D&D

[Edward Cheever]

So how many of you guys have ever played Dungeons and Dragons? What do you think of it? If you haven't played it, what have you heard and what do you think of it (but be sure to bring your whys and wherefores.)

I'm just getting into it with a small group of friends. It's only my second time to ever play a D&D game (and honestly the first time was kind of a farce,) and its my first time first time being a DM (Dungeon Master) which means I'm basically the storyteller/referee. We're having a lot of fun so far, I'm happy and proud to say.

But world building is a lot of work! O.o

[Scott]

I must say I've never tried it. Partially because I've never had to the time and because I had other games that had appealed to me more. Unfortunately the first one is predominate nowadays, seeing as I like learning new things.

What I've heard about it is probably a satire more than anything else. Several people gather and create characters (Wizards, Warriors, Monks, etc) under the auspices of a DM who dictates the rules of the world. Also dice appear to be significant, and hats.

How does it differ from what I've heard?

[Edward Cheever]

Well, the premise you laid out seems fairly accurate, but I'm sure you have in fact seen a satire of some kind.

I like to think of it as cooperative story-telling.

I just wrote a blog post about my first three sessions with the game: wp.me/pzOVo-jg

[Jeremy N]

I know this is almost a year old, but I wanted to say that I hope your game is going well. I've played D&D for quite a while, starting from college (don't most people have SOME exposure to it by then usually?). I DM'd a weekly campaign with 5-9 players for over a year, and let me tell you I know how hard it is to be the Dungeon Master and keep track of all the rules and characters, let alone NPC's and an entire world.

I'm sure you've figured this out by now (if you played DM very long at all) but there's plenty of pre-made adventures to get you started, and a lot of them you can find for free online for whichever edition you're playing. The true test of a DM is when you create your own campaign, with a world, NPC's, and rules that have never before been used. It's the most work, but also the most fun.

That being said, my suggestion to all beginning DM's is to look over some pre-made material first and try running one of those adventures while you get the hang of all the rules. Limit your games to the core rulebooks (Player's Handbook (PH) and Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG)) and don't allow players to bring in strange things from other sources (magazines, online, or even other books) until you have a firm grasp on the basics. Create a sheet (or a couple) with all the basic tables or rules you find yourself running up against time and again, and keep it close so you can refer to it quickly. This helps the play continue with few interruptions, which is key to running a great session. Most of all, just have fun with it. If you don't know a specific rule off the top of your head, or can't find it quickly in one of the core rulebooks (meaning in a couple minutes or less) then make something up and tell your players you'll look it up later and make a decision on whether to go with whatever the rules say, or make your decision a "house rule" to play by for the future.

As I pointed out in the beginning, it's been almost a year since you posted this question and if you're still playing I'm sure you're an old-hand at this by now. Hopefully this will help others who also have your question in the future. I hope you are still playing because a good D&D group is hard to find but a great treat to enjoy. Be forewarned! This game can be highly addiction if you have even a small bump of imagination. Just give it several chances if it doesn't grab you right away because you may not have the right group to play in yet, but it's like a legal addiction if you play it right.