Getting Back Into Gaming

[NewJeffCTHome]

I've been out of gaming for a bit and have recently become very interested in it again. Due to some current circumstances, it'll be a few months before I'll be able to actually get into a game, but until then I figrued I'd get myself reacquainted with the game. I've got the 3.5 core books and I was wondering what other books would anyone here reccomend for someone that's been out for a few years (I pretty much got out when 3.0 came out). Thanks.

Paul

You sound like me, only I came back into gaming a few years befor 3E came out. I was out from the early 2E days until the late 90s. I was almost always a DM in 1E and 2E days, but came back almost exclusively as a player.

For now, I would strongly recommend sticking with the 3 core books. Flip through some of the setting books and decide which one you want and then buy the main setting book. Other than that, there is no other book from WotC that I would strongly recommend as a MUST HAVE. Sure, there are plenty of "nice to have" books, but you honestly don't need more.

 

[IronWolf]

The core books will give you a solid start. I would tend to agree with some of the other opinions here and try to choose a campaign setting you want to use and buy a book or two associated with that setting. With that you have a world to play in and the enough initial rules to get you going. Once you get some games in you can decide which books on the market suit you best.

 

[Vonlok The Bold]

If you want something to give NPC's a story and motivation easier try the hero builders handbook, and Kingdoms of Kalamar has a similar one for villains. I haven't seen the villain's one yet, but the other one is cool for random generating some back story if you don't want to create them all yourself.

 

[Altalazar]

i'd recommend:

Men & Magic
Monsters & Treasure
and The Wilderness & Underworld Adventures

plus Chainmail

and Outdoor Survival from Avalon Hill

I don't know - those are a little too new for my taste. Have to go back to the original hand-drawn notes of Mr. Gygax, and then only play in a game with the original players from that group. Otherwise it is just too new and corrupted.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Stick with the core books until you have a firm grasp of the rules -- spend your money instead on a few adventures or Dungeon magazines to have something to work with until you're ready to expand your capabilities.

If you must buy another book, start with a campaign setting you'd like to run - -whether the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, FRCS, Dragonlance Campaign Setting, Eberron, Kalamar, or any of the other great settings out there. If you ran FR and liked it, and want something similar but different, it's hard to beat either the old standby Greyhawk, or Kalamar.

 

[Psion]

I'll second the vote to stick with the core books until you get "comfy". Other than that, I recommend you pick up some solid 3.5 adventures, like Lost City of Barakus and Vault of Larinn Karr. They should give you enough material to chew on while you are absorbing the game, and play it close enough to the core that they won't confuse you with optional elements.

 

[diaglo]

I don't know - those are a little too new for my taste. Have to go back to the original hand-drawn notes of Mr. Gygax, and then only play in a game with the original players from that group. Otherwise it is just too new and corrupted.

whatever makes you happy.

i didn't game with Gary, et. al. so that option wasn't open for me.

 

[cmanos]

Stick with the core until you get your feet under you again. More books will opnly make it more confusing.

The Complete... series is good, although the typo's in Adventurer and Arcane are horrendous. For a DM, I'd say the MMII, MMIII, and FF would be on the list as well.