I've lurking here on Veeky Forums for quite a while now but i've never played a game, mostly due to money issues and not having a game store anywhere near by.
but recently I've managed to finally get some money to use on amazon so I'm asking you guys what games you would recommend to someone to new roleplaying games?
i'm open to pretty much what ever though I have heard neat things about shadowrun, exalted and mutants and masterminds but I understand that those aren't the friendliness to new players.
pic is so far my main bet if only because of it's availability.
Depends. Are the new people interested in PnP games as a hobby long term, or are you trying to turn them on to the idea? If you're just trying to grab interest, 4th edition Dungeons and Dragons is probably a good place to start. It's quick, it's simple, it's clear, and it plays more similarly to a video game so it'll be familiar territory. If they are already interested and just want to know where to start, Pathfinder. It's got a ton of material, for better or for worse, so you can play for awhile under the impression that the possibilities for customization are limitless. They are not limitless, to be clear, but they give that impression to new players and if they're willing to spend he time to familiarize themselves with the material, there's enough meat to keep them hooked.
Austin Morgan
Good places to start: >DnD 5th edition >GURPS >Mutants and Masterminds
Meh places to start (wait till you have more experience): >DnD 4th >Shadowrun >Exalted >Legend of the 5 Rings
AWFUL places to start (In fact, never end up here ever): >DnD 3.5 >Pathfinder (basically DnD 3.5)
Cooper Peterson
...
Jonathan Ward
I've used Basic Fantasy RPG to introduce complete newbies to tabletop games. It's also absurdly cheap on Amazon, depending on your budget you could supply your entire table with copies of the book and have enough left over to buy a pound of dice. The books are also free in PDF form on the website.
Luke Morgan
>AWFUL places to start (In fact, never end up here ever): >>DnD 3.5 >>Pathfinder (basically DnD 3.5)
This. Fuck oh dear, don't start with Pathfinder. I did, and it made me hesitant to learn any other systems for years. Pathfinder's "options" are an illusion. As a system Pathfinder takes so long to learn and requires so much "system mastery" to make good characters (the system is filled with a TON of "trap options" that sound cool but are ultimately worthless and cripple your character by making you allocate your resources wrong) that it will take weeks or even MONTHS to truly learn everything. This is not a good thing. It makes the system intimidating, and gives newer players (as it did me) the impression that ALL the tabletop games are like this. They're not. Fuck oh dear, don't fall into the 3.5/PF trap.
5th edition is alright if you wana play DnD for the sake of it being a well-recognized brand. The whole advantage/disadvantage system can be a pain to deal with though since it's based so heavily on interpretation/player justification. With a good mature group, this isn't a problem... but if you prefer something more "defined" the other suggestions in this thread are also good.
Michael Watson
Is this a troll?
4e is a terrible choice for the first time player. They have memorise like 20 powers, daily, encounter, at will, all that shit...
It's really the most convoluted system imaginable and combat progresses at a snails pace.
That said it's pretty good if the person is a tabletop wargamer and wants to get into D&D.
Austin Morales
At first level you need to know like 4 powers, or I think maybe 2 for some classes. Essentials even chooses them for you. desu even if it were 20, that'd be less options than a truly free-form "everything is open" system. This isn't a dick comparing contest to who see who has better taste, it's a question of what's the simplest and barest thing to introduce people to.
Jonathan Sanchez
The most important question here is: Do you already have any other interested people to play with you?
Nicholas Howard
Don't forget that 3.5/Pathfinder is also the system of "fighter classes are worthless past level 6" and "magic-classes can do literally everything and become gods by level 10". Trust me, it's not fun to play a long-term game when everyone is playing different classes and some of them become one-man parties while the others kinda become worthless spectators.
Zachary Young
I exclusively play Pathfinder because I'm pretty much commited at this point.
I like the rules heavy nature and wouldn't want to trade it in for anything.
That said, if you're looking to bring a newbie into the game, it's not the best system. It's a whole lot for someone to try wrap their head around and 90% of the cool things new players ask if they're able to do, will end with you saying "Sorry, you don't have the required feat to do that". With a DM who knows the system and can guide people, you'll be fine. It's fun if you enjoying working within the rules and making something cool out of the pieces you're given.
Pathfinder is like the Lego set to D&D 5th ed's Play-doh, but if the whole group hasn't played before, then it's like not having the instruction manual.
This thread will devolve into edition wars shitposting very soon, so I'd bail out OP. Basically, some systems are better for newbies, but you can't go wrong so long as you've got a bunch of good friends who just want to have a laugh.
Jacob Russell
The One Ring. It's simple. It's enjoyable It has very strong theme that makes feeling the setting and RPing easier Most people love LotR, unless they already were spoiled by shitty vidya like Warcraft and have to have muh cool powahs'n'shit, or are plebs who are into RPG to lvl up characters, gather junk and rollplay through dungeons. There are also many other cool systems but I'm currently hyping this one. But if they're (or you're?) blank slate newbies, don't expose them to anything related to D&D for fucks sake. It is poison that will most likely corrupt them (you) forever.
Austin Powell
While it's probably not available on Amazon, Ryuutama was written with newbie game masters in mind. They get their own character in the form of a Ryuujin that gains powers to influence the story as the game progresses.
Josiah Morris
OP please ignore the other shitty suggestions ITT.
What you want is Dungeon World
It's pretty much objectively one of the best currently out there. It has fast easy to use mechsnics and is perfect for beginners, it's a lot cheaper than most of these other rules bloated systems that cost fifty dollars. There is no reason for extra rules when it is he role playing that matters. Dungeon World is fast and innovative and still feels exactly like the spirit of ADND before DnD 3.5 destroyed the hobby and ruined a generation of role players.
Isaiah Jones
Dungeon Crawl Classics is pretty simplistic when you get down to it.
Assuming they don't pick a magic user after surviving the funnel.
Christian Mitchell
5e D&D
or
Nathaniel Ramirez
>Dungeon Crawl Classics is pretty simplistic when you get down to it.
bull shit
Aaron Lee
(OP) A good system for newbies is whatever interests you.
I wasn't allowed to play D&D as a child (because muh witchcraft!!!), so the first RPG that I ever played was GURPS. I made up my own setting, and me and my brothers ran with it.
Don't worry about trying to find something that fits into some box of "newbie friendly". You'll do fine with whatever you choose to play.
Joshua Nelson
Not him, but I've found 4e is actually quite easy for noobs.
At early levels you have maybe 4 or 5 powers. While the MMO comparison isn't really true about 4e, I have found that having the cards in front of them helps noobs link it with whatever video game RPG experience they've had.
4e is quite easy to get the basics of down. I DMed an entire campaign after only playing a handful of times before that. 4e is quite user friendly
Michael Perry
again
To add on one last thing, while I am saying 4e is a pretty good place to start.. It probably isn't the best. It does teach a few bad habits, such as encouraging a heavy combat focus.
Alexander Perry
Something simple and easy to learn, ie, not fucking 3.5/Pathfinder.
Ian Moore
D&D 5e is really easy to learn and play, but it's D&D. That means combat focused dungeon crawling with some role-playing in towns on the side. If that's not what you want to do, don't play D&D.
Luis Thompson
GURPS lite.
>Point buy is easy to grasp >advantages/disadvantages as well. >Storyteller can limit most things >rules for being a "big fucking hero"(cinematic combat) >highly customizable
Also WoD as a system is easy to get. 7/5/3 for attributes. 11/7/5 for skills (I think)
7 points for merits, and optional flaws.
The downside to WoD is that it is a "kill system". Combat is unforgiving and lethal so I'd go with GURPS.
Then it would be interesting to know what your parents played.
Also, please put at least a bare minimum of effort into your writing. Reading it is rather painful.
Jace Anderson
>Then it would be interesting to know what your parents played. that would be a good idea. I can't believe I didn't think to do that beforehand. and sorry about the writing, grammar and spelling have never been my strong suit.
Robert Lewis
Mind, it might not be the best idea to play exactly what they played, but it would be very useful to know what their expectations are going to be.
Something as simple as capitalizing the first letter in a sentence would go a long way toward making your writing not headache inducing.
Jason Murphy
Oh I get that, from some of the stories my dad told me he seemed something of a power gamer. I will definitely have to keep that in mind for any games we play.
Speaking of those stories, if I recall correctly he played D&D (mostly likely 1st or 2nd edition given his age), a war hammer 40k game (most likely a house ruled version of death watch given he told me he played a Eldar harlequin) and a homebrew game that he and some friends made where he accidently made his character unkillable.
That last one isn't really important, just kind of amusing and something I take with grain of salt whenever I hear it.
Christian Hill
Guess I just have to recommend Ryuutama then.
It's got plenty of advice for new GMs, min/maxing doesn't work and the sample scenarios are a solid introduction of the mechanics to both GM and players alike. Just ask them to bear with you for the sample scenarios and just follow and enjoy the path laid out for them and get their feedback. Try to do one or two self-made scenarios with less of a focus on individual scenes and you should be good to try some other systems as well.
Blake Howard
Seeing as everyone more or less tuckered out and stopped suggesting stuff I'm going to ask another question.
Does anyone have any good general advice for a first time DM?
Logan Russell
Plan enough to have an idea but be willing to throw out the plan if things go in a different direction.
Basically, if cool stuff would happen if the players turned right and they turn left, be willing to have the cool stuff happen when they turn left instead.
Also, if you have a problem with a player, talk to them outside of game and don't be afraid to give them the boot if they're unwilling to meet you halfway.
Lastly, the rules are designed to be a guideline for what would happen. You, as the GM, ultimately have final say on what happens but just remember that the important thing is for everyone (yourself included) to have fun.
Thomas Lewis
Pick up For Gold & Glory. >why? Unlike some of the newer systems it allows you to flesh out truly unique and memorable characters (using the 3d6 in order system) without horribly penalizing and making your player's feel like they're characters are shit. It also destroys min-maxing, a huge problem a lot of modern systems have.
All you need to do is roll your stats, choose your race and class, then your proficiencys and gear and you are good to go.
Owen Collins
OP, if you're here, I would suggest running Beyond the Wall. It's a very simple, elegant game that's perfect for greenhorns to pick up and play.
Henry Lopez
No love for BRP or Runequest? d100 and skill based, and the RQ6 edition has plenty of options for cinematic combat if it's your thing and plenty of different kinds of magic. BRP also has a fuckton of settings and stuff, and does low power very good.
Connor Howard
>mostly due to money issues Free pdf's.
>not having a game store anywhere near by Requiring a LGS to play.
>what games you would recommend to someone to new roleplaying games? I hate people who ask these questions, they're always so fucking vague. How "new" to roleplaying games are they? Have they for example played video games before? Have they played a board game with an overlord or a GM equivalent? Do they know what a d20 or d6 is? Are they stupid? Like say would they find Pathfinder complex? How old are they? What sorts of fictional genres are they most interested in? Without this info there's no point in commenting.
