Looking for suggestions...

[Jaelis]

Hi all. I'm looking for some way to bring back the fun from my old D&D days. I found this site, and thought it would be very cool to get involved with an online group to play from time to time.

The problem I have though, is that I'm not very familiar with the 3.5 version of the rules. In fact, beyond a few PC games that are based on those rules, I have no experience with them at all. So I'm wondering, what would be my best method of learning them and starting in the FG world?

Thanks for any help.

[msd]

My personal advice?

Pick up a 3.5 Players Handbook at the book store, give it a quick peruse, and then join a game around here as a player.

I think you'll pick it up pretty quick and then you can go from there.

:D

Hope that helps!

-Matt

[Alkaven]

The 3.5 Player's Handbook is a good way to figure out how to play. But you are still capable of playing even without having the book if you don't mind being a little lost. The DM your playing with might be able to help you with some of the rules, and most of the reference material can be found here (https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/srd35).

A few of these tables are also in the FG house rules by default. FG is missing an item list and a few other valuable tables such as aging, carry loads, and so on (at least as far as I can tell). Alot of this I will probably have in my own house rules list, but I can only fit so much there.

I also don't know if FG will have an updated reference guide in the near future either.

Keep in mind that unlike an actual video game, D&D is about roleplay. Your not meeting NPCs that say the same thing over and over, and the story you go through is not so linear.

[richvalle]

This would be a good place to start as well:

https://www.d20srd.org/

Plus its free. :)

rv

[Spyke]

I'd not played D&D since the AD&D days, having switched to GURPS back in the 80s, but to join the throng here I got the 3.5 Player's Handbook. I bought it on the Saturday and had rolled up a character and played a session by the Sunday night. It's easy to get back into, and I didn't feel 'slow' during the game.

A lot of the information is present in the SRD (and in FG itself), but you can't beat a book for learning quickly and flipping back and forth. And it's got pictures... If you've got the cash, I recommend getting the book.

Now I'm wondering whether I can DM d20 with just the knowledge I've gleaned from the Player's Handbook and 26 years' experience... any advice, people? Do I really have to buy the DM's Guide?

[Kalan]

Not much in the DMG you "need" other than maybe the magic item stuff...most of it is pretty straight forward...

That said too...anything you "need" you can get from the SRD linked above...

V

[richvalle]

Yep. You should be able to wing it.

rv

[Jaelis]

Very cool. Thanks guys. :)