Dungeons & Dragons

[Killer Joe]

I don't play D & D but most folks I game with do. At our local card shop I saw that Wiz Co. put out a D&D Basic Game box set for around $23. I am always one for 'starter' games. I like them because I already know I don't plan on getting 'into-it' and they're usually pretty simple.

I have the Duel Masters 2 players starter game
6th Ed Magic 2 player starter
7 th ed MTG
8th Ed MTG
Harry Potter
Pokemon
MLB
X-men

anyway, I thought I might buy this box (I do NOT plan on getting too involved in D&D becuase I only get a limited amount of time to play Magic let alone cutting into that time for yet another game ). Does anyone else have this D&D basic Game?

 

[Killer Joe]

Alright, I finally broke down and bought Dungeons & Dragons Basic Game by Wiz Co.

It comes with 4 Hero miniatures and their pre-made stat sheets, 12 monsters and 1 of them is a Black Dragon. It also came with 4 double-sided Dungeon Grids, a quick start manual, first adventure story and an Advanced Rules Book. Lastly it came 7 colorful dice.

My daughter and I tried it out this past Friday Night and had NO idea what to do, I was the DM and she played two heros. It was all that dice rolling stuff and Armour Class, Damage Rolls and what the heck is Fortitude?

Anyway, we had fun and after reading it some more I think I got it,...for now.

 

[Spiderman]

Never heard of it... Usually a "new person" to D&D hooks up with other experienced players who can teach them the ropes. But if you had fun, cool...

 

[jorael]

I have no idea how good the Basic Game is. My advice: find someone with rpg (roleplaying game) experience. Getting it learned or having an experienced person help, makes it a lot easier to learn the game.

I have played long enough to help you out with questions that can be answered in a forum and I believe some others here also have played the game (2nd, 3rd and 3.5 edition). I don't play anymore, because my playgroup dissolved and I'm more into Magic right now and I don't have enough spare time for both...

Is this the minitiature game of D&D, very similar to HeroQuest? Or is it the "normal" pen and paper version with some visual aids?

Either way, fortitude is a kind of saving throw. If something nasty is about to happen to a character/hero (e.g. evil spell, drowning, a trap, mental attacks) he/she must make a saving throw.

There are 3 kind of saving throws:
1. Fortitude (based on constitution, is about physical impact and stamina)
2. Reflex (based on dexterity, is about being able to dodge bad stuff)
3. Willpower (based on wisdom, is about mental discipline)

Say for example, a player character walks into a room with a blade trap. The trap will have some difficulty level, called difficulty class (DC). A hero has to roll equal or higher that the DC to make a save (and thus escape the trap or only get some minor damage). A hero rolls one 20-sided die (D20) and adds its modifier (e.g. reflex save of +4 modified by dexterity -2, armor -0, magic bonusses or whatever +2 = total +4). So if the DC of a trap would be 15, a hero with a reflex save of +4 needs to roll 11 or higher to make the save.

Have you checked the website already? I believe they have a section for starters.
Good luck, and if you have any questions, let me know! (if I am of any help )

 

[Killer Joe]

I DO have friends that play like Mooseman, but I think they play pen & paper style which is a very imaginative way of playing...unfortunately, I am more of a visual player and lack the ability to imagine that I'm in a Dungeon or a Cursed Forest with a Necromancing Wizard lurking around imagination has never been one of my......fortes.

1 inch squares, now THAT I can relate too.

Thanks for the other info, I'll check out the website sometime. And I'm guessing this is the Basic "miniatures" Game. It came with 16 of them

 

[Homestar]

i never could do that, i sat and watched 8 of my friends play for like an hour and i got really interested, but i could never grasp how to play, i juss cant do all that stuff, plus i have ADHD so none of it works out..... some guys at this hobbie shop i go to race RC cars play this game called Warhammer 3000 or something. ont need no boards, just an army of pieces, a table, and a guidebook unless your a major warhammer geek, and a tape measure and dice. its weird....

 

[DarthFerret]

My roomate bought the boxed set that you mentioned. It was a very basic, cut down version of the 3rd Ed. rules and what to do with them. Really, the best way to learn is to get with others. And if you have the right kind of play group, it dont matter what books you have because you really only need a good imagination. Some people really get into the technical dice rolling and numbers and such, but for me it has always been the actual Role-Play that was the best part. Trying to decide what your CHARACTER would do, even if you yourself know a better way. (Ever seen a very stupid burly fighter knock down the hut he was in because he swatted at an unknown assailant (a bee).

I have see WarHammer, and really do not care for that genre myself, although it looks like it would be an interesting game style.

I have tried many RPG's including WhiteWolf, Marvel, BESM, etc...none of them match up to this new d20 system that seems to be sweeping the role-playing community.

 

[jorael]

Yeah I agree. The D20 system is awesome.

Tactical combat, custom made characters (regarding the rules), flexibility, broad productline, easy to learn (compared to other rpg systems): that's D20

 

[Spiderman]

I've played both D&D and Warhammer Fantasy (not currently because of time and lack of opponents who are friends ) and they're just different games, pen-n-paper D&D to tabletop Warhammer. If you've seen HeroQuest in stores with the minatures, Warhammer seems to be more like that. It's basically a wargame in 3D as opposed to Avalon Hill wargames with counters (or Titan if you're familiar with that).

But both are great games

 

[Homestar]

I just cant see myself doing that kind of stuff, i hae no imagination, but i think i actually might take up D&D after al this talk about it

 

[Ferret]

Ummmm...all I can do is just blink repeatedly after seeing so many people that have never played D&D before. It's like meeting someone that never watched any of the Star Trek series. Whoa.

Mrs. F has never played it, but she at least knows what some of the silly terms I throw around are. I've been playing for close to 25 years in case anyone has any random questions from any edition just let me know...

-Ferret

"I've never felt so old in my whole life..."

 

[Spiderman]

It's like meeting someone that never watched any of the Star Trek series

Keep blinking - that would be me Like those who haven't played D&D, it's probably due to whether it interests you or not...

 

[jorael]

Hey Ferret, did you play D&D 1st edition? Probably really old school

 

[Killer Joe]

My daughter and I played D&D again and we're gettin' it right this time. We added one of her Barbie 2D figures from a board game and included the adventure to rescue the Princess. The Princess doesn't have a character sheet yet but how do you figure out "beauty" and "ditzy"?

She has a much better imagination than I do so if she likes the way we're playing then that's okay for me

 

[YoungBeard]

If you ever want someone to "show you the ropes" I'm a fairly experienced DM for 3.x D&D.

 

[Ferret]

Hey Ferret, did you play D&D 1st edition? Probably really old school

Yuppers! I even remember when there were only THREE (count them, three) hardback books for the game in existence - and you could buy all three for only $48! Nowadays, I think you have to pay that for just one 3.5 edition book...

-Ferret

"And the call Magic expensive..."

 

[Killer Joe]

If you ever want someone to "show you the ropes" I'm a fairly experienced DM for 3.x D&D.

Sure. Someday at GASP Game Day or a night at Blue Star Games.

 

[DarthFerret]

If anyone has any questions about a basic D & D game, look in the games run forum under the "Palace of the Silver Princess" Thread. We are playing a game (Spidey is running it) that uses the rules from Basic Edition Dungeons and Dragons. (This was the first D & D created, before the 1st Ed. Advanced D & D came out.) This can give you a good idea on role play, but wont help you much on the rules/dice format.