First Time D&D Player. Can I Get Some Tips?

[Roihu]

Hey guys! So I have always been really intrigued by D&D/ Pathfinder. My dad played 1st and 2nd edition of D&D, and I figured I would give it a shot. Unfortunately I am not sure what I need to start player, or even where to look to find games! And maybe my most pressing question is what version should I play, I really like the set up of rules in Pathfinder, but I love the regular D&D lore. If it help at all, I would really like to play as a mace-swingin' cleric. Beyond this any tips/tricks for new players is more than appreciated!

[Eldariel]

Uh, well, you need a group to play with. If you can gather up a bunch of likeminded people IRL (or maybe your father can help?), or find some group nearby (various academies and schools are a good bet for having groups) go for it.

Otherwise, the surefire option is playing online. This very forum, for instance, has a Play-by-Post section where you can go look for a game that looks interesting for you, sign up and go from there.


As for materials themselves, I suggest Pathfinder. You can play traditional D&D by Pathfinder rules and while not massive by any means, Pathfinder improves upon D&D 3.5 at a few places where it counts. Some of those things are sidegrades but overall the end result is net positive in my experience.

If you don't have the books, you can find most of the key rules at Pathfinder SRD (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/), complete with classes, skills, feats, spells, materials from various supplements and all that good stuff. D20SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/) has the comparable information for D&D 3.5. And, as hopefully good news to you, "Warrior Cleric" is a concept that's extremely well supported by the rules (semi-expected, really) and it's very hard to go wrong on that route. Just go straight Cleric, get decent Strength, Constitution & Wisdom and pick spells that buff you (doesn't hurt if they help teammates either) and help you fight better.

Once you actually find a game where to play, you can come back to this forum and ask for more specific character building advice by the rules of the game you're joining (Game Masters vary with what they allow and what kind of stat generation they use and so on - as such, fill in the details on the character after you know the game you're playing). Lots of knowledgable people haunt these forums and can help you with the imposing task of picking what you want from the vast array of options either game system offers.

[ericp65]

Grab the 3.5e Players Handbook, a small collection of dice, a stack of lined paper, and a handful of pencils and pencil sharpener. Engage your creative imagination, and start writing up a character. That's your start ;)

And yeah, as mentioned above, you need other warm bodies who'd like to play, too!

[Xerlith]

Well, a Cleric20 is a good warrior-cleric. As is Cleric/Fist of Raziel or Cleric/Ordained Champion. Well, nevermind the build.

To start playing, you first need to find some people who would like to play too, -as it has been said.
And if you can't find anyone in your vicinity, you can always take a look at roll20.net, where you can probably find some open groups. It's a really good online RPG playing platform.

Just look around the recruiting groups and ask the DM of any of them if they don't mind a novice joining their party.

You're going to be a cleric, so they shouldn't... Much. :smallbiggrin:

if you want to see how a typical RPG session looks, there are people streaming theirs, for example here (http://pl.twitch.tv/cryaotic).

[Kaveman26]

Expect things to go very slowly at first. Until you get a feel for the mechanics and rules it will be slow going. I would say get a couple people together, make 1st level characters and just try to finish a combat with 4 plain goblins. Give two of them shortbows and see how long that single encounter takes. Don't expect over the top stuff out of the gate. Those four goblins might take an hour or longer for first timers.

[Karkos]

Be patient, find an experienced online group, and have fun :smallwink:

[jokeaccount]

Listen, in order to own and destroy your competition (D&D is a competitive game) since you're a newbie you should just play a 9 arcane/9 divine caster via wizard/ur-priest/mystic theurge build. Look it up on some forums its easy. Then pick up some nice spells here and there in order to shine above the rest and you will easily win at the game. If you don't want to win but instead want to have fun you can make anything you want (classic fighter, rogue or a damage dealing sorcerer is good). What counts is to make a character with a nice background and be talkative and a part of the story.