I have just started getting into d and d version 3.5, i have all 3 core rulebooks but i need a campaign setting, money isnt really an issue, anyone got any tips on which one to get?
One thing I have to say. If you just got into D&D, do not, I repeat, DO NOT! try to be the DM, unless you have former game mastering experience in the form of another tabletop RPG. If not, get to your local game shop or comic shop and look for a group of people that are already playing. (And make sure they have experience also.) Most people that get into D&D and try to jump right in as DM with no experience often jump right back out just as quick.
i have already been the D.M i bought a starter pack with some basic adventures in it and a battle grid/dice, i did pretty well but i changed some of the adventures to make them more interesting and it was cool, i play with a few of my mates and we all agreed i was the best one to be the DM
ok. Just do you best to learn the rules. Consistancy in the game will make for a better experience, but don't be afraid to on occasion fudge a rule or 2 in the interest of storyline. But that also means that if a character dies, they die... Make your guys roll up a new character, cause that is they way life goes.
In reply to Kaytin, #5: ok thanx for the tips, one thing though, what about ressurection? should i ever use it? for example bring the character back to life as a zombie etc but lower int and charisma?
hmm, well unless you are playing a Zombie campaign (yes they are out there) you should never resort to zombies, also unless the boss is a Necromancer or something and one of the heros die. Also ressurection in the senxe of taking the corpse to a mage, paying the money and getting the necessary item is always valid and legit. Only problem is, the character suffers a loss of exp, which most of the time results in a loss of lvl, so it is pretty much better to let your player characters roll up a new character at the same level as the dead one. Personal experience, if anyone else has found better let me know. :D
My best suggestion is make your own, Dragonlance, or choose your favorite fantasy setting. Just don't try to adopt a totally different world. Like if you read Wheel of Time, don't try to adopt that setting into the standard D&D core rules, they actually have a WoT book for that.
Well you don't always need a campaign setting either, just throw it into the D&D universe. What you probably want are some supplements in the form of pre-created adventures. There are many of those, and in my opinion, there really isn't "THE BEST ONE" out there. Just choose one according to your group's level and go from there.
ok that sounds cool, i have decided that i am gonna buy the forgotten realms setting whenever i get the chance, but for now im gonna create a tavern/shop so the characters can get supplies
Cool, but as for supplies, just have a shop in whatever town they are visiting at that moment. Plus it's kinda fun to have them stuck without that new item for an adventure. You don't necessarily need a place for them to frequent if it's for supplies. Plus if they are to become heros they don't want to stay in the same town anyways.
very true, i have to say, over in England not many people play D&D and most who do play just move around attacking monsters all day, it gets boring, i played like that for a while, thats why i need to get a decent group running, because i cant find any groups that play near me
Well something you may want to make a main focus of your game is RPing. Make them try to get out of situations with out fighting. Make a focus on skills like diplomacy, bluff, and some of the knowledge skills. Don't let them always get out by attacking something, and if that is all they resort to don't feel bad to use an occasional total party kill untill they get the message that you have to use more than your weapons to get through the game. I mean it is a damn ROLE-PLAYING game, not hack and slash.
thank god finally someone who has some common sense, listen to this, one time i was playin a single adventure and i told the characters that an adult red dragon was sleeping in the middle of the room, one of them said i want to poke it with my sword, how dumb is that?
Well Tezzer a setting really depends on what kind of game you want to play... I primarily run the forgotten realms, but I dig greyhawk (the core setting-sort of), and I was HUGE into the old Planescape setting.
That said as a first time DM this is great advice. Keep it Simple. Start in a small town, nothing too big. Develop a simple theme that will stretch through the first couple levels of play.
Ex. A corrupt merchant is paying hobgoblin raiders to attack the caravans passing south of the old forest. Let the PC's thwart a raid or two. The townsfolk or local lord or merchant union will offer a reward for findig the bandits. Then the players can hunt down the war band of hobgoblins in the forest. Once they track them down a big fight ensues and the PC's discover (through interrogation or ransacking their lair) that they're paid mercenaries following the orders of an evil ranger (in the employ of the evil merchant). See where I'm going with this?
nice one im gonna try that, another thing would it be too much if i changed the stats of creatures, for example i like the undead and i wanna make a series of adventures which leads to a battle with a lich or necromancer but i dont think the pcs would be able to handle it, could i just remake the lich with lower stats?
I just started a new campaign with players who'd never played D&D before, my first adventure was a contest type thing with the players put into a group by the people who run the thing, and then they go through the rooms, rolling up their stats as they do so. It was pretty good. Then afterward the city was of course attacked by a horde of undead (hehehe).
keep the lich for an ultimate battle, do not mess with the stuff. I mean come on, he's a freaking LICH, you either have a zombie, or an all powerful LICH, there is no in bewteen. =D
As far as picking a campaign setting goes take your time and do the research into the setting. Forgotten Realms, DragonLance, and Oriental Adventures can be highly restrictive settings to play in.
I suggest (As others have, I'm sure, but I didn't read them all) Forgottem Realms.
Also, yeah. don't try to DM if you have never played before. I did it. It wasn't pretty. Now, 3 years later, the group is recovering with a new, trained, DM.
Considering there is no one else to DM, and he has the initiative, he must be the logical choice for the gaming group. Best thing to do as far as a campaign setting is look at the "Races" books like Races of Eberron and Faerun, and I think there is another. Looking at one of those will give you an idea of where you might really want to play. Forgotten Realms is good, but very large, and a great undertaking for a youngling DM.
Prepare well. The road ahead of you is long and treacherous. The rules are ficle. Study every aspect of a rule or it won't work just right. And remember, if someone is too powerful, you have two options: 1) Study the problem, see what makes their character so unbalancing, and then fix it to make the character a heathy part of your campain again. B} Study the problem, see what makes their character so unbalancing, and then Smite the character where he stands with a lighting bolt (You have the power, use it wisly) This is good for people who manipulate the rules on purpose.
