Advice for choosing a group/DM/campaign

[MarkusWolfe]

I was delighted to find my University runs a couple of D&D campaigns (I'll only play if it's 3.5, but still).

I have prepared a level 1 Human Male CG Barbarian. He is fairly well rolled (18 STR, 18 CON, 14 DEX, 12 WIS, 12 INT, 10 CHA), in case I get stuck with roleplayers who insist on deliberately gimping their character because it suits their backstory or something like that, worst case scenario.

4 strongest elements of play are Minmaxer and Slayer, followed by Roleplayer and Explorer. To suit this, my character has 2 goals in life: Get stronger, and build a big body count. Thus, I will actively seek campaigns providing a steady stream of things to kill.

I have one homebrew mechanic I would like to implement, currently being made here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167512).

When I check it out this Sunday, what should I look for in the other players/the DM/the campaign that I haven't already mentioned?

[valadil]

The most important thing is to find people you want to hang out with. If the people are good you'll have a good time. You could play the best game in the world, but with lame players you won't have fun.

Be prepared for them to ask you to roll a new character. If I had a player show up with a character with two 18s, I wouldn't believe that they were rolled legitimately. Most GMs will have their own system for figuring out stats and you can't expect them to let you come in with something outside of that system. Even if your rolls were less impressive, a GM who prefers point buy wouldn't necessarily want a rolled character coming in to the party.

[Kaww]

I wouldn't let you play if you came to my table with any stats. Even if they were 24 pb I'd have you roll them.

As for what to look for... Well that depends on your personality. Some people like playing nice, smooth, and with no flashy moments, while others live for them(as far as I understood you like flashy). In any case you will not be able to tell where the game is going until 4-5 sessions. I started once a campaign on a ship, two sessions of great rollplay, one encounter. Third and fourth were pure H&S, then I quit. When I want to roll a lot of dice I just play iamb.

[Tyndmyr]

Yeah. Rolls are done at the table, in all my games. Well, I prefer point buy, but if rolling is done, it's at the table.

Avoids some potential problems.

[arrowhen]

Showing up with a prerolled character and a houserule is like bringing a recipe to a dinner party and demanding your host cook it for you.

[Zaydos]

I will echo the sentiment you don't show up with pre-rolled stats, especially not when they have 2 18s. The homebrew it really depends upon DM but it is still not something you do the first session.

[Rogue 7]

Showing up with a prerolled character and a houserule is like bringing a recipe to a dinner party and demanding your host cook it for you.

I'm pretty much going to echo this.

Speaking as a DM starting up a game (at my university, even!), I'd be very suspicious about what you're doing. Showing up with your character like that makes me think you don't care about the world (In this case a homebrew I've come up with myself), you don't care if you'll fit in with the rest of the party, you don't care if you'll fit in with the campaign I've designed. You just look like you want to kill things.

Which is certainly one way to play D&D, but don't show up demanding that everyone else play that way.

[kyoryu]

Wow, you'll only play 3.5, have huge disdain for people that don't want to play the way you do, you won't compromise on it, you expect people to take your word about ridiculously good stat rolls, and expect them to incorporate your rules - all of this without ever having met them before.

My advice is to go to a game, forget about the system, forget about the style, and just go with it for a few sessions. Have some fun, make some friends. See if you like the people, and the atmosphere, and just focus on what's fun, and not what doesn't meet your preconceived notions. Because if you came into a game I ran with an attitude like in your post, I'd show you the door.

When joining any kind of social group (and games are social groups), you need to show some level of compromise and willingness to get along with the group.

[MarkusWolfe]

Alright, fair enough, I'll give a little more leeway on the stats and roll at the table, and what not.