TJ
Secondly, miniatures are not 100% needed, but trust me - you'll want them. If you've played Star Wars Minis, then you have some miniatures, so that's not a real concern.
You don't have to buy a lot of books, either - all you need is the core 3. This would be the Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master's Guide, which are sold in a nifty little box set.
As for playing online... you're more on your own there. I know eventually there will be a virtual tabletop offered, until then a lot of people play forum games. Try getting your friends into it, they may wanna give it a shot.
The VTT is something that subscribed players will get access to, if&when it becomes available. But there are other similar online tables. Gametable for example, as long as all your online players have the same program, they can all join a host(This can be the DM or another player who is hosting). There is another, but that one IMO is more difficult to figure out.
Mini's aren't necessary, but will be quite welcome for the tactical aspect of the game. As are Tiles to go along with those mini's.
The box set is probably the least expensive route to take to get the core books, and if you're going to DM a subscription to DDI wouldn't hurt at all - the most economical subscription is the yearly one, and the subscription gets you a lot of goodies that non-subscribers don't get to see(Like early previews and playtests). There is a Starter set that provides the basics of the games, including some of the rules, and AFAIK also provides some tiles and minis for play... might also include dice, I didn't read the whole box though so I'm not sure.
There are an ever growing assortment of additional books you may want to play with, but they basically just give you different classes, races, feats, and magic items that you could use in place of those in the PHB. A straight PHB character will do well enough if you make sure the attribute that your attacks are based off is at least a 16, preferably an 18 at level 1 and that you raise it at every opportunity. (There's a lot more to making an 'optimized' character, but just following that bit of advice will make sure your character is basically functional. Everything beyond that generally comes to trade offs, and you may find you need to sacrifice a little raw power to be able to do the things you want to do.)
wow, $104 for that set you speak of.. lol, isnt there a cheaper way just to try out the game? :P
Amazon sells that set for $66, or you could check and see if your local library system has it available for checkout or inter-library loan.
wow, $104 for that set you speak of.. lol, isnt there a cheaper way just to try out the game? :P
You could purchase the starter set at Amazon here for $11.55. :D
nope. it is recommended to have some sort of markers though. for the longest time i used a piece of graph paper sectioned off in 1-inch squares and used lego men for player/enemies. we also used dice, pennies, ect... it does require some sort of visual representation. minis and the like are just fancier.
it is possible to play without minis but it's little bit of extra mental book keeping though, and might require some houserules.
do i have to buy a lot of rule books and class/race/army books like you would in the warhammer games?
the Game Master (GM) needs 3 books:
PHB - Player's Handbook (All the rules of the game)
MM - Monster Manuel (a whole book full of pregenerated critters)
DMG - Dungeon Master's Guide (a whole lot of good advice and some "behind the scenes" rules, like monster creation)
players only need the PHB.
extra books, like Martial Power, Arcane Power & PHB2 give more options but are not required from the player.
on the GM's side there are extra books that give new rules/monster (draconomicon, open grave, manual of the planes) or settings (Forgotten realms), but like the MP, AP and PHB2, these books are not required.
can you play online?
yup. lots of free software exist to create a "virtual table", basically a client that has a chat program with a gridded surface to simulate the combat map that the GM and players can interact with. it requires a GM to adjudicate the rules and enforce them, so no WoW, Diablo or whatever type gameplay where you can just login for a few hours and zone out.
there also exist "play-by-post" forum games, where it's more descriptive and the emphasis on the rules are a bit more lax since you describe what you do and have to wait for the GM to respond in another post. personally, i can't get into this type of game as it's slower paced then what i like, but i understand it's draw.
hope this helps
http://www.penandpapergames.com
is a real gem with respect to gamer networking. They have invites for campaigns all of the time, and a lot of those are online. They have invites for star wars, D&D, warhammer FRP, etc...
For online, a lot of people use a program called maptools, which has virtual minis. I use google docs for my maps and my minis.
The main thing you NEED to find is players and a GM (game master). Sometimes you can borrow dice and books from them, so you don't have to buy your own. As you get more into the hobby (and it is AWESOME) you'll find your wallet going empty cause you'll want to buy the materials vs. have to buy them.
Good luck. It is possible I have a spot open in my game (I'll know more this weekend), but if you want to play in an online game, I don't mind breaking in new players. Don't worry about not having the books. Anything you need to know, I'll convey as best as I can. As will our more seasoned players.
If interested either PM here or at penandpaper games. My username there is the same here but without the numbers.
If anything, you could at least observe and see what the game plays like.
TJ
ok i went to the store today and looked around. i flipped thru a bunch of pages and ended up getting the starter kit and the PHB. now i dont see it in here, but can you be things like vampires or werewolves? i see that you can fight against them, but i dont see anything about being one yourself (in character that is). any help with that? thanks
TJ
No default vampires, and though the Monster Manual has a Ritual that can transform a character into a Vampire Lord, generally, Vampires and Werewolves are things you kill, because they are assumed to be evil.
That said, one of the DDi (Dungeons and Dragons Insider) features provided a way of making a Dhampir (a half vampire), and as for were-creatures, their player equivalent in this system is the shifter (which is a half were-creature), which can be found in the PHB 2.
Essentially, a full blood were-being or vampire is either blood crazed or just plain evil. If you're used to White Wolf type vamps and such dark beings, then it's going to be another system or homebrew for you. That is, unless they put out a Ravenloft Campaign Guide and Player's Guide.
oh well, i guess i might have to go with option 2, rogues and rangers. that shifter idea is good though, thanks. i did notice that in the book i was flipping thru at my local hobby store.