Okay...I've looked throughout the forums and website for litterally almost one hour...and I cannot find a good "walkthrough" of telling me what I need to do.
I know that I have to buy the handbooks, which I'm doing around this week, and after that...what do I do?
How do I get a group? Will they accept a new player? How will I assimilate into their group?
Yeah...so...
Can anyone clarify anything? Thanks in advance.-Kob
version? I assume 3.5?
Older versions exist and people play them. Many of those online in chat format.
Many people from here, in fact.
Essentially you'll need a "Character" Like a brave warrior or a wizard or a wilderness tracker.
The player's handbook explains a lot of it. you'll need to ask for help if you run into questions. You can do that here on the "What's a player to do?" forums:
http://forums.gleemax.com/forumdisplay.php?f=48
Just post there. Just as you have with this question.
Or once you meet a DM, ask him or her, what do the rules say about how to make this character?
There are also people online at OpenRPG which is a somewhat popular gaming chat program that's free.
Or, There's a series of chat rooms at:
http://forums.gleemax.com/community_chat_status.php?x=rpg
Run by wizards of the coast, open from (10 am - 3 am ET).
There is also as i said online tools to allow you to chat and roll dice and type and see a map.
OpenRPG is one such tool. Fantasy Grounds or Battlegrounds is another.
Really depends on what you are looking for.
A good start might be to ask around at a local game store, and answer ads if you have one.
Some schools have clubs.
Lots of ways to get in on it.
I'm sure others will jump in here over the next few hours.
Welcome to the Hobby, and these forums. I've been a DM and player for over 31 Years now.
Ask away.
People will help you.
Physically, you need the handbooks (obviously). The PHB is the most important; the DMG and MM can be ignored for now, unless you're planning to GM. I recommend you read the PHB in your spare time, paying special attention to chapters 1, 3, 8 and 9.
You'll also need dice: at least 1d4, 4d6, 1d8, 2d10, 1d12 and 1d20. Most gamers end up with great heaps of dice.
To get started, you might check out your Friendly Local Game Shop; they often have corkboards where gamers seeking groups and groups seeking gamers can post fliers. For that matter, ask the check-out guy when you're buying your dice; these people often know a lot about the local gamer/geek community.
The most important aspect of gaming (and of any social situation, really): Don't Be A Jerk. It's amazing how often people forget this. Remember, the other people are there to have fun as well.
Got any questions or problems, post 'em here on the forums. We're here to help...well, we're here to amuse ourselves, but we help sometimes.
Good luck!
A couple other resources to find groups are the RPG Gamer Classifieds right here in this forum, and the Meetup for D&D site.
This being a WotC/Hasbro-owned site, I feel obligated to say that D&D is a very fun game, and if you can get a group you're sure to have years of fun ahead of you. That said, I personally might suggest you hold off on purchases until you find a gaming group. They might be playing some other game, or anticipate switching over to 4e as soon as it hits the shelves; so delaying on an investment that you'll only use for one month if ever might be wise.
If you find a group that's sticking with 3.5, or you really want to start learning D&D asap, or if you want to take advantage of being called a grognard relatively soon, then I highly recommend getting the boxed D&D Player's Kit instead of a plain Player's Handbook. Last I checked, they were the same price, and the PK includes a softcover Player's Handbook.
The PK also comes with:
* A nice set of 10 dice exactly as Talisman described above
* A standalone character sheet that's easier to photocopy than trying to lay an open book flat (or print one out at home)
* A nifty character creation pamphlet that helps walk you through the steps needed to make your first character (which imho is THE hardest part of learning D&D)
* A choose-your-own-adventure-style Solo Adventure that gets you the player familiar with the mechanics, and gives your character some starting XP and a bit of treasure. OR, uh, gives you the opportunity to try character creation again! .. as your first one bleeds to death
Some also have a bonus bundle of prepainted plastic minis, which you can use to represent your character on a battlemat or trade for one that does (or to bribe the DM to go easy on you..) Minis and dice won't change for 4e, and you can never have too many of either. You can even use them for other games. Next time you play Monopoly, you're not stuck being the shoe, you're a raging half-orc barbarian!
Thanks for the help, but I still got questions regarding the online way of playing/going to someones house:
-Is it chat as in typing, or is it voice...or either/both? And how many times does one play with one's group usually? (Depends on group I'm sure...but like average?)
-Do you just...show up? lol?
-Kob
1) Get a Player's Handbook.
You do not need to read it from front to back, but you should familiarize yourself with the contents. One or more people on this thread may have actually read PHs from front to back. :P If you can't find people to teach you then you will have to become one of us and teach your friends.
2) Find a group.
If you should find a group that won't accept you then they're buttheads. Or don't have room. Or both. Learning from more experienced gamers is good but it might be good to find a group with other new gamers so you can all learn. Don't give up if this is hard. Solid groups can be very hard to find and often times people will stick with one for years. Talk to your friends and see if they will try D&D.
3) There is no walkthrough.
Despite the expanse of information on these forums and the Wizards site D&D is a face-to-face, on-the-job training, watch-listen-try kind of a game that takes place in the real world. There are online versions but lets not get into that. The only way to learn the game is to play the game.
4) Other stuff to buy.
-Full set of dice that you like, for whatever twisted reasons float around in your head.
-Dungeon Master Guide, Monster Manual and other books, but in due time. PH first.
-Office supplies: pencils, paper, character sheets, combat mat, wet erase pens, notebook, figurines. Not all of these are required. Some are. You'll figure out what you need & what you want.
5) Finally...
Don't assimilate. Its a game, not a sport, and is meant to be fun. Also, I read this on a sign in an employee break room once: Show up on time, get along with other, do your job. I thought it could apply to being a good gamer as well.
How does one play through a chat room? How would you go about getting into/setting up the chat room?
Thanks in advance.
-Kob
i would start with one of the following 3, rogue, sorcerer or fighter.
start level 1, work your way through, start human, work to elves and dwarves, then gnomes and halflings
avoid the following at all costs, paladin, monk, ranger, and bard
save these 4 for when you get a little more familiar with the rules
wizard, cleric, druid and barbarian
stick to the class till you feel confident you can multiclass. if doing an arcane trickster, start rogue BEFORE wizard (heavy skill investment). assassins require rogues as base as do shadowdancers, mystic thuerge requires sorcerer/cleric (charisma synergy)
get these in the following order
players handbook (basic rules)
dungeon masters guide (essential for rpga. where most groups are found)
monster manual (races to pick, druids animal forms, familiars/pets. biggest source of metagame info. i hope you don't metagame. i don't. i find out through trial and error, dm foils metagame.)
I've been reading around, is this a good place to start playing? Or should I just wait and find someone IRL (In real life) to play with?
-Kob
Openrpg.com
I've been reading around, is this a good place to start playing? Or should I just wait and find someone IRL (In real life) to play with?
-Kob
if your on these boards, you should play in real life. find a group. learn rpga. the easiest class to learn is the rogue, then the fighter then the sorcerer. most of the people here insult me like crazy. the lot is arrogant i tell you. first i go on topic and accidentally veer off course, way off to be exact.
Hmmm okay...
Thanks for the help, but I still got questions regarding the online way of playing/going to someones house:
Going to someone's house, 1st thing i'll talk about.
It works like this.
I run a game every sunday at my house from 1PM to 6 PM. I have done this since 2003.
Before then we gamed at the Game store, Fridays, from 6 PM to 11 PM.
Before that, we gamed at the University, from 1994 to 1998, Fridays 6PM to 11 PM.
The group has had people join, leave come back, etc. Except for me and 2 guys who have been there forever since 1994.
All of us are DMs, all of us are players to. We rotate games about every 6 to 9 months, unless the DM in place wants to keep going.
Now say for example I am sick as a dog friday night. I will call or email my guys and say no game Sunday. Sometimes they go to a game store and do minis or something, or sometimes they' go to a restaurant, or sometimes just call it all off and meet next week. If someone else is sick we decide, do we want to play with that guy missing, play Axis & Allies or what, or just roll up characters or talk about gaming.
When we recruit a new guy we don't do it at my house, we meet at a game store, and talk or a restaurant. Kind of a can I get along with you, can you get along with me kind of deal. Not all groups do this. Some groups, they just say show up at this address it noon with dice, a character and a book. It depends.
When we have to ask a guy to not show up anymore because he's a cheater, or causes problems, I do it, since I am usually DM, and it's my house. We don't ask many to leave becase we are pretty selective in recruiting for gaming at my house.
At the game session, people usually bring their own dice, drinks, and snacks. sometimes everyone will chip in 3 or 4 bucks each and order a pizza.
At my house I provide a huge box of snacks like pretzels, candy bars, halls cough drops, bottles of water, soda, bags of chips. I also make fresh coffee, and have 10 different kinds of tea including decaf tea nad decaf coffee to drink, plus ice water.
My wife and I go out on friday two days before the game, and replenish the snacks and stuff.
When guys come over in summer we have fans moved to cool off the group if people get too hot, because a person puts out the same heat as a 100 watt light bulb.
If some guy needs a ride we arrange to have a guy on the way give him one. But that's cool for a few weeks max, esp with gas these days.
We once gave rides to two different girls with no cars that lived 40 miles one way and 30 another. But it was too much time out of the night, getting home at 2:30 AM. So that lasted a summmer, but when they went back to college we ceased and they dropped out, planning to rejoin after college, when they get cars.
We start at 1 PM sharp, and play till our 6 PM time or if people feel up to it, perhaps a bit more. At about 5:50 PM I am wrapping it up, and awarding XP and answer questions.
-----------
As to chat.
Some use voice. I like to use chat because voice allows one to speak at a time, whereas chat allows anyone to type, and it leaves a log / record that I can use later as scenario notes as to what happened last game session in case I forget. I use this a lot.
The players have all installed open RPG onto their PC. We meet in a room at 7 PM EST in (in this case) Veav Server, Room: Etarnon's SW SAGA ROOM.
Everyone arrives, and we work out any pre-game questions. I then call for the game to start and I start typing (as Narrator, and NPCs Sal Madine, Tarion Saar, Maxx Moryne, Siana Rigel, Captain Ackbar).
Live Players (typing for their characters) are: Jubei Cyn, Cailin Sench,
It looks like this:
(Recent Excerpt of a Star Wars SAGA Game Played two nights ago via openRPG, with me as DM
Narrator: GAME ON
Narrator: Deep Space...
Narrator: The camera pans down to the docking gantries and skeletal fingers of the spider-like Imperial Repair Station, floating like a glittering web of lights above planet BARAB II.
Narrator: Over the comms link, we hear the chatter of pilots...
Sal Madine: Green Squadron, this is Green Six, Comms Check...
Jubei Cyn: "Green four here, all systems go"
Tarion Saar: Green Five, Standing by...
Cailin Sench: Green 3, standing by
Maxx Moryne: Green Two, Ready to tear it up, chief.
Siana Rigel: Green One, Standing by.
Sal Madine: Okay, here it is. We're under time pressure
Jubei Cyn: "what else is new?"
Sal Madine: *Sal Madine Laughs* Fleet estimates less than an hour before the Star Destroyer Relentless arrives. So we got to do this fast, and get out.
Jubei Cyn: "Just make sure the rest of you can keep up with me."
Cailin Sench: Love 'em and leave 'em, eh?
Sal Madine: Red Squadron is the other escort.
Sal Madine: BLUE and GOLD are the heavy hitters, rigged with Proton Torpedoes.
Sal Madine: Our job is to draw fire from the dock, and keep any fighters that appear off of those Y-Wings.
Sal Madine: If the Relentless appears, we're ordered to fire what we've got left, then bug out for the Cruiser we came in on.
Jubei Cyn: "Gotcha, let's paint a huge target on our backs then."
Sal Madine: Silver is back at the cruiser, flying close escort.
Maxx Moryne: Maxx here. I got those marker probes that Leven had put on this ship before we left.
Sal Madine: Okay, so noted, we're all set. When we get in close, you and Green one peel off, and mark for the bombers.
Sal Madine: Any questions?
Cailin Sench: No sir
Jubei Cyn: "Yeah I have one. Who's planning the victory celebration?"
Sal Madine: All of us. Everyone goes home. Allright. We'll be hitting their detection grid in 90 seconds.
Sal Madine: Accelerate to attack velocity, set forward vector to 1150 KMH 100% power.
Sal Madine: Except you, Jubei.
(Jebei has a special mechanical feat, that he's used to modify his personal fighter for much faster speed, and shielding.)
Jubei Cyn: "Damn"
Sal Madine: Don't burn your tail with that thing. Don't get ahead of us.
Cailin Sench throws the throttle to full **
Sal Madine: Expect Jamming. Expect anything.
Jubei Cyn: "I'll see what I can do." throws trottle up to 3/4s
Cailin Sench: Expect Imperial "booms"
Sal Madine: This is as much a probe as it is a mission to destroy their repair capacity in this sector. Long live the rebellion!
Sal Madine accelerates to full speed, and the rest of the wing follows suit, forming up in pairs. **
Jubei Cyn: "yeah, long live the rebellion.... as long as they keep suplying me with parts."
Narrator: Four squadrons of six ships each accelerate to full speed, and head toward the planet in the far distance, Barab II growing perceptibly larger as they close with it.
Narrator: CUT TO: Bridge Station Battle Plot.
Captain Ackbar observes the battle plot and the crew in the command center / Bridge. **
Narrator: 24 little lights each indicating a single fighter, slowly inch across the gulf of the greenish display board, with circles and lines indicating orbital paths, and intercept vectors, and fuel status markers.
...A bit later, the fighter crews get into combat...
Narrator: Intercut Furious Space Battle raging as TIE-Fighters mix it up with the Z-95s of Green Squadron.
Siana Rigel: I can't shake him!
Jubei Cyn: "Hold on, I'm on my way."
Cailin Sench: Jubei, don't get too far ahead of me! I can't keep you covered at this range
Sal Madine: Maxx, get that Guy, Siana's picked up on one her tail.
Maxx Moryne: I'm on it, Hang on, Siana!
Narrator: Space Battle Characters, initiative please.
Jubei Cyn: (is this before I got the scan of these new TIE Fighters, or after?)
Jubei Cyn: [1d20+3] => [13,3] = (16)
Narrator: Tie Squadron initiative... beat a [1d20+8] => [5,8] = (13)
Narrator: (Just before.)
Cailin Sench: [1d20+5] => [13,5] = (18)
Jubei Cyn: (always have to have better initiative then me)
Narrator: Cailin Sench, your action?
Cailin Sench: (( if there's a tie close enough I'm going to try to initiate a dog fight ))
Narrator: (Cailin, you have two willing participants, two TIEs dead ahead, if you like.)
Cailin Sench: (( I will engage the closest ))
[The group then engages in battle, typing a code such as [1d20] to have the chat software roll a d20, or [1d6] to roll a d6.]
After some time the group emerges victorious, having lost three fighters from the wing, shot down 6 enemy TIE fighters, with half a dozen friendly fighters heavily damaged, including one nearly destroyed Z-95 that limps home.
The Rebels have managed to destroy the Imperial Repair Station target in a massive explosion. They head for home, dock, and the Rebel Cruiser goes to hyperspace, ending the mission.
I awarded 2000 XP Each, due to length, and difficulty of the mission, and for achieving the end of chapter story arc goals.
We play again next week.
How does one play through a chat room? How would you go about getting into/setting up the chat room?
There's software you can download. That handles some of it for you. The DM just has to copy and paste or type everything that he would normally tell you. I've never played online in that way so I'm not a very good resource for it.