Best way to start for new players/DM?

Take a day just to roll up characters, build background and work with combat. Also answer questions and find out what type of game the players are interested in seeing.

Have FUN - first time players and DMs sometimes expect too much, don't worry, just enjoy and have fun.

Excellent Advice Thus Far...

Great comments so far...

I will add the following:

(1) Read through the Dungeoncraft articles here:

Dungeoncraft

Start from the bottom and work your way up. Ray give indispensible advice for the starting DM!

(2) Hold a Training Day: Since it sounds like you have taken the lead on getting the game together, use the CharGen to create 2 1st level PC for each player - make sure you cover all the major character types. Randomly handout the sheets to the players, then run a couple of arena "Death matches" that pit the players against a variety of different adversaries (ie, regular monsters, magic-using monsters etc).

Once they have had a couple of combats, have the players switch to a type they haven't played yet (ie, if they got a wizard the first time, have them play a rogue this time). This will give the players a chance to try a couple of different characters out and see how all of the PCs work plus get used to how the rules work.

While you are running the "Death Matches", talk to the players to see what type of adventure(s) interest them the most (combat, intrigue, dungeon-crawls, epic stories). Also, read through a number of the free adventures available on the web and see what type you, as the DM, would most like to run.

At the end of the training day, roll up the characters that you will use in the first gaming session. Make 2 copies - 1 for the player and 1 for the DM. That way you can review each character and design challenges that work well for the party.

(3) Be Flexible: I give players 3 game sessions to "finalize" their characters. Sometimes, new players will pick a feat because it sounds cool, but find they don't like it in practice. Likewise, they may find that they really don't need 4 ranks of Knowledge: Bugs and want to direct those skill points elsewhere.

(4) Don't Worry Too Much About the Setting: Don't get too wrapped up in Greyhawk vs. FR vs. Scarred Lands initially. Start the PCs in a small, easily managed location (see Dungeoncraft above).

(5) Have Fun!: It is supposed to be fun...you will make mistakes! Don't sweat it, but learn from it and improve!

Old One

Starting pointers

When starting out a new group of players I like to use a module as a base to set things up - but the key is getting everyone to establish their characters first. My favorote device for this is the "tree bar" from the opening of Dragon Lance..How and why they come together is up to you but give them a chance to "meet" each other and establish personality...then attack the group and see them work under pressure (make them have to work together quickly so the party "bonds") Just make sure you don't kill everyone (as I did) after everyone spent a week generating a character!!!!

Oh yeah...don't use a module word for word and never read from it unless you absolutly have to..thing flow better!

I started playing D&D from scratch with a 23-25yr old group a couple months ago. I started with the Sunless Citadel and it was really nice and flowed well. After that we went to the Forge of Fury and that was good too. Both of those modules have lots of starter rules, and explanations right in the module.

Good luck, and email me with any questions if you want. I'm a newbie too!

I would second the start witha module voices, even if you dont plan to go all hack-n-slash it gets the PC's to know the system, also its much easier on you becasue you dont have to do as much prep, and its less stressful. I would also agree with reading the Dungeoncraft articles, an excellent series.