Any tips for a newbie?

[Explosive Cheese]

Hey, I'm new here, and new to Play by Post, and RPG's in General. I've played MMORPGs, but that's about it as far as RPGs go. I would really appreciate any pointers anybody could give me to get started.
I'm having trouble getting into tabletop RPGs here in Brazil, though that will hopefully change when I get to Canada for my university studies in a few months. Until then, I'm looking into options near me, and online. Which was how I stumbled onto this site (Google searches are your friend!).
So basically, although I understand the concept (and have read some RPG webcomics) I know very close to nothing about how to play, and I would appreciate it if a veteran could give me some pointers, both for online play and general RPG play.

Sorry if a lot of that was redundant.

Explosive Cheese

[InFlames]

Welcome to gaming.

As someone new to gaming I recommend learning Dungeons and Dragons first. It's fairly easy compared to some other systems and is where a lot of gamers start out. The 4th ed is the current edition that is out but quite a few people still play 3.5 which happens to have all of it's pertinent information available online at no cost without having to pirate it.

3.5 System Resource Document http://www.d20srd.org/

Roleplaying Games in general are like participating in a book. You create a character and basically "live" that character's life in the game going through actions they would go through. So when creating characters it helps to really breathe life into them. Not only does it make the character more believable to you and the reader, but it gives you a lot of options when you're trying to figure out what to do. You might try googling how to create believable characters in normal writing. It goes a long way towards helping in gaming.

Play by Post is slow in general, and from what I've seen doesn't always reach its conclusion. So, don't make any grand plans to go from level 1 to 20 and the like. When you look at campaigns to try and be a part of online, check for activity and a solid method of posting. Campaigns that favor "waiting on everyone to post" drag on forever and usually don't go anywhere because just one person not posting screws the rest of the group. Look for a consistent posting schedule. Like.. "I'm going to post a main plot post every Saturday and we'll have filler posts between then." And more importantly, that they stick to it.

Of course there are always exceptions for real life but considerate people will communicate their difficulties generally which doesn't slow the game down.

When you play, you want to give the DM (Dungeon Master) things to work with in addition to his own plot. For me, I have a heavy interest in archaeology IRL. So a lot of times I might add a quirk to a character like, "He's fascinated by the craftsmanship and detailing of elven daggers made during King Laetheros' reign and collects them." So if the DM is in a spot where they need something for the adventurers to do, they can look at that and go.. "Hm. I could do a ruined keep of Laetheros' and have them explore it."

Games are a lot more enjoyable when the players don't need to be led around. It's important to remember that the game should not revolve around one character but should touch on different characters periodically to keep everyone interested. Don't be afraid to get a character killed if the story calls for it. A lot of times the overall story becomes so much better with a risky action that might end in their demise.

Hope this helps! If you have any questions, feel free.

[Explosive Cheese]

I'm at school now, don't have a time for a long reply. I didn't answer before 'cause of password issues...
Thanks InFlames for all the help; the 3.5 System Resource Document was particularly helpful. I've actually got some questions about it (namely the limitations of the race and alignment systems), but I'll save them for later. Thanks for the welcome into the world of RPG! I want to get into it because I had heard that it's so much like an interactive story. I can't wait to start playing.

[InFlames]

Not sure what the question is but I will say in 3.x there really is no restriction on race versus alignment for the most part. Player Characters are considered to be unique, above average individuals in the world capable of culling their own story out of history. But things should make roleplay sense. Like I played a half-orc paladin once who thought that by devoting himself to the cause of good he would be more readily accepted by the humans in the city he lived in. So he was a Lawful Good half-orc which isn't typical, but still justified by his story.

If that's not the question, feel free to fire away when you have more time.

[Explosive Cheese]

I was basically wondering two things:
One, can I play an evil character of some variety? Because the material seemed to imply that evil alignments were reserved for enemies, which seems kind of ridiculously constraining. I'm partial to Chaotic Neutral (though I'll go all over the place), but I would like the freedom to experiment with a Lawful Evil character (or any kind of Evil). Many GMs would allow this kind of freedom right? Let the PC's be villians!
Two, can I play a race that doesn't appear in the resource document? Are there rules for Full Orc, Goblin, Lich or other PC's? I think it might be fun to experiment with some non-standard races.

[InFlames]

Yeah there are rules for doing about anything. Books like the Libris Mortis have rules for playing as Undead like liches, ghouls, and so forth. There are some minor conversion rules in the DMG for converting standard races which a DM should be able to help you with if they are allowing it.

Evil alignments really aren't reserved. A lot of campaigns the DM will have restrictions on alignment though. Like, if you're playing in a campaign featuring a lot of paladins and holiness and what not. Playing an evil character they'll sniff you out pretty quick and eliminate you. So if a DM has a restriction on alignment for their game its usually to prevent things like that or from there being too much internal conflict.

I think (and this is only a theory) part of the reason that its worded the way it is is in the first editions of the game they featured things like demons and devils prominently. So religious activists used that to label it a satanic game and blamed things like suicides and a couple homicides on "that satanic game". So more likely than not, the perception you're picking up is from them continuing to work to avoid negative perceptions being tied to their product and ruining sales.

There will be all kinds of different games and DM's. No two DM's run their games the exact same so some will be more lenient than others. If a DM says something wouldn't be appropriate for their game, then its a good idea to come up with a new idea. Otherwise your character will probably just end up dead or severely boned.

[Explosive Cheese]

Okay, thanks for all the tips! They've been really helpful. It's good to know that I have so much freedom in RPGs, since that's what I was hoping for.

[treehouse]

Hey there, and welcome! I hope you are able to find some good gaming connections here. It really is a good community for newbies and old-timers alike.

I just wanted to chime in on the alignment thing - basically, 'evil' PCs work best (when the DM allows them) when they aren't disruptively evil. By that I mean their motives need to be pointing them in the same general direction as the good or neutral PCs most of the time. A cleric of Pelor wants to stop the goblin horde because the horde is a threat to the peaceful valley that she defends. A necromancer who joins up with her might very well be an enemy in different circumstances, but the goblin horde threatens his activities in the valley as well. Or perhaps he's heard about an artifact of undeath that the goblin high priest wields, and he wishes to procure it.

That scenario is kind of unlikely, but you get the idea - evil PCs work best when they aren't constantly in conflict with the non-evil PCs' goals. This game is ultimately a collaborative story, so one PC with completely different goals than the others is going to constantly be trying to hog the spotlight.

[LeeCHeSSS]

And as for playing as non-default player races, it has been done many times on these boards: I have played as a gargoyle, air genasi, azer (flaming dwarf) and hobgoblin, to name just a few.

[Explosive Cheese]

Thanks for the info!
Are there campaigns where most of the party consists of evil PCs? A band of villains united not to defend the the weak, the innocent, or justice, but basically to further their own goals, to cause destruction and mayhem, to bring about world domination/the end of the world, etc.? In that case, the evil PCs would likely not disrupt the rest of the group, except for the naturally more competitive and self-serving natures of the individuals, right?

[BigRedRod]

I really wouldn't advise starting with non-standard races, the rules don't work as well and you generally make life inherently much harder for your DM and yourself.

And as for playing evil alignments, I'm not sure I've ever seen an evil game that has been successful. Too many people take evil to mean mindlessly destructive.

You're new, start with as few complications as possible to get the hang of things.

[treehouse]

One of these days I'm going to run my campaign idea 'The Hit', where the PCs play members of an elite assassination squad. It'll probably be a Spycraft campaign though.

Of course, this will have to wait until I'm able to conclude one of the many games I have going right now.

-treehouse, who frequently bites off more than he can chew

[Explosive Cheese]

Yeah, I wasn't really intending to start off with non-standard setups, I was just curious if such things were done. Once I have more experience with the game, I'd like to try playing some different kinds of characters, but for the time being I just want to get started playing with the easier to understand basics.
Treehouse, what's Spycraft?

[treehouse]

My favorite rule set on Earth (http://www.crafty-games.com/product_catalog/spycraft20). Be warned though, it's about fifty times more complex than D&D.

[Explosive Cheese]

Modern setting? Looks pretty cool, and sophisticated, from the short intro I read.
I, myself, prefer futuristic Sci-Fi, and medieval-ish sword and sorcery, for stories anyways.
But, if and when you start up that assassination squad campaign, I might look into it.

[Darius]

We probably shouldn't even mention FantasyCraft then, should we?

[treehouse]

Mmmm, FantasyCraft. When are you going to get that game going, sir?

Maybe I'm just becoming immunized to the Mastercraft way of things, but FC seems to have an easier learning curve than Spycraft.

[Explosive Cheese]

treehouse, could you point me toward info on Matercraft? I can't seem to find it on Google.

[Explosive Cheese]

Okay, I just took a very brief look into what FantasyCraft is all about, and I am impressed!
The detail is apparently incredible, but so is the freedom - the diversity of standard races available to PCs, and the ease with which new types of creatures can be created seem really cool.
I truly hope someone starts a FantasyCraft game soon, so that I can participate in it.

[Darius]

A certain three month old has been eating up large swaths of my time. I should really sit down and get what's in my head down in concrete form. I have not done nearly enough prep to even begin to do an FC game justice.

EDIT: When is Inceptum updating again? Explosive Cheese- if you really want to see what can be accomplished in a pbp, you should check Inceptum out. [/plug]

[Croaker]

Exploded Cheese --

As you are in my game, you can probably tell I have a fondness for indie RPGs. If you're interested in narrativist gameplay, I highly recommend the following:


Burning Wheel (http://www.burningwheel.org/)-- A neat story-driven, complex sword-and-sorcery system created by Luke Crane. There are four core books (Core Rules/Character Generation, sold as one unit for $25; the Monster book, and the Magic book) and a plethora of official sourcebooks and fan material. The developers are active on the forums (www.burningwheel.org) and would be happy to answer any questions you have about the system. The game isn't exactly rules-heavy, but it is very detailed and does have a lot of subsystems (most of which are optional).
Dogs in the Vineyard (http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html) -- A narrativist game (like In a Wicked Age) by Vincent Baker about a religious order of solider-couriers called God's Watchdogs. It takes place in a weird west setting with fantasy elements, and you play members of the Order traveling from town to town delivering news and mail, adjudicating conflicts, and driving out demons. Has a great rules set that covers everything from gunfighting and bar-room brawling to negotiating and exorcism.
In a Wicked Age, which you know about.
Nobilis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobilis) -- Diceless modern fantasy roleplaying where you play as absolute gods over particular elements of reality (War, Music, Flame, Desire, Combat Boots, etc). You can play a power of literally anything, and you fight in a perpetual war to keep reality safe from a band of extradimensional invaders of godlike power called the Excrucians. Wicked hard, but incredibly rewarding roleplaying.

Aside from the indie games I so love, I also enjoy the following games:


Dark Heresy -- Warhammer 40k roleplaying game. Grim space-opera roleplaying in the 40th century. Really neat setting, average rules.
Shadowrun -- Near-future roleplaying game combining cyberpunk and fantasy. You can play a Troll gangster, an Elven Street Mage, a Human gun bunny... an interesting game known for the complexity of its rules and the fanaticism of its fanbase.
D&D -- You know about this one. Not my favorite system ever (that goes for all of the editions), but it was my first (I think) and it can be a great deal of fun in the right company.


I have played a million games (Exalted, World of Darkness new and old, GURPs, My Life With Master, Sorcerer, Ars Magicka, Alternity, Unknown Armies, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd and 3rd ed, Eclipse Phase, Earthdawn... the list goes on), but the ones I listed above are my favorites. Currently I'm not playing or running anything except for In a Wicked Age, but the ones I listed with descriptions are the only games I would bother with personally. Of course, you're new at this so you should check everything out (try and play a game or research heavily before committing the money, though) and make your own choices.

If you have any questions, you have my email address and you know where to find me here on the board. I'm not the most enthusiastic roleplaying hobbyist out there, but I've been around for a long time and I've made my share of mistakes in the hobby (starting games I couldn't handle, making stupid characters, investing way too much money in a system I didn't realize I hated, etc). If you need a guide, I am at your service. :D

[Explosive Cheese]

Darius: Inceptum seems really, really, incredibly amazing, just going by the adventure synopsis! If it ever starts updating again, I'd like to join in.

Croaker: Thanks for the detailed input. I think out of the games you've mentioned, Burning Wheel looks most in line with my favourite genres, but all of them look intriguing, particularly Nobilis and Shadowrun; and of course D&D, though it seems somewhat limited compared to the other systems I've been pointed toward. I suppose those limitations might prove useful to me as a complete novice though.
Much as I'd love to check those links out, I really have got to do my high-school homework now (I don't want to screw up my senior year grades in the second semester)! I *ahem* seem to have left a weekend's worth of homework to do at 10:30 P.M. on a Sunday.:tsk: That's what I get for spending my whole weekend on this forum...:fun:

P.S. My screen name is actually Explosive Cheese... It's not a big deal, but I've heard that these kind of mix-ups can get awkward if not cleared up quickly...:S

[treehouse]

EDIT: When is Inceptum updating again? Explosive Cheese- if you really want to see what can be accomplished in a pbp, you should check Inceptum out. [/plug]

Aww, thanks Darius. Umm, I have an update 3/4 of the way done, but I keep wiping it and restarting. Not really an excuse, but it's the beginning of the end of this chapter and I want to get it 'right'.

[Croaker]

Cheese -- I tend to mangle people's handles pretty regularly. I don't really read things too carefully -- I'm more of a skimmer.

As for homework, well, no one ever does that on time. I'm in grad school and I have a huge conference next week and I haven't even started working on my poster or polishing my draft. Such is life! :D

[Explosive Cheese]

Yeah, I tend to be a stickler for precision. It really bugs people around me that aren't so obsessed with getting everything just right, but I get satisfaction out of it. You'll probably notice this as we play, and there will be moments where you ask yourself "Should I arrange to have his character killed just to shut him up?" I can only plead that you spare the character retribution for my sins.

[treehouse]

Inceptum seems really, really, incredibly amazing, just going by the adventure synopsis! If it ever starts updating again, I'd like to join in.

I'll put you on the waiting list ;) I'm not actively recruiting right now, though.

It's an Iron Heroes (http://fierydragon.com/dragonsbreath/?cat=12) game. Basically a very low magic system in the traditional sword & sorcery vein. Different classes earn tokens by doing things (or when things happen), and they can spend tokens to activate powerful class abilities.

[Explosive Cheese]

Well, some good news and some bad news...
Bad news... Two hours of sleep last night... I am a zombie as indicated by my title today.
Good news... I finished all my weekends homework in the space of 5 hours between 10:00 P.M. and 3:00 A.M. There wasn't that much by my standards, but when my rate is something like 15 minutes of work for every 45 minutes of procrastinating, I'll take that as a win. =D

[Explosive Cheese]

I had some time to look over the Nobilis and Burning Wheel links: Very cool. I see what you mean about liking narrativist games. I think I was especially impressed by Nobilis; it seems quite unique. If you ever set up a game in one of these systems, I'll be joining. =)

[Explosive Cheese]

I've been admitted to my top choice of university program:
Math honours at the University of Waterloo, Faculty of Mathematics! I'll probably accept this offer soon, but I'm still waiting to hear from two other universities in Canada (University of Toronto, and Queen's University). I just got an e-mail right out of the blue, and I feel ecstatic!

[Croaker]

Congrats; now you can slack off. :P