what i want to ask first is ever since 2nd edition wtf happened to Ad&D and D&D there is a line D&D is simpler and AD&D is more complex what happened?
See i have the original 1st edition DM guide(got it for 7 bucks used books store great condition) what bugs me is that it's very unorganized and feels messy in the order of things put together in it.
I learned how to play the original D&D from a old reprint of the original module,had a wizard and fighter vs a dragon on cover.
Well my dad used to play AD&D he had the first module for D&d keep of/at the borderlands.(it's still in good condition).
Any way's i was more raised on the classic themes and this new stuff feels even more overwhelming. I have played Call of cthulhu with my dad and his friend twice, yet i have little experience.
Yet the person who wants to play with me and her friends are going by 3.5,i don't want to have to be shoved into clueless. i try rolling up a character but the new sheets have skills not listed in the old dm guide and reprinted 1st edition players handbook.
I just wish to play a nice dungeon crawl and not something to complected in the beginning what should i do?
Also i feel D&D has lost it's kid friendliness as you see old things from the 80's or so on and it's young kids like me playing yet nowaday's all i ever see is well mainly adult's and i don't like having to be a lion cub stuck with a bunch of big cat's.
I am in hurricane west virginia,if you wish to know.
For learning 3e, go to d20srd.org I think (I could be wrong, but just do a search for d20 srd). The entire 3e SRD, which is basically all the core rules but a little less readable, and without the extra fluff and examples and such. 3e requires a lot of system mastery to play effectively. You can build a character without too much difficulty, but if you play with more experienced players, the differences in power are going to show more and more as you level unless they are helping you out (which they should be).
If you want simple and kid friendly, then 3e is not the place to start. Check out 4e, you can download the D&D test drive from the main page for free. It will give you some basic starting rules, a dungeon crawl, and some pregen characters. If you like it, pick up the rest of the books. I've played since 1e and by far I love 4e the most. But don't take my word for it, the resources are there for you to form your own opinions.
also i'm trying out the 4th edition stuff.
I too suggest 4e. Not for any reason other than I prefer it to 3/3.5e.
By not kid friendly I think he means the tremendous amount of maths required to put adventures together.
I say it's less about the math, per say, and more to do with the overall learning curve. 3e's ruleset is very complex. Not just due to the sheer number of rules and their interactions, but also their many conditionals, exceptions, and modifiers that you need to keep track of. It's alot for a beginner to take in.
That's not to say that you should feel intimidated by 3e, but you'll definitely won't be mastering its many nuances right away. 4e is much easier to pick up and play right away. If you have the choice, I suggest the latter.
I would just like to chime in and say, that age does not necessarily have to be a barrier; I myself am fourteen years old too, and I have been playing for about a year now. Being a non-native english speaker, I had to consult webster and wikipedia a few times (I don't know why they don't teach us what a voulge, glaive, guisarme or ranseur is), but overall, it was not all-too-difficult.
While having additional books does, of course, have the ability to increase enjoyment of the game, by increasing the number of options you have when customizing you character to be the exact one you want, I can't stress the importance of starting with the core enough. Focus on learning the rules first, until you know them almost by heart (Except of course the grapple rules - Noone gets those).
Trying a few games where you don't branch out from core might be a good idea too; it certainly helped me learn the rules. Then, when you feel you have a reasonable grip on the rules, you can shell out to buy the books you want. That way, it'll also be far more affordable for you, which is always a plus. In fact, nearly all the rules you need are in the SRD, so if you only wish to be a player, I'd say you don't actually need any of the books to play. Of course, it always is a benefit, but right now, what you appear to be concerned about is what is affordable.
Hope I've been of assitance,
- - - Iroel
What do you mean by not kid friendly for 3rd edition i can take the violence.
also i'm trying out the 4th edition stuff.
He's refering to the system mechanics, he REALLY should have said player freindly. In 3rd unless you're playing a straight fighter with no splatbooks, there are ALOT of choices and many of them are not clear which would be the best combination, its daunting even for a old fart like me. 4th has a lot of options but the precise build is less important to have an EFFECTIVE character. In other words 4th is more forgiving of those less familar with the system.
First of all, please don't take this as being rude, but assisting you would be rather much easier if you would please spellcheck your post, as well as apply proper capitalization.
I would just like to chime in and say, that age does not necessarily have to be a barrier; I myself am fourteen years old too, and I have been playing for about a year now. Being a non-native english speaker, I had to consult webster and wikipedia a few times (I don't know why they don't teach us what a voulge, glaive, guisarme or ranseur is), but overall, it was not all-too-difficult.
While having additional books does, of course, have the ability to increase enjoyment of the game, by increasing the number of options you have when customizing you character to be the exact one you want, I can't stress the importance of starting with the core enough. Focus on learning the rules first, until you know them almost by heart (Except of course the grapple rules - Noone gets those).
Trying a few games where you don't branch out from core might be a good idea too; it certainly helped me learn the rules. Then, when you feel you have a reasonable grip on the rules, you can shell out to buy the books you want. That way, it'll also be far more affordable for you, which is always a plus. In fact, nearly all the rules you need are in the SRD, so if you only wish to be a player, I'd say you don't actually need any of the books to play. Of course, it always is a benefit, but right now, what you appear to be concerned about is what is affordable.
Hope I've been of assitance,
- - - Iroel
Don't feel bad, most native english speakers don't know what they are unless they play D&D or happen to be experts in anceint weaponry.
Technically, I doubt any of those mentioned would qualify as ancient, since their use was mainly in the middle ages. Ancient weapons would be more like spears, pikes, and other such things, wouldn't they? :P
I live in America, anything past last tuesday is ancient. :D
I live in America, anything past last tuesday is ancient. :D
We still have tuesdays?
I don't know why they don't teach us what a voulge, glaive, guisarme or ranseur is- - - Iroel
Funny, because I believe most of the words that originate around these weapons are French, or Germanic, and not English. Though ultimately, the name of a weapon could be meaningless, and you'd still have to go look them up.
Maybe with a module i would be ok.?
Now here's my problem where ever i go i want to play games say i wanted to play D&D, or magic the gathering, or yu-gi-oh or which ever well i don't think going and knocking on every neighbor's door would be appropriate for a person to do.
I don't know anyone where i live that's in my age group since it seems there are no young people around my area/neighborhood.
I could ask to goto the library but i don't know theirs no other places i know of.
(i had the same issue with magic no one wanted to play)
If i would introduce people to D&d say people i met i would end up the Dm and i tried once and failed miserably.I want to be a unforgiving bastard ,but i can't.(if i ever did try to DM)
It seems no matter where i go, i'm always stuck between a rock and a hard place.
When i first started wanting to play D&D it was the old rulebook for the reprinted original version. (dragon and a mage and fighter on cover in treasure room)I felt this was simple enough for me to start out with. I feel i would not be a good DM since my notes would always get jumbled.
Maybe with a module i would be ok.?
Now here's my problem where ever i go i want to play games say i wanted to play D&D, or magic the gathering, or yu-gi-oh or which ever well i don't think going and knocking on every neighbor's door would be appropriate for a person to do.
I don't know anyone where i live that's in my age group since it seems there are no young people around my area/neighborhood.
I could ask to goto the library but i don't know theirs no other places i know of.
(i had the same issue with magic no one wanted to play)
If i would introduce people to D&d say people i met i would end up the Dm and i tried once and failed miserably.I want to be a unforgiving bastard ,but i can't.(if i ever did try to DM)
It seems no matter where i go, i'm always stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Common problem. Getting a group together or finding one can be a pain. Do you have a local gaming store in your town? That is probably the best place to find a group.
Also, you mentioned a "Person wanting to play with you" who plays 3.5. Although 3.5 can be confusing early on, if you play with people who know the rules, it isn't too bad. Do one of those people plan on DMing? Do they know the rules very well?
she's quite a pretty young lady too.
My nearest comic book store is quite a while away unless i goto say Charleston.
See i want to try but i don't want my dad being bored since in need him for transportation.
i notice the price for the hand books... Jesus! My lord i could by a half of year worth of gum or more with that much money
This line cracked me up! It's been a long time since I've compared things to the price of gum! :D
And yes, it's really the learning curve I was trying to express with 3/3.5e, spot on.