Bay 12 Games Forum
Other Projects => Other Games => Topic started by: qwertyuiopas on May 29, 2009, 11:27:53 am
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My brother and his friends are interested in DnD.
What I would like to know is what version you think they should get?
He refuses to join this forum, unfortunately, so he can't ack himself.
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Chainmail
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3rd Ed (or 3.5, doesn't much matter, but 3.5 probably easier to get and has better bindings on the PHB) is easy to get into, and it still has that classic 1st and 2nd ed. feel, where you can be a serious one man army, and play without grids if you want.
4th Ed returns to the older, Chainmail roots in some ways, simplifying and becoming more wargamish, where tactical teamwork is way more important than in older systems (instead of 'help me flank this', it's now 'help me move up to attack and give me some bonuses and a healing boost'). 4th Ed can't be played effectively without a grid, and its combat is not as much roleplaying, and way more problem-solving.
My recommendation is 3.5, unless they really like wargames or puzzle games.
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Play BESM. ;)
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Buy GURPS.
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Download GURPS Lite and raid your Monopoly box for dice. Free gaming.
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Someone who is interested in D&D is probably interested in the setting and established rules and conventions, not in a generic roleplaying game. Saying "Oh, get GURPS instead of D&D" is like saying "Why read a novel? Here's paper and a pencil, it's cheaper."
It is possible to like D&D for being D&D, not just because it's a roleplaying system. They weren't looking for D20, they were looking for D&D.
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Hackmaster...
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For the most part a lot of Dungeons and Dragons players actively resist version 4 so 3.5 is a safer bet though 4.0 is starting to pick up steam.
EXCEPT 3.5 is already practically free as it is as the PDF gives you all the rules you need to play outside of being the Dungeon Master.
I play on OpenRPG anyhow.
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If you want D&D 3.5, I would wait for Pathfinder RPG (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG) in August. It's basically a revamp of 3.5.
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Get Paranoia.
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Get Paranoia.
Yes. Oh yes.
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Get Paranoia.
Yes. Oh yes.
No don't get it!
Only go for systems you know you can find games and players for unless you really don't care about your money.
I already have a collection of games I never get to play.
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Personally my hobby is collecting P&P rulebooks.
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Personally my hobby is collecting P&P rulebooks.
Well then that is alright for you.
Remember though that most people would be pretty angry if they got a gamebook only to not have any method of playing it.
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Well the best way is to figure out what your friends are interested in.
Mostly:
Roleplay vs. Diablo with a world made up by the GM.
Serious vs. Humorous.
How many types of dice you want.
Simple Combat System vs. Complex combat system.
And Genre.
I recommend 4.0 D&D for more combat oriented campaigns.
3.5 for roleplay oriented.
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But do know that 4.0 doesn't lag too far behind 3.5 when it comes to roleplay in the same way that 3.5 doesn't lag too far behind combat.
The major difference is that 4.0 allows people unskilled to use their status as a hero to pull off amazing feats. So you often don't get roles having "Exclusive rights". Which can be a possitive and a negative depending on who your playing with (people who play Rogues would probably be pretty ticked)
The better reason to chose 4.0 over 3.5 though would also be its ability to be easily picked up and played and is EXCELLENT for groups of inexperienced and experienced players as you don't get the power gap caused by people who know the math extencively.
Heck if they are new to Dungeons and Dragons and getting people to play isn't a big deal... seriously go with 4e.
Note: I am not intentionally disagreeing with you Okenido. You just keep making me remember things I havn't thought of.
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I only read the books most of the time.
So your opinion does hold more value than mine at the moment.
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My favorite experience (D&D-ish) was with a friend's young son. I gave him 2d6 and started an adventure with "you walk in to a pub..." i created, on the fly, opportunities for adventure, puzzles, combat...interesting choices. No modules, no guide books(yay!), no absurd dice roling(saving rolls? what the hell is a saving roll?). Very fuzzy combat logic. just a story unfolding based on what he chose to do in situations. It worked out great. Remember D&D is, at its best, just a fancy game of Let's Pretend.
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So you essentially played a round of Roll to Dodge with him? (Without the insanity, of course)
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i have not heard of Roll to Dodge...we just called it "that game"
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better bindings on the PHB
Does that apply to the Monster Manual as well? My sister lost mine, and when I found the rest of it over a year later, the cover was completely missing. Now it's dying a slow death, with the first and last pages slowly being crumpled up and tearing away.
My PHB is missing its binding too, the DM Guide is the only one in remotely decent shape, and even it's starting to tear along the spine.
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The 3.0 PHB had a -notoriously- bad binding. I don't know anything about the MM one sucking, mine was good...but everyone's PHB had a bad spine.
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i have not heard of Roll to Dodge...we just called it "that game"
It's basically what you described as "that game". There's no real rules except that you have a GM and player(s) and a d6. Then the player(s) attempt actions and their success is determined by a d6 roll higher the better. Everything else is made up on the fly. D&D isn't just "let's pretend" because of the rules. If it didn't have any rules then yes it would be "let's pretend".
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Try out Fudge, too. You can get the free edition http://www.fudgerpg.com/files/pdf/fudge_1995.pdf <- there.