   starting D&D... what do i need?
  i'm planing to give D&D a shot with a few friends (i played similar games once & it wasn't D&D & my friends have 0 experience with this type of games) . i'll prolly end up being the GM & i'm wondering 1) what i need to buy & 2) what i need to prepare for my 1st game for 1) i assume i need a set of dice & some books but i'm wondering wich books i need (do i need to buy everything or are there some i can skip for the start?)as for 2) i assume most of it is explained in the books but are there any pitfalls to avoid for a beggining GM ? i'd rather have the 1st game not suck due to me forgetting to do something   
  You'll need at least 2 books. The DM Guide (DMG) and the Players Hand Book (PHB). It might also help to have a Monsters Manual. Make sure you get all the books from the same edition. I would stick  with version 3 or 3.5 since people say those are easier to learn and the D20 system will allow you to migrate to other D20 games if you end up not liking the fantasy setting.As a GM/DM/ST make sure that you know what kind of game your players are interested in. Just hack & slash? Some real roleplaying involved? Finding and keeping a good group is probably the hardest part of getting a good D&D session going. I haven't played seriously in 4 years or so because I can't find a good group. Too many munchkins out there.   ;  To play D&D, you basically need 3 things:1) Player's Handbook: Core Rulebook I2) Dungeon Master's Guide: Core Rulebook II3) Polyhedral DiceAs far as dice, I use a single Cobalt set and it suffices, but there are always people with spare dice for those times I need to roll 5d6 (5 six sided dice) or the like. If your entire group is new and doesn't have their own dice, you'll want to get AT LEAST 3 sets, and having at least one set per person can make things much faster but is not required. You can save money by getting either Opaque sets or buying the Pound of Dice. Of course, if you have to roll tons of dice for something, you can just roll one die that many times, but it's far faster to be able to roll only once.For things that would help out, you'll probably want the Monster Manual: Core Rulebook III , which has the attributes and abilities of tons of monsters in addition to information like the habitat they're likely to be found etc. You can get a lot of that information online for free Revised (v.3.5)System Reference Document, but there is also a lot that is only found in the book.You can get all 3 books together as Dungeons & Dragons Core Rulebook Gift Set : Dungeons & Dragons Gift SetAs far as advice - if you don't know the rule, it's better to make something up than to stop the game to look it up unless its _REALLY_ important. Looking up treasure tables to make sure you don't give overpowered equipment first thing is acceptable, but looking to see what the modifier for half cover is is not. Before playing, you should know the rules well enough that you can make something up that is about the same as the rules - for example (iirc) most modifiers are 2 or 4, so using -4 for some situation you don't remeber the modifier for is reasonable if it's severe or -2 if it's a medium impediment.Try to translate the abstract die and numbers into solid real-world situations. Avoid things like "You did 4 damage so it has 10 hitpoints left" and instead go for "You got a solid hit with your axe, but it's still fighting" (or more detail if you want). You want to make things exciting and avoid a "math homework" feel that comes from doing nothing but number crunching the whole time. Remeber the point is to have fun, and that should come before accuracy, realism, etc. If a rule is bogging down gameplay with too many calculations or effects that aren't fun, forget it or change it to something more reasonable. (Don't forget that adversity can be fun too, though. Don't "it was a dream and you're not really hurt" things after every fight because then players won't be able to experience a wide gamut of role playing possibilities).Note: While D&D is an ok system, I personally prefer other systems that allow more flexibility. SJ Games' GURPS (Generic Universal Role Playing System, handles many genres far better than the D20 system IMO) is one I particularly like. If you want more info about other systems, just ask (don't want to clutter this thread with unwanted info).[Edited by - Extrarius on May 30, 2006 2:00:35 PM];  If you have a computer (which presumably you do, since you wrote this post), you don't need to buy anything. Everything you need to play is already online.hope that helps,   ;  Apart from the rulebooks and such, a great book is Forgotten Realms and it's world Faerûn, a sort of extension/world for use with DnD. I don't have it myself, but our dungeon master has got the book and it allows him to make pretty great quests in the lands of Faerûn. There's even a large map included.This is the Wikipedia article about Faerûn:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faer%C3%BBn;  A leather strap to beat some sense into yourself before you end up spending too much time on this...   ;  thanks for the info everyone i think i'll buy the 3 book set & be done with it (thanks for the all on computer link but we won't be playing in the room where the computer is due to lack of space)"As a GM/DM/ST make sure that you know what kind of game your players are interested in. Just hack & slash? Some real roleplaying involved?"we're all fantasy setting & no real roleplaying if i were to compare it to vidgame i'd say we like old snes rpg & not morrowing, we want a nice story in wich to play & progress but while having an impact on the story is a nice side the story needs told not made by the player fully.forgotten realms sounds nice if i understand well it's like another setting (an expantion?) in wich you play but do the core books include an original world to boot or do we need one of those maps/storyline books from the start? also is it particularily newbee friendly? as for the monster book i assume i'll get it since i may as well get the 3 book pack but is there a decent amount of monsters already in the basic manuals since you said it was optional?what are the majors diference beetween 3 & 3.5 (& is either more noob friendly?)ratings up for everyone   ;  Your virginity and a 20 sided die. Everything else is optional.   ;Quote:Original post by KaptainKomunistYour virginity and a 20 sided die. Everything else is optional.sadly i lack the later, guess i might as well drop the idear alltogether=( or maybe i'll just buy a dice   ;  To run Forgotten Realms it would help to have the book to go with it. If you're just starting out just run with the 3 books already mentioned. No reason to add even more cost to something you may or may not keep playing. Check out used book stores for some good deals on the books.   