<--- Old fart questions --->

[Nalib]

I'm an old school 1st edition D&D player. My experience extends from those days through 2nd edition and very limited 3 or 3.5 play. I have been away from steady rpg'ing for several years but find myself missing the experience and comradery. Obviously, noone really uses the old rule sets :confused: but i guess that's the way with most things...

My questions are targeted to those from the same vine:

What can I expect and is it worthwhile to pursue this?

What do I need to do/say/purchase/post/etc to get started with group "my own age"?

(optional) Do these shorts make my *** look big?

[Sorontar]

Firstly welcome to the boards ;)

I believe there are a couple of groups run by DMs that swear by "original" D&D, I started with that along with Tunnels & Trolls etc.

I DM'd solid in my PnP game at home for getting on 4 years and FG was my chance to play from the other side for a change. I don't regret the purchase one bit and even have two full licenses.

If you want to get involved in RP again but cannot find a face to face game I would highly recommend it.

Have a look at the type of games that are being offered currently, obviously 4th Ed is big but take a look at the Savage Worlds games as well.

If you ever have any intention to DM then I would suggest buying a full license as there is currently no upgrade from lite to full.

Put your location/timezone in your profile to help DMs see if you fit their game also.

Yes your arse is huge in those, lycra isn't your thing obviously :D

[Nalib]

Thx for the advice. I'm not exactly sure how to make my profile show my timezone, but for anyone interested I'm in Wisconsin (Central Timezone -6gmt).

Quite honestly I am a bit intimidated. I have read posts about worlds and environments I have no idea about. Most common is a reference to one "type" or another which leaves me confused. I am certain I will learn but I haven't a clue where to start...

Where do I find games? What do I ask? How the hell do I learn what i need to know without making an *** out of myself ("impossible" my wife says)...

[icedcrow]

First I'd worry less about making an *** out of yourself for asking questions. If someone were to look down on you because you haven't been in the game for a while and didn't know the new standard terms for everything, they aren't people you'd want to share some time with in my opinion.

Identify what you are looking for. Are you looking to DM or play? (Even out of the game for a while, a story teller is a story teller so if you are into DMing, don't be discouraged by your lack of gaming as of late... it is like a bicycle)

Next, look at what type of ruleset you want to be involved in. What type of world. Ask people to be descriptive about their world. Is it home grown, is it published by someone?

Most if not all of the community I've met on these boards have been ace, and if you have any questions, no one is going to look down on you. It's nice to have you back in the game =)

Scour the guild forum (this one) for openings. Let it be known that you are new to the online thing, and patience should be shown to you while you learn the ropes!

[Nalib]

Great advice. I'll see what I can find and go from there.

[sirosis34]

We have a "old school" game going on. If interested PM me for more details.

[Broadsword]

I was in the same boat you are. It's worth while to get involved. You'll find 3.5 more like d&d/ad&d then 4e. Game speed is faster in 4e, more along the lines of tabletop ad&d. 3.5 plays slower, but the rules are much closer to the old edition. My suggestion would be try 3.5 first, then if you want a faster pace, 4e. As for the books, I would get a copy of the player's handbook. For the other referance books, I would just ask your fellow players. You'll be pleasantly suprised what they may have available to you.

[Foen]

it is like a bicycle

*Embarassed shuffle* I actually did forget how to ride a bike. Well, it was 20 years!

Foen

[Griogre]

I was in the same boat you are. It's worth while to get involved. You'll find 3.5 more like d&d/ad&d then 4e. Game speed is faster in 4e, more along the lines of tabletop ad&d. 3.5 plays slower, but the rules are much closer to the old edition. My suggestion would be try 3.5 first, then if you want a faster pace, 4e. As for the books, I would get a copy of the player's handbook. For the other referance books, I would just ask your fellow players. You'll be pleasantly suprised what they may have available to you.
It all depends on your prespective too, I guess. I find 4e to much more like the original D&D prior to AD&D (maybe its the 50 gp for plate and mostly one attack a round) and 3.x just like AD&D on steroids.

I would say 4E might be a little easier in that as it just came out a lot of people are still learning it so you would be learning it with most everyone else. Just find a low level game of either system. My experience is if you are up front about getting back into D&D people and the DM won't mind in a low level game.

[icedcrow]

I agree. 4th ed is old school D&D all the way. 3.5 is more like AD&D. No doubt. If 3.5 was more balanced I'd love it, but it's just so bloated that it's broken.

[unerwünscht]

I was in the same boat you are. It's worth while to get involved. You'll find 3.5 more like d&d/ad&d then 4e. Game speed is faster in 4e, more along the lines of tabletop ad&d. 3.5 plays slower, but the rules are much closer to the old edition. My suggestion would be try 3.5 first, then if you want a faster pace, 4e. As for the books, I would get a copy of the player's handbook. For the other referance books, I would just ask your fellow players. You'll be pleasantly suprised what they may have available to you.


Did you ever actually play AD&D? Because 3.5 is much faster than AD&D. Character creation is simplified, combat is dumbed down, and the entire rule system is just designed to be easier and lighter than AD&D.

[Andrepartthree]

Hi Nalib ! .. and in a sense "welcome back"...just goes to show you gaming is a lifelong addiction :P ...

Yep I agree with what others have said I've found the people here on FG to be very pleasant, you'll have a great time with them - your biggest challenge I think is going to be finding a group (DM and player) that doesn't fall apart after a few months :P but that's common in "tabletop, face to face" gaming too sometimes...

I definitely agree with what previous posts have said about version 3.0 and 3.5 as far as the positive comments ;) - although quite frankly I thought 3.5 was a TOTAL rip-off in that I find it almost identical to version 3.0... taking that into account.. if you're looking for a frugal way to "catch up" so to speak and don't mind used books (which I buy all the time, I'm cheap ;) ) ..do a search for the following words - players handbook 3.0 - on amazon and you'll find a used copy for around five dollars shipping and handling included... I personally found it to be a HUGE improvement over old school AD&D and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised too as someone else on here put it ;) .... I do notice there are a number of DM's here on FG running version 3.0/3.5 games... if you go the 3.0/3.5 route I'd buy Dungeon Master's Guide 3.0 next just because it's cheaper (and again from my point of view almost identical to 3.5)... you can also download the rules for free for 3.5 from wizards of the coast, the new owners of D&D (no joke!) at

https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/srd35

Version 4.0 - looked it over, I personally don't like because I think it's way too streamlined to the point where it's overly simplistic... but then again it's a matter of personal taste, there are people who agree with iced crow too and say it's great and then there are others like me who do their best to avoid it :P, depends on the player in question.. not saying iced crow is wrong, not saying I'm wrong either ;), again depends on your personal taste...

[Pheonix-IV]

The main differences between 3.5 and 4e can be summed up pretty easily really.


3.5 is a Simulation. It's designed to be as accurate as reasonably possible, and has rules for -everything-. The fact that you can play it as a game seems to be a bit of a side-effect of it being able to simulate battles and worlds, rather than an intended goal.

4 is a Game. It's not designed to be super accurate, it's designed to be played as a game, rather than to simulate a world. The end result is that unlike 3.5, which basically gives you explicit rules for everything, 4e just gives you a bunch of general purpose tools and says 'go for it'.



Basically, if you like the complexity of the earlier DnD editions and enjoy incredible detail in your game, you probably won't like 4e.
If, on the other hand, you enjoy fast paced gameplay with fairly loose rules and didn't really like the depth of complexity of the earlier DnD editions, you'll probably enjoy 4e.

Especially if you're a DM and like to make your own monsters.


That's pretty much what it comes down to. Do you like streamlined speed and efficiency in your mechanics, or complex depth and detail?

[Nalib]

This has all been great guys... I'm stoked to get involved and see what happens. I see there are modules for other games like Shadowrun that I also have experience with!

To quote you younger fold, "WOOOT"!

[Sorontar]

Do you think your head would explode if I mentioned Classic Rolemaster is also being worked on by Digital Adventures and should be out soonish? :D

[icedcrow]

I am all for doing a rolemaster campaign!!

[bobthebuilder]

In Response to `Old Fart'

Nalib,

a lot of people use old D&D rules. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (first edition) is perhaps one the most popular of the old D&D. I DM Classic D&D, which I'm sure you know is very similar to AD&D. Don't feel that just because most people play "new" D&D means you do not have a chance for "old" or "classic" D&D. Custom rulesets for use on Fantasy Grounds exist for all AD&D, and Basic D&D. Of course, I favour the classic rules over all other D&D for many reasons.

Give 3.x / 4 D&D a shot if you want, the only reason being that the games are in such heavy supply as there are plenty of DMs hosting these games, but in all other respects I recommend pre AD&D 2nd edition. Good luck!:rv:

(optional)---> Yes, those shorts make your *** look really big.:pirate:

[DM_Bolan]

I've sent you a private message with some information about my game. Let me know if you did not receive it.
- Bo