I have recently bought some D&D Miniatures, intending to use them in some miniature room box scenes I've been creating. But now I've got quite curious about the D&D Miniatures game, and have just purchased the D&D Starter Pack, version 4 I think, it's the one featured on this page: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mi/20040520b
Does this starter pack contain everything I need for roleplaying? Do I need Adventures, and if so, how do I get them? Can you download them, do you have to buy them? Is there anything else I need to roleplay. What exactly is contained in the Adventures?
Many Thanks for your help!
There are, essentially, 2 Dungeons and Dragons games, there's Dungeons and Dragons the Roleplaying game, and Dungeons and Dragons the Miniatures game. The minis game has very little to no roleplaying involved, it's a strategy game. The Roleplaying game has been around a LOT longer and, while using the minis to keep track of combat is very useful, it isn't actually required.
If you're interested in getting started with the roleplaying, I'd suggest you check at your local gaming store for a group with an opening for someone new. You'll want to pick up a Player's Handbook to start with, it's got the basic rules you'll need for the RP game. You'll also need a set of dice, and a good imagination.
Welcome, and have fun!
What do you use for the Roleplaying game? Is it cards you use? Or is it all written down? Can you play online, or do you meet up in groups usually?
Sorry, I'm full of questions!
I saw the example of D&D Miniatures combat, is there an online demo/example of roleplaying? Anything I might be able to get the idea of how it runs?
yes there is, its on the wizards.com home page.
Thank you Rainkiss, I like the Miniatures anyway, they look great! So I don't think I've wasted my money too much so far! :embarrass
What do you use for the Roleplaying game? Is it cards you use? Or is it all written down? Can you play online, or do you meet up in groups usually?
Sorry, I'm full of questions!
ArounaRaven:
In order to play, you need a copy of the players handbook, a character sheet. A set of dice, a pencil and an eraser. a Mini that represents your character is also a plus.
Thank you Rainkiss, I like the Miniatures anyway, they look great! So I don't think I've wasted my money too much so far! :embarrass
What do you use for the Roleplaying game? Is it cards you use? Or is it all written down? Can you play online, or do you meet up in groups usually?
Sorry, I'm full of questions!
Questions are always a good thing. Shows you're interested in learning.
I'll tell you this right now, the tools of a good roleplayer are an active imagination and the guts to speak about it.
The methods and physical props that you'll use in the game depend somewhat on the people you'll be gaming with, and especially on the DM who is running your game. In the examples I'm using I'll probably mention battles a lot, but just remember that your miniature can be used in any situation where there is a physical activity, trial, or danger involved.
Some DM's will run games that are very tactically dependent on charts, floorplans, miniatures, and physical materials. These sorts of games tend to have a decent amount of combat involved, as this is what the materials are used for. The miniatures will represent the players in the battles, and the DM will play the role of opposition and rules judge. A tactical game will tend towards strict rule adherence and the areas affected by spells and abilities will be strictly regimented. Also, the focus of the game will be more towards a characters abilities rather than their personality.
The other end of the scale from the Tactical game is the purely Role-playing game, where more often than not the combat is resolved with words rather than sword blows and spells. These sorts of games have a much more talk-centered gameplay and will involve long periods of role-playing and very deep character plot development.
The average game will incorporate elements from both types, but not always. I've played in games where DM's have used quick sketches and accurate descriptions to set the battle scene. These were games where no miniatures were used, and rather the players envisioned the scenes in their own mindseye and described what they were doing for their actions. A quick scratch pad of paper is usually required for this to use for demonstration purporses or descriptions.
On average though you will probably have a miniature to represent you and a map or tilegrid that is provided by the DM which your miniature will play on. As the battle progresses the miniature will be moved by yourself into different positions to represent the movements of your character. The other players will move their miniatures to represent what they think their characters are doing, and the DM will handle the movements of the monsters. Depending on what your position is, as well as what or who is around your character, you will be able to describe your character taking different actions. As you tell the DM your actions and roll for your results he will make comments or take actions accordingly.
But this is just the physical aspect of the game. There will be times where your character isn't involved in dungeon crawling nor fighting evil minions. Sometimes there might be social interactions involving your character. For these situations it's always nice to be able to show a portrait or picture of what you think your character looks like if someone asks. You can find all sorts of things on the net by looking up images on google or by hitting sites like Deviant Art or Elfwood.
Your character information is recorded on a piece of paper called a character sheet. This paper holds all the statistics that make up what your character has, as well as what your character can do. The only real limits on what you can do are your own imagination, but the character sheet has information on how good your character can do that. You'll reference your character sheet a lot, so have it with you on the table or very nearby. Bring it to each and every game and update it as it is required at the end of each one. Your DM will be able to help you out more with this when you ask them.
The single most important physical prop you'll need though are your dice. Any good hobby shop will have them. You'll need one of every type, from d4 to d20, and most are sold as such in a set.
If you are playing D&D as a player I suggest having a copy of the Players Handbook for yourself. Most other players appreciate it when people have their own books to reference instead of always asking to see theirs. The Dungeon Masters Guide and Monster Manual are typically handled by the DM and you won't really need to look at either to play your character.
Finally, bring a few pieces of scrap paper, some pens or pencils, and your imagination and get ready to have some fun.
Good luck, happy adventures, and have fun!
When you suggest having a copy of the Players Handbook, do you mean all 3 of them, or can you get by only having the one? There seem to be so many rules to learn with there being 3 of the books. But I have seen there's a D&D Roleplaying Game Starter Set coming out in October, this one: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/217120000
It looks like an easy introduction, I'm hoping so!
Can you play the Roleplaying Game over the internet, through the forums or anything? I think that would be fun, has anyone tried it?
Thank you DarkRaven18599 for such a detailed answer!
When you suggest having a copy of the Players Handbook, do you mean all 3 of them, or can you get by only having the one? There seem to be so many rules to learn with there being 3 of the books. But I have seen there's a D&D Roleplaying Game Starter Set coming out in October, this one: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/217120000
It looks like an easy introduction, I'm hoping so!
Can you play the Roleplaying Game over the internet, through the forums or anything? I think that would be fun, has anyone tried it?
First off, you're more than welcome. After all, this is the Players Help Forum, so I'm more than glad to help out someone new to this great game.
For a player, the only book you really need is the Players Handbook.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/217367200
The other two manuals, the Dungeon Masters Guide;
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/217507200
and the Monster Manual;
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/217207200
are both books that your DM will probably already have.
First off, I have to ask if you have already found a group to play the game with. If not, I highly suggest seeing if you can locate an already established D&D group which you can join. It is so much easier to learn the nuances of the game from a live person who already knows the rules than trying to just learn it from reading a book.
Secondly, the starter set you have listed is basically just that, a Starter Set. It will have some of the very basic rules that you will need to know, but will be missing a lot of the detailed information that you will find you need to fully capture the spirit of the game. The basic idea here is that you would buy this set with a group of friends and just play the basic game out using the materials in the set. These would be the bare bones minimum things you would need to complete just one adventure, and will have pregenerated characters, (ones made up already, not ones you would create yourself), for you to play. While this would be a fun introduction, it would probably not be more than a single session worth of material. To realize the full limits of the game you will need a copy of the Players Handbook.
And one of the biggest thrills of the D&D game is the ability to create a character wholly from scratch. This person is a someone that you will give all facets of personality, look, and reason to. A character becomes what you want them to be, and is evolved by both yourself and the story that you and your friends create at the gaming table each week.
As for your questions about gaming over the internet, it is possible, but is much more enjoyable and easy to learn from live contact groups. The problem with the internet gaming is the inability for easy discussion and explanation without a fair amount of technical equipment. For starters you would probably need a visualization program such as http://www.fantasygrounds.com/ which would allow you to keep pace with what yourself and the other players are doing. You would also need some manner of voicechat system like Ventrilo, to allow for chatting while playing.
The biggest drawback to this sort of game is that you loose the interactions that make D&D a truly social game, more so than any computer game or online chat forum that exists. Ask veteran role-players/gamers about funny stories from their games and they'll give you a mountain of replies. They'll talk about the night so and so rolled that natural 20 at the right moment and how everyone's jaw dropped open in surprise. They'll talk about the eerie feeling they had playing Ravenloft that one Halloween and the fact that they could actually hear the chains rattling in the back of their minds while they crept through the dungeon. These are the things that make D&D one of the most wonderful social experiences you can have with a group of friends and why the game has lasted so long. (Almost 5 decades now).
Another large drawback is that unless you are using a realtime simulation program with all the people online at the same time, you drift into that period of delay I like to call forum-lag. Playing by posts is allright, but it really loses some of the excitement of live play. To be involved in an epic battle where the fate of a small town lies upon the shoulders of your valiant troop of players takes a small dip when you have to wait several hours sometimes to find out if you hit that goblin with your short sword each round. While not all play by post games deal with this sort of time delay, several do. And to loose the momentum of the spur of the moment choices that are forced upon you sometime by live play can be a big loss for your enjoyment of the fight.
So, my recommendation to you is to try and find a local group that is already playing, pick up a Players Handbook and a set of dice, grab a favorite pencil and notepad and have at it!
Good adventures, fine laughter, and sweet water!
I haven’t yet found a group to play with, though I have contacted a local gaming store, and they have told me they are trying to set up a space upstairs above their shop for gaming groups, and they will let me know when they get it up and running, so hopefully soon!
Plus I have just downloaded VASSAL, and now discovering which Modules I need to play D&D. So I will be able to try that out too. I agree, it does sound like it would be best to play in person rather than over the internet. I shall try both and see how I get on, if I can dabble a bit online and then find a group, that would be great.
It seems a lot of work goes into creating your character, how do you choose abilities and stats for them? Or is this explained in more detail in the Players Handbook?
You describe playing this game with great enthusiasm, how long have you played for? You seem to have many a happy memory of it!
Thanks again,
I'll try and answer your questions as best I can, but I also hope some other folks pitch in some answers as well. While I do have some experience with the game, (more on that later), there are folks on here that know this material a hundred times better than I do.
Creating a character can take as much or as little work as you wish to devote to it. The baseline rules that apply to character creation are indeed covered to great extent in the Players Handbook. In fact while chapter 2 of the Players Handbook, (or PHB as it's commonly called), is titled "Making Characters" you will use chapters 2 through 7 to fully flesh out your Player Character (PC). There are chapters detailing how statistics affect your character and the world around them, as well as detailing information about the different playable races, classes, skills, feats, and equipment your character will have. All this is explained in time and I highly suggest reading through once or twice when you get the book. It might not make sense right away, but once you actually start using them in gameplay you will see how it all comes together.
Different DM's will have different means of choosing how your initial statistics, (the numbers that will represent your characters physical and mental abilities). Some will use what is called a point buy system, where you are given a set number of points which you then allocate to the different abilities as you see fit. Other DM's will prefer the random chance that comes from dice rolling. And there are several different types of dice rolling pools as well. Whichever DM you sit down with to play will explain which system they use for their game.
But all this is just going to be a page full of numbers without you to decide just what those numbers mean. As you're reading over the different races and classes, perhaps one will jump out at you as the one you want. You might decide to play a noble Dragonborn, a race of powerful beings with the looks of dragons and noble grandeur one appoints to them. Or you could see yourself as a quick-witted and sharp-tongued Tiefling, descendant of an ancient time when demons from the lower hells mingled their blood with that of humans. Maybe you will be a stalwart Dwarf, defender of his clan and warrior of ancient tradition. Perhaps the sparkling paths of power and wonder that is that of the Fey lies within your Eladrin character. There are several more races as well, each with their own basic characteristics, but all of whom can be shaped by you.
Is your character a skulking rogue? Striking from the shadows and disappearing back within just as fast as the flash of their blade? Or are you a powerful fighter? Wielding a massive sword most men couldn't lift, armored in thick metal and standing as the last line of defense before the hoards of evil? Does the sparkle of magic run like wildfire through your characters veins? Unleashing ancient eldritch powers the likes of which the world hasn't seen in an age? Or does the faith of the devine radiate from you like a nimbus of purity? Your very word the ability to heal others, strike back evil, and champion justice?
The only limit to who your character will be is who you can think up trying to be.
But just remember, greatness is earned. And the adventures you complete will sculpt who your character is every time, adding just a little bit more to who they will be. Every journey places another story behind you, and every dice roll takes you closer to the next one.
As for your other question, I've been playing for almost 20 years now. Growing up I was incredibly fortunate that my closest friend, (basically my brother if you want to get sentimental), was also an amazing DM. He is the sort of guy who great stories came naturally to, and has the ability to draw you into that vision and share it with you. I have a lot of great memories sharing good times with great friends and a lot of good laughs at the perils and pitfalls out heroes went through in their adventures. What made the game great for me is that we were all good friends outside the gaming group as well.
I've also been privileged to sit behind the screen quite a bit and help to try and share a great story with friends as well. There are few things as satisfying as literally stunning a group of your friends with a plot twist they didn't see coming but finding out at the end of the game that they were not only completely blown away but truly believed it. And it is all worthwhile when they all thank you and say they love playing because they really love the time they spend doing it. That's a big reason why I play.
So play! Enjoy the game! Have fun! Make friends! Create tales and share them! It's what this game is all about.
Cheers.
DarkRaven18599 - Wow, 20 years is a really long time, it must be good for you to stick at it for so long!
I'd love to learn about all the different races you can choose from for the characters you can create. By the sounds of it you start your game with a character who's like a fledging fighter, and then goes through various adventures making a name for theirself through brave deeds and adventures. Obviously becoming skilled and wise in the process.
I can't wait to start, have to study the player's handbook first though, or I will be lost! I'm beginning to learn the comnbat with the miniatures I have though, and that's fun!
Happy Adventuring!
Hi everyone!
Hi ArounaRaven!
Welcome to the forums, and a great game.
Role playing games are awesome, it is kind of like acting, but without all the costumes or props. It is a lot of fun.
As far as Races, I am a big fan of the Elves.
As far as Classes, I am more of a fan of your sneaky, rogue-ish, stealth types that hang out on the fringe of the combat using every opportunistic advantage that they can.
In addition to reading your Player's Handbook (PHB in gamer speak), you should go down to your local game store and let people know you are interested and would like to watch a game.
When they get games going in the store that would be a great opportunity to watch and learn first hand. A central game store is a great way to get to meet gamers and network. Also if you have friends that might be interested in it, invite them along. Spread the hobby!
Have fun and good gaming!
Thanks for the great advice! I also think Elves are cool, hoping to learn all the different races and I'll have even greater choice! :coolcthul
Hi Minja,
Thanks for the great advice!
You are welcome! So it has been about a little more than a week... How is it going? Have you found a gamestore, or networked with any other players?
