I have bought the D&D starter set for my mates this Xmas 
there are 4 of us all late 30 something's but have always been geeks and played multiplayer PC games.
Can you guys tell me if that is all I will need ? We have a weekend set aside to play and I notice it should get the players all up to level 5.
Is that enough for a weekend of games or do I need to buy anything else to enhance the experience ? All advice is welcome as we are all total beginners. Thanks all.
You should be able to play just fine with just the Starter Set and it should provide you with enough content to play with for the weekend. You may also want to provide your players with a link to the Basic Rules as well. Extra dice is nice, too.
Check the links in my signature for advice specifically for DMs and players. I have also made some modification to certain parts of LMoP that you might use for ideas. Good luck and have fun!
I'm assuming you are DM. If you aren't then this advice may be for another person...
It never hurts to brush up on the rules but don't get bogged down looking stuff up. Unless you feel it's going to keep coming up over and over, it's probably better to just rule than to spend a lot of time hunting through the rulebook.
I agree you should send the basic rules to your players.
Read over the adventure as well. Players shouldn't read the adventure as it will detract from the sense of excitement and the unknown.
Extra dice is always a plus. I know that the Starter Set comes with one set (which is a huge improvement over previous sets), but you might want to pick up another set (1d4-1d20) so that you have a set and the players have a set.
Its more or less all you need for a weekend and it should keep you busy for a few sessions. More dice helps I suppose.
Thanks all. So I realise I am a total noob but, once I start as the DM does that then mean I can not swap for the next game ? Sorry if this is obvious to you all but I sm trying to understand how the game gets played.
Many thanks
Yes, you can change up DMs as much as you like. Just for logistical purposes, you might want to do that when the adventure or campaign is concluded and another is to begin. You might want to look at YouTube to see some games being played. I honestly can't recommend any of them specifically (because I find many of them lacking in numerable ways), but the basic gist is there - the DM interacting with the players, things getting described, actions being taken, dice being rolled, results being narrated. It should give you a baseline.
Ah thanks very much once again. I am sure i will have many more questions,
Oh just one thing can anyone recommend some dice on amazon ?
Thanks
Also do the colour of the dice make any differnce ? and effect, marble, opaque etc etc.
Ta.
The simple set up would be:
The Starter Set
Pencils/Pens
Notebook for you
More paper
A flat surface everyone can see for dice rolls
Snacks and drinks (no game is complete without them)
Optional:
Laptop or tablet with a copy of the free basic rules for refrence
wet erase board for mapping
Serving wench
The Starter Set should be enough material for a very full weekend of playing or more (depending on how long your sessions go).
As far as dice go, you can pretty much just go with what catches your eye. If you have a gaming store near you, you can stop in and they should have a lot of dice you can see and touch.
Ah a great reply Thanks.
It so happens we will have 2 iPad and 2 laptops available for the rules and refs. I also happen to have a very large wet erase board in my garage on that note. What do you mean by mapping. I noticed there was no type of board or map in the starter set.
I am off to chose some dice lol
Thanks
Dice-wise, get ones that are easy to read. If you can't see the result from across the table or have to pick up the die and squint at it to make out the number, go with something else.
You can get a vinyl battle mat at any gaming store or online. It'll have a grid on it (some have hex on one side and square on the other). You can use markers to draw maps on them in case you need to show the situation in more detail and erase them when you're done. You can play the game descriptively only, but when the situation gets complex, it's often good to have some place you can do a quick sketch to make things clearer. You don't really want to have your game derailed by a lot of questions about positioning or details you've already gone over.
Frank3h wrote:
Frank3h wrote:
Ok cool, I am getting some really good help on here guys
My next questionwould be then, as we play through the 5 missions ? in the starter set do you think it would be a good idea to at least play the first 2 missions as the DM before switching out to be a player or just play the entire as me as the DM ?
Thanks all
Easiest for one person to really learn the DM ropes. Also provides consistency for your players.
That said, if you don't love it, stop. You won't do anyone any good if this is a chore. And it's okay if you don't love it, it's not for everyone. It's the most work, the most responsibility, and takes the most dedication. For some it's also the most rewarding.
Anyway, complete your adventure and then ask yourself "is this for me?"
On dice, it's helpful if there's enough for everyone to have their own set. That doesn't always mean one of every dice, because many characters won't have any use for some dice, but it does mean at least a d20 for everyone and enough dice to roll their weapon and/or spell damage in one roll. Nothing is more tedious than waiting while someone rolls 8d6 one dice at a time... except when it's 9d6, or more.
And I second the recommendation that it's probably better for one person to complete the adventure as the GM before swapping over. I wouldn't assume either that if you're not enjoying it then GMing isn't for you; different people have different approaches and a different game or adventure might jsut click for your style.
I can't miss a chance to agree with Iserith and Bawylie.
If you value as a player not knowing what is coming up, then I'd stay DM through an adventure at least. Since you are brand new, it might behoove all of you to rotate the DM job more quickly than would be normal so that each player can get a feel for the role and whether it is something they like.
And yes, if you dislike DMing then stop doing it.
Another quick question. There are 4 of us, I will be DM leaving 3 for character play. I just notice that is says this game is for 4-5 characters ? Can we still play with 3 ? Thanks.
Yes you can play with three players, no problem. I find that 3, 4, and 5 players is my preferred range to DM for. I would encourage your players to take a variety of characters for the adventure; a fighter, cleric, and choose from wizard or rogue. With three players you will also want to keep in mind making combats easier if the combat seems to difficult over and over. For example you might adjust an encounter that calls for 7 goblins down to maybe 5 goblins, and so on. Good luck!
Hmmmm so one player can take 2 characters into a game ? As none of us have ever played before would this not complicate matters ? Also do I need to read the entire quest as the DM before we play ? I may have the wrong impression but I thought I as the DM wasn't supposed to know what was going to happen next as much as the players ? Thanks all
Frank3h wrote:
Frank3h wrote:
It's been said, but to rephrase it as clearly as I can...
The DM knows everything before hand. He is an omniscient eye who "sees" the entire world. You read the entire adventure, and review the relevant parts before they come up to refresh your memory.
The players only know about their own characters and what the DM tells them about the world, as seen through the eyes of their characters. They absolutely should not lay their eyes on that adventure at all.
The DM is the computer program, the server, and the administrators--the players are the, well, "players"!
(For the veterans: I know I'm oversimplifying some things and not addressing variant playstyles--I just thought it was important that he gets the basic assumptions and procedures very clear.)
Emerikol wrote:
Thanks everyone so I now have a pathfinder flip mat basic, 3 more sets of dice and a load of pencils on the way lol with all that and the advice I am getting on here I should be well sorted ! Out of interest do people play D&D over Skype ? I just thought I could play a few games beforehand to get the gist as a player. Thanks.
Go to Roll20.net and look in the Game forum and you'll see people advertising for players. See if you can join a game. The quality of the DM and the game will vary, so don't base your approach on a game you didn't find entertaining.
Hi guys,
Is it the version 3 set of rules I should dload ?
Thanks
Is there anything else I can dload to help us ?
Frank3h wrote:
Ah thanks
Another quicky, should I hand out XP to the individuals that kill a particular monster or just stick to giving out the set XP in the story at the end of each chapter ? Thanks
Frank3h wrote:
Traditionally XP is rewarded at the end of the session to all participants, apportioned equally, with bonuses given individually at DM discretion.
Here's all you need to know:
If you are running Lost Mines of Phandelver, just follow the instructions. It tells you exactly how to do XP at the particular point in the adventure you are at. It changes as you go along, so make sure to re-read chapter introductions.
If you are playing a game without the starter set adventure, you add together the XP value of any monsters defeated and then divide it equally amongst all of the characters. Usually you wait and give that at the end of the session for convenience.
Yet another probably dumb question. So I just wanted to confirm that I don't show ANY of the maps to my players ? Not the big map showing the land or the map showing all the areas in Phandalin ?
Thanks
Frank3h wrote:
Thanks
Ok guys so I have read all the advice you guys have given. I have read the books, bought a basic map got some extra dice
I was considering buying a small dragon anyone point me in the right direction ? I still don't really understand how "time" works in this game ? I have probably read about it and not taken it in. My basic questions are, say my party wish to travel from one place to another which might take say 2 days in the D&D world how do I work the time ? Also the affect things things have on creatures or players ie, lasts for 1 minute. Well it occurs to me that by the time everyone has finished their turn that ( 1 min affect ) will have finished anyway ! Your thoughts please thanks
Frank3h wrote:
Those "1 minute" durations are not real-life minutes. Don't put out an egg timer.
1 minute in the game world corresponds to 10 of a players turns. In other words, once they cast a spell (like fly or whatever), they should get about 10 different actions in while flying before that spell ends.
Time is RELATIVE not absolute.
Got yah ! Thanks.