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OhBrandi
The Pun-Slayer
Joined: 04 May 2002
Posts: 1038
Location: Somewhere this side of sanity. |
Okay, you can all throw little pickles at me, but I've only played p&p D&D once...that was at a sidewalk cafe in Ft. Lauderdale about 16 years ago. I was a bikini clad babe who still managed to be a nerd, and I saw this guy reading and taking notes like crazy...so brains being my biggest thing, I started talking to him.
We played for maybe 6 or 7 hours, and that was it. PCs were starting to come out with okay games, but it would be another 6 years before I really started playing pc games. (Meridian 59).
I've read tons of fantasy, scifi, mystery, history, etc etc. But no training in Roleplaying. Just the mmorpgs and games like daggerfall and baldurs gate.
Now I read the boards here and most of what is being said reminds me of my first peek into cgi scripting. It all looks vaguely familiar, but I haven't a clue as to what it really means.
Where should I start? Grab a few 'campaign' books in the gaming section? Any specific titles to recommend?
_________________
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.
Thanks, JM
=Member of The Nonflamers' Guild=
=Neverwinter Nights Co-Moderator= |
Thu Jul 11, 2002 2:04 pm |
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SuperCowMan24
Blademaster of the Moo
Joined: 20 Apr 2002
Posts: 1194
Location: Texas, USA |
hmmmm.... well. for Dungeons and Dragons there are a bunch of different "versions". each version has a different set of classes, exp requirements, skills, etc. all are the same at the core... but still different. the newest one is the third edition rules. it is what Neverwinter Nights, Pool of radiance, Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance, are all based on. personally i think it is the EASIEST to understand. now if you really want to get into tabletop D&D.... find some friends. when i play i play with about 6 or 7 friends...
now. reading. well. there are 3 core rule books for the 3rd edition rules:
Players Handbook
Dungeon Master's Guide
Monster Manual
each one lists details on how to play, and other important aspects. if you plan to make your cleric (Or wizard, or whatever) and give him feats, stuff, etc. the players handbook is a good choice. it talks all about character creation, and what characters can do during the game. if you want to be familiar with settings, not the game itself, and you dont want to read a ton of fantasy books, try the forgotton realms manual, i think thats what it is called. huge book, covers deities, cities, key people, (like elminster, Drizzt, and the Simbul, and Elaith Craulnober) and the planes, all kinds of fun stuff. a fun thing for you to toy with (IF YOU DONT HAVE NEVERWINTER NIGHTS) is the character generation demo. you can get it from www.wizards.com, OR it comes with the players handbook. Neverwinter Nights has a similar generation system.
Well... i think im rambling. What EXACTLY are you wanting to know? Playing the game? DMing? or just a little bedside reading to get to know the setting of the story?
_________________
Moo. Just do it, purse your lips and let out a MIGHTY MOO!
Don't you feel better now? |
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Thu Jul 11, 2002 2:15 pm |
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Kendrik
Thin Blue Line
Joined: 13 Jun 2002
Posts: 550
Location: England |
As Supercow said that "Core" books form 3rd edition are probably the best. For a Player the essential one is the Players Handbook (ISBN 0-7869-1550-1) but the Dungeon Masters Guide (ISBN 0-7869-1551-X ) serves as a good background for the game mechanics alongside the Players Handbook. The Monster Manual (ISBN 0-7869-1552- is only really needed if you want to make your own adventures.
If you want to play particually in the Forgotten Realms (like Neverwinter Nights, Pools of Radience 2 or Baldurs Gate) then the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (ISBN 0-7869-1836-5) is a good read too. For further background reading the Novels are quite good (I particually like R.A.Salvatores Dark Elf books and the Avatar Trilogy (and follow ups) are worth a read too).
_________________
"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true."
JAMES BRANCH CABELL
~Member of The Nonflamers' Guild~
~~Champion of the (Unofficial) RPGdot Text Signature Contest 2002~~ |
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Thu Jul 11, 2002 2:35 pm |
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SuperCowMan24
Blademaster of the Moo
Joined: 20 Apr 2002
Posts: 1194
Location: Texas, USA |
I personally like R.A. Salvatore's Books, Elaine Cunningham has some really good series...
oh, and Ed Greenwood has some excellent books, Elminster series, Spellfire, shandril's Saga.... ya...
_________________
Moo. Just do it, purse your lips and let out a MIGHTY MOO!
Don't you feel better now? |
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Thu Jul 11, 2002 3:43 pm |
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OhBrandi
The Pun-Slayer
Joined: 04 May 2002
Posts: 1038
Location: Somewhere this side of sanity. |
quote:
Originally posted by SuperCowMan24
What EXACTLY are you wanting to know? Playing the game? DMing? or just a little bedside reading to get to know the setting of the story?
I want to DM. The best part of NWN is the ability to run campaigns...stories. I've a great imagination (never read a bed time story to my kids in 9 years...yet they've had original stories every night  ) and would love to see some of the stories I've made up to 'live' in a graphic environment. But I don't know how to DM....I need the background of the rules to support the story line. You can't write about farming if you've never milked a cow. 
_________________
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.
Thanks, JM
=Member of The Nonflamers' Guild=
=Neverwinter Nights Co-Moderator= |
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Thu Jul 11, 2002 3:59 pm |
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EverythingXen
Arch-villain
Joined: 01 Feb 2002
Posts: 4342
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Those three books combined with an active imagination and the confidence to change a rule in there you don't like rather than let players walk all over you with it will make you a good DM.
If you make your own campaign setting then the Players Handbook, Dungeon Masters Guide, and Monstrous Manaul are all you need.
Until you're reading to go to the next level as a gaming group... then the four class books (with new prestige classes and feats and skills for each class) come in handy. I love prestige classes... they're one of my favorite things about this edition. No two characters look the same anyways... but prestige classes take that to the next level.
If you want to play around in the Forgotten Realms... read some of the novels and make it up.  Or if you feel like spending money to hear what the guy who sat down as said 'this is my campaign setting' has to say about it, get the Forgotten Realms 3e sourcebook.
(As an aside, I love Greenwood's setting... but as a novelist he leaves much to be desired).
_________________
Estuans interius, Ira vehementi
"The old world dies and with it the old ways. We will rebuild it as it should be, MUST be... Immortal!"
=Member of the Nonflamers Guild=
=Worshipper of the Written Word= |
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Thu Jul 11, 2002 4:12 pm |
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OhBrandi
The Pun-Slayer
Joined: 04 May 2002
Posts: 1038
Location: Somewhere this side of sanity. |
Now don't be dissin my man Greenwood. I've loved every one of his books.
I own almost every Forgotten Realms book to date. There might be 3 or 4 new ones I've not gotten yet, but soon...
I've read all the Forgotten Realms and a good portion of Dragon Lance. Elminster, Mystra (& her successor Midnight), the Chosen (particularly Storm Silverhand) and the spell fire girl (can't remember her name off hand) are my fave characters. Kaitlin the Darkeyed (my main rpg char) is very similar to Storm...kick ass warrior with a touch of magic.
_________________
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.
Thanks, JM
=Member of The Nonflamers' Guild=
=Neverwinter Nights Co-Moderator= |
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Thu Jul 11, 2002 6:01 pm |
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Scrivener
Noble Knight
Joined: 20 Jun 2002
Posts: 223
Location: Australia |
Did anyone ever read that article in Dragon magazine where Ed Greenwood tells a moving story of a girl he RPed with who died of some disease? I always wondered if it was true or made up.
I also always wondered what happened to Tramp, who drew the Wormy comics in Dragon magazine and apparently disappeared or became a bum or something. |
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Fri Jul 12, 2002 9:56 am |
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EverythingXen
Arch-villain
Joined: 01 Feb 2002
Posts: 4342
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quote:
Originally posted by OhBrandi
Now don't be dissin my man Greenwood. I've loved every one of his books.
I own almost every Forgotten Realms book to date. There might be 3 or 4 new ones I've not gotten yet, but soon...
I've read all the Forgotten Realms and a good portion of Dragon Lance. Elminster, Mystra (& her successor Midnight), the Chosen (particularly Storm Silverhand) and the spell fire girl (can't remember her name off hand) are my fave characters. Kaitlin the Darkeyed (my main rpg char) is very similar to Storm...kick ass warrior with a touch of magic.
Then you're all set, mindset and setting wise. You just need the rules.
*sigh* I guess someone has to like Greenwood's writing. I don't have a problem with his characters... I like some of the Knights of Myth Drannor, myself. Like the over-weight cleric and the thief best friends.... Rathan and Torm? Something like that.
I have issues with the antagonists, mainly. Or rather... their frequency. Spellfire, for example, had more dragons and high level mages bopping about its pages than anything else written. I don't have anything against Shandril or poor Narm... I have something against two dracoliches, a few dragons, and a high level evil archmage or six... any ONE of which should have been the climax battle to a trilogy.
I don't like Elminster when he's written in a Greenwood novel. In other novels he's fine (the Avatar Trilogy, the Finder's Stone trilogy, other cameos...).
_________________
Estuans interius, Ira vehementi
"The old world dies and with it the old ways. We will rebuild it as it should be, MUST be... Immortal!"
=Member of the Nonflamers Guild=
=Worshipper of the Written Word= |
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Fri Jul 12, 2002 1:05 pm |
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OhBrandi
The Pun-Slayer
Joined: 04 May 2002
Posts: 1038
Location: Somewhere this side of sanity. |
Ah, but Elminster only DOES cameos in everyone elses writings....
See, I'm all about major climaxes throughout the story. The dracoliches (if I can get them into the mods) will be prevalent in any story I DM. Most of the 'adventures' I plan will be for higher level characters. Deep story line with lots of action. I'm also thinking that having some of the Chosen and perhaps a God or two throwing in their little whims will make for a very good mod...but first, the rules.
Thanks to everyone for their input. I've picked up several of the books already.
_________________
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.
Thanks, JM
=Member of The Nonflamers' Guild=
=Neverwinter Nights Co-Moderator= |
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Fri Jul 12, 2002 7:25 pm |
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Kendrik
Thin Blue Line
Joined: 13 Jun 2002
Posts: 550
Location: England |
The Avatar Trilogy is a great story hook as so many things occured that having character dealing with the fallout can be great
I'm currently running a campaign where Mystra took the spell she used to hide the Cyrinshad (and Rinda & her holy symbol) from the gods and she split into into mortla hosts so that it could not be used again (She gifted it to Oghma so know it is know by others). Cue the characters - but instead of starting them knowing this - they didn't have a clue - infact they started on the fugue plane - they don't know why - but soon they were back to life and the adventuring could begin. Of course if certain gods could get hold of this then they could maybe find the cyrinishad - que many gods tryign to find the NPCs (Cyric, Bane, Mask and Mystra herself). One problem is they are invisable to scrying by Gods (due to the spell).
See how a complex adventure can spin off from a relatively simple part of an existing story. To be honest it sounds like you have all the right ideas to DM you just really need to brush up on the rules. If you need any help or want any advice just shout - I'm sure there are enough veteran DM's between us to answer most questions
_________________
"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true."
JAMES BRANCH CABELL
~Member of The Nonflamers' Guild~
~~Champion of the (Unofficial) RPGdot Text Signature Contest 2002~~ |
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Fri Jul 12, 2002 9:18 pm |
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Nazgul
Head Merchant
Joined: 02 May 2002
Posts: 56
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*throwes little pickles at OhBrandi*
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 =Member of the OneManGuild= |
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Sat Jul 13, 2002 6:04 am |
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