Totally new to D&D

i3r3akd0wn

Hello,

I have never before played D&D or any game like it. I have a few friends who would play but I will have to take the first few steps, buy the stuff, learn the game, teach them. I have listened to the Penny Arcade/PvP D&D podcasts so I have an idea how the game works but what do I need to get started? What should I buy first? A short list would be handy.

Thank you for your time.

dresdenphile

*PHB1 and DMG1 in book form for sure. The other PHBs add more classes, but they aren't compulsory when you're starting out.

*A DDI subscription (for at least one month) is nearly essential; it'll let you download the Character Builder and Monster Creator for you and 4 other machines to use in perpetuity ( or until you resubscribe to get the latest update). Also, while your DDI subscription is active, you'll have access to the online Compendium which has all but the fluff from all the published and online-only materials.

firemanfred

Since you'll be running things I'd say you'll need to buy the Player's Handbook, the Dungeon Master's Guide and some dice to roll. I'd also recommend downloading the character builder from Wizards of the Coast so you can easily create new characters without everyone needing to page through the books on their first go round.

I think the easiest way to do your first campaign is to use a pre-published adventure, and many have suggested using Keep on the Shadowfell as a good start since you can download it for free.

Hope this helps!

Powerpuppies

PHB, DMG, dice, and a DDI subscription. DDI is completely worth it.

OptimusZed

You'll probably want to add the Monster Manual unless you're purely running modules. Which you probably should be at first. Keep on the Shadowfell is available for free online now I think, it would probably be a good place to start.

i3r3akd0wn

Thanks guys for the helpful info. Should I also pick up mini's for my monsters/players? What do you use to lay out your dungeons? Can you download floorplans for these campaings? Is there a good website you can use to buy minis?

Again, thank you for your time.

azith28

If your friends are slightly unsure about going forward, before you pay any money why not all go to an encounter session at a local gaming store? They will give you a selection of pre-gens to choose from, and all you really need is dice. If you guys really like it then you can spend the money on the books.

Validity

the character builder test drive version is free for the first 3 levels- you can see if your friends will stick with it before buying that.

I'd maybe start with one of the pre made adventures before investing too much cash. but you'll need the handbook and the DMguide for it to make much sense.

CptHamilton

azith28 wrote: »

If your friends are slightly unsure about going forward, before you pay any money why not all go to an encounter session at a local gaming store? They will give you a selection of pre-gens to choose from, and all you really need is dice. If you guys really like it then you can spend the money on the books.

Along this route, if you pick up the Keep on the Shadowfell module it comes with some pre-generated character sheets and a stripped-down rules pamphlet that will give you enough information to play though the module. I wouldn't really recommend playing the whole thing that way, but for the cost of the module (which may be free; I'm not sure if the free-online version has the rules packet or the pre-gen characters) and some dice you and your friends can play a couple of sessions before you invest in anything else.

i3r3akd0wn

I will get them to play. That will happen. And sadly there are no "encounter session's" anywhere near where I live. I looked into that. But thank you for the suggestions.

Just a few more questions...

Should I buy Mini's for my monsters and even my players? I will invest the money this time to get them hooked.

Do these pre-made dungeons come with floor plans that you can just print? If not what is normally used to draw them out?

Is there a good website to buy mini's, dice, and other items I may need?

Thanks again for your time.

Utsanomiko

First of all, there are free quick-start rules and a starting adventure on D&D's website here. Check those out before plunking down $60 or more for books. You really ought to have a grasp of the basics rules the PCs play by before you start figuring out how to direct a story around them.

Minis really are not essential. You can use plastic counters, coins, or paper cutouts with art found on the internet. In a pinch I'll often just cut index cards into 1" x 2" strips and draw a stick figure. To buy specific minis in enough quantities for encounters, eBay tends to be a good source. Minis are still sold retain in semi-random packs and so a lot of people try to sell their unwanted ones that way.

I suppose you could buy one of those $30 wet-erase maps or print pre-made ones off the internet, but I'd recommend getting some 1" graph paper to make maps.

bladecruiser

For monster mini's, I use glass beads that can be found in most craft sections of department stores. The kind that you put into the bottoms of fish tanks and such that are flat on one side. I use three different colors, as there are rarely times when there's more than three different types of enemy monsters on the board. "Boss" or heavy hitter creatures tend to either be a spare die or something other than the standard "mob" token, something to set it apart and draw attention to it.

For player mini's, since my group has been playing for awhile and we don't intend on quitting any time soon, we've invested in some mini's we found through online stores like Reaper and such. I suggest using either spare dice or printed cutouts until your group decides that they're going to stick with it. Though if you look around, you can probably find some random cheap mini's on ebay, or on sale on the larger wargame sites.

For the pre-made dungeons and such, like Keep on the Shadowfell, if you buy the adventure module either at a game shop or from Amazon/whatever online, yes you get a poster sized battlemap that's double sided that is used for a couple of the encounters. For more general purposes, lots of people have recommended a Chessex mat for drawing out other dungeons or maps that you can't use the posters for.

Actually, I suggest downloading Keep on the Shadowfell right off of PlayDnD.com, and grabbing a Chessex mat. This way you get the updated rules so that you won't have to deal with broken stuff or whatever, plus you can customize the mat and it can be reused later on for other adventures. If the players don't like the pre-made characters, they can grab the free trial of the character builder and build one themselves and just print it and use it, no books required!

anubis0079

The best way to learn the Game is to play it.Alot of the guides will tell you they are only that, guides. The books will tell you how to do everything but some "study" will be required.

I started with a core rule book a monster manual and a dungeon master guide bought the standard mix die set, found at most gaming book stores, and a few adventurous friends. The technical side of gaming is easy to pick up but can be a slog to first understand.

Perhaps you can try a more stream lined system.

D&D d20 d10 d12 d4 d6 d8 and even a coin

Vampire: D10 and percentage dice, d4 d6 d8

its all according to you devotion i guess.

MikeTitan

Get DDI, and browse some of the Articles. I'd also suggest watching the Robot Chicken Podcast as Perkins does a good job of wrangling those guys along if you haven't already seen them.

I'd definitely look into buying the DM screen, it's usually anywhere from 5-10 bucks, and has a nice cheat sheet for DC's, Costs, XP and other things similar to that, and let's you save time. If you don't want to go that route, then I'd definitely write a cheat sheet for things like Death, Dying, Charging, Heal Checks, Prone and Combat Advantage. (I.E. probably easier to have the DM screen) This will usually let you run things a bit faster early on. Because as a new DM, you will often see yourself going "You know, I'm not sure either" and then checking. The DM screen speeds that up.

azith28

To save you some cash on miniatures, look at your gaming store and see if they still have any of the now discontinued mage knight mini game boosters. These are likely reduced to about 3-4 bucks for 4 figures and while they are random they have some really nice sculpts. The bases are a little large but i just cut them off the clix base and superglue them onto a smaller one so they fit in the dnd maps.

floodriptide

If this is your first time to the ball, the DMG (Dungeon Master's Guide) has a lot of remarkably sound advice to DMing. I'd also suggest trying to get in a session or two as a PC (player character) with a DM that's done it a few times as well - if for no other reason than to get your feet wet and experience the type of things your players will be experiencing the first time to the table.

A few notes from experience that might not be explicitly stated elsewhere:
-A DMs job is made far easier the more invested his players are. I don't know if it can be stressed enough, but if you can get your players invested into the game not only will it be more rewarding for the players, but easier for you to DM - the players will fill in any gaps you might miss story-wise, and inter-party bantering and interaction lessens the work you have to do on NPC/PC interaction.
-D&D 4e is a much more tactile game than other RPGs. Props are more important in 4th ed. (This means minis, maps, etc...) In some respects the actual combat plays out much more like a tactical wargame than most RPGs. This has it's upsides and downsides, but does allow for an easier leap for a new RPG player in not having to handle all of the visualization in their heads.
-Play other RPGs as well. Other systems have different mechanics that will broaden your ideas of how to play any given RPG. There are a ton of good games out there, D&D is just one of them.
-Every group interacts differently. Your group will probably not play out like what you hear in podcasts - it's a social game and group dynamics are different from group to group, don't get stressed out if it seems like the group or adventure seems to spin out of control. Embrace the chaos, as long as everyone is having fun you are doing your job.
-The more you do it, the easier it gets.