Question before I buy

[Crowberry]

I am completely new to any type of table-top RPG and I don't have any real-life friends who play. Would this be a good purchase to get my feet wet? Any general info the community can provide? Any advice is appreciated and thanks in advance.

[dulux-oz]

Hi Crowberry,and Welcome!

The absolute best way to learn how to play any RPG (Role-Playing Game) is to find an existing group and join them. They'll show you the ropes, get you started, etc, etc.

A good way to do that is to join in on on of the Cons (Conventions) that are run online - most of these are one-off games (one shots) and a lot of them welcome new players. Unfortunately there is a Con running this weekend, which I think you just missed. The next one will be on in a month or so, so keep an eye out.

To play in a Con game all you need is the Demo/Free copy of Fantasy Grounds, so it'll cost you zip.

Apart from waiting for the next Con, post a message over in the LFG - Looking For Group forum. Give your experience, days and times you can play, location (so we get the time right) - things like that. The more information you post the easier it'll be to find a game. Be patient - it can take up to a few weeks to find a game, especially one that suits you, your style of gaming (which you'll develop), the people you're gaming with, etc.

To play with FG (Fantasy grounds) all you need is the Free/Demo copy of the software, provided the GM (Game Master - the host of the game) is running with an Ultimate License. If the GM only has a Full License then you'll need a Full License as well. You can purchase or you can do a monthly subscription - either weay, it really doesn't cost that much.

Apart from all that, if you do decide to try this out, can I recommend that you watch some of the Tutorial Videos available on the FG Wiki - this will allow you to get a running start on how to actually use the software (as opposed to how to play a game). Damned's are good, as are Xorn's, and people seem to like mine as well (mine are also available from the links in my sig, below). Start with the ones on the CoreRPG, because the CoreRPG forms the foundation of just about all the RPGs we play with FG, so by learning how to use FG with the CoreRPG you'll learn about 80% of what you need to know to play any RPG with FG.

Apart from all that (puff puff) hang out on these forums, ask questions and jump in - we're a pretty friendly lot here :)

Cheers