Anyone here currently playing D&D 4th Edition?

I've never played any tabletop RPGs before, but I found a group that meets up every Saturday to play... and I'd like to get in on the action.

I bought myself a set of dice and I probably need the Player's Handbook. What else should I know before jumping in?

I found a D&D character builder online and I'm using that to build my initial character. I'm curious what sort of characters you all have created?

I haven't played 4th Edition but used to play AD&D years ago.

I haven't heard much about 4E but TKO is probably the most current D&D player here and she might be able to let you know. I do know there are numerous publications that deal specifically with various character builds.

I know that's not much in the way of help, but try PMing TKO and she may be able to hook you up.

4.0 is pretty easy; sadly it pales before the awesome of 3.5 edition.

Only played one game before I tired of it. Warforged Druid, which ended up being a string of Transformers Beast Wars jokes and such.

If this is your first D&D game, I would normally suggest staying away from prepared casters like wizards and clerics; with the 4.0 system it's all pretty equal in difficulty so use whatever looks good to you.

I wish there were a way we could play D&D on the message board. I'd like to learn how to play it to see what all the fuss is about.

cant speak for the newest version but the older ones (I had the 2nd edition I think) was pretty good still got the monsters companion? think that it was called and a few books dealing with the elves and dwarves etc. actually looking at my book shelve I've got a book on evermeet the elves island

I've played an Eladrin Rogue and Halfling Warlord in 4e.

As usual, it depends on the players and the GMs. If you enjoy their company and they have half a brain, you'll probably have a good time.

4e is very much a return to the old tactical combat style of gaming. The rules mandate use of minis and a hex map. It's not bad, and does two things well that the older editions didn't - lots of variety for the fighters, not just pick up the dice and roll. And low level spell casters now have a lot more to contribute.

However, it doesn't have the D&D feel to me. As you haven't played before, that won't be an issue for you.

I'd say it also doesn't lend itself well to real role-playing, focusing almost entirely on combat. And the magic items seem a lot less wondrous, a lot more like a black and decker saw you picked up at Lowes.

Your mileage may vary. I started back in 78, so my take on it is likely a bit more jaundiced. RPGs can be a LOT of fun.

I'd probably get the Players Handbook, decide what kind of character you want, and pick up the supporting docs, like Arcane Power or Martial Power.

No more nwn 3 demiurge.

I'm thinking about starting off as a Ranger... there is a race of celestial beings called Devas which sound interesting.

Anyway, I hope the group I found is welcoming towards new players. They seemed pretty intense during their game sessions, but they didn't seem to mind when I sat down and started asking questions...

A good group can overcome that by not allowing the 'combat' dynamic to take over. Especially with a DM who tells a good yarn and isn't afraid to make the rules work FOR the group instead of vice verca. Then, when you DO need and want it, the great combat dynamic is there.

'79 for me. We used to roll up and kill whole slews of parties- we played for a couple years before we had any characters go beyond 4th or 5th level and actually started 'campaign' style play.

My OH works for WotC (his dream job ). If you ever have any rules questions/disputes I can relay them to him.

His advice for you: "Always roll higher than the DM."

He has been having trouble building encounters challenging enough for his group in 4.0, but other than that he enjoys it. Plus buying their shit keeps his company going.


Honestly the single most important thing when it comes to D&D is to play with a group you enjoy playing with. It basically gives you an excuse to hang out with people whose company you enjoy. YMMV with a group that gets together that you aren't familiar with. If there are any pricks don't let that sour your opinion of the game. That's what happened to me.

The first rule of D&D: If it doesn't have Gary Gygax' name on the cover it is not D&D.

This.

Ok, I thought about starting another thread on this, but since this one is short enough that I think it can go here.

As with all stories, this starts with me sitting in front of my computer.

I was surfing Kijiji for business networking events to go to, when I stumbled upon this ad for anyone interested in playing D&D. Since I've always been curious about the game, I decided to reply. A person named D'Arcy replied back to me and said they already have enough players, but they were looking for a dungeon master. Their group has gotten too big for one story, and couldn't take any more players, so they needed someone else to be in charge. I said I didn't even know how to play this game, how can I be a DM? To which this D'Arcy replied they would sit thru the first few games until I got the hang of it.

We decided to meet at this famous gaming store in the city, and so off I went today, not really knowing what to expect. I walked in, and there were already quite a lot of people there, but they were playing a card game called Magic:The Gathering.

I looked around a little bit, trying to find D'Arcy when this chick came up to me and asked me if I were there for D&D. I said yes, and she said she was D'Arcy. I was like whhhaaatt??? D'Arcy is a girl?? Apparently, yes, and she is in charge of a D&D group with about 7 or 8 players already, and they have been playing for a few years.

We sat down and talked about the game, and it was sort of what I expected. It is a lot of rolling dice, role playing, and reading of books and manuals. Still, I think I wanna give this a shot, if only so I can better understand some of the RPG video games that are based off the D&D rules, such as Dragon Age and Neverwinter Nights.



Short version: I am now a dungeon master for D&D.


Any advice on how to be an adequate DM? She gave me a bunch of books to read this week and our first game is the following Friday.



EDIT: The rules we are using are version 3.5. She had spent hundreds of dollars on books already and didn't wanna switch.

You're a dungeon master and you've never played before?



Is the chick hot?

The chick is not what people would consider hot, but she's also not ugly. When you think of girls who play this game, the stereotype seems to apply too. (TKO being the exception.) Not only that, but there is another girl who is in the group I'll be joining Friday nights.

And yeah, I'm gonna be a DM without being a player first. :o

I'm sorely tempted to post some pictures of the ladies in my DnD group, as some of them are pretty popular with the gents.

The important thing to remember is that you're, essentially, playing the whole world. I'm guessing you've got a campaign or setting ready, but if you need one I've still got the setting TKO and I started on.

This DMing kinda seems a bit lame. Not that I don't want to do it or anything, but a first time player should NOT be the dungeon master, imo. I'm gonna try and convince someone else in the group to DM first. I do, however like writing stories.

I'm thinking the first story I want to write will have something to do with a small town out in the frontier trying to fend for itself, while the king spends his resources and money on a conquest in some far away land.

This gives the opportunity for a criminal organization (I'll call it Black Dragon for now) to take tribute money from the townsfolk, and the people not being able to do anything about it. They have already kidnapped some of the women and children to be slaves.

Lots of opportunity for political intrigue, mystery, rescue, or even joining the criminal organization. I just need to find a reason why the four characters are travelling there.

I played 4th edition for a bit. Forgive me as this post will be rather long, since it'll tell you everything you must do to start off well.

1. You have a character sheet builder? TRASH IT for now. This is your first character, so it is very important to understand where all your points are coming from. Are they racial bonuses? Are they from feats? Are they from daily powers, i.e. situational? Build your own character with a pencil and a character sheet. It's old-fashioned, but you'll get a much better understanding of the game. Once you're done, build it with the same stuff on the character builder.
Is there a discrepancy? If so, you messed something up on paper - which means you didn't understand something (or just added wrong), and you should probably ask the Saturday gamers what's up.

2. Read the Player's Handbook (the PHB). IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A BASIC IDEA (and I mean pretty basic) ABOUT COMBAT, EQUIPMENT, RACES, FEATS, CHARACTER CREATION, and CLASSES before you build your character, don't even start playing. You should have a general idea of how to build a character by the time you try to put together that first character sheet.
Don't worry, 4th Edition makes it easy, it lays out your powers in a few simple categories and it states your racial bonuses very clearly.






3. So here's what you do.

• First, read over the basics. What are abilities? How do you get your ability scores? (though that really depends on the GM), What are ability scores? What are skillpoints? How do you use skillpoints? How do you make a skill check? There is a chapter or two in the PHB to explain this, so there is NO EXCUSE to avoid knowing it, k?
• Then, glance at the races. Pick one, doesn't matter which, just FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, KNOW ITS BONUSES. I can't tell you how many players I've met who forget to add in racial bonuses.
  Take a look at any other goodies your race may have, be it bonus languages or whatever. Just jot it down on a paper for now.
• Ok so you have a race picked, and you have a rough idea of what all six ability scores do (there's still 6 in 4th ed right? I only played for a month).
• Pick a class. Start off easy, don't touch a wizard, druid (they're in one of the other PHB's right?) or anything too complicated. Pick something you can glance at and go "Oh yeah, I get that. Cool, let's do this!"
• Read the class information carefully. It'll tell you which ability scores are most important, and it'll give you all your daily/encounter/at-will powers. Keep in mind you only get a set amount of powers per level, and that they're all categorized by level as well.
• Once you've chosen this, it's time to pull out the character sheet and start rolling up a character. Ask the Saturday guys how they do this. Every GM has a different set of rules to go by, even in 4th ed. I did point-buy 4th ed and I rolled in 3.5. The campaigns I ran, I used a 30 point-buy system, which hardly anyone does.
• Then take a look at equipment and add those bonuses in.
• Then take a look at feats. You get one every few levels depending on your race (I think?) and class. Pick a few, doesn't have to be extravagant. Your GM can probably tell you which ones to pick, so look at them, know them, and do what he says. Feats can get really complicated and there's hundreds of them.
• Come up with a backstory. Why are you an [insert class]? How old are you? Are you ugly, smart, stupid, tall, naive, cunning, tricky? Are you orphaned or did you come from a stable family? What do you want out of your life? Make up a quick life story.

Anywho I gotta go right now but PM me if you have questions. I have a friend who may be able to hook you up with the 4th ed PDF's. I'll ask around.

Scorp, they live there and meet in a bar. That's every GM's way out.

As for DM'ing, Scorp, for 3.5 it's pretty simple. They should go through places they need skill chekcs for. What level are they? I've DM'd about 3 games before so I can tell you the basics, I only ever run mainly-roleplay campaigns to keep the combat (the hard part for me) to a minimum.

Well, you probably saved me a lot of embarrassment since I don't really know any of that stuff yet!

I was gonna just create a character and jump into a game, but I think I better read the Handbook first.

I am fairly good at making up back stories and characters, so yeah, the combat part will be the hard part for me.

The group will all be starting off at lvl 1 and working their way up. The current DM said some of these players are stubborn and just want to fight. They started off in this town, and they just decided to go out adventuring without talking to anyone in the town first.

She also told me they all picked melee characters and all didn't want to hold the lamp when going into the dungeon because they all had shields. They eventually tied the lamp to their donkey and then some creature hit the donkey, setting it on fire and making it run out of the dungeon, leaving them in the dark.

She also gave me a bunch of books, the first adventure handbook, which is really like a pamphlet. And I also got the Advanced Rulebook, which is a little thicker.

Scorp, DM'ing can be as easy or as time-consuming as you want it to be. For me, it was one hour a week of planning. For some DM's, it's 6-10 hours a week because they want to get every detail right.

I run mainly roleplaying sessions, and I come up with things as I go. For example, I put in a secret door, and I have no idea what's behind it. My players mumble something that gives me an idea, and the next hour of playtime just happens. I used to plan things out step by step, but I got tired of putting so much work into a weekly thing. That's what she said.

The basic stuff is:

1. Skill checks, when you hide something they do spot or search checks. Something obvious (big red vase in the middle of the room) requires walking into the room.
If the vase blends in a bit with the surroundings, they have to roll a 5+ check. This means they roll a d-20 and add their skill in search or spot. If it adds up to 5 or more, they see it!
Suppose it's a bit hidden, it's a 10+
Go up in increments of 5 according to difficulty, where a tiny crack on a wall carefully searched is a DC (difficulty) of 20-30.
Some power-players need difficulties of 40 to make the game interesting.
The same applies to jumping, climbing, swimming, appraising an item's worth, bluffing, hiding, riding, playing an instrument, or any of the like 40 skills that 3.5 has to offer.

2. Combat. As DM you will be playing every enemy in the game. Therefore, if you do not read every page of the PHB (player's handbook) and DMG (dungeon master's guide) about combat, you fail. Read it AT LEAST once, take some notes, keep your scenarios simple, and there won't be much trouble. Usually the players will correct you when you fuck up combat, but if you're DM'ing it really helps to have a clue.

3. Picking enemies. Assuming your party isn't overpowered, every mob in the Monster Manual has a Challenge Rating (CR) that you can follow. For example, a CR 12 mob will be (in ffxi terms) "Incredibly tough" to a player at level 12. So it'll take 4-6 players to kill the mob with ease.

4. If you choose to use a certain mob, know all of its attacks. Don't throw dragons at them unless you know how to play them - dragons are great wizards capable of incredible destruction if played correctly. If played incorrectly, a dragon is a retarded drool-bag capable of swatting and spitting some fire every round. If you play a Beholder, beware its eyes, there are rules for it. Every mob has its own special attacks that should not be ignored.

As long as you do that, you can throw whatever scenario you want at them. That really is all you need to DM - skill checks, combat, and a bit of creativity to keep them from getting bored.

Oh and never tell them the level of the mob, or the DC of the check. Or what the mob is. They can do a knowledge check to see what the mob is, and they can roll to see if they make the DC for their search/jump/bluff/whatever.
A good DM will never reveal the difficulty of his game through words. He will show them through actions and a little pain and suffering.

Ok, a few questions, since it is too late to call the dungeon master:

- Can the DM make up a monster that isn't in the manual?

- Is there a way mages can restore magic while out in the field, or must they rest? At lvl 1, they only have like 3 spells. Is there an ether they can carry to restore one of the spells?

- Is it possible for a character the DM controls to join the party as an ally for a time, like say a mission or to take down a larger enemy?

1. Yes! The DM can do ANYTHING HE WANTS.

Yes, he can most certainly invent his own... anything he pleases.

And, if it suits the encounter to make the "Narrative flow" more smoothly, the DM can ignore the results of any die roll in the game and decided on success/failure arbitrarily.

2. Can't remember, honestly. As I recall a level 1 Mage gets ONE cast per day and that's it. But I haven't played since 2nd Edition AD&D.

3. Absolutely. Party NPC under the DM control is a good way to nudge the players in the right direction to keep the "story" moving.

That's good. Cause in the monster manual, I don't see a typical deer, or even a rabbit. I would like the players to hunt those down to trade for money and/or craft into other equipment or weapons.

Is there a crafting system in D&D, such as 3 chunks of iron + rawhide handle + ruby = fire sword?

There is not a "fleshed out" crafting system like you'd find in any MMORPG, no.

...as long as it engages the players. If the DM is creating an interesting game he can chuck rules out the window for that matter, but if the DM ISN'T engaging the players, then it doesn't matter how closely he follows the rules, they won't want to play.