I've been casually playing table top rpg games for several years, but never with a DnD system. I've played Seventh Sea, Exalted, and Rifts, and then took a break as real life took over. A couple years ago, I met some friends who wanted to try out role playing for the first time with Star Wars Force and Destiny. It was my first time to GM a game, and it fit into an area of expertise as I've read practically everything Star Wars. We've had a pretty good time with it, and have put in about 35 sessions. But I'm starting to get frustrated with the system as the players have gained power. Perhaps it's more me that the system, I'm not sure. One of the boons of playing with a group who has no real previous experience is that they don't have much to measure me against. But I've played with an awesome GM, so I know it could be better.
Needless to say, I have been considering switching to DnD once our current campaign is over, probably around 12-15 sessions from now. I've been watching some streams, and I feel like the systems are much more cut and dry. The biggest negative is I have no idea where to start, as I try real hard to stay with the Lore and my only real DnD experience is the old PC games for Neverwinter Nights. I'm not so much worried about the character building or anything, as that seems to be pretty well laid out in the handbooks. On top of the Lore aspect, I also am concerned about cost. I'd love to go all in, but the cost is prohibitive. If I were to piecemeal together 3-5 books, what do you feel should be my priorities?
Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual would be the big three books. Then probably Xanathar's Guide to Everything and one of the adventures. I like Storm Kings Thunder, but a lot of it is a sandbox and isn't for everyone. It will give a decent overview of a lot of the Sword Coast. With a forum search you can find a lot of posts about which adventures people like and why.
I wouldn't worry too much about the lore though. As long as you keep it consistent within your own story, you should be all set. And you can always ask questions in the Story and Lore forum if there are specific issues. I have also found the Forgotten Realms wiki to be pretty good.
Then get just the pieces you need of other books to expand player options and a master subscription and share the books you have with your players.
However, to be honest I wouldn't start that way at all. The suggestions above are step two.
I would get the starter kit and the essentials kit. Physically and on dndbeyond then subscribe at the masters level. Please note the essentials kit has a free dndbeyond code in it with some extra adventures. If you like the style and feel. Then buy the main books
If you just want to try it out, maybe start with the Basic Rules. They are here on Dndbeyond and you can download a pdf at Wizards of the Coast.
To get a more solid start, I recommend the Starter Set, which comes with the printed Basic Rules and an adventure, Lost Mines of Phandelver. I like that adventure a lot.
There is also a Essentials Kit, which also includes the Basic Rules, a different starting adventure 'Dragon of Icespire Peak', which is also set in the area of Phandelver and can be combined with LMoP. It also comes with additional accessories.
The Essentials Kit integrates with Dndbeyond as it has digital claim codes for the adventure, and a 50 % off code for the Player's Handbook.
If you are serious about playing D&D, the core ruleset is almost mandatory, which is the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master Guide, and Monster Manual.
If you want a lore guidebook, the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide is about the most thorough thing out there for the Forgotten Realms right now. It covers a large chunk of the "main" continent of Faerun (much more than just the Sword Coast, in fact), and it gives world history, racial histories, and all of that.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
doesn't the DMG have a whole bunch of magic items in it. Honestly I wouldn't relish recreating them especially without the ability to use the existing ones to tweak in homebrew.
Does the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide have maps of the regions in it? I'm assuming it would, but would like to know for sure.
Also, thanks a bunch for the replies! It definitely gives me a better idea of a starting point.
It has a huge 2-page wide map at the front, which you may need a magnifying glass to read... but then in later sections of the book it has blow-ups of each region it's talking about.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
OP: If you like the Star Wars setting and are comfortable with the lore there, but like the D&D 5e system, there are people that have converted 5e into the Star Wars setting. I'm not sure I can link it, but a google search for Star Wars 5e D&D should lead you to it.
I have one question: Are you planning on trying to run your own thing for D&D? Your own world and story?
If yes, then I'd recommend the following:
Buy the Player's Handbook on amazon for $30 (US). It would be beneficial for a couple (if not all) players to have the PHB as well
That's it. Plan your adventure 1 session at a time. Remove yourself of the burden of it not working out, yet you try and get more out of it than you should simply because you went "all-in" for $100+ dollars.
If no, then I'd recommend the following:
Buy the Player's Handbook on amazon for $30 (US). It would be beneficial for a couple (if not all) players to have the PHB as well
Run them through Lost Mines of Phandelver. It's a highly respected "starter" adventure to give you and the players a feel for all things fifth edition. The best part, is its free. I am not condoning or even suggesting to go down the old school pirate bay sort of route, but by simply typing Lost Mines of Phandelver into google, you'll find multiple places where it just sort of all shows up on screen. If you buy it on something like D&D Beyond or through some PDF links, it'll cost $10-$15 bucks
That is all you need. The usual, paper, pencils, dice, etc. 5E Characters can be had for free - again with google searches. With a bit of detective work, google fu and a printer, you'll have all you need. The key is to GET STARTED. The rest takes care of itself.
This is from someone with 12+ 5E books on my shelf and the D&D Beyond Legendary Bundle and 30+yrs DM experience in D&D and running my 5th consecutive 5E campaign for 10 players, etc..
Hi there,
I've been casually playing table top rpg games for several years, but never with a DnD system. I've played Seventh Sea, Exalted, and Rifts, and then took a break as real life took over. A couple years ago, I met some friends who wanted to try out role playing for the first time with Star Wars Force and Destiny. It was my first time to GM a game, and it fit into an area of expertise as I've read practically everything Star Wars. We've had a pretty good time with it, and have put in about 35 sessions. But I'm starting to get frustrated with the system as the players have gained power. Perhaps it's more me that the system, I'm not sure. One of the boons of playing with a group who has no real previous experience is that they don't have much to measure me against. But I've played with an awesome GM, so I know it could be better.
Needless to say, I have been considering switching to DnD once our current campaign is over, probably around 12-15 sessions from now. I've been watching some streams, and I feel like the systems are much more cut and dry. The biggest negative is I have no idea where to start, as I try real hard to stay with the Lore and my only real DnD experience is the old PC games for Neverwinter Nights. I'm not so much worried about the character building or anything, as that seems to be pretty well laid out in the handbooks. On top of the Lore aspect, I also am concerned about cost. I'd love to go all in, but the cost is prohibitive. If I were to piecemeal together 3-5 books, what do you feel should be my priorities?
Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual would be the big three books. Then probably Xanathar's Guide to Everything and one of the adventures. I like Storm Kings Thunder, but a lot of it is a sandbox and isn't for everyone. It will give a decent overview of a lot of the Sword Coast. With a forum search you can find a lot of posts about which adventures people like and why.
I wouldn't worry too much about the lore though. As long as you keep it consistent within your own story, you should be all set. And you can always ask questions in the Story and Lore forum if there are specific issues. I have also found the Forgotten Realms wiki to be pretty good.
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Players handbook
Dungeon masters guide
Monster manual
Then get just the pieces you need of other books to expand player options and a master subscription and share the books you have with your players.
However, to be honest I wouldn't start that way at all. The suggestions above are step two.
I would get the starter kit and the essentials kit. Physically and on dndbeyond then subscribe at the masters level. Please note the essentials kit has a free dndbeyond code in it with some extra adventures. If you like the style and feel. Then buy the main books
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0786965592/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_V5q8DbPJ8TXYM
The adventure on dndbeyond. https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/lmop
Essentials kit. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0786966831/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_27q8DbGKVNMAS. Just pull the code to use dndbeyond tools
If you just want to try it out, maybe start with the Basic Rules. They are here on Dndbeyond and you can download a pdf at Wizards of the Coast.
To get a more solid start, I recommend the Starter Set, which comes with the printed Basic Rules and an adventure, Lost Mines of Phandelver. I like that adventure a lot.
There is also a Essentials Kit, which also includes the Basic Rules, a different starting adventure 'Dragon of Icespire Peak', which is also set in the area of Phandelver and can be combined with LMoP. It also comes with additional accessories.
The Essentials Kit integrates with Dndbeyond as it has digital claim codes for the adventure, and a 50 % off code for the Player's Handbook.
If you are serious about playing D&D, the core ruleset is almost mandatory, which is the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master Guide, and Monster Manual.
More Interesting Lock Picking Rules
The Essential Kit is a good start for sure. :-) I would skip the Dungeon Master Guide for an actual adventure, though.
If you are not completely new to DMing the DMG imho has little value.
If you want a lore guidebook, the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide is about the most thorough thing out there for the Forgotten Realms right now. It covers a large chunk of the "main" continent of Faerun (much more than just the Sword Coast, in fact), and it gives world history, racial histories, and all of that.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
doesn't the DMG have a whole bunch of magic items in it. Honestly I wouldn't relish recreating them especially without the ability to use the existing ones to tweak in homebrew.
Does the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide have maps of the regions in it? I'm assuming it would, but would like to know for sure.
Also, thanks a bunch for the replies! It definitely gives me a better idea of a starting point.
SCAG has a map in the pages of the book, and both the Starter Set and the Essentials Kit have a fold out map, each.
Edit: there are plenty versions online, too
More Interesting Lock Picking Rules
You can see the map in this video at 1:38
https://www.amazon.com/vdp/fdefa54edb324717b2584707afaffffa?ref=cm_sw_em_r_lb_dt_37MDCjGlGDxM6
More Interesting Lock Picking Rules
It has a huge 2-page wide map at the front, which you may need a magnifying glass to read... but then in later sections of the book it has blow-ups of each region it's talking about.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
OP: If you like the Star Wars setting and are comfortable with the lore there, but like the D&D 5e system, there are people that have converted 5e into the Star Wars setting. I'm not sure I can link it, but a google search for Star Wars 5e D&D should lead you to it.
I have one question: Are you planning on trying to run your own thing for D&D? Your own world and story?
If yes, then I'd recommend the following:
That's it. Plan your adventure 1 session at a time. Remove yourself of the burden of it not working out, yet you try and get more out of it than you should simply because you went "all-in" for $100+ dollars.
If no, then I'd recommend the following:
That is all you need. The usual, paper, pencils, dice, etc. 5E Characters can be had for free - again with google searches. With a bit of detective work, google fu and a printer, you'll have all you need. The key is to GET STARTED. The rest takes care of itself.
This is from someone with 12+ 5E books on my shelf and the D&D Beyond Legendary Bundle and 30+yrs DM experience in D&D and running my 5th consecutive 5E campaign for 10 players, etc..
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