Me and a few friends are bored out of skulls with many of the videogames we have tried. We want something that can hold our interest. Dungeons and dragons seems like it could do just that, if not more. I am really interested in learning how I can get started. I went to the website but all that contains is information on the books and/or podcasts of people playing. Anyone got any help or advice?
Do you have any local games shops? Most comic shops also tend to be game shops, fyi.
Go down and visit one, ask if they run games there. Alot of shops do. You and your friends can play down there and decide if you want to invest further in the hobby.
To play you only really need one set of books, but everyone should try and get a players handbook for themselves. You can get a full set of the core books for about $70.
There is also 3.5 edition, which while wizards does not support anymore, there is a legal compilation of the core rules online. A bit harder to understand than the books though, and I would personally recommend 4e anyway
I used the store locator on the DnD Wizards website and the only place they sell the books near me is a GameStop. But I thought they just sold video games and such.
Aside from Gamesworkshop or WoTC stores, almost all of these kinds of stores are going to be small chains or one-off stores, so it's kind of hard to search for them. You'll have to try some googling or looking through local directories or something. Maybe give this a try http://ww2.wizards.com/StoreAndEventLocator/
You can buy the materials in lots of places but only these types of stores are generally geared to take in new players and give them a spin on Warhammer if they've never played or run D&D newbie nights or something.
In terms of what to get, I would recommend fourth edition (The newest and current edition. This is what Gabe and Tycho have been playing on their D&D podcasts)books. You need a core set (Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master's Guide), some dice obviously for each player (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20), and an adventure to run. For a first spin I recommend having someone run one of the many officially constructed adventures which are all set up for you basically, come with maps and everything for the DM to run the adventure. Keep on the Shadowfell was the first one for fourth edition, runs players through first to third level, and is also available online for free here (http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4news/20090428)
Me and a few friends are bored out of skulls with many of the videogames we have tried. We want something that can hold our interest. Dungeons and dragons seems like it could do just that, if not more. I am really interested in learning how I can get started. I went to the website but all that contains is information on the books and/or podcasts of people playing. Anyone got any help or advice?
If you go to their website, they have an entire adventure style thing free to download in pdf format, as well as another with all the basic rules and sample characters already created for you. Or you can download a character builder that lets you create characters up to level three. Which is about as far as high as you'll get with Keep on the Shadowfell.
Give that a crack and see if it sounds like your thing. The Penny Arcade podcasts are good to get a feel for what it's like if you'll be doing the DMing in terms of narrative, that's pretty much what caught my interest initially.
If you feel it's something you guys would get into you can get a pack that contains all the basics for starting out, a rule book for the players, a guide for the DM on creating adventures and deeper mechanics and another with pages and pages of monsters.
If you want to really try it out without dropping a load of cash at first try the D&D 4e Starter Kit, it comes with short hand version of the rules, premade characters, a pre-made campaign module (detailed and easy to use for a new DM), dungeon tiles, character tokens and a set of dice. Most of this stuff I still use today.
There isn't a comic book/games store like that near me that I know of. Any way to find out?
The odds are good that there is in fact such a shop near you, and local game shops are the best place to try out paper RPGs for the first time. Try searching in Google Maps for "Game Shop" or similar.
Oh, something I forgot. Aside from dice, probably the next essential item to get is a grid-mat of some sort.
I've heard of people just relying on graph paper and such, but if you have the $10 it really is worth it to get a decent dry/wet (I perfer dry) erase mat and some matching markers (using a wet erase marker on a dry erase board, and vise versa, can result in the mark being permanent).
PROTIP: You can't go wrong buying extra dice. Each player should have enough so they don't have to borrow.
If you are just starting out, it's no point spending a lot on dice that you might not use. You can put the dice in the middle of the table as a common pool to start with.
PROTIP: You can't go wrong buying extra dice. Each player should have enough so they don't have to borrow.
If you are just starting out, it's no point spending a lot on dice that you might not use. You can put the dice in the middle of the table as a common pool to start with.
Unless you think dice are just plain cool, then it's totally acceptable to buy as many sets as you want.
If you just want to play premade adventures, is the Monster Manual still necessary? Sorry for the threadjack
If all you ever do are premades, then no I don't think so.
But if you play D&D enough, chances are you are going to want to make an adventure someday. :P Which is why the pack that includes the three books is so useful.
If anything, I would almost say that you get the Monster Manuel over the DM's guide anyway. Unless you are a first time DM, it doesn't have too much actual game material. Most of it is advice and such.
If you just want to play premade adventures, is the Monster Manual still necessary? Sorry for the threadjack
If all you ever do are premades, then no I don't think so.
But if you play D&D enough, chances are you are going to want to make an adventure someday. :P Which is why the pack that includes the three books is so useful.
If anything, I would almost say that you get the Monster Manuel over the DM's guide anyway. Unless you are a first time DM, it doesn't have too much actual game material. Most of it is advice and such.
Ah. Well I've DM'ed that Dragon Age RPG and Dark Hersey games, so I guess I won't really need it
As a DM, is it acceptable to ask your players to help cover costs?
You only need 3 books. They cost $66. About the same as one video game. Ignore people who go on about battlemats and figurines and so on. That is for the advanced players.
Some great advice so far.. when you search on Wizards site for a local game store look and also see if any of them are running D&D Encounters. It's a series of modules run at the game store by experienced DMs with the intent of introducing new players to the game. You could all check out one or two of those sessions and see what you think.
As for minis, you definitely don't need to worry about spending a lot of money on them. Acquire them over time, or not at all..whatever works for you. Sometimes I think it's actually better to just imagine combat and have the DM rule on what roll it'll take to do what you're describing. Some people are much more tactical-minded though and love having the mat and minis/tokens/etc. There's no wrong way to do anything as long as you're having a good time.
Here's a pdf sheet of 12 blank minis I made that might help you starting out if you do want to use minis of some type. Cut on the dotted lines and fold on the solid and it'll give you a medium-sized mini (the size of humans and most creatures in the game) with a 1-inch-square base. Just write what the mini represents on it (or even more fun, sketch a little picture :P)
This has probably been said but larger comic shops will also carry this kind of stuff sometimes. My local "comic" shop has comics, manga, warhammer paints and minis, reaper minis, a vast selection of dice, board games, magic cards, D&D books, campaigns, modules, maps, tilesets, playmats...
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Go down and visit one, ask if they run games there. Alot of shops do. You and your friends can play down there and decide if you want to invest further in the hobby.
To play you only really need one set of books, but everyone should try and get a players handbook for themselves. You can get a full set of the core books for about $70.
There is also 3.5 edition, which while wizards does not support anymore, there is a legal compilation of the core rules online. A bit harder to understand than the books though, and I would personally recommend 4e anyway
I used the store locator on the DnD Wizards website and the only place they sell the books near me is a GameStop. But I thought they just sold video games and such.
Basically a store which specializes in board/card/war games is what you are looking for.
I can't really think of a big franchise, except for maybe a Hobby Town.
You can buy the materials in lots of places but only these types of stores are generally geared to take in new players and give them a spin on Warhammer if they've never played or run D&D newbie nights or something.
In terms of what to get, I would recommend fourth edition (The newest and current edition. This is what Gabe and Tycho have been playing on their D&D podcasts)books. You need a core set (Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master's Guide), some dice obviously for each player (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20), and an adventure to run. For a first spin I recommend having someone run one of the many officially constructed adventures which are all set up for you basically, come with maps and everything for the DM to run the adventure. Keep on the Shadowfell was the first one for fourth edition, runs players through first to third level, and is also available online for free here (http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4news/20090428)
If you go to their website, they have an entire adventure style thing free to download in pdf format, as well as another with all the basic rules and sample characters already created for you. Or you can download a character builder that lets you create characters up to level three. Which is about as far as high as you'll get with Keep on the Shadowfell.
Give that a crack and see if it sounds like your thing. The Penny Arcade podcasts are good to get a feel for what it's like if you'll be doing the DMing in terms of narrative, that's pretty much what caught my interest initially.
If you feel it's something you guys would get into you can get a pack that contains all the basics for starting out, a rule book for the players, a guide for the DM on creating adventures and deeper mechanics and another with pages and pages of monsters.
Edit: Curse you Scosglen!
Costs...$30 I think.
I can has cheezburger, yes?
The odds are good that there is in fact such a shop near you, and local game shops are the best place to try out paper RPGs for the first time. Try searching in Google Maps for "Game Shop" or similar.
I've heard of people just relying on graph paper and such, but if you have the $10 it really is worth it to get a decent dry/wet (I perfer dry) erase mat and some matching markers (using a wet erase marker on a dry erase board, and vise versa, can result in the mark being permanent).
If you are just starting out, it's no point spending a lot on dice that you might not use. You can put the dice in the middle of the table as a common pool to start with.
Unless you think dice are just plain cool, then it's totally acceptable to buy as many sets as you want.
GM: Rusty Chains (DH Ongoing)
If all you ever do are premades, then no I don't think so.
But if you play D&D enough, chances are you are going to want to make an adventure someday. :P Which is why the pack that includes the three books is so useful.
If anything, I would almost say that you get the Monster Manuel over the DM's guide anyway. Unless you are a first time DM, it doesn't have too much actual game material. Most of it is advice and such.
Ah. Well I've DM'ed that Dragon Age RPG and Dark Hersey games, so I guess I won't really need it
GM: Rusty Chains (DH Ongoing)
Ah. Man, D&D is expensive.
As a DM, is it acceptable to ask your players to help cover costs?
GM: Rusty Chains (DH Ongoing)
http://www.d20srd.org/
Free modules, these are of varying quality, but some are quite good.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/oa/20030530b
You only need 3 books. They cost $66. About the same as one video game. Ignore people who go on about battlemats and figurines and so on. That is for the advanced players.
In 3rd ed I used the grid that came in the book and coins with labels stuck on them. Any cheap grid should do if 4th ed is similar.
As for minis, you definitely don't need to worry about spending a lot of money on them. Acquire them over time, or not at all..whatever works for you. Sometimes I think it's actually better to just imagine combat and have the DM rule on what roll it'll take to do what you're describing. Some people are much more tactical-minded though and love having the mat and minis/tokens/etc. There's no wrong way to do anything as long as you're having a good time.
Here's a pdf sheet of 12 blank minis I made that might help you starting out if you do want to use minis of some type. Cut on the dotted lines and fold on the solid and it'll give you a medium-sized mini (the size of humans and most creatures in the game) with a 1-inch-square base. Just write what the mini represents on it (or even more fun, sketch a little picture :P)
http://sites.google.com/site/mgbeach/files/12BlankMinis.pdf
So check them, too.