Thought I would introduce myself

[Beedub]

Hi and Happy New Year!

Since I am new to this forum, I thought I would introduce myself before looking for groups to join. I live in Australia (Canberra) and are returning to dungeons and dragons after many years of being away. I used to play Advanced Dungeons and dragons during high school and college in the early to mid 80's. Well, we had a hybrid where we replaced the combat system with arms law as it was more bloody. (I still remember my character like an old friend) I also had a go at traveller, but found it not as much fun.

Anyway, I digress. The reason why I am getting back into D&D is because my teenage daughter showed interest in playing and I've gone from there.

I am interested in fantasy grounds as it is difficult to find other players locally to play (I don't have enough friends to form a group). I plan to rent the ultimate subscription and if my interest takes hold I will buy the license.

My daughter suffers with anxiety and has a lot of trouble communicating with people, so I'm hoping this hobby will help her.

I will be looking at trying to find an Australian group using the basic rules (starter pack) to ease my way back into D&D and learn how to use fantasy grounds and introduce my daughter to the hobby. Eventually I would like to get back into playing the DM/GM using fantasy grounds aimed at beginners initially and then other players once I improve.

So that's me.

[richg]

Welcome! Similar history here...played AD&D in the 80's and then all that life stuff like job, marriage, kids monopolized my free time. Now, with older kids I have found some free time and FG. Keep your eyes on the LFG forum and I'm sure you'll get into a group in no time. FG / D&D for your daughter sounds like a great idea.

Cheers :)
Rich

[vodokar]

Welcome Beedub. You have certainly come to the right place. I have a son that has Asperger's and for years I have used rpg's as part of his therapy in getting used to social situations. It is an excellent way to go. You will find most people here supportive of your situation.

The latest version of D&D is 5e. You will find a ton of support for that here.

However, if you want to delve into something a little more familiar to you or just want to scratch the nostalgia ich, I am currently working on an AD&D ruleset. Release is imminent, meaning that I am at the polishing stage and could release it sometime in the next couple of weeks. You can follow the project here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?35195-AD-amp-D-Ruleset-Progress. Also, on tap is the Swords and Wizardry ruleset, which our user Zhern is working on. That is expected sometime 1st Qtr. You can follow that project at: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?35420-Swords-amp-Wizardry-Ruleset-Progress.

Of currently existing rulesets, you also might find Castles and Crusades or Dungeon Crawl Classics to be to your liking, as they are modern games that has some of that old school feel.

[dulux-oz]

Hi Beedub, and Welcome! to the Community,

I'm also from Oz, and my daughter (early 20s) also plays (and lurks around these boards occasionally) :)

If you haven't done so already, let me encourage you to take a look at some of the great Tutorial Videos available on the Fantasy Grounds Wiki (and on YouTube). Damn'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 Fantasy Grounds - so by learning how to use FG with the CoreRPG you'll learn about 80% of what you'll need to know to play any RPG with Fantasy Grounds. Once you've gone through the CoreRPG Videos you can then go on to Videos about your chosen RPG.

When you get familiar with the basic Fantasy Grounds product the next step is to check out some of the Extensions (Plug-Ins) for FG, such as the DOE: Sound, DOE: Locations, DOE: Weather and DOE: Organisations Extensions (to name a but a few).

And keep on asking questions - we're a pretty friendly lot here, and we love answering questions.

Cheers

[Answulf]

Hi Beedub, welcome and Happy New Year!

Same here - started playing AD&D in maybe 83' (and had a bunch of Law and Middle Earth stuff from ICE), played in high school and college, stopped playing for a long time, then started playing online with old buddies about 10 years ago. My kids all learned how to play and they just attended their first convention for teens at a local high school last month! It's a great hobby for families, and I am sure your daughter will benefit. 5th Edition is a great time to come back to the hobby, too - it has an old school feel with modernized rules.

There's an unusually large number of Ozzies around here too!

[Zhern]

Welcome, Beedub!

[JohnD]

Welcome! You come here right at the end of 2016 and 2017 is going to be filled with gaming goodness for you.

[damned]

Welcome Beedub - have a quick read here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?35858-Are-you-new-and-looking-for-game

My AUS group (Saturday nights) is full but I have a once a month game that *might* work for you... It also very possibly wont because it starts at 11pm on a Sunday night and goes to 2am Monday... fortunately its only once every 4 weeks... It is a Call of Cthulhu game and has 1 american (M) and 2 canadians (M, F) and a couple of occasional players... anyway we moved the Christmas game to tonight and teh next game will be 3 weeks hence and then 4 weeks after again. I know the time is crappy for AUS players (its crappy for me) but it is a very friendly group and already contains another female player (who is also pretty new) so Im throwing it out there anyway... Call of Cthulhu is definitely not D&D but it is a lot of fun.

[LordEntrails]

Welcome :)

Also, check out the forum on FGDaze, it's a periodic one day FG convention. It's coming up next weekend, January 8th. You might find something for you and your daughter to get acquainted with :)

[Beedub]

Thanks to everyone who responded to my post, you all are very welcoming.

I will definately check out all of the links you all provided to videos, forums etc. and get further acquainted with fg. Fgdaze also sounds good.

Damned, thanks for the invite to your monthly campaign, at the moment I might pass though as its a little late for me on a Sunday night.

If there are others out there interested in forming a beginner group, let me know so we can blunder around and learn together. :)

[JohnD]

Hey Beedub. One thing that will help is if you state your availability as in which days of the week and your earliest start / latest stop times on those days.

In my time with FG I've had a few players in my groups from Australia... my Friday evening games were Saturday afternoon for them, which worked out on their end for example. Nice thing is you have access to games from all over the world and every time zone, depending on what works for your schedule.

[Beedub]

Thanks JohnD, I will definately add the times etc. to my signature.

Also, if I start on a monthly subscription, I am assuming I can then cancel it and purchase the outright license (one time payment option)?

I want to start paying monthly and the. If my interest becomes more of an obsession (most likely) I will purchase the license outright.

[JohnD]

Yeah you can. There's something about the timing of the cancellation, but those more knowledgeable than me will fill you in.

[LordEntrails]

Yeah you can. There's something about the timing of the cancellation, but those more knowledgeable than me will fill you in.
Yea, from what I've read, don't cancel until the end of the month, because the way things work your subscription license will be cancelled almost immediately even though you will have paid through the end of the month.

[Trenloe]

See "How do I cancel my subscription" in the FAQs: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/faq.php?faq=license_and_purchasing_issues#faq_canc elsub

[Beedub]

Thanks guys, I will get my subscription sorted and then start looking for a game to join through the LFG thread. I am really impressed with how welcoming this community is. Thank you and Happy New Year.

[damned]

Would some Star Wars interest you?
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?35950-LFP-Star-Wars-Campaign-using-FFG-(EoTE-F-amp-D)-10GMT-AEDT-(AUS)

[Zhern]

How about some Primeval Thule? The setting is a swords & sorcery setting for 5e. It is one of the better settings out there, imo. Bonus, the game is Oceanic time...

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?35255-D-amp-D-5E-Primeval-Thule-1-Player-Required

[Beedub]

Hi Zhern,

Thanks for letting me know about the Primeval Thule game. Unfortunately I cannot make Monday Nights otherwise I would be very interested. :cry:

[Nulk]

Hi Zhern,

Thanks for letting me know about the Primeval Thule game. Unfortunately I cannot make Monday Nights otherwise I would be very interested. :cry:

Hey Beedub, another player down-under to welcome to the community.

If the Primeval Thule (above) game does interest you flick Teknykk a message anyway, I play in the group and we often have catch-up on additional days as needed and there might be some flexibility there. and there's no harm in asking.

Always good to have another player and potential DM into the community.

Nulk

[Beedub]

Thanks mate, will do

[Waldbaer]

Hi Beedup,

a warm welcome from me also to FG. I signed up myself a short time ago and already feel this will be my place. So hopefully you enjoy it as I do!

Take care,
Waldbaer

[swbuza]

I am also new, and my story closely matches yours. My kids have started to move away, some are still home, but they want me to play with them still, so Fantasy Grounds is it for now. I'm on the monthly plan and if we start getting consistent, I may buy the ultimate, although there's some chance the kids would want to run their own games, which leaves us with a conundrum.

As for your daughter and her anxiety, social interactions like this are (I think) good. My very good friend, who introduced me to D&D in the early 80s, just finished his doctorate. His dissertation was on how playing D&D and other RPGs fosters leadership and teamwork abilities; and he specifically addresses how it gave teens a safe outlet to begin to learn to express opinions; where they could learn to succeed (and fail) without real-world repercussions. I wish you and her very well. Please let her know that she is not alone and that the group of people that tend to play these games are the very same kind of people as her; and they tend to rely on an encourage each other without judging. It will be a good outlet.

[Ragnu]

Hello all,
Im also from Australia and new to FG, my Favourite rule set is Pathfinder but id be keen to give most game types a go. if anyone is looking for a new player or knows of a noob friendly game let me know =). my house mate also just bought FG.

[LordEntrails]

Hello all,
Im also from Australia and new to FG, my Favourite rule set is Pathfinder but id be keen to give most game types a go. if anyone is looking for a new player or knows of a noob friendly game let me know =). my house mate also just bought FG.
Welcome Ragnu, to both you and your housemate. Check out the LFG forums, and after you read the stickies, make sure you post what you are looking for as well as the times, time zone, and days you are available.

[Beedub]

Welcome Ragnu and Waldbaer,

Thanks also for your response swbuza. I will definitely pass it along to my daughter. She is pretty keen, but the first game I tried running with her was a little bit of a disaster as she started arguing with me why should I use goblin as it is a cliché that goblins are bad and I should have used Cultists. OMG. Anyway, if you find your kids want to run their own games you are welcome to join our group.

If you guys are looking for a game BBGaming and myself will be meeting on Saturdays at 3:30pm AEDST to play D&D5E. This is a very newb friendly game as we are learning the ropes of D&D5e and starting DMing (both BBGaming and myself are keen to get into DM'ing). If you are happy to play with newbs who are feeling their way back into the game while learning the ropes of Fantasy Grounds then your welcome to join us. The initial games will not be open world sandbox until we are confident we know the rules and in our DM abilities. If your interested please send a message to BBGamer about it and he will fill you in on how many spots he has left.

Here is a link to the thread I created looking for a group.

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?35879-LFG-1-Player-WED-nights-Sat-Sun-afternoon-GMT-10-D-amp-D-basic-or-5e

[Atua]

To the new Australians here, there is a request for players thread in the LFG forum for timezone GMT +9, 7:30pm on Tuesdays.

There is also another game looking for players using the star wars ruleset.

[LindseyFan]

Just wanted to chime in with a belated welcome to you and your daughter! As everyone has already stated, rpg's are a great place for working through social anxiety or similar issues. I myself suffer from "similar issues". The community here is amazing and a lot safer for young women to participate in compared to some groups in the wild west of chats and irc land.
Plus, it seems like half your continent is already here! :)

[Beedub]

Thanks for the welcome LindseyFan. I've been really impressed with how welcoming this community is and I agree, It is definitely a good way for her to learn the self confidence in a safe environment (apart from Dragons and Orcs, although some dragons are most likely nice).

I think she will enjoy her experience with RPG once I get her over the hurdle of giving it a go. Small steps.

[spoofer]

Hey guys

Anyone free on Tuesday evenings? The GMT+9 game is mine and I have room for two players.

Kevin

PS. Atua, thanks for pointing out my game. Good to see that you are still around. Your characters were always lots of fun. High heels... hehe...