I am totally new....

I am totally new to rpg board games and have no idea where to start. Do i have to buy the book for the rpg or do I just play? Is there a campaign interested in taking someone new with no experience, if so please post in this thread or PM me.

There are many RPGs out there. Two popular ones are Pathfinder (a variation of 3rd edition Dungeons and Dragons) and 4th edition Dungeons and Dragons. I suggest you look at Pathfinder's website first because most of the rules are listed on the website. The rules are also sold in PDF and of course book forms. However, 4th edition is considered by some to be a simpler ruleset to learn. For that you would have to buy the books (no free rules option). Roll20 is a way to play those games, it is not a game on its own. Pathfinder: <a href="http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/" rel="nofollow">http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/</a> 4th Edition D&D: <a href="http://www.wizards.com/DnD/" rel="nofollow">http://www.wizards.com/DnD/</a> Hope that helps. - Gauss

It certainly does help with knowing the rules, but if you get a good GM they'll help you along the way.

I'll be running a series of Single session Adventures using the Pathfinder Beginner Rules, which are just a limited version of the Regular rules, i.e. Race and Class choice are restricted to the four Original FRPG classes, Fighter, Cleric, Rogue, and Wizard. And three races Dwarf, Elf, and Human. These will use EASY to Read PreGenerated Character sheets (see example below). Watch for these Games Posted by Ajax. There is one scheduled for Wednesday night but it's full. Expanding Roll20 and Pathfinder one game at a time..........

Welcome to the hobby. To specifically answer your question, it certainly does help to buy the games you are playing (but not necessarily every book). It is, however, not necessary. Most games run are by those who pick up a new game and sell their group on it. For example, I'm running Hackmaster (a fantasy game) for my local group. I'm the only person who owns the book and will likely be so for some time. Year ago, I introduced the group to Deadlands: Hell on Earth (a post-apocalypse/supernatural game). Eventually, quite a few of the players bought the main rulebook and a number of expansions. The best advice I can give is to decide what kind of game you want to play, and start searching from there. RPG.net has a lot of reviews on available games. You are far better off picking a genre you like, finding a game that plays in that genre, and then looking for a group. Not only will you find a game you are more likely to enjoy, you will learn about what this hobby offers. D&D is a fine game, but it is by no means the only offering. I hope that helps you get started. I'm just getting my feet wet on this site, so I can't offer a spot in a game.

Depending on scheduling I am running a game Thursday nights 7:30-9:30 CST. We are playtesing the new iteration of D&D, which is very simple to learn and is free for the time being. You can go to the wizards of the coast site and sign up for the playtest and download the playtest packet. If you are interested PM me.

If you are totally new I'd definitely try to get into one of Ajax's one shot adventures (he posted earlier). He will go over the basics with you for the Pathfinder ruleset.