Haha, everyone championing their game of choice. Just start with 4th ed or those clone games philotomy mentioned. Why I recommend the clones is because they are free and easily available (you still have to print though), hence it caters to your friends who are still new and casual. Once they like the hobby then diverge to other games...
The Best D&D edition for me.
- Thread starter Newbznsn
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howandwhy99
Adventurer
I think bagger has the right of it. 4E is easier to DM than 3rd edition. And 1st and 2nd (advanced) D&D were pretty complicated.
But take a gander at other games too, like Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, which has an excellent 2nd edition out. Or find a FLGS (friendly local gaming store) and see what other groups in your area are playing. Read up on what certain games offer. Find out what your friends want from the game. And learn what certain games offer.
Ummm, I guess that last one can be answered in this thread.
Warhammer (WHFRP) - more setting specific, lower powered characters overall, typically story-centric, and easy to run.
4E - Limited scope, but not focused on one game setting, medium to high to very high powered characters overall, oriented to multiple playstyles, but not all, and fairly easy to run. They have a starter game product too. It requires minis or at least some form of markers to play.
Older (not "advanced") D&D versions are free online and worth checking out, as Philotomy posts. These are generally lower to middling in power, also limited in scope to fantasy settings, but not only one. Support multiple playsteyles, are easy to run, and don't require much starting equipment. (dice, pens, paper, are needed for all)
I'm sure other posters will offer some other popular games to start with.
Hunter In Darkness
First Post
I am not sure man. I dont play 4e but many like it. I played 2e and 3e. Now that being said there are many diff games out there. I can give advice on 2e or 3e so here goes. 2E was a fun system for it's time it was complacted, very much so loaded with oddball rules and such. 3E can be alot of fun if you plan to run this some advice for you.
1. Core rules only for now.
2. start at level 1
3. try and run a few premade adventures
4. keep things simple, pick up the rules compedium if ya can very helpful
And what ever you chose man good luck and welcome to gameing
1. Core rules only for now.
2. start at level 1
3. try and run a few premade adventures
4. keep things simple, pick up the rules compedium if ya can very helpful
And what ever you chose man good luck and welcome to gameing
Psion
Adventurer
I'd say these are both mildly off. Though there's a lot to not like about 4e depending on your style, but it's not a bad game. I would say that outside of 1e Oriental Adventures, 3e offers about the most non-combat options for characters; of the two, 4e is more combat oriented.
If you follow the retro-clone philosophy, Labyrinth Lord is looking like best-of-breed. The PDF is free, but I do believe a print version is available:
Labyrinth Lord
ExploderWizard
Hero
I would suggest Labyrinth Lord or some other free pdf to get things started. Hunting around for old edition books or spending money on the latest edition might be a bad move. You mentioned that your friends are not familiar with D&D at all so start with the smallest investment to see if your group has a good time getting together to play. If you enjoy gaming with each other then you can decide what type of system would suit your playstyle best.
Engilbrand
First Post
When it comes to 4th edition: It's a phenomenal game. Contrary to what some seem to think, it's not all about combat. The rules focus on combat, because everything else is roleplay. If you need rules to roleplay, then you need to choose a game that focuses on that.
Example: I love Dogs in the Vineyard. The mechanics are based entirely around roleplaying. If I want to fight and kill things, especially en masse, then I don't want to play Dogs.
When I want to kill a lot of things with a great rule system, while simultaneously being able to roleplay with NPCs, I play D&D 4e. I don't know much about the adventures, but I will admit that they focus on combat. Adventures almost always have to focus on combat.
I don't use adventures. I make everything up, and 4th edition has a lot of great stuff in place to comfortably make things fun and enjoyable.
If your friends barely understand the idea of D&D, I would definitely recommend 4e. They'll get hooked on the game with combat, and you can slowly get them hooked on the roleplaying. The reality is that sitting around a table and pretending to be an elf is incredibly dorky to most people. Taking the idea of a video game and moving it onto a table is a lot easier to swallow. (For my intentions, any RPG is going to be linked to a videogame. You're dealing with mechanics and rules. Many people are comfortable with those mechanics and rules on the screen. When you move it to a table, you have a videogame without the video. That's a much smaller step than suddenly pretending to be an elf for most of the game in character.)
Example: I love Dogs in the Vineyard. The mechanics are based entirely around roleplaying. If I want to fight and kill things, especially en masse, then I don't want to play Dogs.
When I want to kill a lot of things with a great rule system, while simultaneously being able to roleplay with NPCs, I play D&D 4e. I don't know much about the adventures, but I will admit that they focus on combat. Adventures almost always have to focus on combat.
I don't use adventures. I make everything up, and 4th edition has a lot of great stuff in place to comfortably make things fun and enjoyable.
If your friends barely understand the idea of D&D, I would definitely recommend 4e. They'll get hooked on the game with combat, and you can slowly get them hooked on the roleplaying. The reality is that sitting around a table and pretending to be an elf is incredibly dorky to most people. Taking the idea of a video game and moving it onto a table is a lot easier to swallow. (For my intentions, any RPG is going to be linked to a videogame. You're dealing with mechanics and rules. Many people are comfortable with those mechanics and rules on the screen. When you move it to a table, you have a videogame without the video. That's a much smaller step than suddenly pretending to be an elf for most of the game in character.)
not my own edition...HA
I have played all editions, and my edition of choice is 3.5.
However, I agree with everything in the above post for you.
I do have one question. As you are new to D&D, and you are not looking for a combat intensive game, what are you hoping to do during play. Because your preferred game style may lend itself to a different game.
RK
I bet you're going to get a *lot* of opinions on this. Here's mine:
I think "Classic" D&D would probably be a good choice. The version commonly called B/X or Moldvay/Cook is my favorite version of Classic D&D:
It is out-of-print. While used copies are plentiful, if that is a problem, the next best thing would be Labyrinth Lord. Labyrinth Lord has a lot going for it. It's a one-book solution, it's available in print (including hardcover) and also in the form of a free PDF, and it's well written and has fantastic and inspiring interior art. (That last factor is one advantage it has over the Rules Cyclopedia, another "one-book" Classic D&D volume.)
You mentioned THAC0 as a factor against 1e. THAC0, itself, was little-used in 1e; most often 1e relied on the combat tables, although THAC0 could still be used in many situations, if you wanted to. If your distaste for THAC0 includes a distaste for "low numbers are good" armor class, in general, the the above games might not be the best choice. However, there are two alternatives I recommend:
Basic Fantasy RPG shares much in common with "classic" D&D, but it uses "higher is better" AC numbers. Swords & Wizardry shares much in common with 0e 1974 rules, and has a "flip-AC" system where numbers are included for both AC styles: you pick the approach you prefer. Lastly, while OD&D(1974) is my personal favorite, I don't recommend it for your particular situation; I think you would find the original rules difficult to learn from. However, if you lean in the OD&D(1974) direction, Swords & Wizardry would be an excellent and accessible alternative.
I also recommend that you take a look at RFisher's Classic D&D site, and perhaps my own musings on OD&D.
I have played all editions, and my edition of choice is 3.5.
However, I agree with everything in the above post for you.
I do have one question. As you are new to D&D, and you are not looking for a combat intensive game, what are you hoping to do during play. Because your preferred game style may lend itself to a different game.
RK
Orryn Emrys
Explorer
I'm a laptop DM, though I likely wouldn't be if it was just to access references. I'd generally prefer hard copy under those circumstances. I'm a 3.5 DM, however, and I use DM Genie to run my games, one of the small number of programs commercially available to aid in managing Dungeons & Dragons games. (I tried several, and I particularly liked DM Genie for its user-friendly interface, its excellent customability, and the fact that it was more than just a prep utility... it's a powerful in-game management utility, allowing me to more efficiently run combats and track characters, monsters and NPCs.)
It took some time to learn how to most effectively implement the computer in my gaming without it disrupting the flow of communication and rapport between myself and the other players. Having done so, I have to admit that I would prefer not to try running games without it... although I ran a six-session 4E run without the utility (since it's a 3.5 program), and 4E was certainly easier to run with pencil and paper than 3.x... Having software to help with the stats, rolls and combat tracking allows me to focus more completely on other aspects of the experience.
A while back, I did have a group of six players who each used a laptop, with copies of DM Genie or Player Genie to manage their characters. It was a cool setup, but it did eventually create issues with player distraction. Though it was fun having an IM program running to send messages back and forth.
And I'd chime in with the additional suggestion that the apporpriate edition of the game for you depends entirely on what you want out of it. 4E is very accessible for beginners and easy to run, but the most combat-oriented version of the game in recent years. My players are more story-oriented and prefer an immersive environment that allows them an unfettered relationship with the game world, so 4E is too restrictive in its core structure. If you really want a wealth of available gaming materials, you're obviously best advised to pursue one of the most recent editions of the game.
Good luck!
TerraDave
5ever, or until 2024
Labyrinth Lord looks nice, but I think it might be nicer for a grognard like me, versus a new group starting out.
The [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Roleplaying-Starter-Introductory/dp/0786948205/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224596543&sr=8-1"]4E starter set [/ame]is now available for $17. 4E is made to be player friendly and avoids some of the “quirks” of older editions (though it does have a few of its own). It would probably be the easiest way to introduce your friends to the game. When that is not enough for you, then the three core rulebooks await, and the DMG is loaded with advice for new DMs. There also now several low level adventures available.
EDIT: I have no idea how to get rid of that anoying amazon logo.
The [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Roleplaying-Starter-Introductory/dp/0786948205/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224596543&sr=8-1"]4E starter set [/ame]is now available for $17. 4E is made to be player friendly and avoids some of the “quirks” of older editions (though it does have a few of its own). It would probably be the easiest way to introduce your friends to the game. When that is not enough for you, then the three core rulebooks await, and the DMG is loaded with advice for new DMs. There also now several low level adventures available.
EDIT: I have no idea how to get rid of that anoying amazon logo.
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