Help me start DnD!

Hi guys! Im planning on starting dnd, but it all seems too complicated! I understood what editions are, and what a GM is aswell as some basic rules, however, im still unsure which edition should i start with!

So in this thread, please help me decide what edition is the best for getting into this!

Whichever one you can find a GM for.

If you've managed to find a group of people who want to play but nobody wants to GM and are OK with having you GM, then go with the current edition that has active support (5e).

Also you're currently ON WATCH for "being that person who only plays D&D and never tries any other system because they put in a lot of effort into learning D&D and that has turned them off of trying new things because it was too hard."

Would you mind recomending me other systems? Im new to this so i really havent heard of anything besides DnD

Most likely bait, but in case it isn't:
Since you're completely new, start with 5e. If you want it to be a bit more focused on tactical grid-based combat, try 4e. If you think the roles should be less streamlined and more crunchy and complex, try 3.5/Pathfinder.

Ultimately though, we can't choose a system for you. Just pick whatever appeals to you and form your own opinion. Everyone likes and dislikes different things, and have their own system preferences. Your first game will 100% guaranteed suck ass anyways because it'll be your first game.

Really depends on the type of game you want to play. D&D is going to be a game where the players explore dungeons, fight monsters, deal with magical stuff, carry a bunch of gold around, have levels and classes, etc.

It's not going to be a game where you are in a bronze age society where magic is common but much more rare (relatively speaking) than D&D, and part of character creation is taken up with figuring out who your family and friends are. (Mythras is this system.)

D&D is also not a system where you play cyberpunk criminals but magic is also real, so you have orcs shooting railguns at dragons because the dragon owns is the CEO of a corporation and lives in a skyscraper. (Shadowrun)

Can you please tell me what is the difference beween 5e and 3.57Pathfinder? By that i mean what makes each one uniqe and why do you recommend 5e(i suppose its because of active support but just wanna check).

What sort of a story do you want to tell with your players? Is it set in a medieval world or a futuristic one? Do supernatural powers like magic, psionics, and/or superpowers exist?

If you have no clue what sort of a game you want to run, perhaps you should start from that first before picking any particular system.

Shadowrun sounds interesting, however i chose DnD simply because it seemed like the most logical choice for my first tabletop game.
This is mainly because if i try getting a group togheter for another system(which i didnt knew existed in the first place) i would have had to explain to them what it is and would probably just say its like DnD(the most famous one around here) but a bit different.

Tl;Dr ill check Shadowrun but will play dnd cuz everyone already knows what it is

I would like to tell a story in Medival time that includes magic and supernatural as well as some fantasy creatures. Also id like the most flexible one possible in terms of gameplay(for an example, one where you can go Tank, Mage effectivly)

>3.5/Pathfinder
"You are flanking the enemy and attacking with a melee attack, so you have a +2 to your attack roll. The enemy is prone, so it has a -4 penalty to his AC."

>5e
"The enemy is prone. Roll your die twice and use the higher result to see if you hit."

I feel like someone who doesnt have the mental capacity to either google 'Whats the difference between D&D editions' or buy the latest starter set that has everything to get you going, is going to have a hard time being a DM.

If you want players to fall into distinct pre-made classes (fighter/wizard/rogue/cleric) you will most likely want to start with D&D.

If you want players to freely define their characters ("My character is a thief who can shoot lasers from his eyes") consider something like Savage Worlds.

Run Lost Mine of Phandelver, the starter set adventure for 5e.

Thanks man, ill probably chose 3.5 then if i decide on using DnD and not another system.
I thought you guys could tell me a few things i wouldnt easly find simply by googling. For an example, i just learned that there are many other systems besides DnD and the main difference between 5e, 4e, 3.5 in just a few posts, all the things i didnt know before

Also is being a DM such a huge responsobility?

Will check, thank you very much :3
MUCH aprecciated, but do you have a starter set recommendation for 3.5?

>do you have a starter set recommendation for 3.5?
Don't start with 3.5 because it's a mechanical mess.

Its overcomplicated, or simply not enjoyable?
Is there a single mechanic that simply ruins the game or are pretty much all mechanics scrappy?

It can get very complicated because of the number of mechanics that are in play, and you will at some point find yourself needing to constantly look up rules unless you spend a lot of time committing them all (and their exact wording) to memory. As the GM you will be expected to know the game better than your players, so playing a system with so many rules is a great burden in my mind.

You can feel free to disregard my opinion and play 3.5 or pathfinder anyway, however. People like the system, but in my experience the only people who play pathfinder or 3.5 have been playing it for so long and have invested so much time and effort in learning its mechanics that they don't want to learn anything else.

>is being a DM such a huge responsobility?
Since you have to ask, you arent anywhere near ready to dm

I believe you have just closed this thread, congratulations!
Even though i have a lot of time (2 weeks) to learn everything, i believe that something simpler will be more fun for everyone, so im starting with 5e just as you recommended.
Also i will check for other systems and see if there is another one that suits me better in case my first game goes horribly.

Thank you and all the other anons for helping me out this time, i knew i could count on you!

Have a good time, user, that's what matters.
The game matters less than having a good time with good folk.

Ive been running my first campaign for 6 months now because no one else wanted to DM and its been amazing.
Here are some super solid tips for you;

Set a time to play each week/month and stick to it. If they cant make it, they cant play. No exceptions.

Buy the DnD starter set and run the campaign that comes in the box. There is a lot to think about starting out, you dont need to add world creation to that list.

Tell your players they NEED to understand how their classes work. You are going to be doing most of the mental heavy lifting, you dont want to be explaining how there individual special abilities work.

Its a big undertaking. There will be a lot going on all the time, it does get easier to manage things with experience.

Focus on trying to do something better each time you play. Be it accents, combat description, etc

Watch some youtubes. Matt colville has a good 'getting started' series. Harmon Quest is good side watching, although its more DnD themed Improv, but the DM does a good job at making sure people enjoy themselves.

Say yes to players as much as possible. The Players only have control over 1 thing in this world and taking that away from them is shitty.

That being said, you are in control, no matter what social dynamic you have with these people, its your world. If you say something happens and they dont agree, talk about it after the game, and take it into consideration. Pacing is important you cant stop every 3 minutes to check the rulebook.

It needs to be fun, and thats your job. People enjoy different aspects of the game, you need to suss out what those are and play to them. If they arent having fun, you arent having fun.

Woah legit tips, thanks user!
Ill write all of these down now...

Its daunting as hell. But it can be so rewarding. Its the highlight of our week, every week. Ive had a room mate of one of my players regale a girl he was trying to pick up in a bar in London (we arent from london) with our antics. Our made up stories are traveling the world with people who werent there.

>If they arent having fun, you arent having fun.
To expand on this a bit more, D&D (and other tabletop games) are played as a social game. So you all need to be able to get along. If you're playing with your existing friends that should be good enough to start with.

Definitely talk with your players about what they think is fun! Just ask them "hey what do you think would be fun for you in this game?" This will give you ideas for things to include. If someone wants to have their character swing off a chandelier or something, you should at some point give them the opportunity to do so. If they want to explore ruins, well then you're going to provide a scenario for them to do that. Maybe another character wants to find a magical creature as a pet, so you put the pet in the ruins, and there's a chandelier at some point for the first guy.

Maybe your players don't know what they think would be fun, so ask what things they like and try to put those into the game.

If possible, talk to everybody individually, and then as a group. Get people talking about what they want to do in order to have fun, and make sure everybody's idea of fun plays well with the other players. It can be difficult to compromise for everybody if everybody has a different direction they want to go (someone wants high adventure while someone else wants gritty crawling in the mud), but try to talk among yourselves and find something that everybody is at least OK with.

Ooooooooh, dis some good shit!
Will definetly talk with everyone now, and i mean right now!
Because of that, in case i reply late, sorry!

3.5 is great, because no matter how many years you play it, the mechanics still have surprises for you and your group to enjoy and fight over!

>Also is being a DM such a huge responsobility?
yes.

If you're new, and they're new, I'd recommend 5e. It's much easier to pick up and play. Perhaps give Critical Role a watch, that guy is a god-tier DM.
I would highly advise against 3.5 as your first unless you have someone experienced to explain stuff. Even then, I hated it. I'm here to have fun and role play, not look up endless rules. 5e says "that's good enough" and moves on. You can make 5e more complex if it suits you as well.