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Obnoxious Hydra
2012-01-27, 03:14 PM
Hello everyone, I'm new to the Giant in the Playground forums, so apologies if I have posted this in the wrong section.

Unlike what seems to be the vast majority of people here, I've never actually played Dungeons and Dragons.
I really want to have a go at one or two sessions of D&D sometime in my life, so I can see if I like it or not and if I want to get more involved with the game. Pretty much everything I know about D&D comes from reading Order of the Stick, and looking things up on Wikipedia and assorted other D&D Wikis.

Is there an easy way to get into D&D/get to play a session? Like, what edition should I start with? It would be good if there was an online database of rules, a monster manual, etc. I could find somewhere, instead of spending money on D&D books and the like, and then finding I don't like the game (and there's the issue of having no idea where I would get said equipment in the first place).

I'm pretty much the nerdiest person in the year at school, so there's the problem of finding people to play with. One of my friends might give it a try, as he's also quite nerdy, but I think he'd probably get bored of it, or never get round to playing another session. Another of my friends says she's played it in the past, but she doesn't really strike me as the kind of person who'd leap headfirst into a D&D session.

I tried to sign up for D&D Online a while ago, but for some reason I can't remember it didn't work. If getting to play a real life D&D session turns out to be impossible for me, should I give Online another go?

B1okHead
2012-01-27, 03:25 PM
Well their is the SRD (system reference document for 3.5). I personally only really play 3.5 edition but I think that the easiest way to get into it would be to find a group to play with that has a more experienced person running it.

Tyndmyr
2012-01-27, 03:34 PM
I tried to sign up for D&D Online a while ago, but for some reason I can't remember it didn't work. If getting to play a real life D&D session turns out to be impossible for me, should I give Online another go?

DDO has only a casual relationship to the game...if you enjoy MMOs, give it a go, but it's a rather different experience than playing on the tabletop.

d20srd.org is the online rules book you're looking for.

Local game shops are pretty awesome for finding fellow players.

Tvtyrant
2012-01-27, 03:37 PM
The easiest way would probably go to game night at a shop and play whatever their running. That usually sticks you into Essentials territory these days, but you can always look for one of the other editions being played.

MukkTB
2012-01-27, 03:38 PM
There are ways to get in contact with people. Check your local gaming stores. Check the Find a Game section of this site. Look online.


You also have to figure out which edition you want to play. 4E may be more appealing if you like miniatures. 3.5 or Pathfinder if you want more variety in character creation, and/or you don't want to play miniatures so much. I personally like 3.5 and Pathfinder stuff more but that's just my opinion. I would recommend just finding some people you like first and then doing whatever edition they're playing.

Once you figure out your edition buy the players handbook. You don't need it exactly. But if you don't get it you're gonna be out of the loop whenever it comes to rules judgments.

Then last you need a character. Get a thematic idea and ask your DM to help you make it mechanically. Pick someone from a book, game, or movie you want to be like. Or make up your own idea.

Then try not to die. Good luck.

hamlet
2012-01-27, 03:54 PM
The version of D&D played by the Order of the Stick universe is 3.5 and is, for the most part, encapsulated by the D20 SRD which you can easily find in a Google Search. It's 90% of the rules needed to play minus a few niggling ones that don't matter for just a test run to see if you like it.

However, it's only one version of the game. There are multiple, though the older versions are now out of print and available from used booksellers or as "cloned" versions.

In the beginning there was White Box D&D. Cause . . . it came in a white box. Very simple, though not well edited. Can now be got via picking up two products, Swords and Wizardry along with its White Box Companion. I believe both are available on Lulu.com.

Then came some cleaned up and edited versions of that, and that would be just Swords and Wizardry alone.

Then came the schism. D&D was divided into two things.

On the one side, there was D&D, which eventually got turned into "BECMI" (Basic, Expert, Companion, Masters, Imortal). It's a very good, very light system that is, in my opinion, FABULOUS. Best iteration was in the Rules Cyclopedia (which was cloned as Dark Dungeons I believe), but was first put out as the Basic set. Also very similar is the Labyrinth Lord game, which is BECMI with a few modifications. A very good, easy to learn, easy to use system.

The other side was AD&D, which, in the end, was the original D&D product with all the previously published supplements added in. It's really one of the grand daddies of gaming and is probably one of the most popular. Cloned in, among others, Swords and Wizardry Complete Rules, Labyrinth Lords Advanced Companion, OSRIC, Adventures Dark and Deep, etc. This is slightly heavier stuff than BECMI was, but still comparitively light stuff to what came after.

BECMI continued on essentially unchanged in the background while AD&D 2nd edition came along. It's the red-headed stepchild of D&D and is kind of not well thought of from many quarters. It's a cleaning up and, some would say, sanitization of AD&D. No clone of it, yet, but it's my personal favorite rule set. Probably because it's the one I was raised on, or simply because it's the one I can work with the easiest. I recommend it with only a few reservations that I won't go into here.

Then came 3.x, which you can find lots of info on here.

Then came a very strange time. For D&D moved into a 4th edition, which was . . . interesting. But 3.x continued on with Pathfinder, which is essentially 3.5 with some "fixes" applied.

And now there's fifth edition coming up.


Sorry, that was very long winded.

SHORT ANSWER: Tell me what it is you want to do, and I'll tell you how, precisely, to get started with it.

Yora
2012-01-27, 04:01 PM
The easiest way is to get three (or more, but try to stay under six) more people, some dice, and the core rule handbooks for either 3rd and 4th Edition. With 5th Edition being soon to come, prices are very low right now.

While you can look up specific rules for the 3rd Edition online for free, it's not helpful at all to learn the game.

Obnoxious Hydra
2012-01-27, 04:14 PM
Wow!
Thanks to everyone who's posted. Glad to see people are willing to help out.




SHORT ANSWER: Tell me what it is you want to do, and I'll tell you how, precisely, to get started with it.

Thanks for the reply.

What I really just want to do is just go on a basic adventure. Some random encounters, some dungeon crawling. I'm not to worried about plot or world/campaign at the moment. I would, however, like to make a relatively interesting character, or one that isn't extremely boring. I'd quite like to play as either a Troll, Kobold, or Half-dragon if any of the three are available, but if there's any extremely complex rules for any or if they're just not available, I could settle for a regular human character.

I'd quite like to do some roleplaying but to be honest I'm really not bothered. I'm open to either full fat roleplay or just a nice, light session full of messing around and non-serious actions and the like.

Ivellius
2012-01-27, 04:28 PM
I might also recommend www.penandpapergames.com for finding people. Depending on where you live, though, it might be hard to locate any. If you live in a college town, that frequently helps.

I'll second a recommendation for D&D 3.5 or Pathfinder if you're wanting something to try. If you don't mind spending a little money, Pathfinder has what looks to be an excellent Beginner's Box that would get you and a few friends started.

MukkTB
2012-01-27, 04:50 PM
You can also play online over the internet. Google Docs + Skype/TS3/Ventrillo gives you the resources you need.

hamlet
2012-01-27, 05:00 PM
Wow!
Thanks to everyone who's posted. Glad to see people are willing to help out.




Thanks for the reply.

What I really just want to do is just go on a basic adventure. Some random encounters, some dungeon crawling. I'm not to worried about plot or world/campaign at the moment. I would, however, like to make a relatively interesting character, or one that isn't extremely boring. I'd quite like to play as either a Troll, Kobold, or Half-dragon if any of the three are available, but if there's any extremely complex rules for any or if they're just not available, I could settle for a regular human character.

I'd quite like to do some roleplaying but to be honest I'm really not bothered. I'm open to either full fat roleplay or just a nice, light session full of messing around and non-serious actions and the like.

Hmmmm . . . well . . .

For some very basic, easy learnin' adventuring with little hard work, I recommend heartily a copy of Labyrinth Lord and, for a dungeon, just about any module printed for it including Stonehell (a huge megadungeon that's just great), The Village of Larm, or maybe the Idol of Orcus. All are good low level adventures that the DM doesn't have to work too hard to utilize.

However. Doing Kobolds, Half Dragons, or Trolls . . . you'd really need to do one of two things. Either 1) get a copy of AD&D 2e along with a copy of the humanoid handbook and one or two other sourcebooks and then you can do it, or 2) utilize the D20 SRD online which has rules for it in there. It's possible, but those rules are a little more complicated what with the feats and all. Labyrinth Lord is vastly simpler, though you have to be advised a bit does rest on the shoulders of the DM and Players to learn adjudication rather than rules. Two different play styles.

Labyrinth Lord will easily accomodate stuff like elves, dwarves, magic users, etc. It's kind of yer basic, generic, vanilla fantasy stuff. D20 SRD is . . . all that and the kitchen sink as well. It'll do virtually anything to some varying degrees, but the tradeoff is complication and a higher learning curve.

Which is not to say that you couldn't invent your own rules in an older edition to play such characters. It'd just mean inventing them.

Glimbur
2012-01-27, 07:45 PM
My two cents would be that 2nd edition D&D (and earlier) has more narrowly defined archetypes which makes it easier to learn. There are generally sub-systems for various different features (thieves use percentile dice to see if they succeed while attack rolls are d20, for example) but many of them can be skimmed over or ignored.
3rd ed has approximately a bajillion options, which makes it very versatile but it is also full of options which are, shall we say, not very good. This makes it difficult to learn unless you like reading lots of rules and using them to craft characters. I find it fun, personally, but some people resent the idea that just taking levels of Fighter doesn't make you a particularly good fighter. Pathfinder is a lot like 3.5, both good and bad points.
4th ed makes a serious effort so that every character can make a different but important contribution to combat; it does so at the expense of the world-shattering power possible in 3.5. It also tries to make skills not obviated by spells, and honestly I haven't played enough 4E to tell you if they did a good job.

It's also worth noting that there are systems besides D&D. RISUS (http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/risus.htm) is terribly rules light and free, so if you just want role-playing with a system for resolving "I shot you!" "No you didn't!" it's worth a shot.

There's also Legend (http://www.ruleofcool.com/), which is being developed by folks around here who have played a lot of 3.5 and decided to make a heroic fantasy game where characters of a given level are of approximately equivalent power while still being able to shake the world, fly, and generally be awesome.

Manateee
2012-01-27, 07:59 PM
I'm pretty much the nerdiest person in the year at school, so there's the problem of finding people to play with. One of my friends might give it a try, as he's also quite nerdy, but I think he'd probably get bored of it, or never get round to playing another session. Another of my friends says she's played it in the past, but she doesn't really strike me as the kind of person who'd leap headfirst into a D&D session.
Have you asked?

And I'd recommend OSRIC (http://www.knights-n-knaves.com/osric/) (basically a reconstructed and free AD&D). It's less rules-intensive than 3e and being presented in book form does make it easier to know what to do with the various numbers and rules than the various 3e-like srds do.

Kadzar
2012-01-27, 10:59 PM
While you can look up specific rules for the 3rd Edition online for free, it's not helpful at all to learn the game.As someone who learned 3rd Edition from the SRD, I have to disagree with this. Being a searchable database, I found it very useful for finding the meaning of terms I didn't understand. Of course, it did take me probably of month of non-continuous study, mostly just reading sections at random. It probably would have taken longer if I just learned from the books.

Knaight
2012-01-27, 11:39 PM
As someone who learned 3rd Edition from the SRD, I have to disagree with this. Being a searchable database, I found it very useful for finding the meaning of terms I didn't understand. Of course, it did take me probably of month of non-continuous study, mostly just reading sections at random. It probably would have taken longer if I just learned from the books.

I doubt it. I learned from the books in about a day, though I was by no means fully knowledgeable. The books are actually fairly decently organized, the SRD really isn't.

As for the OP: I'd also point out that D&D is not the only tabletop RPG, that there is a high variety of options, and that many other games are probably easier to start with given a group of new people. FATE 2 is free, and near effortless. If you want something similar to the D&D experience, take a look at Warrior Rogue and Mage, which is also free.

Starbuck_II
2012-01-27, 11:47 PM
Hello everyone, I'm new to the Giant in the Playground forums, so apologies if I have posted this in the wrong section.

I tried to sign up for D&D Online a while ago, but for some reason I can't remember it didn't work. If getting to play a real life D&D session turns out to be impossible for me, should I give Online another go?

If you can't find a real life one, you could try a PbP game. Just mention that you are new and would like to learn. People are very good here at being understanding of that thing.

If can't find a PHB for 3rd edition: http://www.d20srd.org/
If can't find a PHb for 1st: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/22333214/2ph/ph.htm
Osric is useful for 2nd edition PHB.

Vixsor Lumin
2012-01-28, 02:31 AM
PbP is a good way. I'm actually in a recruitment for a game of new players and yourwelcome to join. I'm in almost the same boat as you :smallredface: I've had a few one shot campaigns from modules so I jumped at the opportunity to try this

Just post your interest.:smallsmile: :http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=230331

Togath
2012-01-28, 03:09 AM
also for learning dnd, "dungeon master for dummies"(there really is a book titled that) is a pretty good guide for learning how to dm, and the companion book "dungeons and dragons for dummies" is(while i myself haven't read it) probably a good guide as well(and covers the basic rules), in addition, there is also the pathfinder srd which, while a slightly different game, is easier to search than the 3.5 srd(using different internet pages, rather than documents, it also has more information as much more pathfinder books have open game content than 3.5 books do) and could be good if you end up interesting in learning about pathfinder as well.

edit; also for 3.5 there are two srds; one covering just the base rules (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/srd35), and one that covers somewhat more obscure rules as well as base rules (http://www.d20srd.org/index.htm)

hamlet
2012-01-28, 07:00 AM
If you can't find a real life one, you could try a PbP game. Just mention that you are new and would like to learn. People are very good here at being understanding of that thing.

If can't find a PHB for 3rd edition: http://www.d20srd.org/
If can't find a PHb for 1st: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/22333214/2ph/ph.htm
Osric is useful for 2nd edition PHB.

OSRIC is still 1st edition. Second edition was never cloned.

Obnoxious Hydra
2012-01-28, 02:14 PM
If you can't find a real life one, you could try a PbP game. Just mention that you are new and would like to learn. People are very good here at being understanding of that thing.



PbP is a good way. I'm actually in a recruitment for a game of new players and yourwelcome to join. I'm in almost the same boat as you :smallredface: I've had a few one shot campaigns from modules so I jumped at the opportunity to try this

Just post your interest.:smallsmile: :http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=230331


I might try this. I do PbP roleplaying on other sites quite a lot. Would a PbP D&D roleplay operate on just the lore/basics of the game (e.g. classes, creatures, etc.), or the exact same rules, system, etc.? If the latter, how would dice rolls work? Would players roll virtual dices, and everyone else just has to trust them to be telling the truth when they post their results?

Vixsor Lumin
2012-01-28, 02:24 PM
I might try this. I do PbP roleplaying on other sites quite a lot. Would a PbP D&D roleplay operate on just the lore/basics of the game (e.g. classes, creatures, etc.), or the exact same rules, system, etc.? If the latter, how would dice rolls work? Would players roll virtual dices, and everyone else just has to trust them to be telling the truth when they post their results?

Its the same rules as a tabletop game with dice and everything. The way die rolling works is the forum has a built in roller I'm not usre if it will work in this thread but here goes! 1d6 if that worked it should show a bolded number, in fact there's a thread at the top of the recruiment forum that explains how it works.

Edit: hey apparentlly it didn't work! But if you typed that on a forum designed for that, it wouldve

Urpriest
2012-01-28, 02:26 PM
I might try this. I do PbP roleplaying on other sites quite a lot. Would a PbP D&D roleplay operate on just the lore/basics of the game (e.g. classes, creatures, etc.), or the exact same rules, system, etc.? If the latter, how would dice rolls work? Would players roll virtual dices, and everyone else just has to trust them to be telling the truth when they post their results?

On this forum, for example, there's a Dice Roller application that will put dice rolls in your posts in certain subforums, with results that you can't edit afterwards so nobody can cheat. Different PbP fora work differently, but you'll usually see people using the full rules for D&D.

Chainsaw Hobbit
2012-01-28, 02:35 PM
It doesn't really matter what edition you play. I would start you off with the 1980 Basic D&D, but that's just me. You should find a group with books, and play with them for a while. Once you have a feel for the game, you should buy your own books. Any edition.

SamBurke
2012-01-28, 02:41 PM
Pathfinder. Pathfinder. Pathfinder. Pathfinder. Pathfinder. Pathfinder. Pathfinder. Pathfinder. Pathfinder. Pathfinder. Pathfinder. Play it. Seriously, dude. No, seriously.

Can't say it enough, so, don't look in that white space up there. Pathfinder has ALL of its rules, EVERY LAST ONE on the SRD. It's a bit of a more balanced system, and despite having 1/10th of the books (haha... less than that, actually), it is fantastic for building characters to do exactly what you want.

There are plenty of PF games going on in the boards who'd be willing to show you how.

Oh, and there's a great Beginner's Box that they sell for learning.

Hiro Protagonest
2012-01-28, 02:52 PM
Pathfinder. Pathfinder. Pathfinder. Pathfinder. Pathfinder. Pathfinder. Pathfinder. Pathfinder. Pathfinder. Pathfinder. Pathfinder. Play it. Seriously, dude. No, seriously.

Can't say it enough, so, don't look in that white space up there. Pathfinder has ALL of its rules, EVERY LAST ONE on the SRD. It's a bit of a more balanced system, and despite having 1/10th of the books (haha... less than that, actually), it is fantastic for building characters to do exactly what you want.

There are plenty of PF games going on in the boards who'd be willing to show you how.

Oh, and there's a great Beginner's Box that they sell for learning.

Or, you could play 3.P. Buy the 3.5 core book and the Pathfinder core book (it's good to have the basic rules in hardback), then use the base Pathfunder system with 3.5 classes and feats for anything not transferred to Pathfinder, including ACFs (so, you use Pathfinder fighter, because that has fighter, but 3.5 war blade, because Pathfinder doesn't have warblade, but you can use the Unearthed Arcana/SRD variants as well as ACFs in other booms forPathfinder classes). Buy other 3.5 books to get stuff that wasn't transferred to Pathfinder, but buy the core 3.5 book as a "just in case" for when you get new 3.5 material and so you have the option to play pure 3.5 or 3.P with a 3.5 base.

Just be aware that both 3.5 and Pathfinder have massive imbalance between full casters with a broad spell list and everyone else. Pathfinder also has the human sorcerer racial variant. *shudder* If you are experiencing this imbalance, the doctor recommends the 3.5 book Tome of Battle, as well as asking these forums what Pathfinder Archetypes are good for weak classes.

missmvicious
2012-01-28, 03:18 PM
Sorry for the text wall. I put everything in spoilers so you could pick and choose what you wanted to read.

4E is probably the easiest way to get into D&D. I'm no real fan of the edition, but all of my friends who started playing in 4E love it, so maybe there's the rub of it.

Resources:
Regardless, online resources aren't too hard to find. Wizards has some nice resources, and the SRD is always good:

http://www.d20srd.org/
http://www.wizards.com/DND/

but I think Wizards will make you pay for a membership to get access to their best resources. Still, it's only like $6 a month or something, so it's not so bad.

As for sourcebooks, you can find most of what you're looking for at libraries and discount book stores, if you're into older systems. For instance, many people are still into 3.5. I prefer 3.5 because the rule system is more thorough than 4E. Some people hate 3.5 for that very same reason. Some people feel that 2.0 was the last true version of D&D, because that's the last version Gary Gygax had a hand in. Everyone has their own motivations for playing different systems. However, you'll find more free or cheap-as-free sources for older versions than newer ones, but you'll only find (official) online and retail support for the newer editions. The choice is yours.


Getting in a game:
The easiest way to get into a game is Play-by-Post or "PbP." That way, you don't have to find players in your area, but you can still get the table-top experience. Another way is to hit up forums and recruit players in your area for a session. We found a player here who became a really good friend that way. Or you can also just go to traditional game shops and meet some people there.

I don't suggest going to tournys, or most other organized events because that can be overwhelming. The best way to start is by keeping it simple. Find a friend who has experience with D&D, have him/her help you with character builds, then start on a simple, one-up quest to get familiar with game mechanics. Once you've got combat and skills challenges down, you're ready for a real, plot based campaign.

Having a Good Experience:
The trick is to get into it. Try not to feel self-conscious, and just let yourself really get into character. Think of it as acting. Use an accent, or strange speech mannerism. Vividly describe what you're doing, or how you're attacking an opponent. Bring props, or even dress up for the role. It's nerdy... but the game is nerdy, so embrace it. The more you let yourself go and get into the character, the more you'll enjoy it. Try to think about how the character would feel about the event (s)he is currently in. Would the PC feel scared, frustrated, insulted, over-confident? And beware meta-gaming. You may know that the enemy pointing his spear at you is way above/below your CR, but does your character know that? Does your character know whether or not your spear wielding assailant is even an enemy, or just someone you accidently startled the bajeezus out of and is really a kind, gentle person just trying to protect his family or home?

Also, explore the world. Get the DM to describe the setting clearly to you. Some of the better DMs will hide pleasant surprises in the world for you. Exploring a cave may reveal a treasure horde. Examining a plant with a Knowledge check may reveal magical healing/stat boosting properties. Paying close attention to that little street urchin scampering through the crowd may reveal a sub-plot point, or give you a handy informant later on.

Bottom line: Don't just relegate your experience to, "I attack it, I rolled a 19. Does that hit? Ok, I do (X) damage." The fun is just as much your responsibility as it is the DMs.

missmvicious
2012-01-28, 04:02 PM
Just post your interest.:smallsmile: :http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=230331

I am intrigued...

There are always enough people near where I live to play a game. My husband and I usually host it at our apartment. But we just finished his last 3.5 campaign, and says he won't DM anymore 3.5 sessions. *pout*

I needs my 3.5. Everyone else in my group wants to play 4E from now on, so I'ms disappoint. I'll see you on the PbP board, Vixsor Lumin!

Vixsor Lumin
2012-01-28, 04:12 PM
I needs my 3.5. Everyone else in my group wants to play 4E from now on, so I'ms disappoint. I'll see you on the PbP board, Vixsor Lumin!

I'll see you there :smallbiggrin:

GnomeFighter
2012-01-28, 06:22 PM
I'm sorry, but what a load of nonsense. People arguing for there own personal prefrence of system. 2nd edition? Learning from the srd? Yes, you can do that, but the best way is pick up the esentials box, get some friends who are interested and play. The box has rules, tiles, Dice, some written adventures, everything you need to have a game of d&d with some friends. Its easy and only $15.

Personaly i prefer more esoteric roleplay heavy, non combat systems. Player lead stuff and sandbox stuff, but would never sugest someone jump feet first in to them.

Manateee
2012-01-28, 09:05 PM
I'm sorry, but what a load of nonsense. People arguing for there own personal prefrence of system. 2nd edition? Learning from the srd? Yes, you can do that, but the best way is pick up the esentials box, get some friends who are interested and play. The box has rules, tiles, Dice, some written adventures, everything you need to have a game of d&d with some friends. Its easy and only $15.
Plugging here own personal prefrence was clearly a load of nonsense.
You have shown me the error of my ways.
<_<

turkishproverb
2012-01-28, 10:40 PM
I'd probably suggest swords and wizardry if you need the simplest starting version of D&D out there for the cheapest price

If you can't find a real life one, you could try a PbP game. Just mention that you are new and would like to learn. People are very good here at being understanding of that thing.

If can't find a PHB for 3rd edition: http://www.d20srd.org/
If can't find a PHb for 1st: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/22333214/2ph/ph.htm
Osric is useful for 2nd edition PHB.

Osric is 1E. No complete retro-clone of 2E exists yet, though a few are in the works.

TuggyNE
2012-01-29, 02:40 AM
I'm sorry, but what a load of nonsense. People arguing for there own personal prefrence of system. 2nd edition? Learning from the srd? Yes, you can do that, but the best way is pick up the esentials box, get some friends who are interested and play. The box has rules, tiles, Dice, some written adventures, everything you need to have a game of d&d with some friends. Its easy and only $15.

Did someone forget their <irony> or <hypocritical> tags? :smalltongue:

(I personally got into D&D 3.5 on a visit to some friends in another state; we played six or eight sessions before I had to leave again, and later I found a PbP game. The SRD was quite helpful to me.)

Bagelson
2012-01-29, 06:34 AM
For playing online you may want to check out ConstantCon (http://constantcon.blogspot.com/). They seem to be using G+ Hangouts for gaming. Probably not so much D&D if that's what you're truly set on; more esoteric systems judging by the calendar.

frosty_freeze
2012-01-31, 03:36 AM
The D&D Red Box is designed for brand new players and comes with everything you need to play the basic game without spending more than $20. Just grab the two aforementioned friends and play a quick session.

There's time to learn other systems after you get your feet wet. =)

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/redbox.aspx

WitchSlayer
2012-01-31, 06:09 AM
If you have a local game store, see if they're running D&D Encounters. You can join in completely free, get a character and kill yourself some monsters.

turkishproverb
2012-02-01, 04:44 AM
The D&D Red Box is designed for brand new players and comes with everything you need to play the basic game without spending more than $20. Just grab the two aforementioned friends and play a quick session.

There's time to learn other systems after you get your feet wet. =)

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/redbox.aspx

Swords and wizardry is free, leaving you only needing dice or a random number generator. Grab two friends and your set. :smallsmile:

http://www.swordsandwizardry.com/?page_id=4

:smallamused:

Or, for something just a bit simpler:

http://www.swordsandwizardry.com/?page_id=6

Slipperychicken
2012-02-06, 08:51 PM
Check the clubs in your area to see if there's a group listed. You may also want to,try searching on the internet (or asking on forums like these) for groups in your area. On these forums, you'll hear a lot about balance, but don't worry about that, it isn't very important to most games. Play the character you want, be creative, and above all, have fun.

Fri
2012-02-11, 10:33 AM
I personaly learned DnD from playing icewind dale 2 and temple of elemental evil and turning on the behind-the-scene-rolls thingy, you know, you can set so the game show all the rolls.