Completely new player here

[Errandir]

First off, my apologies to the moderators if this is the wrong place for my post. It seemed most likely, since the forum is for game recruitment. If this is inappropriate here, feel free to delete or move it.

I'm completely new to D&D. I'm a dedicated - though not very experienced - roleplayer, and I've been interested in trying to start a game of pen-and-paper D&D for a while. I've never been able to get enough people interested, though, so when I stumbled across the play by post forum here it seemed like a pretty good alternative.

Just to be clear, I have no experience with D&D at all, though I've played a few computer games based on similar systems (think KOTOR) - for example, it took me a fair number of tries to answer the anti-spam question when I created an account here.

So what I wanted to know is if there are any play by post games here that accept or are aimed at teaching new players. Or is it not complicated enough to prevent me just joining a normal game? Or, or the other hand, is it so confusing I should find someplace to learn the rules before I even try playing here?

Thanks in advance for any answers.

[Branding Opportunity]

Hi Errandir, and welcome to the boards!

I think this is a fine place to post your questions, although others may disagree with me.

As for your question regarding ease of play for D&D novices, I really would not worry about it. If you are willing to dedicate the months (if not years) it takes to complete a game in this format, I am sure many a DM would be willing to welcome you aboard, despite your inexperience. When it comes to PbP games, the most important player quality is a willingness to post on a regular basis. That is the only thing that has to be inherent, everything else can be taught.

Unlike face-to-face RPGs, where it is very helpful to be thoroughly aquainted with the rules so as not to bog down the game, the pace here is soooooo slow that you always have time to look stuff up. In addition, most folks around here are very helpful and will be more than willing to help out an eager D&D novice.

Again, welcome and I hope you can find what you are looking for.

BrOp

[Halford]

Well I think Branding Opportunity has done an excellent job of covering the bases there. So I'd just like to extend a welcome to the boards as well, and wish you all the best!

Reliability is key around here, so if you can make the long term commitment a pbp game requires and stick to it almost all Dms will be thrilled to have you, experience or no!

If you do not own the Players Handbook you can find almost all the information you will need for basic 3.5 edition play at the following link...

http://www.d20srd.org/

In case you are not aware Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition has recntly been released, the majority of games are still 3.5, but there are a growing number of 4th edition games. I could be wrong, but I don't belive 4th edition yet possesses a similar online resource - though one may be in the works.

Happy pbping!

[garyh]

Welcome, Errandir!

Branding Opportunity hit on the major points. Let me also point out the PbP FAQ, if you haven't read it.

Again, welcome!

[Voda Vosa]

Hello and welcome aboard.
It seems for your words that you don't actually played either 3.5 or 4 th edition D&D. From this point, and taking the liberty to suppose you have access to any of the two editions, I'll suggest 4edition for starters. I see the rules and the players handbook itself more easy to learn for novices.
I had a real hard time learning 3.5 since I had the book in English, which is not my native language. Of course I'm more experienced now, in D&D and in English, but it was fairly easy to me to incorporate the 4th edition rules.

Well, just wanted to point that out. Have a nice time around here, I can guarantee this place is a great place to learn how to play and gave me many cool games which I'm still playing, after a year or so.

[stonegod]

Welcome!

I'd also recommend the various Living Games: Living ENWorld, Living Eberron, or the soon to be started Living 4th Edition ENWorld (L4W). The first two are 3.5 games, the latter is 4E. All are new character friendly and you can still get some roleplaying in while waiting for a game to start.

[Arkhandus]

Welcome!

Looking for a game, you'll have to be sure you choose one using the right edition of D&D. Don't worry about being a rules-master, just read the basic stuff and ask questions when necessary, learn the rest at your own pace. PbP often runs slow, I think an average of one DM-update per week might be the case, but some games run faster or slower than that (some require multiple updates per week, for example).

If you don't have any D&D books at all, it's probably easiest to just look for a 3.5 D&D campaign, since most of the core rules are available in the online System Reference Document (a link here to the Hypertext d20 SRD, since the official one on WotC's website is clunky and slow to download/navigate). If you have a 3.5 D&D Player's Handbook, then that works too. 3.5 games are still common here.

If you have a 3e D&D Player's Handbook, that also works, but not many people run 3.0 games around here anymore, besides me (well, planning to anyway). If you have a 4e D&D Player's Handbook, that's the newest edition and it works too. Each has some differences (kinda minor between 3.0/3.5, major for 4e). Given your newness I would assume you aren't starting with the older OD&D, BD&D, or AD&D.....

You can also look to similar games like Pathfinder (PFRPG), which is just a revised version of 3.5 D&D, sort of, and the Beta version of the PF core rulebook is currently available for free download as a PDF (or multiple PDFs, one per chapter) at the Paizo website. This is only a recent arrival, though, and there aren't a lot of games being run for it yet. It would probably be best to use the 3.5 SRD instead for a start, since there are more 3.5 games running/starting at present.

Finding a game shouldn't be too hard, but just be aware that many Play-By-Post games die off quietly at random times, as one or more players and/or the DM quits or just gets too busy with other stuff and forgets about the PbP. Don't be discouraged if a game just stops updating for a long time and dies off. There are plenty that DO last months or years, just not as many as the ones that get interrupted by this strange thing some wierdos have that they refer to as "life", or just by flakey people dropping a game for no apparent reason.

[Errandir]

Wow, thanks for all the responses.

I guess I can just get started, then. Just one more question - is there any post here that explains character creation in detail? I've looked at a few current games and character sheets, as well as the Living Enworld character thread, but it's a bit difficult to figure out. For example, it says in the thread that you have thirty points to spend on your base attributes - that, I can understand. But how do you choose skills and feats for your character? Are there a set amount, or do they come with your race/class (or both)? The same with equipment - do I get to choose a few items to start with, or do I get nothing?

Essentially, I have a basic idea for what I want my character to be like (backstory, weapon skills, etc.), but I'm not sure how to put it into the D&D format. I don't even know if some things are possible, like if throwing daggers is a skill I can get.

Anyways, if someone could show me where there's a explanation of character creation (I've looked through the hypertext d20 SRD already, but it only gives lists of skills, it doesn't really explain what you can choose), or offer any advice, I'd appreciate it. I'm looking forward to starting an adventure here.

[Drowned Hero]

Originally Posted by Errandir

Wow, thanks for all the responses.

I guess I can just get started, then. Just one more question - is there any post here that explains character creation in detail?

For example, it says in the thread that you have thirty points to spend on your base attributes - that, I can understand. But how do you choose skills and feats for your character? Are there a set amount, or do they come with your race/class (or both)? The same with equipment - do I get to choose a few items to start with, or do I get nothing?
.

Hey Errandir, welcome aboard

As far for the boards i recommend you to join a game and just start playing. Best way to learn D&D.

Now. the tricky part is finding a game that runs the system you want to play, @ Enworld Game Masters normaly makes a post in this section of "talking the talk" with a titles that says the status of the game (recruiting, closed, etc) the system used (3.5, 4th ed, Call of Cutlhu, star wars, modern d20, and so many more...) and finaly the name of the game. - As in this post here.

Another place to find the recruiting games is at the thread New GMs, players, read the first post in this thread! where the GM updates his post when game is done recruiting.

As for you question. You will be given a source from the GM from where you will be able to make a character with skills and feats. For example with the D&D 3.5 system you will have to look up the Palyers handbook book 3.5 edition and follow de guidlines there to make a complete character. If it was Call of Cuthulhu d20 yu would need to read up on character creation in the book called "Call of Cthulhu - Roleplaying game" and so on. Every system has its own book that contains the creation guidelines for character for that specific system.

Hope this helps.

-DH

[stonegod]

The Online SRD (d20srd.org and similar) have no rules on creating characters as this is the "crutch" keep people buying the gaming books. I'd describe it here, but that risks legal trouble, so search for "Point Buy" on Google (or "3.5 Point Buy" or "4E Point Buy" as they are slightly different) for those rules. Or just check your books.

[Errandir]

You will be given a source from the GM from where you will be able to make a character with skills and feats. For example with the D&D 3.5 system you will have to look up the Palyers handbook book 3.5 edition and follow de guidlines there to make a complete character.

Hmm... so I need to buy a player's handbook to play here? That's annoying.

Ah, well, thanks for the advice. I'll see what I can do.

[Arkhandus]

Whatever game around here you join, I'm sure you can just ask the DM to tell you what level you start at, how much gp (gold pieces) worth of stuff your character starts with, how many feats they start with, how many skill ranks their maximum is for class and cross-class skills, how to determine Hit Points for that game, and that should pretty much be it.

As long as you're not asking for the level advancement table or something, it should be fine. Just mention that your only rules source is the SRD, so the DM understands that you can't just look these bits and pieces up in a book.

And you can always ask for advice on how to accomplish a certain kind of character concept/build for a particular level.