The only time I have ever played a tabletop game was one poorly ran Unknown Armies campaign that petered out because not everyone was around to play. However, after watching a few streams of some D&D 5e campaigns, my the game has caught my interest a bit now that I have a somewhat vague understanding of how to play.
What should I do to be a good D&D player? What are some pointers in making a character? How do I do the dungeons AND the dragons?
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Download the quick start rules and read them. You'd be surprised how reading the goddamn rules puts you head and shoulders above most players.
1. Make a simple character on a sheet using the PHB (you can download these all over the place)
2. Double check it
3. Always do what the character would do, not you the player
4. Because of number 3, try not to be an asshole character, especially starting out
5. Ask your DM questions all the time, and write down/remember each answer so you won't have to ask again. This could be mechanics related, or just "Where am I?" "What does x look like it's doing?" Is there/are there y here/there/anywhere?" "Can do do this?" "Can I cast this?" "Did they like what I said/did?"
6. Bring fruit snacks
>What should I do to be a good D&D player?
Read the goddamn rulebook
>3. Always do what the character would do, not you the player
That's at least partially a matter of opinion. D&D is a game.
lol "do do"
Figure out which edition you want to play, read the rules for said edition, find a game running said edition.
Do everything all the other anons said. Additionally if you like being taught how to do things the neckbeard in this channel has pretty sound advice
youtube.com
Past that just make sure that you're doing it for FUN but not at the detriment of the rest of your group. Make sure you have your characters abilities written out and a page/book reference number so you don't bog the game down because you forgot how Ray of Frost works.
Also don't forget to bring a coaster.
"RP" G.
gotem
"Role-playing" in the sense of participating in a hypothetical role. Is someone playing Orcs in Warhammer obligated to knowingly make tactical errors because Orcs are dumb and that would be "in character"?
Fuck no.
Not him but there's a difference between playing a TTRPG and a Wargame.
Is someone playing a Barbarian in D&D obligated to deliberately sabotage the party's attempt at diplomacy because that would be "in character"?
Fuck no
That would be contrarian to the underlying rules of the game. It's generally accepted that screwing over the party is a dick move. If there is a good narrative reason why the Barbarian would sabotage diplomacy then I don't see why it would be an issue, at that point it would just be a thematic hurdle.
I bring up wargaming because of D&D's wargaming roots, which bleeds into the intended structure of play (which can be seen in various TSR modules). It means to me that engaging the players takes priority over engaging their characters, and that "being good at" D&D has meaning outside of how good of an amateur actor one is.
It's a party based co-op game, not fucking Warhammer. When I play D&D I want to tell a story, and I can't stand the power gaming egoist faggots.
>I can't stand the power gaming egoist faggots
What's powergaming about good tactical decisionmaking and the players putting their heads together to solve some puzzles?
Then why not play a G instead of an RPG?
>I'm not egotistical, I'm just better than you
Not him, but pretty much this.
I used to be part of the whole optimizer circlejerk. I find it more fun to be smart, but also put the roleplaying/lore thing first in your mind.
Because I can RP while I G
Thanks for the advice. I've actually been thinking of a character that I could make for a while now.
I've been considering playing a CN necromancer surgeon that's either a human or an elf. Not a half-elf, because I'm pretty sure that's the "special snowflake" race. His backstory would be something like a a medical student that got kicked out of doctor school for researching necromancy. His reason for using necromancy would be finding how dark magic can affect the major organs or something like that. It's still a work in progress, but I think I can make it work.
Also, if a character is a necromancer, can they only use necromancy spells?
How's that an argument? You can also run a marathon in high heels, but it's pretty dumb.
Necromancer isn't a class in D&D. You'd basically be playing a Wizard who specializes in undead research or schools of magic. I forget the intricacies of magic schools but I don't believe you're limited like that. Also there's nothing inherently snowflakey about half-elves.
I find that game becomes so much better after you do that, for both sides, suddenly all those complains about D&D prove to be not present in the game.
Oh alright, thanks for the clarification.
Np. I'm fairly new to 5e and haven't read the classes in depth, but honestly reading through the PHB will be your best bet for figuring out how to make a class work mechanically.
Well, if your character isn't good at tactical decisionmaking then you the player should make sub optimal decisions. Otherwise you're not playing your role.
Good advice in thread.
Also, go to Roll20 to find games if you're looking for something online.
I can't believe this thread is still up.
But since it is, here's another question: how do saving throws work exactly? Is is based on your stat or the enemy's stat?
>How do saving throws work exactly?
Monster/Trap/Whatever throws a save with DC 15. You roll appropriate save, which is d20 + relevant modifiers (stat the save is keyed to, base saves for your class, relevant bonuses), If you meet or exceed the DC, you've successfully saved and take diminished or no effects from whatever was trying to kill you. Depending on specific edition rules or house rules, natural 1s may always fail saves and natural 20s may always succeed.
On the other end, saves you use usually have some way to calculate, often involving one of your stats, the monster has to make the save or suffer your impairments or damage, but monsters can have resistance or outright immunity to many effects, Undead and Constructs are often immune to any effect that would require a fortitude unless it would work on an object, since they have no biology to disrupt. They're also immune to mind-affecting as well.
>Is someone playing a Barbarian in D&D obligated to deliberately sabotage the party's attempt at diplomacy because that would be "in character"?
>Fuck no
mfw the That Guy in our group literally did that in our last campaign, taunting the peasants whose farmland we camped on to take a swing at him, causing the party to massacre the peasants while the good-aligned cleric tried vainly to save them and then rode to the city to report them all to the authorities.
So much for that heroic campaign, we had one more session where we tried to salvage it and never played again.
We keep a tight leash on That Guy now. Last session he tried to lead everyone into a frontal assault on the enemy keep over several hundred feet of open ground instead of sneaking into the secret entrance they'd learned about through roleplaying.
>mfw the That Guy in our group literally did that in our last campaign
I forgot to say that he was literally playing a barbarian and justified his action by saying that his character was chaotic in alignment and eschewed social conventions 'such as not murdering people'.
>Necromancer isn't a class in D&D
There are necromancer classes and prestige classes in 3.5e. In general, you're right but it's possible to create a PC as a necromancer, even if most of them are fairly evil in design.
>Also, if a character is a necromancer, can they only use necromancy spells?
Depends on edition. I'll talk about 3.5e here.
>There are necromancer classes and prestige classes in 3.5e
If you're not creating one in this way, then you can just make a wizard and specialise in Necromancy school, this means that you choose two other schools to sacrifice and you can never learn or cast spells from those schools but are better at Necromancy spells and also get bonus spells per day.
>posting the cropped version
Don't believe the misanthropes.
>eschewed social conventions 'such as not murdering people'
Then he's literally chaotic evil. If you're intentionally going to sabotage the party because muh roleplaying, there's a good reason for party to abandon you or put you down, and if you keep it up a reason for them to stop playing with with you. There's a good reason in game, even: Keep being a murderhobo and eventually some bounty hunter is going to come to put a boot up your ass.
In 3.5 if he wants to be a necromancer and literally nothing else, Dread Necromancer is a class. Spontaneously casts most necromancy spells, gets command undead and becomes a lich at 20th level. Seems exactly what he's looking for.
I'm looking forward to a homebrew warlock variant that I'm going to play as a necromancer, among other things. I've done necromancers before but this is a refreshing take on it.