Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 mordridius Sep 13, 2009 19:42:15	ok so im looking to get into d&d both online and in the real world. what do i need to start in the real world (apart from the obvious handbook and such). what minitures do i need to get? and whats a good program, a simple one, for me to do it virtually?
#2 jgumbyrx Sep 13, 2009 20:20:07	for table-top, all you really need is the PHB(s).  as for miniatures: it all depends on how miniature-intensive the particular group is.  Some groups REALLY get in to their minis.  OTOH, my group uses a bunch of different colored 1" pegs that I picked-up for $0.25 each.  For NPCs, I use counters for medium-and-smaller creatures, and whatever appropriately-sized objects happen to be readily at hand (soda cans, cigarette packs, lighters, cd cases, etc.) -- after all, all I'm trying to do is give some visual representation of the size and scope of what is going on; I don't really care to spend the money and effort on providing the players with an imagination (if they don't already have one, then they're probably playing the wrong game). I guess it's all up to what your personal preference is. as for online -- I've never done it, so I can't realy speak on it.
#3 i_roll_ones Sep 13, 2009 21:10:56	For virtual gaming, I recomend RP tools. I will admit I didn't set up the networking side of things, but as far as I know it was simple enough. The TokenTools, the application to make your litte token in the game, is easy to use and took about five minutes for everyone to make one. My virtual group tried openRPG, but it decided not to work on two computers. Admittedly, I am not techsavvy, but it also failed to work on another computer. As for minature...Consider buying some if you have the cash, I believe Paizo makes some as well as WoTC. I do not reccomend this until you KNOW you will be sticking around a game and with a particular character or have cash to burn. If not, anything small that fits into the square on the map is fine. This can range from soda pop tabs to legos, depending what is on hand. If your group grumbles about using things you found around the house, consider a new group.
#4 jgumbyrx Sep 13, 2009 22:31:09	[...] If your group grumbles about using things you found around the house, consider a new group. I'd tend to agree -- if they're gonna be so petty over something as insignificant as the style of your mini, then I couldn't even imagine the way that they'd act over something that actually had significant effect on the game.
#5 Novacat Sep 13, 2009 23:06:00	ok so im looking to get into d&d both online and in the real world. what do i need to start in the real world (apart from the obvious handbook and such). what minitures do i need to get? and whats a good program, a simple one, for me to do it virtually? As far as miniatures, depending on who you're playing with, you may not need to get your own. Most DMs that use miniatures have a selection large enough for you to pick one of theirs. Once you know what kind of character you want to play, you can find a miniature that works for you. If your group doesn't have a surplus of minis, you can use any kind of marker for your characters for the time being. Again, once you know what kind of character you want to play, you can find a mini that works for you. The DM should supply all the minis for the monsters (or arrange for another player to bring them), or use generic markers (again, if your group doesn't have anyone with a large selection). A set of dice (usually $3-7) will be handy to have for yourself, because not everyone likes sharing dice. Generally, you'll only need a single 20-sided die, and one or two other kinds of dice (six-sided are useful for almost everyone), but having a full set of just one of each allows you to play anything. As for books, a player only really needs the Player's Handbook. The DM has a selection of books for him, and some players have "supplemental" books that provide expanded options for their characters (like Martial Power, Player's Handbook 2, Adventurer's Vault), but these are purely optional.
#6 pluisjen Sep 14, 2009 8:08:08	Start with a PHB and a set of dice. That should keep you covered. It's what most of my players have, and it works just great. If you feel like you are getting into your character, try to obtain a mini somewhere, and if you want some options later in the game, buy some splatbooks, but they're really all optional. Some of my new players don't even have their own books; they're just starting with the game and they just borrow a set from the other players; same with dice.
#7 oxybe Sep 14, 2009 13:04:18	check my sig for virtually every free thing you would want to play with. all you need is a printer, paper & ink. for free monster tokens: -go to the 3rd ed srd -find the monster you want -save the image (the eyeball icon next to the name) -alternatively, just google search for the monster you want & save it -use the token tool to make a "headshot" and a single token. save it. -you can use a photo manipulation program, like photoshop or GIMP (see my sig, it's free) to make a page full of tokens or resize them for larger monsters. -for PCs and NPCs who deserve portraits, see the appropriate link in my sig for headshots. this is a great way to mass produce the orc army or the stormtrooper squad without having to shell out too much cash for minis. i do recommend cardstock for this. you can find a printable battlemat on a 1-inch grid by going on the appropriate link. generally speaking, 1 square inch is usually representative of a 5x5 foot square, or a little off 2 meters for us canadian folks. myself and my group use a laminated battlemap for larger expanses, but printing a 8x11 square grid and laminating it should be enough for virtually all but the largest of fights. i also recommend your standard 1/4 inch graph paper for dungeon mapping on smaller scale & a good sturdy notebook for taking notes, as well as a pencil & good eraser since you'll probably be doing lots of jotting down notes and stuff. while the dice roller is passable for what it does, i do recommend physical dice darn near all the time. the dice roller is great however for "secret" rolls. if a few behind the scenes tumbles can be heard and lessen the shock or whatnot... the players expect something. but tapping a few things in your notebook? you're a dm... taking notes should be expected. you'll notice that there is a link for pre-written 3rd ed modules. these should be easy enough to convert to 4th once you get a hang of the system. i recommend going for thematic conversion instead of direct conversion...IE: if there isn't an appropriate existing monster in 4th or the only one is much higher level, take an existing one that does fill in the spot, change it's name and description and maybe an ability or two. "reskinning" an ogre into an orc, for example, as both generally serve the same type of purpose: physically strong monsters that use big weapons. you will also want to change the overall plot of the modules so it fits better with your game. change the name of a town or two, maybe a county. replace NPC "A" with NPC "B" who the players are already familiar with. if you're planning on making your own modules the same link for the PC/NPC portraits contains pre-made dungeon maps if, like me, you're not a born cartographer. read the DMG two or three times over. it contains a crudload of great information on player types and expectations, as well as GM styles and campaign themes, as well as "pre-game" stuff you might want to take into consideration. page 42 on the DMG should probably be scanned, printed and kept with you for ready access. it's a great chart that helps you when your players want to do something that isn't covered by a specific rule, like swinging from a chandelier and drop-kicking an ogre into a lit brasier. encourage your players to do this type of stuff! if they don't take advantage of their environment, have an NPC do (or at least try) something cool and if the players ask why they can't, tell them to give it a go... nothing is stopping them from stunting. i would also recommend you allow players to use their powers to affect the world around them. we had a warlock in our group (our current GM, we swap seats every now and then) use his fire-based powers to light things on fire and the ice-based "armor of agathys" to freeze the water around him, allowing him to "walk" on water. this creative use of powers help push players to think outside the box on what they can and cannot do. hope this helps!
#8 mordridius Sep 14, 2009 18:38:46	well, thanks guy for all your replies. they have been a great help and i'm sure i will be back in here to bug you all about something else in no time. one more question though. when you create a character for a campaign, do you save that character and keep running him through different campaigns, increasing his level as he goes? or do you just create a diff char every campaign? i suppose it depends what level the campaign is, right?
#9 Novacat Sep 14, 2009 19:06:40	well, thanks guy for all your replies. they have been a great help and i'm sure i will be back in here to bug you all about something else in no time. one more question though. when you create a character for a campaign, do you save that character and keep running him through different campaigns, increasing his level as he goes? or do you just create a diff char every campaign? i suppose it depends what level the campaign is, right? It also depends on who's running the game. Most of the time, a single DM will run several adventures in a row, each one connected to the next. Multiple adventures in a continuous timeline are called a campaign, and you'll generally have the same character from beginning to end (unless you die part-way through and can't be resurrected).