New to D&D have questions

[Dr]

Hey I'm interested and D&D and have some questions. Whats the learning curve to D&D, how long till I can get myself going? How many hours does a game last? Are there any established resources to find a D&D group?

For comparison purposes would it be easier to find a D&D group, or other groups such as Magic or Warhammer?

Thanks ahead of time.


Any recommendations for table games would also be apperciated

 

[Rechan]

D&D is the most widely played RPG. And, it's the "gateway game"; almost anyone who rolls dice has played D&D before.

Whats the learning curve to D&D, how long till I can get myself going?

Do you want to DM or just play? The former there's a bit of a learning curve. The latter, the toughest part is character creation and the basics, but once you get those down (which should take you about an hour), you're ready to go. The rest of the rules are just situational.

How many hours does a game last?

Depends on the group and the players' schedules. Usually it's a ratio of Hours of the Game / Frequency of the game. Some people meet once a month and play for 12 hours. But, the most common is "Once a week, 4 hours per session".

Are there any established resources to find a D&D group?

ENWorld has a forum for posting ads for games. As does the Wizards of the Coast's community. THere are a few other sites that are less populated, but equally viable. If you're looking to play online, various methods of online play have their own forums for finding a game.

You can also tack up fliers at your local gaming store.

 

[Dr]

Perfect thanks. BTW how much would it cost to get what I need to play? Is the only special equipment dice or does every player need the books?

Thanks again.

 

[Rechan]

Yeah, you're better off getting a player's handbook. If nothing else, you can read it yourself and get an idea of the system. Or try to create your own characters. Or just get Familiar with it.

Don't buy any other books but the PHB.

You can probably find any PHB cheap(er) on Amazon.

 

[Gilladian]

Playing D&D takes a few sessions to learn, really. You probably do want to find a group to learn with. Learning by reading the rules is possible, but especially with 3rd and 4th edition, the rules aren't terribly "reader friendly". They play fine, but just reading them may give you a sense of complexity that is misleading.

DMing (running the game for a group) is an order of magnitude more complex, and not a task for a very beginner unless you have no other choice. Try your local gamestore, or if there isn't one, try an ad in the local version of thrifty nickel or Craigslist. Find a group that will let you at least sit in on some sessions, if not join in.

A typical DnD session lasts 3-4 hours, once a week. Some people play much longer sessions; I have friends who typically play 6-8 hours at a time, and I used to - now that is just beyond my concentration zone...

 

[Asmor]

It might actually come a bit easier to you than a complete newbie, since it seems like you've got a bit of a background in gaming already (based on your references to Magic and Warhammer).

As has been said, the main things you should have to play D&D are a copy of the PHB and some dice. That said, you don't actually need either of them, if you're joining an established group.

I've yet to see a group that doesn't have spare dice, and as long as someone in the group has the PHB you can use theirs.

You also might give a look at the official Character Builder application. You can get the demo for free which allows you to build characters of up to level 3. You can unlock the whole application by subscribing to D&D Insider, which is around $15 for a one-month subscription I think. Even if you cancel right after, whatever you had stays unlocked.

 

[AllisterH]

Even cheaper would be to take a gander at the demo page WOTC has.

DnD TestDrive

 

[Orius]

DMing (running the game for a group) is an order of magnitude more complex, and not a task for a very beginner unless you have no other choice.

I agree. First start out as a player rather than a DM. There's less to learn at first as a player.

 

[Ferret]

I agree. First start out as a player rather than a DM. There's less to learn at first as a player.

Lol, the first D&D game I was in I was the DM, with no other roleplay experience (other than CRPGs...which don't count, and stating monsters and items etc).

It was tricky but all it took was reading the DMG a bit, working out some plans.

That's not to say I recommend it, but it's not the easiest way.

 

[Rechan]

Lol, the first D&D game I was in I was the DM, with no other roleplay experience

Heh. I was in a similar boat. I had just had a few sessions of gaming as a player under my belt before I grabbed a book and said, "Let's do this."