Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Demontron 06-04-05, 07:01 PM	Heya everyone, me and my girlfriend are thinking of starting dungeons and dragons, but.. We have no idea how to start! We've looked on the internet, looked on the website and are a little confused... So we have made some of our own n00b questions that hopefully someone can answer (We cant find the questions nor answers anywhere) 1 ) What do you need to begin playing? 1x Players Handbook each and 1x masters guide? Do we need a monsters guide to or not? 2 ) Can I master also be a playing character? 3 ) We played the demo and we have figured out that 1d20 = 1 20 sided dice, are we right? If so why is 1d6 - 1 six sided dice rolled with 2 4 sided dice? (Sorry if this sounds confusing to you) 4 ) Do you have any other tips for someone starting out? Thanks for your time, and any replies you leave. Demontron!
Marros 06-04-05, 07:27 PM	let's see.... 1. The Dungeon Master needs a Players Handbook, a Dungeon Master's guide, and a Monster Manual. It would also help if any players owned a Players Handbook of their own. 2. Not really. you can't have the complete experience of being a player and a DM at the same time. Although you are free to have NPCs (non-players characters) travel with the party, although that only wokrs with an experienced DM. 3. Hmmm.... you are right in that 1d(whatever) is 1 whatever-sided die. However, 1d6 = 1 six sider + 2 four siders is not correct. I am not sure who or what told you that. You probably either read it wrong or there was a typo. 1d6 is always 1 six sider. 4. Bth the players and the DM should read through the Players Handbook and get a fairly firm grasp of the rules. The DM should browse the DM guide (helps to understand the pacing of the game) and should understand the format used in the Monster Manual. Also, its good to have more than 2 people playing D&D. you could either try to get some of your friends in on it, because you will get along. Or you could find out if anyone has played the game before and ask to join their group. Or you could use an online game-finder to search for people playing D&d in your area, if you're willing to play with experienced people even if they are strangers (until you meet them, that is). Hope I was of assistance. Happy gaming!
Shaken, not Stunned 06-04-05, 07:31 PM	You will be best sreved to have a copy of the DMG, PHB, MM, and a premade adventure. These can be found on this very web site. DMG= Dungeon Master's Guide PHB= Players Handbook MM=Monster Manual A premade adventure is like a script for the DM. Only buy one. This will show you the basics of setting up an adventure as well as provide a neat way o become adjusted to DMing. You really, really need a DMG and PHB. Buy those. If you are DMing, read them both pretty carefully. The more studying you do on these two books, the easier it will be to DM. There is soooo much to say about this topic. you might consider looking through the sticky threads at the top of the forums.
Molitor 06-04-05, 08:28 PM	Welcome to the game! Consider what is written above from the other posters as gospel. I would like to add........ It is important to known which version you purchase. 3.0 or 3.5. Try to get a version as a set if you can. Do you know which version you own? The boards have a wealth of knowledge on them. If you need help in the future you may send me a "private message" if you like. Click on the dot next to my picture to send one and I will help you. Beginning the game is the most fun. I wish I was a new player. :weep: Read the Player's Handbook(PHB), DMG, and the Monster Manual(MM) before you start. You don't need the stuff memorized just a good working understanding. Take it slow and have fun. As for adventures go here and download one of the "First level" ones. A new character is first level. http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/oa/20030530b Hope this helps.
sir_argenon 06-04-05, 08:57 PM	^^^ these guys gave excellent advice, i would also like to add that you can use the SRD which has tons of open game liscence info from the DMG,PHB, and MM all from 3.5 edition. they didnt copy/paste the entire books however, but its still a wealth of information in them. these are three different SRD's both are very good check them out... http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/home.html http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/srd35 http://www.d20srd.org/
DeathMagus 06-04-05, 09:12 PM	I'd strongly recommend getting your girlfriend and yourself a PHB each (or split one), and finding a local group you can play with until you get the hang of things. Not to be overbearing (we were all at one point where you are now), but if you don't know how to roll a 1d6 in your sleep, you probably don't have enough experience to really know if you'll enjoy the game. Given the great cost of D&D materials (especially when starting out), it's critical you know what you're getting into. I've actually never played in a D&D game - I've just been DMing for 3 years because I had the best understanding of the rules. It helped that I had been playing other RPGs (computer and pencil & paper) for years earlier. Most people can't just jump into DMing cold turkey, so I'd suggest getting more into the experience with more experienced players. If you're confident you can handle DMing, though, I would definitely recommend more players. Newer games tend to move more slowly as players and DMs test the waters, and fewer players tend to stagnate in such games. No more than 4 players, however, for risk of being overwhelmed. Hope this helps, good luck, and welcome to one of my (and most of the others here) favorite passtimes.
Chosen of the Dark Sun 06-05-05, 12:48 AM	If you are DM get the three core books: PHB, DMG, and MM. The MM isn't essential, but the game's kinda dumb without it. Read through all of them several times. If you are a player, you only need the the PHB. There's a boatload of other books, but don't get those till you're comfortable with the game. They do sell box sets of the three core books. Take a look at the link to the SRD that someone posted, that'll help. Search for more players, but don't go overboard. Get around five people: four players and one DM. Don't do what I did with my first group, which was to get a total of ten people. That was HELL. As DM, you will be expected to know almost every rule from memory. You don't need to be able to recite the PHB, but if someone has a question, you should know the answer. Also you might want to get the beginners set. It comes with some minis and a few adventures to start you off and teach you the game. Warning: The missions in the starter set are stupid. They are meant to start you off. Do not think that all missions are this dumb. You can do way better if you work at it. Make sure you PCs know that.
Lusiphur 06-05-05, 04:13 AM	As DM, you will be expected to know almost every rule from memory. You don't need to be able to recite the PHB, but if someone has a question, you should know the answer. This is only a half-truth. That sentence in itself sounds rather daunting lol. If you are just beginning, and your players are as well (as you previously mentioned) then im certain they too will understand the learning curve that is Dungeons & Dragons. They cant hardly expect you to master the rules in the same time theyve only slightly familiarized themselves. That being said however, it is a GREAT idea to familiarize yourself as much as possible with the core set. These being the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual. I remember when I first got my 2nd edition DMG, back in the day. I sat down and read it cover to cover, every single word lol. In regards to the monster manual, just get a good idea of the format the monsters are listed in, you DONT need to memorize every monster lol. For example, below is an entry for a goblin from the SRD (System Reference Document, someone has a link for it in an above post i believe) What I post in red is my own quick rundown on what it means. GOBLIN Goblin, 1st-Level Warrior Small Humanoid (Goblinoid) Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp) Just like a normal character's hit points. The number in parenthesis is the average, usually go with this number for simplicity's sake. Initiative: +1 Exactly like a character's Initiative score in the PHB. Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares) How fast it can move each turn (# of squares is for using a grid map for battles) Armor Class: 15 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +2 leather armor, +1 light shield), touch 12, flat-footed 14 Armor Class, or AC, is discussed in the PHB. This is the same. Base Attack/Grapple: +1/–3 Likewise these are discussed in the PHB. You wont have much need for the base attack bonus, or BAB, when using these guys. Attack: Morningstar +2 melee (1d6) or javelin +3 ranged (1d4) +2 melee means the monster gets a +2 bonus to its d20 roll when attempting to hit a player. It must be in melee (right next to them.) +3 ranged means it can throw the javalin so it does not need to be next to the player, and it gets a +3 bonus to the d20 roll to hit a player. Full Attack: Morningstar +2 melee (1d6) or javelin +3 ranged (1d4) Full attacks are when the monster spends its whole turn attacking (i.e. not moving and attacking) Note that this is the same as the Attack entry for this monster. Later on, when fighting higher level monsters, full attacks will allow for multiple swings in a round. The goblin however, is not powerful enough to gain extra attacks. Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. This means he takes up a single 5 ft. square on a grid map, and can reach 5 feet (which means he can reach anyone in one of the 5 ft. squares next to him in melee combat. Special Attacks: — The dash indicates no special attacks. Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft. This is just like what dwarves get in the PHB in the Races chapter. Saves: Fort +3, Ref +1, Will –1 These are the same as character saving throws discussed in the PHB. These numbers are the modifier for the d20 used when hemight have to roll a saving throw. Abilities: Str 11, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 6 This just tells you his abilities, also refered to as Stats. Skills: Hide +5, Listen +2, Move Silently +5, Ride +4, Spot +2 These are the modifiers for common skills he might need to use. All other skills are assumed to have no ranks (discussed in PHB Skills chapter) in them. Feats: Alertness This feat is detailed in the PHB in the Feats chapter. It gives a +2 modifier to Listen and Spot checks. This is already included in his skill modifiers above, so you dont have to worry about changing it for him. Environment: Temperate plains This is where you will most commonly encounter him, but if you feel like putting him in a dungeon, or even in the barren arctic wastes, go right ahead :D Organization: Gang (4–9), band (10–100 plus 100% noncombatants plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 20 adults and 1 leader of 4th–6th level), warband (10–24 with worg mounts), or tribe (40–400 plus 100% noncombatants plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 20 adults, 1 or 2 lieutenants of 4th or 5th level, 1 leader of 6th–8th level, 10–24 worgs, and 2–4 dire wolves) This tells you how many the players will encounter at a time. The challenge rating below helps you decide how many as well. First level characters should NEVER fight more than a simple gang of 4-9. The other numbers can help if a group of somewhat higher level characters decide to raid a goblin camp. Challenge Rating: 1/3 Challenge ratings, also known as CR, help determine the general strength of the monster compared to the party. Generally, a party of four characters should have a decent and fair fight with a monster who's CR is equal to their average level. i.e. four characters, all of them level 5, should have a fair fight with a CR 5 creature. The goblin here has an odd CR because it is a fraction. 1/3 means that 3 goblins count as a CR 1. So four level 1 character's should have a fair fight with 3 goblins (though in my experiences they can usually handle a couple more than that) Treasure: Standard This means they carry the normal amount of treasure. This is covered in the DMG. Alignment: Usually neutral evil Monster alignment works the same as character alignments discussed in the PHB Description chapter. Advancement: By character class This means that if you wanted to make a tougher bigger goblin, you could give him a few levels in a character class, like fighter for example. But remember, each level you give him raises his CR by 1 as well. Level Adjustment: +0 You dont have to worry about this. It is used for creating goblin characters if one of your players felt like playing a goblin. But for now, since you are just learning the ropes, i would suggest sticking to the races in the PHB. There you have it. That is how you use a monster stat block from the Monster Manual. Its pretty cut and dry, even though i got a little bit wordy. The format carries over from one creature to the next, making navigating the MM a relatively easy task. I hope this has helped. I chose goblin because its a common creature and makes for a great first encounter for 1st level characters. Best of luck in getting your game up and running! Oh, one more thing. Someone above suggested finding people near you to roleplay with to get the hang of playing before you decide to DM. A great place to look for people to play with is any local gaming/comic store. A lot of times they have flyers hanging around on boards where people can advertise gaming nights and such. One word of warning however. The people on these boards are some great people and can be incredibly friendly and helpful. BUT, that doesnt mean there arent any bad seeds. Ive read posts and articles about people wanting to play the game, then having such a HORRIBLE experience with people they didnt know while trying to learn that it turned them off from the game forever. Please be advised that, in general, we are good people, and IF such an atrocity should happen to you or your girlfriend, I hope it wont shine poorly on your outlook of the game itself. Some people can be mean to newer players. Ive experienced it but i didnt let it get me down, kept playing, and now i LOVE the game. Well then... i feel ive adequately ranted enough. Again, good luck getting started. Just remember, as long as you are having fun, you cant go wrong.
Chosen of the Dark Sun 06-05-05, 05:05 PM	Pay attention to the above post. Lusipher has done good work. And yes, I do know that last sentence was a gramatical nightmare.
punching bag 06-06-05, 08:30 AM	There is a “basic set” that you could buy. It is a boxed set that contains everything you need to start playing. It uses a simplified set of rules so you can get up and playing very quickly. It also has miniatures, dice, pre-made characters and a battlemat (I think??!?!). This option is not as expensive as buying the 3 “core” books and will let you get a taste for the game to see if you like it. It plays more like a board game, and you might outgrow it very quickly, but it is a nice way to get started with this game. Plus, you’ll get some experience with the rules, and what it takes to be a DM before you dive right in to running a full adventure on your own. (Believe me, DM’ing can be very tough! You need to know the rules well, be able to act as an impartial judge, and tell a great story!) So, this might be the right choice if you want a quick and fun way to learn the rules and get into the game. It might even save you from spending a lot of money on all the books, dice, etc. if you are unsure if you want to take up the game as a full-time hobby! Be warned though: This box says “BASIC”, and it is. I think that it is targeted at young teens, so depending on your age this might be right for you. However, if you do want to move on to the "full set" of rules, you will have to buy all of the core books in the future... The basic set is good for getting started, but it won't keep you going for long.
Taris 06-06-05, 01:09 PM	1 ) What do you need to begin playing? 1x Players Handbook each and 1x masters guide? Do we need a monsters guide to or not? I would say that you don't need a monster's guide. Hell, you can make all the adversaries you need with a player's and a dm's guide in itself. However, I would recommend that you have it. You can only fight so many thieves and knights before you finally want to slay yourself a dragon. Buy the first Monster Manual first. The other two are mostly filler, while the first one has your usual medieval RPG staples. 2 ) Can I master also be a playing character? Sure you can. But I wouldn't recommend it for these reasons: 1). The party is about the players, not the dungeon master. Sometimes the dungeon master likes to bring in his own pet character (NPC). If the NPC isn't being the key to everything in the campaign, isn't being more powerful than anyone could possibly dream or conquoring entire armies while the others are still huffing and puffing behind them, then the NPC is usually overshadowing everyone else. The players want to be the heroes, and get resentful when a dungeon master brings in his own hero. Almost anything the DM's hero does is interpreted as one upping the party. So try to avoid bringing in your own character unless it's absolutely necessary. 2). Running your own character takes away from your DM duties. If you're hard up for a more intereactive fix, RP the villains. That'll leave you satisfied, trust me. 3 ) We played the demo and we have figured out that 1d20 = 1 20 sided dice, are we right? If so why is 1d6 - 1 six sided dice rolled with 2 4 sided dice? (Sorry if this sounds confusing to you) It does to me. I'd have to know the circumstances involved in that strange combination of dice rolling. 4 ) Do you have any other tips for someone starting out? Yes. A few. 1). Get an idea as to what you want to do for a campaign. Flesh out an idea and go with it. 2). Bring in your buddies. One that knows the rules and can therefore help you would be a plus. As a new DM you're not ready for strangers yet. 3). Don't pick favorites, especially your girlfriend. Not even for a quickie ;) . This will cause resentment in the group. 4). Bookmark key areas of your DM's and Player's Guide. I suggest those little tab thingies at office supply stores. This way you can get what rules you need faster. And don't worry about ruining your book this way. If you get into the game enough, your book will eventually have wear and tear, such as worn corners. 5). Have a good, relaxing game area. Living rooms are nice and casual, but the only real dice rolling space is the coffee table (or your books). Dining rooms are spacious and the table is nice, but I find them less comfortable. Basement dens are really spacious, and ideal for large groups, but tend to be like living rooms. Me, I prefer living rooms and dens. 6). Have fun! Anyone ruining your good time should leave. There are tons of tips. I'll leave you to figure those out for yourself.
weasel fierce 06-06-05, 02:17 PM	A quick rundown on dice terminology (which applies to pretty much any RPG out there) xDy is a plain dice roll. X is the number of dice to be rolled, Y is the type of dice. So 1D6 is a old fashioned six sided die. 2D4 is 2 four sided dice added together and so forth Some rolls can have a modifier. So 1D6+2 is a six sider, and you add 2 to the result. 2D8+2 is two eight sided dice, added together, then add 2 to the roll. ten sided dice normally have a face reading 0, this is read as 10. D100 or D% (its the same thing) is a percentile roll. Roll a 10 sided die twice. The first number is the 10's, the second is the 1's. So a roll of 7 and 3 would be 73. A roll of 0 and 0 would be read as 100. Cheers!
The Half-Orc Wizard 06-06-05, 03:55 PM	Isn't much to add, the others did a great job. Just a few random things that add to my own gaming experience. 1. Sometimes a player or the DM will bring music. There was a thread here a while ago listing a lot of good music. IMO, the Lord of the Rings Soundtrack works nicely. Gets people into a "fantasy mood" 2. When DMing, i suggest trying different accents and hand gestures. You'd be surprised how far a little creativity will take you. 3. Pick people you know to play with you. As others have said, two is techniqually acceptable, but 3-5 is much better. And, pick your friends to play. There's nothing better than spending a few hours a week with people you like being around. 4. Keep looking at the boards! I know for me, a lot of times someone will ask a question I may have been wondering abnout myself. 5. Definitely purchase the MM. New monsters offer new ideas for your adventure. 6. Have fun. Good luck, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Shimmer01 06-06-05, 05:18 PM	Everything here is good advice, but one thing is still missing. Roleplaying! When you create a character, give them a personality and stick with it. Do what you believe your character would do and try not to incorporate Out of Game information (Stuff that you know but not your character). Maybe set up a way that signals you are saying something out of character (OOC). Where I play, the DM forces us to raise our hands when we say something meant for out of character. If we don't and it was a character we were talking to that we just insulted, we JUST insulted them. Other than that, think of your character, develope them into a person that you've always wanted to be or something else and act just like them. That is what also makes DnD a great game.