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Totally Guy
2007-02-23, 06:19 PM
I'd done a little bit of DnD research last year and, with approval, I bought my little brothers the 3 Core Books (Player book, DM book and Monster Manual) for Christmas :smallcool:. The idea was to give them something good to play that didn't need technology... (I'm trying to rescue my youngest brother from an internet cafe where he neglects his friends, family and schoolwork :smallfrown:)

We wanted me and my youngest brother (15) to be the players, and my middle brother (smartest of us :smallredface:) to be the DM.

Unfortunately we have not got a clue what we're doing and the investment in the books is going to waste...

Thanks to these boards I found this link (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/oa/20030530b)

but we are having a tough time deciphering the rules, understanding the terminology and creating a character.

Any tips to get us moving on it? We got stuck on the number of points that we get to go into skills (plus 1 for being human?) as well as whether we start of with which feats (eg I was trying to say the cleric gets the heavy armour feat for free but I couldn't find the reason why).

Also if I'm using a D8 hit die does that mean I roll the D8 to find out what my health is or does it simply mean I can get hit for one damage 8 times?

silentknight
2007-02-23, 06:36 PM
Well, to address your specific concerns...

The number of skill points you receive depends on which class you have. Check the description of each class to see how many skill points each class gets. You add the modifier of your Intelligence to this number. If you are human you add 1 skill point to this number. At 1st level, you multiply the total number x4.

Does a cleric have heavy armor proficiency feat? The first section under "Class Abilities" says what weapons and armors a class is proficient with. If it says that the class is proficient with a specific weapon or armor, or type of weapon or armor, then that class basically has the same feat for free, automatically.

Lastly, the hit die is your health (hit points) which is how much damage you can take.

Arceliar
2007-02-23, 06:40 PM
First, with regards to your d8 question:

a d8 Hit-die means that's the die you use to determine how much health you get when you level up. At level 1 characters normally start with maximum HP (to prevent starting out crippled) so in that case you would have 8 HP. You also add your constitution modifier to HP at every level. Constitution is essentially a measure of your physical endurance and health.

For example: A cleric at level 1 with 14 constitution (which has a +2 modifier) would have 8 hp from being a level 1 cleric, and 2 hp from a high constitution score, giving a total of 10 hp. If he got to level 2, he would roll a d8 and then add his constitution modifier again. So, if he rolled a 5 on the d8 then he would have 10 hp (from 1st level) + 5 (rolled) + 2 (con again) for a total of 17.

Skill points takes a little getting used to at first. Depending on your class, certain skills are 'class skills' and 'cross-class skills' which essentially just shows if they're things you'd be expected to know how to do. For example, a cleric or wizard has 'spellcraft' as a class skill because it is expected of them to understand a bit about magic.

Class skills cost 1 skill point to increase 1 rank, and cross-class skills cost 2 skill points. Class skills can have a maximum of 3 + your level ranks in them, and cross-class skills can have half that amount. So, at level 1 you can have up to 4 ranks in any one class skill or 2 ranks in any one cross class skill.

You get a number of skill points per level based on what your class is. To use the cleric example again, a cleric can get 2 + Int modifier skill points per level. That would mean a cleric with 12 Int (+1 modifier) would get 3 skill points at every level. However, if the cleric were Human he would get 1 extra skill point at each level, for a total of 4 skill points.

The exception to the skill point rule is 1st level, where characters get 4x as many skill points. That would mean a level 1 human cleric with 12 Int would get (2 + 1 (int) + 1 (human) = 4)X4 = 16 skill points total. He could have up to 4 ranks in class skills, and up to 2 ranks in cross-class skills.

As for the armor proficiency thing: Armor proficiency represents your knowledge and experience at functioning normally while heavily armored. A cleric is proficient with all types of armor (light, medium, and heavy). This means they can wear all types of armor without penalty. The best justification for this is that clerics are expected to be a capable enough fighter to hold off the enemy while they heal their allies.

silentknight
2007-02-23, 07:06 PM
As to making a character, take the Player's Handbook in order, chapter by chapter.

Start with stats, then go with race, class, skills, feats, and alignment (and randomly generating height, weight, and age if you like). After that, you can buy weapons, armor, and gear.

Starting as a 1st level fighters is probably the easiest, they don't have magic or strange abilities to worry about. They have descriptions of pre-made characters at the end of each class entry, use them to help make your own or just use those pre-made ones until you feel comfortable with the rules.

daggaz
2007-02-23, 07:47 PM
Read the players handbook, from the first page, to the last, all the way through. Now read the the dungeon masters book, but feel free to skim. Do try to read as much as you are comfortable with tho. Ignore the monster manual for now. Now read the players handbook again, from page one to the end. At this point, you might want to read the players handbook again, one last time, from beginning to end.

Now, go through the players handbook, chapter by chapter, and follow the directions. making your choices (just pick something and see what happens first if you are lost). You will end up with a character who is probably more or less legal (depending on how well you read those books) and likewise, ready to start an adventure.

At this point, you should read the Dungeon Master guide again. Then, if you feel really up to it, make up your own story and play test it... maybe just start with some simple fights to try out the mechanics. Here you will need the monster manual for monsters, the players handbook for how to handle your character specifically, and the DMG for help in running the adventure and even more help on the rules about how your character interacts with this adventure world. Otherwise, you can download a free module (adventure story) from wizards, the DnD website. (sorry I dont remember the link).

Matthew
2007-02-24, 11:58 AM
Hmmn. It sounds as though you have gotten yourself quite confused. The above advice seems to answer most of your questions, but if you have any more or still feel confused, feel free to ask. The only thing I really wanted to add was that you might consider buying this introduction to the game:
Dungeons & Dragons Basic Game (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/966470000). It's not strictly necessary, but it is a very simple introduction and might make for an easier time.
On the other hand, deciphering the rules can be part of the fun!