Hi, I'm new. (never played tabletop before)

Hello, I didn't see an 'introduce yourself' thread so I thought I'd post this here. Yes it's true I've never played any table top games other than board games like monopoly and mouse trap, ect. However this is not by choice, I just never knew anyone growing up who played them. I remember the first time I saw a D&D board/box (unopened) and asked my older sister if we could play. She said I was way too young and wouldn't like it despite my begging and promising. At any rate, like I said, never got around to actually playing it. Sometimes I would see sessions of other games at hobby stores or comic book shops, but I was always too shy to just walk up and be like "hey I've never played before so I totally suck and have no idea how to play, can I join your game please." Trying to make a long story short, last night I heard you can play them online. How could I have never thought of that? It just never occurred to me for some reason. So I did a search today and at first came across the dnd mmo, but I've played mmos before and that's not what I'm looking for. I know there's also web based text rpgs but what I really wanted to find was something that emulates the experience I never had the opportunity to enjoy. I want to find out what all this 20 sided dice create your own campaign/character/world business I've been hearing about is like, so I happily stumbled upon this site, watched the video at the bottom of the page and now I'm looking forward to diving right in tonight and seeing what happens. Thank you Roll20 dev team for making this site. I hope it lives long and prospers. Also, since I am totally new, does anyone have any advice? Like what games to join/avoid or just any advice at all? Good times to play/when most players are on? I'm actually terrible at math but I'm hoping that won't be an issue, but if need be I'll kickstart the ol' left brain if I have to. Any tips/advice is appreciated. Thanks.

Your best bet is to Post in LFG (Looking For Group) or click on the LFG link up top to the left of Community Forums. It has a plethora of different types of Games going on right now. If you create a thread on the LFG Area, just say your new and looking to participate in a campaign/session/Game. A DM or players looking for more people to add will then reply to your topic asking some questions or out right invite you to their game. I HIGHLY recommend playing with other people for awhile before embarking on creating your own Campaign Making. For two reasons, to learn Roll20's site and way of things and to learn about the d20 system and some versions of Tabletop Games. Normally some type of literature on whatever Version you are playing is required by the DM for you to have. Many of these can be either bought, downloaded in a pdf form, or found surfing the web. These are also great sources to start educating you. Also if your unsure what type of Tabletop you want to get into browsing over some of the games out there will give you a general idea of what you can expect and help narrow your search. Hope some of this helps and Welcome!! P.R Sidenote: Math isnt THAT big (it honestly depends on what your playing and how big of a stickler your DM is to the number crunch) , it can be somewhat confusing when it comes to character sheets when attempting to get AC (Armor class) or adding/subtracting for modifiers etc. But once youve done it a couple times it becomes second nature. As long as you have a Great DM and helpful players around you it shouldn't be an issue at all.

Moved to Off-Topic

Thanks!

Welcome to the hobby! Math shouldn't really be a problem. I can't think of any RPGs (at least, any good RPGs) that math any more difficult than adding a couple two-digit numbers. It's even easier online because you can make macros to do the math for you and all you have to do is hit a button. I think there's a post about roll20 etiquette floating around somewhere; reading that would be a good idea before jumping in. My advice is as follows: 1. Don't be a dick (note: "I'm not a dick, my character is" is not a valid excuse) 2. Build off each other, don't block each other. 3. You're supposed to be a badass. Act like it. do stuff and take risks. There's a great article online about how to be a good player here as well.

4. PnP RPGs follow the same social ediquette as meeting up with your friends to play sports. If you can't make it, tell your group, preferable as soon as is convenient (a lot of new players don't realize that D&D is a team game, so if you aren't going to be there you need to let everyone know a reasonable amount of time before the game). 5. Don't worry too much about roleplaying "well", if you browse these forums much you will see a lot of conflict about what that even means (between people who have been doing it for decades). Just jump in and try to match the style of the group you are in, and if you feel it isn't what you are looking for, politely leave and try a new group (after the game). It might be a good idea to hop into a few one-shots (single session campaigns) until you get a feel for what style you like before committing to a longer game. Rule 0. Have fun!

Thank you both. I appreciate the help.

When I started in the 80's there was Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (the hardcover books), and if you could afford the Player's Handbook you still couldn't peek at the Dungeon Master's Guide. Pathfinder is now the same way: knowledge is split up into different types of volumes. I ended up buying a game called STAR FRONTIERS as well, which was intended to be mass-marketed; that is, for the princely sum of $10 in 1982, it would give you clear rules, 2 10-sided dice, a large map, an adventure module (a script to lead players through a game-adventure), AND instructions on how to be the referee (game-master) effectively, AND how to design adventures. It gave away all the secrets to tabletop role-playing at once, because it might be picked up by a lone kid in a small-town who would not be able to find existing players. You can download the current fan-resurrected edition for free, and may want to read the sections about effective play, even if the game and setting may not be your thing.&nbsp; Start with the "Alpha Dawn" (core book). <a href="http://www.starfrontiersman.com/remastered.php" rel="nofollow">http://www.starfrontiersman.com/remastered.php</a> Other free games that reveal about the art of RPG are the Basic RolePlaying quick-start guide (from Chaosium Inc. that was known for a line of games including RuneQuest and Call of Cthulhu (the most elegant Horror RPG I think). <a href="http://catalog.chaosium.com/product_info.php?cPath" rel="nofollow">http://catalog.chaosium.com/product_info.php?cPath</a>... Every few years, there's a regular paperback or trade paperback not about any particular game, but about how to RPG. But the current titles escape me; can anyone suggest a book from the past or present? Gary Gygax the inventor of D&D wrote ROLE-PLAYING MASTERY and MASTER OF THE GAME where he put his thoughts down about effective play.

Oh, and technically, all the rules to the Pathfinder RPG can be read online for free, minus the artwork and illustrative example-sidebars. Absolutely everything. Again you might be able to get sections on useful player advice. <a href="http://paizo.com/prd/" rel="nofollow">http://paizo.com/prd/</a> A better introduction to the game, the PATHFINDER RPG BEGINNER BOX, can be purchased from game shops. Beginner boxes exist for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and STAR WARS as well.

Thanks again for all the help. :)