How will you read the core books day one?

[Belorin]

Scratch all the itches, then read cover to cover; PHB -> DMG -> MM.

Bel

 

[TwinBahamut]

Assuming that my brother steals the PHB away from me at first, it will probably go something like this:

Start reading DMG, probably starting at the beginning. Possibly jump around to different sections, reading them out of order. Probably put it down for a while in order to read the other books. Skim through the Monster Manual from beginning to end, reading the full entry of anything that catches my eye. Whenever my brother is willing to give up the PHB, I will read through class entries, starting with whatever class interests me at most, and go through in order of interest, before skipping over to magic items and rituals. Once I get bored of that, I will probably move towards reading through the whole thing from beginning to end.

I just tend to skip around RPG books a lot... Other than Monster Manuals, I never read through books from cover to cover.

 

[Yaezakura]

Chances are it'll go something like this:

1. Go outside to check mail. See that books have arrived. Totally flip out and snuggle the books all the way back to my room.
2. Rip the box apart, with teeth if needed, and spend a few minutes absorbing the awesome.
3. Break open the PHB and read it in its entirety, only stopping for food and bathroom breaks.
4. Read the DMG in its entirety, though with slightly less dedication than the PHB.
5. Skim the MM, reading the fluffy parts, checking out the stat blocks of monsters that catch my eye.

 

[Wisdom Penalty]

On the crapper.

It's where I do my best work, and it's about the only place in my house that I can dodge my kids and wife for any substantial amount of time.

No, I'm not kidding.

Wis

 

[Jawar]

1. Flip around to look at all the cool artwork
2. Read Warlord
3. Read Rogue
4. Look through the rest of the classes
5. Look at feats
6. Look at rituals
7. Jump to monster manual and look at lower level critters.
8. Go back to PHB and jump around equipment, magic items, etc
9. Bounce around looking at other interesting stuff.
10. Read combat chapter in PHB.

I don't expect I'll read any book cover to cover, though I'm sure I'll pay very close attention to any game mechanics related sections.

Quite, quite.
Exception:

2. Read Warlock
3. Read Ranger

 

[Phoenix8008]

Character creation. So my group (a.k.a. my sons) can then make up real characters to begin in the KotS adventure. I'll read the books cover to cover after that at work during the week and be ready to go by the next weekend after the core books come out hopefully. Just gotta run some combat test runs with the KotS pregens between now and then to iron out the kinks.

 

[That One Guy]

I wrote more than I expected.

This is a fun thread. I've enjoyed reading people's responses. I feel less crazy.

If all goes well, somehow the books will show up on the 6th (the internets say it should, buuuut...) which will be after a sleepover party (no, seriously. After just graduating from college I am seriously doing this!) ending my Pre-4e game. I do plan on going out and buying a PHB for myself (and encouraging at least one other among the ensemble to do the same). Then, we will have one or two PHBs (maybe even three if the books come on time). I will read the class chapters first. In order. Probably with a pen or pencil in hand. Then I'll skim the feats/rituals (somewhere in this making sure half-elves aren't messed over stat-wise). I'll probably hit equipment ranging from the average to the awesome (I want to know exact weapon stats for all weapons, or at least understand how they work well enough that I can bluff in-game). After this, anything interesting. I'll probably ask the others if they've found anything interesting, and/or poll my girlfriend (who loves monsters - especially the scary or evocative kind) about the 4e monsters. Then I'll hit the DMG, scanning for the parts that gave me trouble the most in 3.x. Those I'll dog-ear or mark or make notes in the table of contents or something.

I think at that point I'll take a break. Talk with people... friends, family (not the enworld poster), etc. Call up some friends, and talk about 4e with them. Take a break from all the goodness so I don't have anyone Deft Strike me. I'll also hit the MM at some point because 4e actually makes me interested in the badguys for once.

Then I'll prepare and plot for a 4e game... and see what enworld loves/hates, throwing in my 2 cents and mini-rants.

 

[Mirtek]

From page 1 to page xxx. Starting in the upper left of each page goint from left to right until I reach the lower right end of the page.

Since I will only get a PHB and nothing else I can take my time

 

[LostInTheMists]

This is easy. On the day that I get my books, I'm grabbing all three of them, stuffing them into my backpack with two or three pads of paper, some pens, and my dice, and totally abusing the local all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet restaurant while I try desperately not to get soy sauce on the books.

By the end of the day, I should be overflowing with happy and lo mein, and have my first adventure ready to go.

 

[Cirex]

Since my books will be delivered on 18-30th June, I will be browsing Enworld forums to take notes of all the things I consider important. Once I got the books in my hands, and after the "oh my oh my oh my" moment, I'll check out the art of all three books and then start reading each book cover to cover, taking notes of classes, character creation, feats, skills, rules, powers, etc. to explain it to my players. For DMG, I will take notes for myself and I guess MM will be the last book to read, although I will just focus on the low level monsters.