D&D Derpy Derp Questions
So, I've wanted to play D&D since the days of 3.5, and I've got 2 of the 3.5 books (DM Guide, Player's Handbook) along with D&D 3.5 for Dummies. However, I've heard 4ed is a bit easier to get to grips with, so I'd like to start that. I'd have to find myself a D&D group to join, too, but I can try to get details when I'm in Leeds on saturday.
My questions are thus:
1. Why is it so expensive?
2. Aside from the 3 core books, what else do I need?
3. Miniatures > PnP, or PnP > miniatures?
4. I want to play Forgotten Realms instead of Eberron/Greyhawk/Dragonlance, is that a good idea?
5. Dark Sun looks sort of interesting, what's it like?
6. Should I pick up that £10-15 starter set first and go from there?
7. D&D 4ed for Dummies - Worth getting? Chances are I'll get it just for reference.
I know the questions are a bit rubbish, but I'm not really sure what I need to know to get started. Thanks for any/all answers though
My questions are thus:
1. Why is it so expensive?
2. Aside from the 3 core books, what else do I need?
3. Miniatures > PnP, or PnP > miniatures?
4. I want to play Forgotten Realms instead of Eberron/Greyhawk/Dragonlance, is that a good idea?
5. Dark Sun looks sort of interesting, what's it like?
6. Should I pick up that £10-15 starter set first and go from there?
7. D&D 4ed for Dummies - Worth getting? Chances are I'll get it just for reference.
I know the questions are a bit rubbish, but I'm not really sure what I need to know to get started. Thanks for any/all answers though
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Comments
2. Nothing but dice ($8 USD or so). Maybe http://dandwiki.com for quick answers.
3. Use tokens. Pennies, slips of paper, whatever. Pay for miniatures if you absolutely need them and/or care.
4. Forgotten Realms is easily the nicest campaign setting there is. It has received the most development and care from its devs. If that's the case, one person needs the Forgotten Realms book, contradicting #1.
5. Never heard of it.
6. Never heard of it.
7. The Player's Handbook and DM guides are very informative.
2: You'll need a basic set of dice for each player, including the DM. Each player will need at least a Player's Handbook. You'll also need character sheets, and it REALLY helps to have a grid paper or board and some sort of token for visualization of combat.
3: PnP?
4: Forgotten realms is an incredibly rich universe. There's no reason not to start there.
5: I've never played Dark Sun
6: The starter set can help, if you've never played before
7: Meh. Just stick with the core set.
I've just seen the starter set around, and it seems like it could be a good way to get into the game. WotC Page.
I can get the set of 3 books for ~£50, but would I really just need Player's Handbook (Got one of the official D&D Dice sets)? I'd probably get the Forgotten Realms Player's Handbook as well/instead because it'll be tailored to the campaign setting.
You're helping! I'll try whip up an Amazon wishlist thingy and run it by you guys before I start saving up.
1 DM guide for the DM.
At least 1 PHB (ideally one per player)
At least 1 Forgotten Realms campaign guide.
The FR campaign guide can be shared, but it's really ideal if everyone has their own copy and has read it thoroughly. Campaigns in D&D are addenda that add to or outrightly replace some of the rules and fantasy outlined in the PHB, so everyone needs to be keenly aware of those changes.
As for the starter set, seems like a money grab to me. You can print out your own character sheets online, grid paper is freely available to be printed from a printer, you already have dice and the PHB already has easy-to-understand rules walkthroughs.
2) Asside from the 3 core books you don't really need anything else. I also wouldn't suggest picking up anything else. Start with the core books and when you are comfortable with them, then add in another book. The 3 core books have tons of information, more then you are going to exhaust anytime soon
3) In 4e Miniatures are almost an absolute must the game is designed to work around them. Everything combat wise is tied to positioning on a grid. Not using mini's really complicates things. But you don't have to use perfect representations for minis any counters will work. There are many websites that provide just simple paper model cut outs for characters and monsters (or you can make your own) to very elaborate paper model instructions for building scale models.
Now other games outside of 4e then miniatures generally aren't as needed. But they are still useful when it comes to combat just so everyone can have a fairly quick idea of where everyone is. You don't need to get a ruler out and start measuring. But a rough map with even coins or dice to represent the combatants helps sort out things.
4. 4e is set in Greyhawk by default. But I mean D&D is D&D for the most part just run the game in the world of your choosing. If you want to set it in Forgotten Realms because you are familiar with that setting from the novels, perfectly cool. Just use the novels as your setting source. You don't need more.
5. Dark Sun some people like it some don't. It's just very different from what most people think of when it comes to Fantasy. Personally I've never been a fan of it. But read some novels if you want to get a feel for it.
6. I wouldn't get the starter set personally if you are referring to the original starter set. There is (or soon will be) a new Red Box version coming out. It may be useful for you. It uses the full 4e rules but only covers levels 1-5 if I remember. It's also got some other useful information in it that would benefit a new gamer.
7. Personally I'd avoide the D&D for Dummies unless you really are new. The rule books are laid out well enough and are easy to reference. No point in getting another reference book that will often force you to reference the real books anyway.
Now as for 3.5 or 4e. Personally I prefer 3.5. It may be a little hard to grasp for new DM's but I find it more satisfying by far. But RPG's are very subjective and everyone has their own personal preferences so to say which is better is impossible. Personally I prefer Warhammer Fantasy RPG 3rd edition by far over any versions of D&D. But that's a whole other conversation.
I will agree with everyone else that dice, players handbook, paper, and pencil are all you need to be a player. Add in the Dungeon Masters Guide and maybe a Monsters Manual or three.
It's more about learning the basics and let the story lead the way and not let the rules bog you down. It you want a 6' Kobold with 40 HP, fine, it's your world. BTW, I HATE kobolds...
Roll a Reflex save (DC17) for half or you're toast.
Roll a Reflex save (DC17) for half or you're toast.
Thanks for the help, anyways guys. I'm still a bit overwhelmed by it all :P
Fireball away, knave.. Fireball away.
Fireball away, knave.. Fireball away.
* coldalarm commands the Dwarf to dance
The only trouble is that the books are getting harder to find.
Am I missing anything? I'm just browsing the miniature gallery on Wizards to see if there's anything I like.
Not seen any 2H wielding female Dwarves yet, but I like the Dwarf Shieldmaiden figure on this page.
Without the goal of derailing your original idea. Another (cheaper) alternative to 4e is Pathfinder. When 4e came out there was a an whole big issue about the changes. So Pathfinder came about. It's essentially D&D 3.75. It's not produced by Wizards though and has it's own supplementary product lines. It's done a lot to fix up the issues that were cropping up in D&D 3.5.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game
I'd consider other RPGs, but I'm not sure what is/isn't played around here. The place I'm going on Saturday stocks a lot of RPG stuff so I'll ask then if they're not too busy with Free Comic Book Day stuff.
I refuse to play traditional D&D now that I've been playing Pathfinder for about a year. I cannot even begin to express how much I suggest people adopt Pathfinder, rather than 4.0 or, to a lesser extent, 3.5.
You'll save money, time, headaches etc.
* "Master" casts "Protection from Spells" --> +8 Saving Throws
* "Blaster" swats hairy she-dwarf while avoiding BuddyJ's fireball... Dwarf dies.
OH, and my point here is that there are no 6' kobolds or kobolds that can reach 8th level in order to cast such a powerful spell... But as a DM, I can do anything as long as my players don't rebel. Sending a 6' magically enlarged kobold with a 8th lvl kobold shaman against a group of 1st level guys would be TOTALLY stupid. They would all die. UNLESS it was necessary for the plot... say they each had special, one-time, magical "kobold Bane" weapons that they had found in some dark crypt. Now maybe BuddyJ was only distracting the Kobolds as was the, now mutilated, dancing dwarf... meanwhile CB's Human Barbarian crept around behind the kobolds and delivered a horrendous blow to the shaman causing the 6' kobold to become just a normal 2' kobold...
It's the story... the rules just help.
Going to the shop and looking on the posting board could give you some hints to games going on that are looking for players. But finding a group that way can be sketchy.
You could also check online there are a few online rpg registers that people post games on. They can be hit or miss, but they do exist.
As far as finding a game near you, I highly recommend penandpapergames.com.
So much so that our illustrious DM is forced to occasionally invent buffs for our other characters to keep them relevant.
/me casts Raise Dead... again.