i'm new and i need some help

[Bobinstein]

i've never played D&D before so i know very little about what to do

i need help creating a character, i dont know how i'm supposed to find the stats or anything like that

also, whenever i try and make a local character on my computer, i cant get it to save, how would i do that?

any help would be appreciated

[Traygin]

When you want to save your character all you need to do is close out the character sheet. It will save the character for you.

[richvalle]

www.d20srd.org has some of the basic character rules.

Note: this is NOT a computer game where you create a character and play a in a computer world. You really need to find a game and see how the DM wants you to create characters.

For example many dm's allow 4d6 and drop lowest. Some allow 4d6 drop lowest and re-roll 1's. I do point buy where a character gets 28 points to build a character.

rv

[Sigurd]

I'm not trying to be harsh, though I may sound it.

The best advice I can give you is buy the Players Handbook for the version of D&D you want to play and read it.

The System Reference Document (SRD) is a legal copy of most of the important basic rules for D&D but it is not intuitive and it is a lousy way to learn. Anything anyone tells you, especially if they are not the Dungeon Master (DM) for the game you are in, will only be a partial answer.

The players handbook is basically well written and will save you time asking questions and give you vision of the possibilities for the game. FG doesn't replace any of the books for D&D. You really should start with the books from Wizards of the Coast (WOTC).

Good luck Bobinstein!

Sigurd

[Griogre]

To follow up a little more. Most players find a campaign or game to play in before they create a character because one DM will want you do do it one way and another a different way.

I second Sigurd, if you want to learn to play D&D get a Player's Handbook. It is much nicer to learn from because it has examples and graphics.

[VenomousFiligree]

Don't be forced into roleplaying with D&D, try Savage Worlds their test drive rules can be found here (https://www.peginc.com/archives/downloads/test-drive-rules/)! ;)

Both myself and kalan run one shot sessions, so drop either of us a PM if you're interested!

:)
MB

[Kalan]

Don't be forced into roleplaying with D&D, try Savage Worlds their test drive rules can be found here (https://www.peginc.com/archives/downloads/test-drive-rules/)! ;)

Both myself and kalan run one shot sessions, so drop either of us a PM if you're interested!

:)
MB

Ditto that ;)

[tdwyer11b]

I'm gonna agree with Kalan and MB on this one too. If you've never roleplayed before, the d20 system can be overwhelming. If you do decide to buckle down and learn the rules, stick with the Players Handbook. Don't get too excited with all the supplements out there until you're comfortable with the basics of the game.

[NymTevlyn]

d20 is not that overwhelming. An experienced DM can give the new player a basic fighter and tell 'em that they just need to roll a d20 and add such and such number. I can take a never before played an rpg person, and have them playing d20 in a few hours.

[Valarian]

If you do decide to buckle down and learn the rules, stick with the Players Handbook.
Or even just look on Wizard of the Coast's website for the SRD document (https://www.wizards.com/d20)

[Sorontar]

As mentioned above www.d20srd.org has all the open content and is nicely laid out and will have everything you need.

Some new players in my group found This (https://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesTitle/productCd-0764584596.html) handy.

D&D Core is far from overwhelming when compared to other systems, having said that Savage Worlds is nice.

Out of interest what version of FG do you have?

[Griogre]

It probably should be noted that 4th edition D&D is coming out in May of next year so loading up on a bunch of 3.5 supplement may not be a good idea.

I also disagree that learning D&D for the first time from the SRD is a good idea because it does not have all the rules and they cut out all the example text and grahics, sometimes making the rule less clear. If you already understood D&D then the SRD would be fine.

[Tropico]

Bobinstein: My own personal opinion of what you should do... Don't buy books yet. Don't read rules yet.

Go to the "Guild House" Forum. Find games that are one-shots / just starting up and apply. Send a PM to the guy who's posting the game and make sure to be VERY CLEAR to him (as he's probably the Game Master for that game) that you are a total newbie and need help. Any cool GM worth his salt will be happy to take you in and show you the ropes from square 1. Like Nym says all it takes is a pregen and saying 'Tell me what you wanna do, roll a d20 and I'll tell you what happens.'

As for SW vs d20, it is easier to get a fresh new-to-PnPing player playing d20 than playing SW. But SW has a lot of advantages to it for new or casual players in it too.

In the end, don't worry about the system. Worry about finding a game with a cool GM, showing up on time, and being cool about paying attention and learning your stuff, and you'll be fine. Decisions about which rules to read and which system is more in your style can come later. Hope this helps :)

[GoOrange]

As for SW vs d20, it is easier to get a fresh new-to-PnPing player playing d20 than playing SW.

Savage Worlds is easier for new players to learn than d20.

(I'm poking fun here, lightheartedly, but that is my opinion.)

Everyone has given excellent advice. Browse the calendar to find out what games you are interested in and send a PM asking if the GM minds new players. I've allowed people new to FG, new to Savage Worlds, and new to RPGs altogether into my games.

[Tropico]

Lol G-O :p if we can agree that 'getting him playing' and 'learning the system' are different things then I agree with you 100%.

BTW I did not mean to imply that GMs that aren't willing to show a newbie the ropes aren't cool or 'worth their salt', I'm sure they're worth plenty of salt, but hopefully they'll just let you know if they're not looking for newbie players for their particular game, in which case you can just apply to another one. Don't get discouraged.

[Waldo Pepper]

If you're going to learn a system from the ground up, Savage Worlds wins hands down IMO for ease. Trop is right though, it's far easier to migrate players to D20 because of all the supplements, books, etc. out there. There's even a D20 for dummies book out there... That said, I would still suggest starting with SW because I find the system much more accessible, much faster to learn, and much better suited for the VTT environment. Of course, others will disagree but they're wrong. ;)