New (really) to D&D.

[Coranho]

Hello everyone, I am (extremely) new to the entire world of D&D.

And, due to the massive quantities, and complexity of, the information available, I would like to ask a multitude of questions.

Any answers are appreciated in advance.

1: Which Edition should I play in first, 3.0, 3.5, or 4.0? (Which is most newbie friendly, or more capable of being?) [Please answer all other questions according to version #]

2: While I understand some aspects of character creation (all-classes) and both dice-size and dice-rolling, is there a guide that explains this in easily understandable detail to someone completely ignorant? (Complete ignorance is pretty much a given for this entire post.) the character sheets I see seem to assume you know what you're doing.

3: Spells, skills, feats; I would like to understand these in more detail, including methods of learning, class or combination restrictions, cost (does "bat guano" have to be purchased, or is it assumed you always have it in infinite supply [See: V charges Miko 1c for "bat guano"]) for example.

4: Time, language, death, trap-checking (if a trap can be anywhere, should this be done every move, does it invoke a move or attack penalty?) bonuses, learn-as-you-go-games?

5: And pretty much everything else, because there is nothing I definitively know, and too much material to sift through in a Google search, Q&A's tend to be haphazard in the information they contain and describe as well.

[ThatGuyOvaThere]

1: Which Edition should I play in first, 3.0, 3.5, or 4.0? (Which is most newbie friendly, or more capable of being?)

Well I've heard that 4th is the easiest, but I prefer 3.5, or if you want to the 3.0 is easily converted to 3.5 so you could always mix the two, like my group did for a while.

[Togath]

There's also pathfinder, which serves as another of the 3.x set.

[geekintheground]

hello and welcome to D&D. im relativly new as well (ive gotten 1/4 way through a campaign), so i'll answer to the best of my ability.

1. im playing 3.5, because thats what was available. ive read threads (not here) on edition wars and stuff, but for a blank slate i dont think it really matters, especially for a "getting to know the system/intro" type campaign.

2. a character sheet is just a quick collection of your character, dont be afraid to ask to pause to look something up even if its on there. no one expects you to memorize every ability and feat you have right off the bat.

3. skills are things you roll your d20 for: searching, influencing others, concentrating, etc. feats are bonus features you add to your character to increase power or realize a character concept. spells are magic stuffs that only certain classes have access to. normally you would have to gather spell components, but there is a feat (eschew materials) that helps, or a simple component pouch does that to a lesser extent.

4. time is measured differently for different things. from rounds (6 seconds) to minutes, hours, days etc. languages are important for fluff and sometimes mechanics, if something you encounter can speak it can more than likely speak common (the basic language). if a character dies they can either be resurrected or you can re-roll a new character. the party rouge tends to check for traps every 10' because thats the range on search checks (might be a house rule?) but keep in mind only certain classes can even find traps (rogues being the main one).

5. a dm or one of the other members of your party should have a collection of all the books youll be using, take your time and look through them (thats my best advice). also dont forget to ask them if you dont understand something, sometimes its written poorly. another thing to be aware of: play groups tend to make assumptions in how certain rules work or how they interact, be sure to ask about any "house rules"

i hope i've been more help than harm, and hope you have a great time with this amazing game :biggrin:

[gurgleflep]

1.) Honestly, I'd start off with 3.0/5. It's what I started out and from my understandings, 4E isn't one a lot of people liked - just a personal preference though, ask around a bit more and don't just use me as an example.

2.) No guides that I know of, but there is a "D&D for Dummies" book that helped me out quite a bit in both the DM/GMing side and the playing side. :smallbiggrin:

3.) Feats are used to help simplify the game and make your character's a bit tougher and versatile. There are feats for quite a few things - psionic power points, two weapon fighting, throwing your ally, etc. - and spells in countless numbers. I haven't personally used magic though, so I can't help you on those, sorry.

4.) Time's something that depending on your DM will be a stickler. Some DMs will count every bit of time imaginable - how long your torch will last, how long it's been since you last used the restroom, anything really - while other's are pretty relaxed about it.
For language: you have automatic languages (you know them) and bonus languages (based off of your INT modifier). Bonus are chosen from the list your race can know - humans can learn any languages but secret languages such as druidic.
Traps: While you can check every move action, it'd be a pain in the rump to do so. Certain races and classes actually have trap sense, within so many feet of the trap their spidey senses will tingle and your DM should tell you to do a roll or something at this time.

5.) Extra information? Level adjustments and RHD. Certain creatures have both - mind flayer for example - and can only be played at certain levels. You could, as an alternative, play as one from level one using the Savage Species monster progressions. Those are fairly limited as far as races go, but they can make for a more interesting campaign. Check out UrPriest's signature, he's got a guide for this.
Gestalt is where you take the best features from two classes and roll them into one. Hit die, the better base attack bonus, special abilities (if they don't share the same name [some have arguments over them, such as bonus feats in Psychic Warrior/Fighter]), etc.

Hopefully this helps you somewhat, I've never really tried helping this much before :smalleek:

[Jett Midknight]

If you do end up doing Pathfinder, here (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/basics-ability-scores/character-creation) is a really good starting outline. In my opinion Pathfinder is one of the easiest out there, mainly because all of the information is presented on the SRD.

[Gwazi Magnum]

Hello and welcome to the blood drinking demon worshipping, women and child killing friendly, happy and wonderful world of D&D. :smallbiggrin:


1: Which Edition should I play in first, 3.0, 3.5, or 4.0? (Which is most newbie friendly, or more capable of being?) [Please answer all other questions according to version #]

3.5 is updated 3.0

I would always suggest 3.5 over 3.0 just because it's the same game just better made and put together.

3.5 I find to be best in terms of possibilities to expand your world, experience and create the character you want to be both mechanically and role playing wise.

However, 4th edition is simplified and normally does a better job at teaching people how to play. If you do go that edition though, be sure to at least try 3.5 once you have some experience. Too often I see 4th edition players terrified to trying 3.5 because it's:

a) Outside of what they know
b) They hear 'horror stories' of it's over complexity
Which unless if your a min-maxer it isn't, it's just more challenging than 4th edition is.


2: While I understand some aspects of character creation (all-classes) and both dice-size and dice-rolling, is there a guide that explains this in easily understandable detail to someone completely ignorant? (Complete ignorance is pretty much a given for this entire post.) the character sheets I see seem to assume you know what you're doing.

You might need to be a bit more specific here. But to give you a general run down.

Dice Size = The number of sides a dice has.

For example, the typical dice you see in every board game like monopoly or at casinos. Those are called d6's. That is because they have 6 sides. While a dice that has 20 sides is called a d20, an 8 sided die is called a d8 etc.

For rolling just roll the dice, then add any additional modifiers. Say you're rolling your accuracy in melee. Normal Longsword, Strength 14, Level 1 Fighter. Strength 14 has a +2 modifier to accuracy, A Fighter's BAB (Base Attack Bonus) add's +1. In total this is a +3 bonus.

For attack rolls you roll a d20 (20 sided die) so you add 3 to the total so it shows like this: d20+3

So say if I rolled a 15, my total attack roll is 18.

For character creation there's a few steps...

1. Ability Scores

There a few methods here, either you roll 4d6 (This means rolling a 4 six sided dice) for each score and taking away the lowest, buying your points or using an array.

For starts an Array is the best, the DM gives you set numbers such as: 16, 14, 14, 12, 10, 10 and you choose which number goes to which score. So say as a Fighter my good scores are STR, DEX and CON.

I make my STR 16, my DEX and CON 14, I put my INT at 12 and then leave my less important stats WIS and CON at 10.

Rolling it works like this. Say I rolled a 5, 4, 3 and 1. The lowest is 1 so I ignore that. My total is 5 + 4 + 3 = 12.
You do this six times and then assign them to whatever score you want like with the array above.

The there's point buy. You essentially all your scores start at 8 (so they suck) and you get a certain number of points to increase them with (Normally 28-32). This although the most complex allows for the most customization as well, but has a trap with min-maxers to where you may completely neglect some fields and be a one-sided character.

Note, here no score can be raised above 18 before racial modifiers and at certain points described in the players handbook it becomes more expensive to raise some scores.

2. Race

Pick your race.

Do you want to be Human, Elf, Dwarf, Gnome etc?

Once chosen to add their bonuses to your person and you're done.

For example human, no ability score changes.
Though if we were say an Elf with +2 DEX, -2 CON we would increase our DEX by 2 and lower our CON by 2.

Then there's the other features.
For human this is easy, extra skill points which bascially add's up to being able to fully train one extra skill.
(I suggest just maxing out or leaving skills alone for your first character, don't worry about assigning individual skill points till later characters) and one extra feat at level 1.

3. Class

Pick your class.

For first timers really easy classes are: Fighter, Barbarian, Paladin
Questionable but do able classes are: Bard, Rogue, Ranger, Monk
Complex classes you shouldn't tackle first are: Cleric, Wizard, Druid

Sorcerer, sits between Questionable and Avoid. It relies mostly on spell casting which is the most complex part of d&d, but unlike the wizard, druid and cleric it removes most of the complexity and replaces it with some flexibility that helps make it easier to play as.

Basically each level you follow the bonuses it gives.

You're BAB (Base Attack Bonus) goes under the BAB section is just the bonus you gain to attack rolls with melee and ranged weapons before other bonuses are applied. Eventually when it shows two numbers it means you can make more than one attack in one turn if you do nothing but fight, but that's not till level 6 minimum and by then you should be familiar enough with the game to handle that.

Saving Throw Bonuses (Reflex, Fortitude and Will) bonuses you add under the base save of your character sheet.

HD is the dice you roll each level to see much HP (Hit Points) you gained. But most DM's house rule this and just cut it to the average result.

There's proficiencies which basically says what weapons and armor you can use without penalty.
By a rule of thumb, if your not proficient in something just don't use it.

Then lastly there's the special area which lists all their abilities.
This can vary to just extra feats, or stuff like rage for the Barbarian where for a number of rounds you can do more and take more damage, or sneak attack for the rogue where if you're in a good position you can do extra damage against the enemy.

The other thing is spells, which for a new player should be mostly avoided. But for the sorcerer how it works is each level you go to the spells known table to see how many spells you know. You then go to the spells list at the back of the book and pick that many spells to know.

Spells per day is simply how many times you can cast your spells per day before you run out.

4. Feats and Skills

You learn 1 feat at level 1 and an additional one every 3rd level (so level 3, 6, 9 etc.).

Just find a feat you like that you meet the requirements for and take it. Easy as that.
You may have a race or class that provides bonus feats, but other than that what's above is all the feats you're getting.

That's 7 feats by level 20 so choose wisely.

Skills, simply take the skill points you gain per level and pick that many class skills to invest max ranks in.
Some people may suggest to divide them up a bit more, but that's just for the smallest bonuses and not worth worrying about when you're still learning the game.

5. Equipment

Some groups roll for starting gold, other's just start with 100 gold.

However, what you're basically doing is that you're spending your gold and buying gear.

Playing a wizard? Grab the spell book.
Fighter? Get a good weapon and some armour.
Paladin? Get your holy symbol

etc.

6. Details

Fill in the extra details for your character for flavour. His name, his age, skin colour. Personality etc.
Only real thing that might matter here for gameplay is your alignment and that's just for certain spells and a few classes.


3: Spells, skills, feats; I would like to understand these in more detail, including methods of learning, class or combination restrictions, cost (does "bat guano" have to be purchased, or is it assumed you always have it in infinite supply [See: V charges Miko 1c for "bat guano"]) for example.

I should probably read ahead a bit more since I answered this above already! :ezlol:

Well, mostly.
The charges is really DM dependent.
By this I assume you mean arrows, by RAW (which means the official rules in the book) you do need to track all of this. But it's normally just a time consumer that becomes a chore of tracking mere cents, so many DMs just skip it unless if you start enchanting said arrows.

Stuff like wand charges though? Yes, always track those. They reach an all other level of broken if you don't.

Then there's restrictions.
In the Dungeons Masters Guide there are Prestige classes with some requirements which you may want to look at so if there's one you like you know what to take with your character before hand. Normally it's just requirements like have X ranks in said skill, be X level character, have X and X as feats. Fairly easy to follow most of the time.

Then with the base classes the only issue is alignment. For example without house rules or outside core books, Paladin can only be Lawful Good and Monks can only be Lawful. Plus they along with Druid have special rules if you mutli-class out of them so look out for that if you want to go into more than one class.


4: Time, language, death, trap-checking (if a trap can be anywhere, should this be done every move, does it invoke a move or attack penalty?) bonuses, learn-as-you-go-games?

Time if you mean era is up to the DM. Normally it's Medieval Fantasy however.
If you mean time of day, totally dependent on DM. There's no rules for how fast time may flow in a campaign.

Language, you know languages granted by your Race + those from your Intelligence Modifier (and Druidic if druid). If you don't know a certain language you simply can't converse with people in said language, understand them or know what their writings and such mean.

Death, there's means to revive your character at an experience penalty. But some DM's are merciful and give you freebies. Otherwise when someone dies it's a choice of coming back but lowered level or make a new character.

Note, lower level isn't so bad since you'll gain more exp than the others as long as you're lower level so you can catch up more quickly.

You die though when you reach -10 hit points, so try to avoid getting there. And note once below 0 you begin bleeding out and gradually losing health unless if healed or you stabilize your self (which is 10% chance per turn with a die roll).

Trap-checking, is mostly like a search check. You can search for traps but you need the trapfinding ability in this case. Trap Sense is an ability largely considered useless but can add to passive checks to notice traps.

I suggest being cautious with traps but not paranoid, don't check every nook and cranny if there's no reason to. That only slows the game down and gives the DM more evil ideas/chances. Play as it realistically, and make sure you describe how you do something. Like instead of saying that you open a door, say HOW you open the door and mind how you do it too.

If done in combat, yes trap checking will consume your turn and provoke attacks against you.

You'll need to clarify on what kind of bonuses you mean.

D&D is a learn-as-you-go game, but you do need to have a character before hand obviously. This either means some knowledge before-hand to make one. Or simply being given one by the DM.


5: And pretty much everything else, because there is nothing I definitively know, and too much material to sift through in a Google search, Q&A's tend to be haphazard in the information they contain and describe as well.

So pretty much any extra advice then?

1. If the DM shows he seems to care more about 'winning' than making a story/experience with the players it's a good indicator that the group may not be a healthy one to be in.

2. Always bring a knife, and some bags for when you need to cut a rope or get gold out of a dungeon.

3. Don't forget the obvious. If you are ambushing some people who are unaware of you that doesn't mean you need to sneak all around them and set up combat bizarre. Knocking the door could do the trick, maybe you don't need to fight? If you do, maybe you'll end up confusing the enemy and they open the door with their guard down.

4. Have more than one damage type. For example, don't have only slashing weapons on you. Since you WILL find enemies immune or resistant to certain kinds of damage.

5. To add on 4, get a magic weapon ASAP to deal with monsters that resist non-magical weapons. Plus note if you had an element enchantment that some monsters can resist that.

6. Remember, it's a group role play. Not a solo adventure. You're here to have fun and work as a team. Not to be better than one another or cut scene events to make yourself seem more impressive to the other players.

7. Avoid evil characters, or at least conflicting characters. An evil campaign can work but it puts much more stress on the DM to have everything they build and plan destroyed and ruined before you. But the bigger thing is make sure all characters are of similar moral values, beliefs etc. The last thing you want is to end up in a situation where realistically the characters wouldn't tolerate/work with one another and end up going their separate ways.

8. Accuracy > Damage. Having high damage is useless if you can't hit the guy.

9. AC (Armor Class) scales more slowly. So if you were hoping to be invincible by raising your AC really high. It is sound and does make you much harder to hit. But note that attack scales more quickly so it will not be any kind of 'I win' button. AC will eventually be irrelevant unless if you stack up on the magic items that boost it. Plus no matter how high it is you'll still be hit when they roll a critical. They not confirm a critical but if you have high AC but low health, one normal hit could do the trick.

10. Stay on the Cleric's good side (Or whoever heals you). Last thing you want is to die because the healer decided they didn't like you any longer.

11. Even if melee, carry some ranged weapon like a bow. You'll need it.

12. If a character is normally unlike able/unattractive to women and one suddenly starts hitting on him and getting really close to him... RUN AWAY! Unless if you want to have your life sucked out of your body.

13. Do not go looking to pick a fight with a dragon... just, no. You'll die if you don't know exactly what you're doing.

14. If you do go after a dragon, try to keep him as enclosed as possible. Flying is one of his biggest advantages.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. I'll post again if I think of more.

Also, depending on how interested you are in d&d I suggest watching a series called Counter Monkey. (http://spoonyexperiment.com/category/counter-monkey/)

It has lots of entertaining stores and tips/advice for both players and DMs to be better at what they do and have a more fun experience (a number of these tips are reflected in the list I made above. Mainly #2, 3, 4, 7, 11, 12, 13 and 14).

[gurgleflep]

The absolute largest snip I'll ever do in my Playground career.

This told me stuff even I didn't know :smalleek: You win.

[Gwazi Magnum]

This told me stuff even I didn't know :smalleek: You win.

lol, thanks.

I honestly just got carried away.

[Squirrel_Dude]

There's also pathfinder, which serves as another of the 3.x set.And unlike the majority of content for the others is free. Legally.

Answers to the questions.
1. I recommend Pathfinder. It's free/easiest accessibility to content.
2. Not that I know of.
3. Eh...
4. Eh...

The problem with the questions is that they're good questions, but that they're overly broad. Which is to be expected of someone who is new to the game. Number 3 especially. Explaining spells will take... quite a bit of explainin'. So I won't do that. As for time, death, and languages, I'll do my best.

All rules/explanations are 3.5/PF rules explanations. I don't have enough experience with 4E to know if anything was changed in regards to these areas.

Time in Combat:
A round is composed of multiple character's turns, ordered by their initiative count. AKA:
{table]Order | Character | Initiative
1 | Wizard | 15
2 | Rogue | 14
3 | Orc | 13
4 | Cleric | 9
5 | Fighter | 7[/table]

A round takes 6 seconds of in game world time. So an effect that lasts 5 rounds lasts 30 seconds, and effects that last a minute lasts 10 rounds.

Time out of combat:
In general a world operates with the same kind of time as our own world does. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days in year.

Death:
When you die your character goes to purgatory, and depending on the magic used can be brought back to life (for a price) without any penalty. Death is considered to be something of a revolving door in D&D, but that is partly because just as easy as it is to come back it is to go to the outer planes in the first place.

Oh, and yes, In D&D, there are the equivalent of heaven and hell and all the other kinds of planes. Just roll with it for now, but don't worry about it too much.

Languages:
Common is the language almost every humanoid creature knows. Other than that, most monsters and humanoid creatures have another language that they know and can speak at the start of the game.

At level 1 a character can learn a number of additional languages equal to their intelligence score ability modifier. For example, a human with intelligence of 14 will have a +2 intelligence modifier. So he will know Common and 2 languages of his choosing.

Most races have a limitation on the languages that they can learn from having a high intelligence. For example, elves could only chose to know Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan because of their intelligence modifier.

[CRtwenty]

1: Which Edition should I play in first, 3.0, 3.5, or 4.0? (Which is most newbie friendly, or more capable of being?) [Please answer all other questions according to version #]


Well you asked this on the 3e/d20 forum, so you're going to get a bit of a biased answer. I haven't played 4e myself so I can't speak much about it so all of my answers will have to do with 3e. In regards to 3.0/3.5 3.5 is basically an updated version of 3.0 so you should choose it over 3.0 even though they're backwards compatiable with most things.


2: While I understand some aspects of character creation (all-classes) and both dice-size and dice-rolling, is there a guide that explains this in easily understandable detail to someone completely ignorant? (Complete ignorance is pretty much a given for this entire post.) the character sheets I see seem to assume you know what you're doing.

Read the first few chapters of the PHB. Or the Basics (http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/basicsRacesDescription.htm) section of the d20 srd for a complete explanation. The simple version is, whenever you want to do something you roll a 20 sided die, and add any bonuses you have to the number you rolled. If your total is higher then the difficulty check (DC) needed to complete the action you succeed. If not you fail. Your character sheet is essentially just a list of all of the bonuses your character possesses laid out by type.



3: Spells, skills, feats; I would like to understand these in more detail, including methods of learning, class or combination restrictions, cost (does "bat guano" have to be purchased, or is it assumed you always have it in infinite supply [See: V charges Miko 1c for "bat guano"]) for example.

Skills are obtained each time your character advances in level or Hit Dice (HD). The amount of skill points your character has is determined by his Class (Rogues have more SP than Fighters) or type in the case of HD (Fey have more SP than Giants). You put points into various skills, and each point gives you a one point bonus on your rolls to use that skill. Skills are split by Class Skills, and Cross Class Skills. Class skills are capped at 3+Character Level while cross class skills cap at 1/2 your Class skill cap rounded down. Putting a point into a cross class skill also usually takes two skill points instead of one. Whether a skill is class or cross-class is determined by your Character Class(es) (hence the name).

Feats are special abilities/traits/bonuses that you obtain as you level up. Generally you get one every 3 levels but certain classes get bonus ones or extra ones. Many also have certain prerequesites before you can take them, which can be anything from a minimum level in a stat, to specific class abilities.

Spells are pretty complicated, and each class has their own way of learning them. But they can be generally divided into two types Divine and Arcane. Divine spells come from a power source such as a diety, alignment, or from nature and are cast by Clerics, Druids, Rangers, Paladins, etc. While Arcane comes from manipulating reality with your will and are cast by Bards, Sorcerors, Wizards, etc. Spells are generally learnt and cast in one of two ways (lots of exceptions exist). Sorcerors and Bards can cast Spontaneously, they have a set number of slots and can cast any spell they know so long as they have a slot available for it. Wizards on the other hand have to prepare their spells. They have a spell book with every spell they know written in it, and can select a small number of those spells each day to cast. Clerics and Druids are the same, but don't require spellbooks, as they automatically know every spell on their class list.


4: Time, language, death, trap-checking (if a trap can be anywhere, should this be done every move, does it invoke a move or attack penalty?) bonuses, learn-as-you-go-games?

When checking for traps you make a Search check and move at half speed for as long as you're searching.


5: And pretty much everything else, because there is nothing I definitively know, and too much material to sift through in a Google search, Q&A's tend to be haphazard in the information they contain and describe as well.

Read the SRD it will answer most of your questions.

[sonofzeal]

1: Which Edition should I play in first, 3.0, 3.5, or 4.0? (Which is most newbie friendly, or more capable of being?) [Please answer all other questions according to version #]
It.... depends. I mean, I'd avoid 3.0 (3.5 is pretty flatly better), but 3.5 vs 4.0 depends what you're going for.

3.5 is more Simulationist. With a DM who has a decent grasp of the basics, you can pretend you're the character and, even if something isn't explicitly covered in the rules, there's usually blanket guidelines that cover that sort of action. Want to slide over a table and then flip it on its end to give cover against an attack? Sure, roll a Tumble check, then an attack roll using Improvised Weapon penalties (a -4), targeting the square you're in. Both are just d20 rolls using numbers off your sheet. Once you've got the basics, you can cover a vast array of such actions. However, the "gaming" side can get pretty massively complicated.

4e is more Gamist. If you've played tabletop miniature games like Warhammer or Descent or Talisman, 4.0 is closer to that end of the spectrum. As a tactical wargame it's superb, but my limited experience shows it to be more awkward than 3.5 in trying to simulate the real world.

If the game rules come first and the RP is based off that, 4e might be easier. If the RP comes first and the game rules are merely a way to moderate that, 3.5 might be easier.

2: While I understand some aspects of character creation (all-classes) and both dice-size and dice-rolling, is there a guide that explains this in easily understandable detail to someone completely ignorant? (Complete ignorance is pretty much a given for this entire post.) the character sheets I see seem to assume you know what you're doing.
Character creation is one of those things that you can spend a decade mastering. It'd be easier to handle specific questions.

Rule of thumb: if you have to ask which die to roll, it's almost certainly going to be a d20.

3: Spells, skills, feats; I would like to understand these in more detail, including methods of learning, class or combination restrictions, cost (does "bat guano" have to be purchased, or is it assumed you always have it in infinite supply [See: V charges Miko 1c for "bat guano"]) for example.
Again, "decade mastering". There's a huge array of flexibility, and loads of unexpected combos that can be made effective.

Usually each spell/feat will describe its own restrictions and/or cost, although generic "Spell Component Pouches" simplify a lot of otherwise-burdensome paperwork.


4: Time, language, death, trap-checking (if a trap can be anywhere, should this be done every move, does it invoke a move or attack penalty?) bonuses, learn-as-you-go-games?
I'm... not sure what you're asking?

5: And pretty much everything else, because there is nothing I definitively know, and too much material to sift through in a Google search, Q&A's tend to be haphazard in the information they contain and describe as well.
Never be afraid to refluff, to change the descriptions if it helps match what's in your head. Barbarians may have norse/celtic fluff, but a level of Barbarian might really help any character who get a bit caught up in combat - which could be just about anyone who fights in melee. Rogues have a reputation as dextrous pickpockets and scofflaws, but levels in the class may help anyone who has a varied skillset outside of combat.

Your character is who you say they are, not what the "class" field on their character sheet suggests.

[Psyren]

4e is probably the easiest to learn if you've never played a TTRPG at all. (If you've played any MMO you'll grasp the roles of defender, striker and leader easily - controller is the only one that may have a bit more of a learning curve and even that is shallow.) But 3.5 and especially Pathfinder are the most accessible due to free rules.

I still maintain Neverwinter Nights is the fastest way to learn the basics of 3e, especially on your own, but ultimately I would play the one it's easiest to get groups for in your area.

[ArcturusV]

Honestly I think Psyren has the right of it. Find what your local area will play, and learn that. In the end it's just one of those things where DnD is something you learn at the table. You might flub it, you might be totally off the rails and interpreting things wrong. Which isn't really a problem as long as you're consistent with it. If you got a local game store, they might host "Encounters" sessions which are supposed to teach you how to play in part, get you a nice little 3 hour chunk of DnD every week. It'd be 4th edition but since it's supposed to be a Marketing thing, they'll teach you how to run.

[sonofzeal]

Actually, on Psyren's note....


To learn about Character Creation, levelling, and the like in 3.5 D&D...
The MMO based (loosely but quite recognizably) on 3.5 rules, "Dungeons & Dragons Online", is free to acquire and free to play. Neverwinter Nights either costs you money or must be pirated, but DDO can be downloaded and tested out for free if you've got the patience for the download/install time.

The basic system is pretty much the same as you'll see there. Just choose "custom" when making your character to get the full experience. DDO has a reduced number of skills, and a few feats or other abilities work differently. And they invented the "enhancement" system wholecloth. But it'll give you a solid sense for the process of making and levelling up a character. The details of particular abilities might be slightly different, but the structure and patterns are basically the same. If you play DDO even briefly, you'll be able to jump straight into 3.5, and vice versa.

[Coranho]

Oh-kay.

I would like to thank everyone for your amazingly helpful and detailed answers. (The SRD puts my search for understandable information in a whole new light.)

Special thanks to: Gwazi Magnum, CRtwenty, sonofzeal, Squirrel_Dude, ArcturusV, and Psyren.


Not to be negatively critical or anything: But some of those acronyms flew over my head.

I do have a question regarding certain actions such as Crafting and Performing, which according to the SRD last a Week or a Day respectively, wouldn't those actions be rather restrictive on the rest of the party? (Or create a certain level of time dissonance?)

Time being subjective, the rest of the party could technically "idle", but if the party wants to do a variety of actions, wouldn't this create a period of dozens of dice rolls inside the town while waiting a "week"? I just think that wouldn't be the point of roleplaying (3.5) *or* adventuring (4.0) and wonder how crafting would be handled.

[CRtwenty]

Yes, those do eat up a lot of time. Which is why item crafting and such is primarily used during "downtime" for your character. Remember your character isn't always out adventuring. Depending on your DM you may spend weeks or months in-game sitting around in town, working at a temple, researching at a wizard college etc. in between your adventures. That's the time you'd take to craft an item.

As for the perform, it more or less follows the same rules as the Profession Skill. Allowing you to make a small amount of gold (enough to keep fed and a room at the Inn) during such downtime so you don't need to spend your own gp.

This really doesn't eat up as much time as you think. It takes far longer to refresh your supplies at a shop out of game (an action that takes next to no time in-game) then it does to roll a couple dice rolls for item crafting and professions for each PC.

[Yora]

Given that 3rd Edition has been out of print for six years, I would go with Pathfinder instead. 95% the same rules and all books are still in print and easy to get in stores. There are some differences that are neither really better or worse and more a matter of taste, but as a new player who doesn't know either game, that doesn't matter anyway.

D&D 4th Edition should still be available, but has basically reached the end of it's run over a year ago. And it's a very different game, not just from 3rd Edition/Pathfinder, but also from the even older editions. Not neccessarily a bad game, but something very different from what people have come to know as "D&D".

[Humble Master]

Welcome my good Coranho to D and D!

Oh and if you want to play 3.0/3.5 I would say either go with Pathfinder or go to a used bookstore like Changing Hands or Bookman's as they usually have some D and D books tucked away.

As for 4.0. Well I'll give it this, you can't really break it (unlike 3.0/3.5 which can be broken in an inumerable amount of ways). However 4.0 is incredibly restrictive on what your character can do compared to 3.0/3.5. Also 4.0 overhauls a lot of rules that were relativly constant through the whole D and D series so many people (myself included) treat 4.0 as not true D and D.

[Ignominia]

Hey Corhano! and Welcome to D&D

I really wanted to put in my two copper, but looks like Ive been beaten to the punch! (SERIOUSLY, Gwazi Magnum...WELL DONE!)

So instead of throwing out rules info at you, Ill simply welcome you to the game, and offer this bit of advice (I play 3.5, so this applies to 3.5,3.0 and pathfinder...not sure about 4th):

While you are learning don't be afraid to go with a snap judgement. Stopping to check on every little rule can slow things down and really detract from the enjoyment of the game. When something comes up that you don't know how to do, have the DM (or you, if your the DM) just make the rule up on the spot with whatever skill/check seems reasonable.

example; A pc wants to break down the door. With RAW (Rules as Written) the door has an AC 5 hardness 5 hp 10 break dc 13. But none of that needs to matter (for now), just have him make a strength check! (Makes sense? using strength to bash down a door?) So, then the question becomes "Against what DC" Its as easy as asking yourself "How easily do I want them to succeed?" Ask your barbarian (or who ever is doing the smashing) what is their Strength modifier... then add 5 for easy, 10 for average, 15 for difficult and 20 for near impossible.

Wow... I guess I had a few coppers left after all...
Hope this helps!

[Eldan]

Edition is a Thing of preference. 4E is relatively streamlined and the mechanics are similar for all classes. 3.5 has more mechanical diversity and an experienced Player can do more with it, but it suffers from issues of complexity and balance. They are different enough that playing one won't necessarily help you understand the other.
Don't get 3.0, 3.5 is more of a patch than a new edition over it, and it helps. Plus, the Expansion books that came out for it are just better.


As for your other question, there's probably nothing other than reading the books for that. That said, I wouldn't recommend reading the books front to back as the first Thing to do.

Instead, build yourself a simple character. I'd recommend doing this (for 3.5). Choose a class, read what your class Features do. Roll your attributes, choose some skills, read what those skills do. Build a Level 1 character. You don't necessarily need to read feats just now.

Then sit down with a few friends who have done the same. Play around a bit. Talk in character to each other. Think of something your characters might want to do, then think about how you would approach the situation both in character and in the rules. You want to climb a wall? Look up the climb skill. Perhaps open the monster Manual on "goblin" and "orc" and try to figure out how you'd fight one of them.

Once you are familiar enough with the Basics to do something like that, go read the books. You don't have to read all the spells, feats or items, just those you Need.

[Eldan]

example; A pc wants to break down the door. With RAW (Rules as Written) the door has an AC 5 hardness 5 hp 10 break dc 13. But none of that needs to matter (for now), just have him make a strength check! (Makes sense? using strength to bash down a door?) So, then the question becomes "Against what DC" Its as easy as asking yourself "How easily do I want them to succeed?" Ask your barbarian (or who ever is doing the smashing) what is their Strength modifier... then add 5 for easy, 10 for average, 15 for difficult and 20 for near impossible.

Uhm... that tip is probably meant well and usually right, but it's simply wrong. STrength checks are an approved method of breaking down doors. That's what the "break DC" means.

That said, especially as a beginner, don't be afraid to ignore a rule. Here's what I'd recommend: try something that makes sense to you while playing, then read the books later. As long as you play, keep the flow.

The Basic rule of thumb, as Ignominia said, if you want to do something you don't know how:

1. Check the skill list on your sheet and see if any of the names fit. Sneak past someone? There's move silently. Jam a trap? Disable device. Break some chains? Oh, that's not on there.

2. On to step two: find a fitting ability. For breaking chains, we want strength. If you are trying to catch something that flies past you, dexterity. How Long you can keep running? Constitution.

3. How difficult is it? 10, 15, 20, 25 is a good Guideline, as Ignominia said. 10 is something that someone unskilled (with a +0) can normally succeed at. Remember that you can always decide to either roll a d20 or just assume you rolled a 10 when you aren't in combat. 15 is difficult for someone with no skill, 20 is almost impossible, 25 can't be done with someone without major talent and training.

4. How to roll. If you roll against an object or the Environment or yourself, decide on a difficulty, as above. If you go up against a Monster or a creature, you usually need to roll competitive checks.
Example: Armwrestling. You roll 1d20, your Opponent rolls 1d20, you both add your strength modifier, the one with the higher result wins.


After the game, when you have time, sit down with the book and try to find the actual rules on the Situation, if there are any. There will always be things that don't have rules, and for that, use the above, it usually works.

[Razanir]

If you do end up doing Pathfinder, here (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/basics-ability-scores/character-creation) is a really good starting outline. In my opinion Pathfinder is one of the easiest out there, mainly because all of the information is presented on the SRD.

That link should be helpful no matter what system you use, but it'll be most useful in 3.5 or PF.

I don't feel like answering all the questions right now, but I'll give an extensive answer for Question 1. The 3 main contenders for a first D&D game would be 3.5, PF and 4e. 3.5 and PF are similar and a matter of personal preference, and I for one would recommend PF. 4e is different. 4e is more video-gamey, which can be good if that's what you're looking for. But if this is your first time playing D&D, and you don't want to spend too much money, stick to 3.5/PF. 3.5 (d20srd.org) and Pathfinder (d20pfsrd.com) both have online SRDs where you can play without spending money. The OGL doesn't exist for 4e, and thus there's no SRD for it.

tl;dr– 3.5 and PF can be found online for free if you don't want to spend money at first. Between the two, I choose PF

EDIT: Oh, and don't be fooled by the Fighter's very numerous feats and the Monk getting a class feature every level. They are the 2 worst classes.

[Ignominia]

@Eldan

I know that break dc is the STR check to break down a door, I was just trying to point out that at the gaming table, if you see something that doesn't make sense (AC, Hardness, HP, Break DC), go with what FEELS right.

You said the exact same thing I was saying, more succinctly perhaps, but it was the point I was trying to get across...


1. Check the skill list on your sheet and see if any of the names fit. Sneak past someone? There's move silently. Jam a trap? Disable device. Break some chains? Oh, that's not on there.

2. On to step two: find a fitting ability. For breaking chains, we want strength. If you are trying to catch something that flies past you, dexterity. How Long you can keep running? Constitution.

3. How difficult is it? 10, 15, 20, 25 is a good Guideline, as Ignominia said. 10 is something that someone unskilled (with a +0) can normally succeed at. Remember that you can always decide to either roll a d20 or just assume you rolled a 10 when you aren't in combat. 15 is difficult for someone with no skill, 20 is almost impossible, 25 can't be done with someone without major talent and training.

Very well said.

[Kudaku]

1: Personally I'd suggest Pathfinder as it's still easily available at your local bookstore and hasn't given any signs that it'll be replaced anytime soon. D&D Next is coming in the not too distant future, and 4.0 will probably be put on the back burner or abandoned once that comes out. The Pathfinder beginner box (http://paizo.com/products/btpy8osv?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Beginner-Box) is very useful as a starter kit for a new group, and has "rules-lite" copies of all the books you'll need as well as an adventure, a battlemat, and character tokens.

2: I believe someone else already posted links to this, but it depends on what game system you're playing in. The Core Rule Book/Player's Handbook features step by step instructions in the first couple of chapters, but it can still be pretty intimidating.

3, 4, 5: That... Is a tall order. You really just need to read classes, the skill chapter, and the magic/spell chapters. Cost boils down to material components. If the spell in question has a price listed next to its material component you need to pay that price each time you cast the spell, if it does not then the material is considered free as long as you have a spell component pouch, which never runs out of components.

[cerin616]

A thing to note with bonuses is their names.

Two bonuses with the same name do not stack, and instead you only gain the effect of the higher one.

Example - I am wearing a chain shirt that gives a +4 armor bonus, and I am carrying a light wooden shield for a +1 shield bonus. so far I have a total bonus of +5 to my Armor Class. I happen to be a mage (spell failure be damned) and cast Mage Armor "An invisible but tangible field of force surrounds the subject of a mage armor spell, providing a +4 armor bonus to AC."

my AC bonus stays at +5 because the +4 chain shirt and the +4 mage armor do not stack as they have the same named bonus.

The only exceptions are circumstance bonuses and unnamed bonuses. these always stack unless explicitly stated that they do not.

[Trunamer]

1: Which Edition should I play in first, 3.0, 3.5, or 4.0? (Which is most newbie friendly, or more capable of being?) [Please answer all other questions according to version #]
I recently joined a 4e game after playing 3.x for twelve years, and it's a world of difference. Even after all of those years, there are still details of 3.x that I can't remember. 4e is more intuitive, more streamlined, more balanced, has better options, and is overall higher quality. If you want to give it a test-run, there's a free clone of it too. :)

I'm guessing you're going to be DMing?


2: While I understand some aspects of character creation (all-classes) and both dice-size and dice-rolling, is there a guide that explains this in easily understandable detail to someone completely ignorant? (Complete ignorance is pretty much a given for this entire post.) the character sheets I see seem to assume you know what you're doing.
Some people find characters sheets helpful, others don't. I write characters on looseleaf paper, myself. I suggest you simply go thru each chapter of character creation with your players one at a time -- though I'd actually skip choosing ability scores until after they choose race and class -- and have them jot down their choices.


3: Spells, skills, feats; I would like to understand these in more detail, including methods of learning, class or combination restrictions, cost (does "bat guano" have to be purchased, or is it assumed you always have it in infinite supply [See: V charges Miko 1c for "bat guano"]) for example.
4e powers (including spells), skills and feat are pretty straightforward; a PC gets X number of each depending on level, and everything he needs to know is right there in the text.


4: Time, language, death, trap-checking (if a trap can be anywhere, should this be done every move, does it invoke a move or attack penalty?) bonuses, learn-as-you-go-games?
I don't really know what you're asking here, aside from the traps.

A few rules of thumb about traps: 1) Traps alone are boring -- make them part of a combat encounter. 2) Don't randomly place traps all over the place, or your players will become paranoid and begin laboriously checking every single square. This is tedious and boring.


5: And pretty much everything else, because there is nothing I definitively know, and too much material to sift through in a Google search, Q&A's tend to be haphazard in the information they contain and describe as well.
I suggest sitting down with a glass of lemonade, a pencil, and paper, and simply go thru the character creation steps yourself to familiarize yourself with the game.

You don't have to know all the rules before you start playing, so don't stress over getting everything right the first time -- or even the first few times! Learn the details as you go, learn from your mistakes, and don't be afraid to ask us questions. :)

[Zubrowka74]

I still maintain Neverwinter Nights is the fastest way to learn the basics of 3e, especially on your own, but ultimately I would play the one it's easiest to get groups for in your area.

Agreed.

NWN 2 was updated for 3.5 and with all the expansions has a lot more options, even if they are weak ones.

DDO was mentioned, it's also 3.5 but tweaked to be more "MMO-like". The numbers have been bloated and prestige classes are replaced by a feat-like per level "bonus abilities" point system.

The upcomming Neverwinter is based on 4e. It's in open beta now so you can play for free.

Pool of Radiance will get you acquainted with AD&D, if it's your thing. One plus to this old game is that it's very systemic : combat is turn by turn, and each dice is rolled up front.

I have one caveat though : if you learn this way be aware of the changes big or small. Once you switch to the tabletop version you might take some rules for granted that actually don't work the same way. Troll regeneration in NWN 2 for example.

[Ailowynn]

I'm just gonna pop in to answer that first question. 4E is very simplified compared to other editions, meaning it's fairly beginner friendly. 3.0 and 3.5 and Pathfinder are all highly complex systems. I mean, once you have all the core books, you're looking at 700-1,000 pages of rules and stats. However, I would recommend Pathfinder over the others for two reasons: it is currently supported (3.5 is not), and it has the Beginner Box (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/products/beginnerbox), which is a great way to dive into a system.

If you're open to other editions, though, if also suggest Swords and Wizardry (which is a free clone of 1E) or even the DnD Next playtest—also free, and for a system that's considerably easier to learn than 3.x.

[Eldan]

@Eldan

I know that break dc is the STR check to break down a door, I was just trying to point out that at the gaming table, if you see something that doesn't make sense (AC, Hardness, HP, Break DC), go with what FEELS right.

You said the exact same thing I was saying, more succinctly perhaps, but it was the point I was trying to get across...

Very well said.

Apologies, then. I misread.

[Gavinfoxx]

D&D 3.5e is a very...interesting game system. At it's heart, it is a game which started with several assumptions: that fantastically wealthy, violent hobo land pirates go underground to the homes of things that look different than them, kick down the doors to these homes, kill the inhabitants, and take their stuff. Then they go back to town, sell most of the stuff, keep the useful bits, buy things that help them go to newer and different places where things that look MORE different then they, kill them, take their stuff, et cetera. It is a game where the stalwart fighter stands in the front and swings his sword, the rogue looks for and disables traps, or perhaps sneaks around to stab bad things with a dagger, the Wizard stands in the back and blasts things, and the Cleric keeps all of them healed while doing this. This is the heart of the game because that was how the game was played in the past, often because it was a competitive, team event played at tournaments where people wargame for points, and there is a single team which is the winner. Further, you might not know the people on your team, having just met them five minutes ago at a convention, and so everyone played a simple role that was easy to understand and pick up and go, and in the old rules, was actually generally a fairly solid way to get through modules in a short amount of time. This is also where the idea of an adversarial GM that is trying to kill the player characters comes from. Every assumption that is 'weird' or arbitrary in the game stems from things inherited from this idea regarding how the old games used to work.

However, that's not often how the game is *played* these days, and for the most part, we aren't interested in playing that particular legacy game with it. It has been quite some time since 3.5e books started coming out, and people have had lots of time to look at them and think about them and tinker with them and figure things out. They've come up with several interesting conclusions. Namely, that if you look at the toolset represented by all these books, you essentially have a fantastic array of lego pieces to make characters to tell any sort of fantasy story you want, because Wizards of the Coast tried to be inclusive of a huge variety of fantasy gaming styles in their rules. People have also figured out that there is a dramatic and huge variation in the power level of the 'lego pieces' -- that is the classes and options tied to them -- when you start doing things with them other than the old edition legacy assumptions. So given that, the question is this: what sort of story do you want to tell with your characters, and what power level and complexity level do you want in the rules? Do you want to be people altering the fabric of reality to fit their very whims, or the gritty soldier for whom death is a real possibility in any fight -- in other words, something lower power level like Lord of the Rings, or the wuxia swordsman who is somewhere in between the two examples? Any sort of Fantasy story is a possibility, but you have to know what you want, first!

Of course, just because anything is possible, doesn't mean that there isn't something close to a consensus amongst experts as to what the system is best at. What they say is something along these lines: the system is best for fantastic characters, fantasy superheroes of some sort (but not silver age uber-superheroes though), doing crazy, incredible things to the world around them, things which are overtly superhuman and heroic. While 3.5e is capable of much lower power and grittier things, it really starts to shine when you accept the power level of 'everyone has superpowers of some sort', provided you make choices of the correct legos appropriate to that power level. This is the case especially because of, if you are attempting to actually simulate reality with the game rather than simulate certain types of stories, things get 'wonky'. Of course, if you want to use rules based on D&D 3.5e to simulate actual reality, there are third party products such as Codex Martialis which do this admirably.

Also, there is a reason we aren't playing 4th edition. The reason is this: Wizards of the Coast realized that D&D 3.5e was laughably, ridiculously unbalanced. However, in their quest to make something manageable, they have reduced the game to only a miniatures tactical combat system where the scope of the sorts of things the characters can do which the actual rules can cover is very, very limited. This is intentional on their part, and is maybe what they had to do to balance the game. Unfortunately, it does greatly limit the sorts of stories that can be easily told with the rules in the system, even if you know your way around it backwards and forwards. This has been mitigated somewhat as 4e went on, but is still somewhat true. This is not the case with 3.5e -- if you know your way around it, you can make anything for any sort of Fantasy story.

Finally, I thought I should make a note about some of the continuations of 3.5e which you might have heard of, such as Pathfinder and it's lesser known cousin Trailblazer. Some folk may have claimed that these fix all of the balance problems in the game. This is not true; what they do is merely continue support for the game, though they do attempt to fix some balance problems that become issues for several groups, but they for the most part ignore the inherent power and versatility differences of the 'legos' themselves, though they have been gradually adding options that allow improvements in the capability of the lower performing classes, much like D&D 3.5e did in it's actual run. They do attempt to make changes so that everyone, especially those very low-optimization level players, has some interesting and fun things to do, and for the most part, they succeed in providing obvious options for lower power gamers. However, you should note that there is at least ONE D20 system which provides the breadth of possible abilities and feel of classes and customizability that 3.5e offers, and large parts of the 'feel' of 3.5e, while keeping balance intact between the classes. This system is Ruleofcool's Legend, and I encourage you to check it out.


---

I would consider Pathfinder 3.55, Trailblazer 3.60, True20 3.65, D&D with the Frank & K Tomes 3.65, Fantasycraft 3.70, 'Mutants and Dungeons' also 3.70, and Legend 3.75, as far as the 'number of things fixed' goes... I would definitely start with something that is 'A fix for D&D 3.5e', preferably something that I consider a fanmade or third party 3.70+, or just use one of the versions of 4e. Note that these aren't LITERALLY "D&D 3.##" things, but that is what they would most resemble if wotc had made them, IMO.

Here's Legend, which is completely free:

http://www.ruleofcool.com/
http://www.ruleofcool.com/get-the-game/
https://s3.amazonaws.com/det_1/Legend.pdf <-- this is the actual link to it!
http://www.ruleofcool.com/donation-thresholds/ <-- some bonus content
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/47651526/LCGb.html <-- an online character generator

Other good things to do is use mutants and masterminds 2e to write up D&D-esque characters, a la:
http://greywulf.net/2011/06/03/mutants-and-dragons-third-edition/

Also here is the same sort of D&D stuff with mutants and masterminds *3e*:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=279503

Fantasycraft is found here:
http://www.crafty-games.com/node/348

Trailblazer is found here:
http://badaxegames.com/

Pathfinder is here:
http://paizo.com/pathfinder
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/

The Frank & K tomes are here:
https://sites.google.com/site/middendorfproject/frankpdf

True20 is here:
http://true20.com/

D&D 3.5e -- at least the rules that can be found online-- are in several places, including:
http://www.d20srd.org/
and the links described here:
http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=513

Anyway, here is some advice for newbie Pathfinder and 3.5e players and DMs from a guy I respect quite a bit:

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=9359750

And another interesting document he wrote, a much more in depth look from this guy about what sorts of things it takes to challenge 3.5e and pathfinder parties:
http://antioch.snow-fall.com/~Endarire/DnD/Challenging%203.5%20and%20Pathfinder%20Parties%202 %2017%2013.doc


TL;DR: Play Legend from Ruleofcool.

[Gwazi Magnum]

Honestly I think Psyren has the right of it. Find what your local area will play, and learn that. In the end it's just one of those things where DnD is something you learn at the table. You might flub it, you might be totally off the rails and interpreting things wrong. Which isn't really a problem as long as you're consistent with it. If you got a local game store, they might host "Encounters" sessions which are supposed to teach you how to play in part, get you a nice little 3 hour chunk of DnD every week. It'd be 4th edition but since it's supposed to be a Marketing thing, they'll teach you how to run.

I've been in an encounters group before... not a good way to start.

Yes, it is good to start from a sense of learning the mechanics.
However it goes "What? Roleplaying? Character Development? Pfft! We have no time for this!" and throws it right out the window.

It's not good for understanding/learning the experience of d&d as a whole.

Plus, they rig those things to be easy as hell so players always win and feel more enticed to buy their stuff rather than being more challenging and requiring creativity to solve like many d&d games are.


Actually, on Psyren's note....

To learn about Character Creation, levelling, and the like in 3.5 D&D...
The MMO based (loosely but quite recognizably) on 3.5 rules, "Dungeons & Dragons Online", is free to acquire and free to play. Neverwinter Nights either costs you money or must be pirated, but DDO can be downloaded and tested out for free if you've got the patience for the download/install time.

The basic system is pretty much the same as you'll see there. Just choose "custom" when making your character to get the full experience. DDO has a reduced number of skills, and a few feats or other abilities work differently. And they invented the "enhancement" system wholecloth. But it'll give you a solid sense for the process of making and levelling up a character. The details of particular abilities might be slightly different, but the structure and patterns are basically the same. If you play DDO even briefly, you'll be able to jump straight into 3.5, and vice versa.

Just note here the skill system isn't as good here.

Also the video games Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2 (Not the MMO though) also use D&D 3.5 mechanics.
It's how I learned to play d&d around the age of 10 without even knowing that I knew how to play d&d till years later.


Oh-kay.

I would like to thank everyone for your amazingly helpful and detailed answers. (The SRD puts my search for understandable information in a whole new light.)

Special thanks to: Gwazi Magnum, CRtwenty, sonofzeal, Squirrel_Dude, ArcturusV, and Psyren.


Not to be negatively critical or anything: But some of those acronyms flew over my head.

I do have a question regarding certain actions such as Crafting and Performing, which according to the SRD last a Week or a Day respectively, wouldn't those actions be rather restrictive on the rest of the party? (Or create a certain level of time dissonance?)

Time being subjective, the rest of the party could technically "idle", but if the party wants to do a variety of actions, wouldn't this create a period of dozens of dice rolls inside the town while waiting a "week"? I just think that wouldn't be the point of roleplaying (3.5) *or* adventuring (4.0) and wonder how crafting would be handled.

You're welcome.

If any of the acronyms confuse you just tell us which ones and we can clarify it for you.

As for crafting and performing. Mostly the same deal, and mostly unused.

Crafting is more commonly used by most classes since you can sometimes make good gear with it.
Normally this is restricted to poisons though (unless if you use expanded manuals) because everything else is bought easily enough.
But if you were to do this during a down time, yes the other players could be left doing nothing if they chose to. Most players will choose to do something that time to pass the time which would be some skill use of their own, if a wizard they might look for new spells, clerics might go to a church of their deity, others might just do mini-quests. It's largely character and DM dependent.

Perform, has almost no use to all the classes though and you cannot get items out of them. However, the Bard Class requires one of these to be trained in in order to use Bardic Music which is what they use to make the rest of the team stronger/better.


Given that 3rd Edition has been out of print for six years, I would go with Pathfinder instead. 95% the same rules and all books are still in print and easy to get in stores. There are some differences that are neither really better or worse and more a matter of taste, but as a new player who doesn't know either game, that doesn't matter anyway.

D&D 4th Edition should still be available, but has basically reached the end of it's run over a year ago. And it's a very different game, not just from 3rd Edition/Pathfinder, but also from the even older editions. Not neccessarily a bad game, but something very different from what people have come to know as "D&D".

Actually they're reprinting some of the 3.5 books (at least in my area) so you could find some now.
Plus pdf's are free and easy to get, and it's legal to have them as pdfs now also.


Hey Corhano! and Welcome to D&D

I really wanted to put in my two copper, but looks like Ive been beaten to the punch! (SERIOUSLY, Gwazi Magnum...WELL DONE!)

So instead of throwing out rules info at you, Ill simply welcome you to the game, and offer this bit of advice (I play 3.5, so this applies to 3.5,3.0 and pathfinder...not sure about 4th):

While you are learning don't be afraid to go with a snap judgement. Stopping to check on every little rule can slow things down and really detract from the enjoyment of the game. When something comes up that you don't know how to do, have the DM (or you, if your the DM) just make the rule up on the spot with whatever skill/check seems reasonable.

example; A pc wants to break down the door. With RAW (Rules as Written) the door has an AC 5 hardness 5 hp 10 break dc 13. But none of that needs to matter (for now), just have him make a strength check! (Makes sense? using strength to bash down a door?) So, then the question becomes "Against what DC" Its as easy as asking yourself "How easily do I want them to succeed?" Ask your barbarian (or who ever is doing the smashing) what is their Strength modifier... then add 5 for easy, 10 for average, 15 for difficult and 20 for near impossible.

Wow... I guess I had a few coppers left after all...
Hope this helps!

:smallredface: You people are making me blush.

As for the difficulties, there's a system I kind of brought over from an old star wars table top system in the 70's that works fairly well.

5 = Very Easy
10 = Easy
15 = Normal
20 = Hard
25 = Very Hard
30 = Heroic


-snip-

Warning on Legend, only do it if you're willing to suspend all sense of reality for our characters.

As in to the point you would if you were playing Dragon Ball Z as a table top.

[Gavinfoxx]

The best D&D 3.5e video game, as far as rules and 'what works', by far (that I know of, at least), is the Temple of Elemental Evil.

Be sure to get the fan patches known as the 'Circle of Eight' modpack.

It gives you an idea of things that matter in D&D 3.5e, as far as combat is concerned; reach weapons, size, tripping, attacks of opportunity, charging, etc. Fighter tripping and attack of opportunity builds with guisarme or spiked chain and barbarian and such work well in that game, and charging is great, more than can be said with many other games. It's also turn based.


And Legend works on Rule of Cool (hence the name), but explicitly says that the realm of 'real people' is levels 1-2, maybe 1-3. Anyway, D&D 3.5e, 4e, etc. are already 'Medieval or Renaissance Superheroes' anyway, so if you wanted realism, you wouldn't get D&D 3.5e, 4e, OR Legend. Like I said, if you want realism with D20, you use an E6 Codex Martialis game with only access to Rogue/Fighter/Warrior/Aristocrat/Expert, and no non-animal monsters. So I strongly disagree that Legend has any less realism than 3.X, PF, or 4e. What Legend actually does, is it overtly lets you know that the game isn't realistic, and explains why and how.

[Fyermind]

Welcome to Dungeons and Dragons. Hopefully you will find yourself in good company here. Before I get into answering your questions, D&D is at it's heart a simplistic numerical representation of the imagination. It uses randomness in dice and predictability in static bonuses to evaluate outcomes of actions. There is a core set of things anyone can do that you should become familiar with (this includes basic offensive and defensive checks or rolls) and a massive number of special actions that only certain characters can do.


1: Which Edition should I play in first, 3.0, 3.5, or 4.0? (Which is most newbie friendly, or more capable of being?) [Please answer all other questions according to version #]
There are three very strong starting points for D&D. 4.0, 3.5, and Pathfinder.

4.0 I admit to having very little experience with. It is known for being very streamlined and has a back to tactical warfare feeling to it. If you are looking for a tabletop equivalent to a MMO this is a great place to start. It will survive an adversarial attitude and is better suited for play with competitive pre-teens and early teens. That isn't to say older players won't enjoy it, but it boasts relatively little support for role playing where it supports combat gaming very well.

3.5 I have a great deal of experience with having been playing it since it was first published. It is at it's heart unbalanced. That means that some concepts are much stronger than others to the point that some concepts will entirely obsolete others. This means it does not play well with players who do not exercise self restraint. That said, it is a very robust system with many options and many power levels. It has more varied published content than any other system I know of. If you have an idea, it can be done and represented by the rules of D&D 3.5. Because of this there is a lot of information and it is easy to be overwhelmed by it. There are very good guides and handbooks to how to build and play various classes, and looking for advice here on the forums is fairly commonplace. It's not an easy system, but it is a rewarding one. It is my personal favorite, and I fully admit to bias.

Pathfinder is a third party rebuild of 3.5 created after 4.0 was published as a more similar version of D&D to 3.5. It has many of the same strengths and weaknesses but is generally better functioning. Balance is less of a concern, but is still a problem if players don't all have the same idea of the type of game they want to play. It does still have fewer options published. For a new gamer, this will likely not be a concern.

As has been previously mentioned 3.0 is the original version of 3.5, and was mostly updated into 3.5.


2: While I understand some aspects of character creation (all-classes) and both dice-size and dice-rolling, is there a guide that explains this in easily understandable detail to someone completely ignorant? (Complete ignorance is pretty much a given for this entire post.) the character sheets I see seem to assume you know what you're doing.

Character sheets are just places to store information. They may look nice, but they are really just some variation on a labeled spreadsheet. The players handbook or core rulebook (or System Reference Document for 3.5 or Pathfinder) contain rules for building characters and descriptions of what everything on your sheet means. Not all characters will use all of the entries on the sheet, and some characters will fit poorly onto the sheet. It may be worthwhile to write page numbers on your sheet where the information can be found. This will streamline play considerably and allow you to get a feeling the game without having to fully understand it. (also the process of lookin up what you don't understand and writing down where to find it will help you remember it)


3: Spells, skills, feats; I would like to understand these in more detail, including methods of learning, class or combination restrictions, cost (does "bat guano" have to be purchased, or is it assumed you always have it in infinite supply [See: V charges Miko 1c for "bat guano"]) for example.

Spell Components are a holdover from earlier eras of D&D. At this point they are mostly just fluff unless they have a price listed or mention "artifact" in their material components. A 5 gp spell component pouch is assumed to have whatever spell components you need for the spells you want to cast and retrieving the components is a free action. Eschew Materials allows you to go without purchasing a spell component pouch. (generally it is a poor feat unless the DM steals your spell component pouch frequently. This is the sort of thing most players here would criticize a DM pretty badly for claiming it is being too cruel to the players. You know your DMs attitude best though.)

Spells are learned as your class dictates. In rare cases feats or races can grant you spells.

Skills are also learned based on your class.

Feats are learned based on your total levels. Bonus feats can be gained from certain races or classes.

Their is a table in the Dungeons masters guide (and I presume equivalents for systems other than 3.5) outlining how much wealth a PC should have at any given level. If your DM is charging you for training (which is not assumed in the rules, but is an option) they should also be awarding you extra wealth to make up for this cost.


4: Time, language, death, trap-checking (if a trap can be anywhere, should this be done every move, does it invoke a move or attack penalty?) bonuses, learn-as-you-go-games?

Yes traps could be anywhere. Checking for traps takes time (what is called a move action and is approximately the equivalent of three seconds rushed hard work or six seconds of work at a sustainable pace) and covers a fairly small area. As a DM or as a monster in a D&D world, scattering traps everywhere randomly is probably not a good idea. You will get a feeling for how your DM uses traps and learn to check for them accordingly.

Time in game is unrelated to time out of game. How much time in game matters depends on your group and the adventure in progress.

Death is usually what you think it is. Being dead means your character isn't part of the adventure unless someone brings it back. You may rejoin as a new character or have your previous character raised depending on your party and their level.


5: And pretty much everything else, because there is nothing I definitively know, and too much material to sift through in a Google search, Q&A's tend to be haphazard in the information they contain and describe as well.

Most of the game follows simple patterns with rounding. Ability modifiers are [(ability score -10) / 2] rounded down. BAB, Saves, and the advancement of many abilities advance in similar manners. It's often easier to remember systems like this than it is to remember individual numbers.

[ArcturusV]

Actually Gwazi my experience with the Encounters sessions was entirely different. Least on the "Easy Mode" thing. The encounters we ran into were such meat grinders that at out of about 6 groups running in the store we only had an average of .3 groups surviving the encounter of the night.

Though yes, no roleplaying. But that seems to be more how all 4th edition adventure modules are written, in my experience, and thus how 4th Edition DMs are who learned based off Modules.

Also on Crafting and Perform (And Profession for that matter), they're often used as part of political intrigue and court stuff. Several adventures I can think of uses them in non-standard ways. Like... if you had a session at Court (As in King's Court, not Criminal Courthouse), there might be something like a Performance (Dance) check to get some reputation or draw the attention of the big wig.

So always, as a DM or a Player, think of those corner cases where you might improvise a skill in a fashion that it's not really meant to be used for.

[Gwazi Magnum]

Actually Gwazi my experience with the Encounters sessions was entirely different. Least on the "Easy Mode" thing. The encounters we ran into were such meat grinders that at out of about 6 groups running in the store we only had an average of .3 groups surviving the encounter of the night.

Though yes, no roleplaying. But that seems to be more how all 4th edition adventure modules are written, in my experience, and thus how 4th Edition DMs are who learned based off Modules.

Also on Crafting and Perform (And Profession for that matter), they're often used as part of political intrigue and court stuff. Several adventures I can think of uses them in non-standard ways. Like... if you had a session at Court (As in King's Court, not Criminal Courthouse), there might be something like a Performance (Dance) check to get some reputation or draw the attention of the big wig.

So always, as a DM or a Player, think of those corner cases where you might improvise a skill in a fashion that it's not really meant to be used for.

I'm hoping the difficulty change is true, but really that's a lesser concern for me. It's lack of roleplaying which is my big issue with them and for a ROLE PLAYING game that's a pretty big thing to leave out.

[GilesTheCleric]

Re #2, for 3.5: The player's handbook has a concise, easy-to-follow guide at the beginning of the book on how to make a character, pages 5-6. This is all OGL content, so I think it's okay for me to post it.


http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd160/ryuusui-ken/ScreenShot2013-06-04at242549_zpsa88dfaa7.jpg
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http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd160/ryuusui-ken/ScreenShot2013-06-04at242617_zpsb64b56ce.jpg
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http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd160/ryuusui-ken/ScreenShot2013-06-04at242635_zpseac74131.jpg


Really, everything on those pages is all that you absolutely need to know to start playing. 4e and PF are extremely similar to that method, so it's a good guide for any of them.

If you're intent on playing 3.5, here's how to build a fighter quickly as an example.


1. Decide what race and class. I want to play a human fighter.

2. Roll for ability scores: 3d6, six times. My results are: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8.

3. Assign ability scores however you'd like. So: str, 15; dex, 13; con 14; int, 10; wis, 12; cha, 8.

3.1. Ability scores have modifiers (+ or - a small number), which are the primary game mechanic to figuring out how good you are at things. Don't add or subtract the ability modifier with ability score. There's a chart for what modifiers go with what scores in the beginning of the player's handbook. My scores and modifiers look like this:

str 15 (+2)
dex 13 (+1)
con 14 (+2)
int 10 (+0)
wis 12 (+1)
cha 8 (-1)

4. Humans don't modify any of their ability scores. If I were e.g. a dwarf, I, would modify the scores with my racial modifiers (+2 con, -2 cha), so I would have 16 con and 6 cha. I would then instead have the same as above, except:

con 16 (+3)
cha 6 (-2)

5. Assign skill points. Fighters can put ranks into climb, craft, handle animal, intimidate, jump, ride, and swim. At first level, the fighter gets (2+int mod) *4 points. My int is 10, so I have an int mod of +0, so I get 8 points to spend. However, since I'm a human, I get an extra 4 points on top of that at first level for a total of 12. Max ranks in any individual skill at level 1 is 4, so I'll put 4 points each into climb, intimidate, and swim. More

6. Select feats. At 1st level, everyone gets one feat. Fighters, as part of their class, get an additional feat at level 1. Humans also get a bonus feat at level 1. So, I can pick three feats total for which I qualify (based on whatever requirements any particular feat says I need in order to take it). Let's pick Power Attack (reqs str 13+), Iron Will (no reqs), and Point Blank Shot (no reqs).

7. Select equipment. Fighters start with 150 gp, so I can afford a longsword (15gp), a shortbow (30gp) and 20 arrows (1gp), and a chain shirt (100gp). With the remaining 4gp, I could buy some torches, trail rations, or a few other things I might need.

8. Fill in combat details on the character sheet. This is the most complex part of making a character, but it's not difficult. All the details can be found in just a few places. The fighter class entry has a table with my BAB (base attack bonus), and fort, ref, and will saves. The weapon entries have the information on weapon damage and crit ranges; the armor entry has everything about the armor bonuses and penalties. The generic character sheet from the wizards site (also in the back of the player's handbook) has fields for all of this information, and it's all labelled the same way in both the book and on the sheet, so it's easy to just fill in the numbers.

9. Details. Decide what your character looks like and how they act. This is all personal preference, and mostly only affects the role-playing aspects of the game rather than combat.

10. Done! If you want to see how this all looks on a character sheet, let me know and I'll post one with all of this filled in.


After making a character, the only things you really need to learn are how combat works, and how things out of combat work. I think others in the thread have already outlined both of those, so I won't step on their toes. It's outlined in the pages I posted in the first spoiler.

[Gavinfoxx]

Note, 3d6 is NOT the suggested method for coming up with ability scores... it is an especially 'gritty' method.

Further note that one of the best 'newbie' classes is not the Fighter, but the Barbarian; for it is exceedingly obvious to get the single biggest weapon you can, pump up strength and con, get Power attack, and smash things.

[ArcturusV]

3d6 is what us old school battle scarred veterans run. Mid ground is usually roll 4d6, drop lowest. On boards like this it tends to be Point Buy, which isn't in the Player's Handbook. Honestly until I did games on this forum board, or when I had to do stuff for 4th edition hosted by WotC (In 4th Point Buy IS the standard option, that or a fixed array. Rolling is the aberrant no one has ever heard of it option), I had never run into Point Buy before (Nor had anyone ever heard of it as a real option). So you're not really likely to see that.

[GilesTheCleric]

Re Gavinfoxx and Arcturus: Yes, you're both correct. However, for the sake of simplicity, I decided to go with the simplest class to make at first, not the most viable. Barbarian has a number of class abilities, and I didn't want to make the guide too complex. I figure that it's better to have the very basics down first before looking at things beyond that, especially since class abilities are different for every class so doing a guide on just one of them might be misleading.

Sharp-eyed observers will note that although I said "roll 3d6", I used the elite array. But yes, there's many ways to obtain the starting scores. I just went with the simplest.

[ArcturusV]

The other class I'd suggest though for a beginner is actually the Rogue.

The rogue gets you a wide array of skills, so you can learn how to use various skills in game. Also you're dependent on some basic concepts like Stealth, Flanking, and Target Acquisition. It's possibly harder to play than a Barbarian (I say possibly, because knowing when to Rage, when not to Rage, burn actions on Intimidates, etc, is an art all on it's own with it's own complexities), but you end up with a lot more knowledge of the game's basics by playing it.

[sonofzeal]

Rogue and Barbarian are the easiest to build. Fighter is the easiest to play. It's an important distinction.

Rogue's a good starter class though. You can learn a lot of the basics there.

[CRtwenty]

Rogue and Barbarian are the easiest to build. Fighter is the easiest to play. It's an important distinction.

Rogue's a good starter class though. You can learn a lot of the basics there.

Yeah, Rogues are great for learning a lot of the tactical combat options. Since you have to learn how to flank, avoid AoOs, use cover to hide, and use alternate movement options like tumble to be effective. Not to mention how easy it is to learn the skill system when practically every single skill is a class skill for you.

[ericgrau]

1. 3.5 or 4.0. They are basically two different games. 3.0 OTOH is 3.5 before it got patched. I would suggest 3.5. 4.0 is easier, but it won't help you progress to 3.5 any more than Risk would help you play Monopoly. It's a lot less involved so it's easier for a quick fling but harder to keep interesting in the long term. Still, up to you.

2-5. From there you probably want to find an existing gaming group to help you along. Look around at these and other forums, and any other place with real life recruitment posts. It would be easier to learn as you play. Reading the Player's Handbook from cover to cover can help too.

2. Fill in the stats given on the tables, and check the Player's Handbook examples if you need help.

I'd suggest the following equipment for your first time: Waterskin, backpack, 2 or more trail rations, bedroll, flint and steel, belt pouch

A barbarian, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, paladin, ranger, bard or rogue should also select a weapon and armor that you are proficient in and can afford. If you are not ranged then at minimum a cheap ranged weapon (and 10-20 pieces of ammo) is handy as a backup. Probably a sling (high strength) or light crossbow (low strength).
A bard, cleric, druid, level 4+ paladin, level 4+ ranger, sorcerer or wizard should also have a spell component pouch.
A cleric or level 4+ paladin should have a holy symbol.
A rogue should carry thieves' tools.
Past level 1 it gets more complicated. But generally by level 5 if your class is on the first list you get a masterwork weapon and +1 armor: +1 mithral shirt, +1 breastplate or +1 full plate. Beyond that, well, ask your DM and other players for more help because there are too many options.


For your first spells as a spellcaster find the popular combat spells with google. As you level up you can afford to use some of your lower level spells for non-combat purposes.

3. Better read those sections of the Player's Handbook. For example it says spell component pouches are assumed to have all the cheap components you need, including bat guano. See "you aren't even required to track those things" in Roy's reply to V.

4. DMs vary, but I would suggest rolling one check for an entire room or part of a room to avoid repetitive rolling. Or taking a 10 or 20 on your search checks (see the beginning of the skill rules).

5. Ya, just read everything in the Player's Handbook and find a gaming group to help you along from there.

I will second a barbarian as the easiest class to make and play. If someone else makes the character for you, a fighter, paladin or sorcerer could be easy to play. Though paladins are often victims of bad stereotypes. After that you might try a bard, cleric, ranger, rogue or wizard. I wouldn't jump right into them the first time, because of the additional rules involved. And that leaves druid and monk, which are hard for new players to learn because of all the rules for things like animal forms and special attacks.