OK so here i go. I have never played dungeons and dragons and as of recently I thought it was cheesy and nerdy. But I mentioned it to a friend that maybe i could play someday and she was so excited to have a fellow girl interested in playing. I have sat in on a game session and even got my own set of dice!! Pretty pink and blacks ones anyways...as I was saying i did not understand a whole lot of it even after a quick tutorial from her. I kind of felt like i was sitting in a room full of people and was the only one who spoke english. I am very shy and think i might have a hard time speaking out as my character. We created a character for me and I burrowed her players handbook which btw is 3.5 and did a quick scan through it while i had it but it still was pretty complicated. I even went so far as to look up a few youtube info videos.I actually had a fun time watching and listening but i just wasn't and still isn't ready to join in. I got book from merlins "Confessions of a Part-Time sorceress, A girls guide to the dungeons and dragons" So far very comical and amusing but not very informational. I am only on page 20 so it still has time. OK sooo to sum it up i was wondering if there was anyone out there somewhere that would be willing to help me learn some of the lingo, rules and the general concept of the game although i get the basics already. Any tips advice for this role playing virgin are very welcomed and well appreciated and if I get none at all..... well that sucks and I guess I’ll have to tackle it solo. I tried yahoo chat rooms for role playing games…yeah a complete waist of time haha I should have known though not to look for help in a yahoo chat room..
Thanks and yes merlins as the game store in Spokane Washington and what i need to understand mostly is some of the main rules and most of the terminology for things. I know that the dice is a big part in playing and players have to roll the dice to determine weather or not they succeeded in their tasks, attacks and what not. I do not have a players handbook and haven't got the money to invest in one right now..So i am kind of going into it blind and will have to learn as i go. Some of my questions I guess would be: how do you use weapons, what ones are good to have, what different abilities do each races have and don't, what are some of the main rules that are need to knows? N i guess everything lol as of now I’m still completely lost.
I suggest starting small. Learn just enough to play your current character without getting completely lost, then learn the rest as you go along.
In the mean time, here's some very general advise:
Most mechanics take the form "of roll a d20 (twenty sided die), a number, and compare it to another number". For example, attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks all work like that. If you can grasp that basic concept, you're well on your way to understanding everything else.
Spellcasters can be tricky to play since spell management can get complex and since there are a lot of spells to sift though. Wizards and sorcerers can be especially tricky for a 1st time gamer since they are very fragile. Not to say that you shouldn't play a caster as a first character. But if you do, there's a couple of extra guidelines you will want to learn.
Edit: No books? That complicates things. Fortunately for you, the basic 3.5 rules are available in the System Reference Document (SRD), which was made available by Wizards for free. You can find the official version on Wizard's website, though d20.srd site is a lot more usable.
Do note, however, that the SRD is only the basic rules text. It lacks most of the explanatory text that you would find in the actual books. So you might still want to try to get your hands on a copy of the Player's Handbook at least. If you can't afford one or borrow one from a friend, your library might have a copy available in your local branch or through inter-library loan.
t~
this is the core of the game, hence the term d20 system..... everything else in the book is the fillers for common sense stuff outside of that, the stuff that gives it all flavor, things that apply logic and boundaries to things that we would all attempt, like charging or using cover, or the distance a torches light hits
also, despite the videos being games of 4e they can still be incredibly helpful to gather what you should expect of yourself and the other players, but on www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHQ6SCqbwvc is a link to watching chirs perking DM for the some of the writers of robot chicken, if you enjoy watching it you can search a little more on youtube and find atleast 2 or 3 other fairly long games with chris perkins DM'ing for people. like I said they are playing 4e in the videos BUT it is still very helpful for a new player to see the kind of mentality involved in the game, soooo some game mechanics wont be the same or wont apply, like saving throw system is different, or daily/at will/ encounter powers
lol yea, just they are worth watching for the good part of the game, the creativness and the adventure! =D
EDIT also, if you do get a hold of the PHB (players handbook) and you can only read so much of it make sure to read about your class, read about the spells you intend to use, and for sure read the combat section pgs 133-161 that will be one of the biggest helps for you to effectively keep the game moving with your friends, outside of combat, when youre roleplaying its all about being creative, dialouging with npc's or using your magic in inventive ways etc etc, in my mind the outside of combat is the simpler realm to deal with, all the mechanics and facts and crap to remember are in battle mechanics
I am very shy and think i might have a hard time speaking out as my character.
[snip]
I actually had a fun time watching and listening...
From a roleplaying perspective (I'll leave the rules questions to those more interested in rules than anyone in my group), you might want to make your first character shy and secretive or watchful and wary. It might be easier to get into your character's head if they're like you in some ways. You can always roll up a character who's your polar opposite after you're more comfortable with the game.
There's nothing wrong with playing a character that says little, but sees and hears everything and (perhaps) takes a grim delight in his/her companions' tendency to overlook subtle clues because they're too busy talking, goofing around, or flexing their muscles to notice. Class doesn't matter much when it comes to personality. If you speak with your DM at the outset and inform them of this personality trait, you shouldn't even have to mention most times that your character is paying close attention to subtle details and unspoken gestures/expressions while the party is dealing with NPCs. A good DM (IMO) will slip you little details from time to time that the others are unaware of.
Hopefully you'll find the previous replies helpful - a lot of good advice has already been given.
I think mandatorysuicide's suggestion for watching Chris Perkins run games is a great idea. Despite the fact he's running a different edition than you'll be playing, he's an excellent DM and you should get a good feel for the flow of things.
The only thing I'd like to add is that a lot of your familiarity with the game - concepts, lingo, roleplaying, and etc - will all come with time. They more you play, the more you will learn and the more you will become comfortable with everything.
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Your character moves a certain distance depending on their race. So Elves move faster than dwarves for example. If you wear heavy armor or carry a lot of stuff though you'll move slower. Basically if something would slow you in real life it'd probably slow your character too, you don't move very fast carrying a big old box of treasure after all.
Attacking is a little bit more complicated. So if you're trying to hit something with a weapon you add up 3 things, your d20 roll+strength modifier+base attack bonus(Yay strange gaming terms). The d20 roll is pretty obvious but here is the overview of the other two. Your strength modifier depends on how strong your character is so the stronger they are the more accurate they are(strength also increases damage with weapons). Your base attack bonus represents the amount of training you've recieved with weapons so a fighter will have more practice swinging a sword than a wizard will.
Your friend will help you out with how to actually figure out what the numbers are supposed to be. Alright so far we've figured out how to add up numbers for attacking. Once you've added them all up you tell the dungeon master what that number is because he's controlling the monsters. He then looks to see if that number is bigger than the enemies amount of armor. If it is then you hit!!! Now you get to roll to see how much damage you do to the monster. Every weapon rolls a certain type of dice for damage, generally the bigger and fancier the weapon the bigger the dice it uses. For example a dagger rolls d4, a longsword d8, and a greataxe d12. The type of weapon you use depends on your class. A class like the fighter trains with the bigger fancier weapons compared to a wizard who can't use much beyond a quarterstaff or dagger. Once you know what type of dice you roll for your weapon then its easy, roll that dice then add your strength modifier to to the roll.
This can be a lot to take in but it gets easier the more you do it and most people are really nice about teaching the rules to new people. So if you are willing to learn they will be willing to teach. To make things easier and so you have less to keep track of once your friend helps you make your first character try doing this. Get an index card and wright down on it the total amount you add to an attack as well as what your armor and and saves are. This will cut down on getting lost in your character sheet and make things quicker for you. Also I'd suggest only having out enough dice to play your character with. So a d20 and a dice for whatever weapons you use then put the rest away this way you wont accidently grab the wrong one.
I hope some of this helps you and try not to be shy when it comes to asking questions. Everyone here loves helping out new people and I'm sure your friend will answer whatever questions you have because I'm sure she wants you to enjoy yourself and have another girl to play with.
Hope you enjoy yourself.
OK so here i go. I have never played dungeons and dragons and as of recently I thought it was cheesy and nerdy.
It is cheesy and nerdy, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Embrace your inner geek and come over to the dork side.
Other than that I don't have any good advise, I've been playing 4e for a couple years and there are plenty of times when I still don't have any idea what the hell anyone's talking about, I just enjoy hanging out and eating snacks. But I digress, just have fun and it'll start becoming natural.
I have hardly ever met any D&D player who was not willing to take someone by the hand and teach them how to play the game. Very few D&D players do NOT want to share this game with the rest of the world. Of course, there are situations where his is not appropriate (such as at a convention where the game is specifically for experienced players), but that is clearly not the case here. So take advantage of the general eagerness of D&D to teach newbies and learn what you can. And in all honesty, you can only learn so much from the book. The best way to learn is to actually play.
Oh yeah, another suggestion is to ask for 15-30 minutes at the beginning and end of each session for a Q&A period where you can ask questions. At the beginning of the session you can refresh old questions and at the end you can refresh new questions. After a few sessions you will start to quickly catch on and will not need to ask many questions.
To sum up:
Read the appropriate Player's Handbook.
Take notes/write down questions.
Ask questions.
thanks everyone for the advice!! I am going to burrow the handbook from my friend (which is 3.5) as soon as I get a chance. I got a lot of free time on my hands so I have plenty of chances to learn more. I should be getting off of here to finish reading my girl's guide to dungeons & dragons right now! But I am distracted reading over all the replies lol.
thanks everyone for the advice!! I am going to burrow the handbook from my friend (which is 3.5) as soon as I get a chance. I got a lot of free time on my hands so I have plenty of chances to learn more. I should be getting off of here to finish reading my girl's guide to dungeons & dragons right now! But I am distracted reading over all the replies lol.
I'm glad you've found their advice helpful. I'm sure your group will be helping you as well. Now, if I recall correctly, you had asked which weapon you should use? That depends on class. Since you asked about weapons and not spells, I presume you're making the (wise) choice of starting off with a non-spellcaster. Well, the big thing is that weapon choice is probably 70% fluff. (Fluff means cool concept, little mechanical bearing). Sure, it matters a little, and extra books can make the mechanics matter more, but likely your group is going to discourage a beginner from trying something complex. So the big things are:
1) Do you want to be up close and personal, or do you want to be at range? Note, the rules make it a bad idea to shoot someone who's close enough to stab you. They also make it a bad idea to try to walk away while someone is close enough to stab you. We call these "attacks of opportunity."
2) If you want to fight in melee, do you want to be up close and personal, or do you want a little bit of a buffer? Spears and polearms are called reach weapons. They're bigger, so you can attack from a little further away, but you need to have a little distance to be able to swing it right.
3) How do you want your fighting style to look? There are some mechanics here (and each is supported by different classes and feat choices). You could swing a huge axe, hammer, or sword and make your foe go splat. Or you could wield a rapier, dagger, bare fist, or martial arts weapons (sai, kama, nunchaku, etc) with masterful finesse. Or you could wield a weapon in each hand, becoming a whirling hurricane of death. Or you could wield a nice sturdy weapon and big shield. (You could possibly augment this with a spiked shield, spiked armor, and spiked gauntlets, then not "needing" an actual weapon). So yeah, they're all options.
Basically, weapon choice matters, but they're all viable. They're just not all viable with all concepts. You won't see a raging barbarian swinging just a rapier or a knife. You won't see a sneaky rogue trying to backstab you with a sword almost as big as he is. And you won't see a knight charging at you with a crossbow. (Though 3.5 could probably make those odd concepts work). My point? Try to come up with a character concept, and we can help figure out further what's important. If you'd like advice on an image you'd like to try, fighter is considered the beginner class. That said, the class features are nothing but bonus feats, so you'd be making more choices. Rogue is nice, as it only has a couple of class features that just keep getting better with time. Same with barbarian, though the extra feature (Rage) is a little complicated. A barbarian becomes more dangerous when she enters her battlerage. Mechanically, the Strength and Constitution scores become higher, which increases the bonuses, and thus affects your attack and damage rolls, and your hit point total. My advice if you try that? Make a note what your stats are for both when you are and aren't raging. Probably easier than trying to remember to add 2 to the rolls whenever you rage. I'd probably stay away from the monk class. It's a little more complicated. Lots of odd features, requires lots of high ability scores to work (so it's easy to screw up a build), and a few options that make combat tactics more complex. Not for beginners.
I have set up a character sheet my friend suggested i pick a human fighter but i don't think we ever talked about weaponry that's why i was curious. When i attempt to play next time i might use the same one if she didn't throw it out. I'm hoping she didn't because it took forever to make with me being as clueless as i am/was.
We created a character for me and I burrowed her players handbook which btw is 3.5
That is so attractive in a woman :P
I have experience dming and playing 3.5 games for a fair while now. Do you have msn/yahoo/vent/mummble/anything like that?
I would greatly enjoy helping you through whatever I can. I have introduced over a dozen players to 3.5 and its always nice to be there when it all fits together
.you can reply to me here or via my e-mail;
mrbretonnia@hotmail.com
Regards,
FF
P.S. Play the character you want to play, dont be held back by what may appear difficult. The game is a lot more fun when you play a character you enjoy (I wanted to be a paladin as my first character, but I got stuck with the human fighter whom I hated).