Intro book for non-gamer?

[RichGreen]

Hi,

My sister is moving to the US in a few weeks to get married to a gamer. Her fiancé would like her to join in the D&D game he plays with his friends but she hasn't played D&D before and has asked me to get her a book to help her learn how to play. The problem is that they are playing some kind of 1e variant so I can't just buy her a 3.5 Player's Handbook. Any advice? I was wondering whether D&D For Dummies or Confessions of a Part-Time Sorceress would be any good?

Cheers


Richard

 

[Particle_Man]

Find out from her fiance what they are playing. If it is first ed, get a first ed AD&D players handbook off the net or from a used book store. If it is a published variant, get the player's handbook for that variant. If it is heavily houseruled, I don't know what to tell you.

D&D for Dummies is an intro into 3.5 ed D&D, and while some bits could be useful, others might be misleading.

 

[Semah G Noj]

Confessions would be my suggestion. It is for 3.5, but it is mostly fluff, and pretty funny. The non gamer I gave it to loved it immensely.

 

[Thurbane]

One of the guys in my group, new to any edition of D&D, found D&D For Dummies to be very helpful.

 

[RichGreen]

Find out from her fiance what they are playing. If it is first ed, get a first ed AD&D players handbook off the net or from a used book store. If it is a published variant, get the player's handbook for that variant. If it is heavily houseruled, I don't know what to tell you.

A heavily-houseruled 1e variant I'm afraid.

How much of D&D For Dummies is about the actual rules and how much about how D&D/RPGs are played? Confessions sounds like a good bet whatever.


Richard

 

[Thurbane]

Oh sorry, missed that it was 1E. D&D For Dummies probably isn't a great choice, then - it's all based around 3E crunch.

 

[Particle_Man]

Maybe contact the DM of the group and ask what he would recommend. Maybe a 1st ed AD&D players handbook wouldn't be so bad to start with (with the understanding that some things will be different), and then he could add in his house rules when she arrives at the group. Perhaps he could give her a copy of the houserules?