least a few experienced players or, at the least an experienced DM, who are/is willing to show you the ropes. You'll have to learn the mechanical rules to be able to play just about any game, but you'll find that you really do want to start rolling dice if you get into character and the character has a motivation to bring that bad guy down. You just need the proper motivation.
Sargon
05-06-05, 02:24 AM Yeah bud, CRuddy DM ... I wouldn't mind having you as a player... I think good players make better DM's..

I agree that you should find someone else to DM your stuff or you might even have nich for DMing... its not really that HArd.. just get a group of adventures and mess with thier heads.
Paradisio
05-06-05, 02:42 AM I don't even have to read the post, just the title, and say no.

Just by questioning your own worthiness, you show that you are willing to change and admit you aren't perfect. And as dumb as it sounds, that is a good thing.
Torack
05-06-05, 03:51 AM I agree with the others. You just experienced a lousy DM. Probably a first-timer too.

Don't let it bum you out and go find a group, if not in real life, then find one on the internet.

There are plenty of DnD-roleplaying sites out and about that would welcome people like you with open arms.
green_yawgmoth
05-06-05, 04:34 AM Yeah, I'll add in another "you don't suck, your DM does". You actually sound like a very good player, one I'd be happy to play with. I think that if you found a DM that knew what he was doing, rather than playing diablo and doom for his RPG influences, you'd find the game to be a lot more engaging.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v91/yawgmoth/kittyjig.gif
Shadow Soul Mage
05-06-05, 08:42 AM Another thing to remember is that although it is hard to have an interesting session with a poor DM, it is even harder to have an interesting session with a poor DM in a one on one game. Try to get a group of 4-6 together who enjoy roleplaying, and either find a DM who likes roleplaying or, if you have time, DM yourself. Its fairly easy to learn how if you read the message boards a bit and run a few experimental adventures before you start a major campaign. Try talking to other people at gaming stores to find other DND players. A fair few MTG players play DND too, so be on the lookout!

EDIT: The sliver contest is still in my sig! I havent posted on these boards for too long! :)
Bane
05-06-05, 01:17 PM Wow. As you say, this was your first experience playing, and it sounds like you're already a better player than anyone in my group. You wanted to play a Drow, not because you wanted to be a scimitar-wielding, good-aligned, one-in-a-million renegade, but because you have read about Drow culture, and that's the mindset you were looking for in your character. You actually bought equipment, instead of just buying weapons and armor. You didn't immediately follow the expected path. You attempted to 'defeat' an encounter in a way that didn't leave corpses behind. You chose a Chaotic alignment because it fit, not because you wanted to flip a coin to make decisions. You chose a Good alignment (something that none of my players have ever done).

Congratulations. You are pretty close to being the perfect player, not to mention a very likely candidate for a near-perfect DM, once you have some more experience. If you live in Central Wisconsin, tell me, and I will move my sessions so that it will be easier for you to attend.
Alabran
05-06-05, 06:00 PM Shadow Soul Mage, its been too long. Good to see you again.
Thank you for your kind words Bane, unfortunately I live about half-way across america from you.
Ive always found the (seemingly) oxymoronic alignments the most interesting. IMHO they are truely the most fun to roleplay since their personalities tend to have alot of depth. My least favorite alignment is Lawful Good, solely because it feels like you really can't do much with it. Even if you have tendencies which are not lawful or good, in the end it's still the steriotypical knight-in-shining-armor routine. I suppose my main problem is just that I don't really know the rules very well.

---
Sidenote: While looking through the player's handbook while creating my first character, I came across the spiked chain weapon and thought it was very cool. Do any deities have a favored weapon of the spiked chain?
Aeromus
05-06-05, 06:27 PM The best players, are those that force a DM to make things up on the spot.

I would love to have you in my game. When the DM present you with a location, you searched for the most information you could from that.

When you met the ranger, you didn't immediatly destroy him, fight him...or attempt the "wtfpwnz0rt1z3" him.

The DM was crap. You did what any great player would have.
Molitor
05-06-05, 09:16 PM Perhaps you should DM. You might have a knack for it. I love creating Non Player Characters with different ideals and traits, you sound like you would too. Teach this DM how to DM by being one yourself. You mentioned that you don't know the rules some of the BEST games I've played in were with DMs who remembered how to forget the rules.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Alabran 05-05-05, 06:52 PM	Recently, I was offered to try out D&D with a friend of mine. I had never played D&D before, however I always found descriptions of the various areas in a D&D world incredibly intriguing. Anyway, after asking if I could be a Drow Elf (I am a big fan of R.A. Salvatore), A plane touched Elf, and a race ive forgotten the name of, (Used to be a species of humanoid wizards a long time ago in the forgotten realms area, known as wizard-kings or something. After their empire failed, they went deep, into the underdark and blocked off the passage back. Everyone from that race which wished to leave had to have their memory altered so they could not return, this is because they are especially xenophobic. If anyone could remind me what the race is that would be cool.) I finally chose to be an elven cleric. So, he started me off on a deserted beachfront in a world of his own creation. Behind me there was only the ocean, to the right and left of me there was a mountain range, infront of me there was a vast forest. For some reason I was supposed to go through this forest and make it to the kingdom on the other side. He asked me what I wanted to do, I told him I wanted to search the area for something of relative importance. He said there was nothing, then I asked him if the mountains were scalable (by chance I had brought a rope and climbing equipment). He said they were not. Frusterated that the adventure was so (apparently) straight forward, I just decided to start through the forest. Eventually I encountered some gnolls. I "hit" them, then I "hit" them, then I "hit" them, and after enough "hit"ing, I was informed I had defeated them. I asked to search their bodies, and there was nothing of value. I asked to search the area and listen for any noises, and there was nothing. So I continued onward, eventually I encounted a ranger in the middle of this path. He ran away, and then from a tree started firing arrows at me. When asked what I wanted to do I said I wanted to try to comunicate with him (My character was chaotic good and tried to avoid combat if possible). I yelled that I was just passing through and requested why he was attacking me, my responce was another arrow. Eventually I tried to cast a spell of minor healing on myself and was interrupted by an arrow. I tried again and was interrupted, I tried one more time, when I was interrupted and killed. It was at this point that I chose to quit and do something else. I just was having no fun and was not at all interested in the storyline or my character. Am I a poor player for not just continuing through this world? Am I a poor player for expecting something like what I read on the internet? Should I have done otherwise? I ask your opinion.
Lincoln Hills 05-05-05, 07:15 PM	"Careful - ask for an opinion on the Net and somebody will mail you a ticking package!" In honesty, it sounds as if this was your friend's first attempt to DM (not just your first attempt to play.) At least, I pray that it was your friend's first attempt to DM, and that he doesn't regularly subject people to this sort of stuff. I hadn't realized it when I was first learning to DM (with Basic D&D), but modules - they're out of fashion now, you new types might not realize it now, but they used to roam the plains in great thundering herds - where was I? Ah yes. Modules back then did more than provide a mutual proving ground that people could converse about at conventions. Modules taught brand new DMs like the fellow in this example what to do. Alabran, my laddie, you did not do wrong. Truth be told, I wish I knew more players whose first response to an encounter is not an initiative roll. Some DMs present campaigns which are stories. Others present fights which have a connecting motif. You were expecting the first, and the second was what you got. I'm sure that even the folks out there who are proud of the title "power gamer" will agree that this was a sad misunderstanding.
Flushmaster 05-05-05, 07:19 PM	No. I'd say that the guy DMing wasn't giving you a campaign appropriate to what you want out of the game. You seem to be a person who expects some serious roleplaying and in character motivation for any combat that you get involved in. The DM seems to be the type that just does a lot of random encounters and doesn't do much in the way of a storyline (this is often referred to as rollplaying as opposed to roleplaying). If you're the only player and the DM doesn't seem to be into roleplaying very much (or not at all), like your first experience, then you're not going to get any real opportunities to develope and express your character. Try to find a group of players who are more into roleplaying and ask if you can join them. Even if their campaign doesn't focus heavily on roleplaying there should be enough interaction between player characters to let you roleplay the character more. And as a side note, while I do admit that Salvatore is a very talented author, I have a heartfelt request on behalf of D&D players everywhere. Please don't become one of those obsessed fanboys (or fangirls, whichever term is appropriate to your gender) who want to do nothing but play Drizzt clones, or some variation" on the chaotic good "rebel" drow. Drow are evil. Drizzt was a one in a million occurance. The closest most drow might get to that would be a neutral alignment, retaining more than a few unpleasant tendencies, and leaving their community for personal reasons (not alignment reasons; maybe they lost a power struggle and barely escaped with their lives so decided to seek power and wealth elsewhere). No offense, but I (and many others) have had experience with a player who always wanted to play a "neutral good" drow or half drow and it got really old really fast. Then agai, he was also a horrible roleplayer and a big powergaming munchkin too...
Thonili_Moonbringer 05-05-05, 07:20 PM	I don't have my books on hand at the moment, but do you mean the wizards of Netheril? It's really hard to start playing DnD. Has your buddy, the DM, played before? He sounds like he's pretty new to the whole thing as well. As for you as a player, it doesn't look like you really had much say in the matter. Walk into the woods, shot to death by some dude, and that's it. While it's generally not very practical to make combat-shy characters, especially in a solo game, your DM should try and work with you based on the kind of game you want. But one musn't be quick to judge, either--your DM may have just been having an off-day, and perhaps a fascinating adventure full of memorable characters and events awaited your poor ranger in the next town. If you're really interested in playing, my advice would be to find a group--DnD isn't made for solo characters, and more experienced players can help you learn the ropes.
Tisner44 05-05-05, 07:29 PM	No you are not a bad player, does your DM actually run a game with other people in it? You may want to ask if you can join the group. One on One is okay to learn some of the machanics of the game...which is never really exciting, but generally killing you is kind of mean. If you feel comfortable with the rules just join a group.
Death_Mint 05-05-05, 07:35 PM	you're DM=****ing NOOOoooOOOoooOOOB! as soon as you asked if you could climb the moutains and he sayd no i could tell that he would have almost no storyline my suggestion: find someone else to be a DM for you, or it sounds like you would be a pretty good DM yourself. Ask your friend if you can borrow his books read them over and try DMing a game for him and a few other people pehaps
downtown_brad 05-05-05, 07:41 PM	You sound like a great player to me. It is players like you (the ones who want to roleplay) that make being a DM fun. Try to find another DM, or read the books and try DM'ing yourself.
Alabran 05-05-05, 07:41 PM	And as a side note, while I do admit that Salvatore is a very talented author, I have a heartfelt request on behalf of D&D players everywhere. Please don't become one of those obsessed fanboys (or fangirls, whichever term is appropriate to your gender) who want to do nothing but play Drizzt clones, or some variation" on the chaotic good "rebel" drow. Drow are evil. Drizzt was a one in a million occurance. The closest most drow might get to that would be a neutral alignment, retaining more than a few unpleasant tendencies, and leaving their community for personal reasons (not alignment reasons; maybe they lost a power struggle and barely escaped with their lives so decided to seek power and wealth elsewhere). No offense, but I (and many others) have had experience with a player who always wanted to play a "neutral good" drow or half drow and it got really old really fast. Then agai, he was also a horrible roleplayer and a big powergaming munchkin too... Just as clarification, I'm not so interested in Drizzt in himself that I want to make a clone of him. R.A. Salvatore just got me so very incredibly intrigued in the drow culture that I wanted to make one of them. My actual dream character is more like the apprentice of the false "Master Faceless One" which was in the book Homelands. I truely enjoyed how R.A. Salvatore presented him. I don't have my books on hand at the moment, but do you mean the wizards of Netheril? I don't think so, I think I remember them being called "Deep I-Somethings". Oh well. --- Thank you all for your support, perhaps I will go out and try this again.
Draco Strang 05-05-05, 08:03 PM	I don't think so, I think I remember them being called "Deep I-Somethings". Oh well. The Deep Imaskari. Read more about them in the Underdark book!
Alabran 05-05-05, 08:05 PM	Thats the one! Thank you! :D
Deekin 05-05-05, 08:08 PM	Short Answer No- you are a great player, but you had a horrible DM
was_fired 05-05-05, 08:45 PM	I tend to agree with the bad DM theory. The best way to bring a new player into the game is with several experianced ones or with a full group of new players. Solo DMing should only take place with extremely experianced players or in games with nearly no combat.
Ut-Napishtim 05-05-05, 11:56 PM	I asked to search their bodies, and there was nothing of value. What? They should've at least had: Leather Armor Battle Axe Heavy Seel Shield Shortbow You should be able to get about 35 gp for that stuff in a town. Not to mention the backpacks with all sorts of good kit to fill out your own camping equipment. I guess they could've been naked, feral Gnolls if the DM assigned them a natural attack, but even then that's pretty far out. Yeah, sounds like you just got a bum deal man. Don't lose hope, there's better stuff out there.
Flushmaster 05-06-05, 12:23 AM	Just as clarification, I'm not so interested in Drizzt in himself that I want to make a clone of him. R.A. Salvatore just got me so very incredibly intrigued in the drow culture that I wanted to make one of them. My actual dream character is more like the apprentice of the false "Master Faceless One" which was in the book Homelands. I truely enjoyed how R.A. Salvatore presented him. In that case, you're fine. I'll even say "good job" on appreciating the race for their more common traits and wanting to play a thought out character. Remember, it's okay to be inspired by a literary character (or one from TV, movies, etc), but make sure you have enough original material in there that the character is not a clone, because that's either laziness or fanboyness, neither of which get you points in most players' books. Again, sorry if I sounded harsh or judgemental, but that's just one of my peeves and there are a lot of other players out there that have similar feelings on the matter, so you'd encounter it eventually and you might as well get the heads up on it now. So yeah, again, go find a group with another DM. Preferably at least a few experienced players or, at the least an experienced DM, who are/is willing to show you the ropes. You'll have to learn the mechanical rules to be able to play just about any game, but you'll find that you really do want to start rolling dice if you get into character and the character has a motivation to bring that bad guy down. You just need the proper motivation.
Sargon 05-06-05, 02:24 AM	Yeah bud, CRuddy DM ... I wouldn't mind having you as a player... I think good players make better DM's.. I agree that you should find someone else to DM your stuff or you might even have nich for DMing... its not really that HArd.. just get a group of adventures and mess with thier heads.
Paradisio 05-06-05, 02:42 AM	I don't even have to read the post, just the title, and say no. Just by questioning your own worthiness, you show that you are willing to change and admit you aren't perfect. And as dumb as it sounds, that is a good thing.
Torack 05-06-05, 03:51 AM	I agree with the others. You just experienced a lousy DM. Probably a first-timer too. Don't let it bum you out and go find a group, if not in real life, then find one on the internet. There are plenty of DnD-roleplaying sites out and about that would welcome people like you with open arms.
green_yawgmoth 05-06-05, 04:34 AM	Yeah, I'll add in another "you don't suck, your DM does". You actually sound like a very good player, one I'd be happy to play with. I think that if you found a DM that knew what he was doing, rather than playing diablo and doom for his RPG influences, you'd find the game to be a lot more engaging. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v91/yawgmoth/kittyjig.gif
Shadow Soul Mage 05-06-05, 08:42 AM	Another thing to remember is that although it is hard to have an interesting session with a poor DM, it is even harder to have an interesting session with a poor DM in a one on one game. Try to get a group of 4-6 together who enjoy roleplaying, and either find a DM who likes roleplaying or, if you have time, DM yourself. Its fairly easy to learn how if you read the message boards a bit and run a few experimental adventures before you start a major campaign. Try talking to other people at gaming stores to find other DND players. A fair few MTG players play DND too, so be on the lookout! EDIT: The sliver contest is still in my sig! I havent posted on these boards for too long! :)
Bane 05-06-05, 01:17 PM	Wow. As you say, this was your first experience playing, and it sounds like you're already a better player than anyone in my group. You wanted to play a Drow, not because you wanted to be a scimitar-wielding, good-aligned, one-in-a-million renegade, but because you have read about Drow culture, and that's the mindset you were looking for in your character. You actually bought equipment, instead of just buying weapons and armor. You didn't immediately follow the expected path. You attempted to 'defeat' an encounter in a way that didn't leave corpses behind. You chose a Chaotic alignment because it fit, not because you wanted to flip a coin to make decisions. You chose a Good alignment (something that none of my players have ever done). Congratulations. You are pretty close to being the perfect player, not to mention a very likely candidate for a near-perfect DM, once you have some more experience. If you live in Central Wisconsin, tell me, and I will move my sessions so that it will be easier for you to attend.
Alabran 05-06-05, 06:00 PM	Shadow Soul Mage, its been too long. Good to see you again. Thank you for your kind words Bane, unfortunately I live about half-way across america from you. Ive always found the (seemingly) oxymoronic alignments the most interesting. IMHO they are truely the most fun to roleplay since their personalities tend to have alot of depth. My least favorite alignment is Lawful Good, solely because it feels like you really can't do much with it. Even if you have tendencies which are not lawful or good, in the end it's still the steriotypical knight-in-shining-armor routine. I suppose my main problem is just that I don't really know the rules very well. --- Sidenote: While looking through the player's handbook while creating my first character, I came across the spiked chain weapon and thought it was very cool. Do any deities have a favored weapon of the spiked chain?
Aeromus 05-06-05, 06:27 PM	The best players, are those that force a DM to make things up on the spot. I would love to have you in my game. When the DM present you with a location, you searched for the most information you could from that. When you met the ranger, you didn't immediatly destroy him, fight him...or attempt the "wtfpwnz0rt1z3" him. The DM was crap. You did what any great player would have.
Molitor 05-06-05, 09:16 PM	Perhaps you should DM. You might have a knack for it. I love creating Non Player Characters with different ideals and traits, you sound like you would too. Teach this DM how to DM by being one yourself. You mentioned that you don't know the rules some of the BEST games I've played in were with DMs who remembered how to forget the rules.