Hey /tg/. I've been hanging around for a few days watching these threads, and I've wondered, how do I get into this kinda stuff? I have no idea where to start, I have no money, no imagination, and I'm a very boring guy but I just find this stuff so interesting.
>>43777265
Do you play video games with RPG elements?
>>43777265
Have friends who want to do it with you.
>>43777297
I've played WoW for a while, but didn't go on an RP server nor did i ever talk to anyone.
>>43777265
Read a rulebook for some popular system. DnD 5e will do, as it's both universally famous and easy to learn.
Go to rolld20 or some gaming forum. Find some game threads. Tell the GM you're new to this and ask to join a game.
Don't be a fag.
Simple.
>>43777340
>didn't go on an RP server nor did i ever talk to anyone.
Have you actually seen a tabletop game being played? All things consideredit may not be your thing.
Consider watching a few sessions to see what you'd actually be in for, there's a few on youtube
YOU don't. YOU are not intelligent enough to perform a simple google search, therefore no one really deserves to have you wasting their time.
OP, what kind of setting are you interested in playing in?
>>43777429
That's part of what I'm deciding. Like I said, I have zero imagination for these types of characters, but I'd be in it for the story-telling factor. I'll watch some tabletop sessions.
>>43777265
Find a group of people who would also want to try out tabletop games. While playing over the net like through roll20 is an option, I feel for a starter an IRL group is a better alternative. Pick a game with a theme that interests you, grab an adventure too, read the rules, roll characters, start playing.
>>43777390
Pretty much this.
>>43777437
Probably the good ol' medieval-type shit. You know, weapons, magic, but not too much because I have an IQ of <90 so I can't handle much.
>>43777390
The rolld20 website looks interesting, and I'll get started on reading the manual soon i guess
>>43777432
Well, thank you for the thread bump anyway :)
>>43777469
Also, don't be afraid of playing "wrong" as if there were such thing. The most important question after a game is, did you have fun? If so, getting the rules wrong doesn't matter.
>>43777469
>>43777534
I've talked to my friends about it before, and they weren't really sure about it, but that was a while ago so i'll try talking them back into it
>>43777570
Since you say you're interested in fantasy genre, go for D&D 5th edition. Pretty easy to learn, and goes by the fantasy tropes (which it helped to create). Grab an adventure for 1st level characters.
Sounds like you're going to have to be the DM, and have a bunch of people who are not so sure about trying it out, so it is important to at least understand the rules. However, don't kill the game's momentum by spending a lot of time looking up rules; if you can't find it, wing it. Your first session is likely to be a bit of a mess as everyone's trying to get to grips with the game.
>>43777666
Thanks, satan.
Also that's my main dilemma here: I have crap for storytelling skills, or imagination skill. DMing would be very hard because I can hardly keep track of what my breakfast was, nevermind keep a whole world and its inhabitants in my head.
>>43777763
No need to keep it in your head anon, you are allowed to make, check and re-check notes you make.
>>43777457
At least you appreciate the story-telling part, that should serve you well. The idea is that the whole group contributes to "telling the story" by playing their characters.
Don't worry too much about making crazy unique characters on your first attempt (in fact this is often frowned upon, even here is sweet home /tg/)
I'd recommend being something like a fighter, a barbarian, or a rogue.
Just choose something you know and start there, like "I like Robin Hood (example), so I'm gonna be a Rogue with a bow and a rapier", or maybe "I like Conan, so a barbarian with a greatsword", etc. You slap on a new name, and you've got your character.
The Players Handbook for D&D5e actually has a pretty good section on building your first character.
Gimme a sec and I'll find some game-streams.
>>43777666
>don't kill the game's momentum by spending a lot of time looking up rules; if you can't find it, wing it.
Truly, you are wiser than most.
>>43777943
Huh. That actually sounds dumbed-down enough for my liking. I never though of it like that.
>>43777943
>>43777457
Best example I could find of a D&D session, suitable for a beginner or newcomer audience;
These guys are actually new to the game right at the start. It's nicely edited to keep it all interesting, too.
https://youtu.be/eNFnPlTGwhg
>>43778166
thank you so much! i'll watch this now
>>43777988
Yeah, don't be fooled by the super-eccentric-anime-tier-edgy-snowflake characters you sometimes see here, that practise is largely frowned upon on /tg/.
That said, if you and the group want to do something like that, go for it. Golden rule, if everyone at the table is having fun, it's fine.
>>43778213
Np. I've just realised this is only the first 'season' of these guys playing, and there's another 2 seasons I haven't seen. Guess I'm watching as well.
>>43778256
i remember reading bout those kinda people in the ballad of edgardo. I don't wanna be assholey like that lol
>>43777265
Some helpful links, OP.
>>43777763
Honestly? If your story telling skills aren't great you are less likely to be tempted to railroad your players down a set path you thought up in your head. Some of the worst GMs are actually people who are good at story (or think they are) and end up trying to shove their players through the plot of the fantasy epic they've been trying to write for years or something.
Have a basic understanding of what the players will be doing in a session, but don't sweat the details. It will probably start out a little railroady as you get them to go into their first adventure and they learn the system, but after that they should hopefully be engaged enough that they have their own goals for their characters and start grabbing onto hooks that let them pursue those things.
Reward your players for being alert, engaged, and willing to ask questions and think about problems, especially when it gives you terrible ideas. ("Should we check the door for traps?" someone will say right next to a door you didn't have trapped, and suddenly you get to decide if it is! "Wait, should we be careful going into town in case the Baron heard what we did last week?" someone will suggest, and suddenly a routine shopping trip is a stealth mission.)
It's improvisation. You should know generally where they're going at the start of a session, what opposition they're likely to face (and stats for enemies so you don't have to dig them up), and have a few alternate ideas for resolutions on hand in case they choose the diplomatic path when you expected them to go in with guns blazing (or more often, vice versa) and know what your relevant NPCs' agendas are, but mostly? Give them the scenery and the problem and get out of the way. Play to their characters, strengths/weaknesses, likes/dislikes, etc. Be a fan of the PCs. Don't shield them from consequences, but be enthusiastic about them.
Things will not go according to plan. They never do. But the surprise is the best part.
>>43782393
While I'm at it, I also encourage having everyone build characters together. It can be a dull process but it also means that the group knows about each other's characters from the start, and can avoid doubling up on things and (if you're lucky) form connections. X and Y are from the same village, A and B are cousins, Q once left R for dead, whatever.
The other important part of this is that the choices your players make when building a character will tell you what's important to them. You can use premade sheets for speed, but they lack the personal decision making that goes into the process aside from picking who gets to be the wizard, etc.
Someone who builds a combat monster and uses charisma as their dump stat obviously wants to smash stuff and might get bored if there's too much talking, somebody who spends a lot of their options to make a smooth character with nice things wants to have people to sweet talk and impress with their nice things, someone with a character that they've tried to make very perceptive and good with traps is going to expect there to be disaster they can help avert.
Give them the problems they're looking for when building these characters. It makes them feel useful and look good when they can do their thing. Same with getting ideas for badness from them trying to think ahead. The "should we check the door for traps?" thing is a good example, because you can choose to reward them for their foresight by giving them an edge against a trap even if it wasn't supposed to be there. The reward isn't gold or XP, it's feeling clever for deciding to check and overcoming the threat.
