I'd like to start by saying in no way shape or form is this intended to be mean or insulting. If you read this and at any point you think 'what a jerk', I pre-emptively apologize as it is truly meant as advice, encouragement to new players, and hopefully thoughts that will get you involved with a game. Because... It is a blast. I've known a lot of DMs (I admit it - i am on old fart, likely older than all but a few here), and every DM plays the game differently. Which is awesome. Some DM's make combat oriented games, others like to have a story, some do a mix, some min/max toons, others prefer a more vulnerable feel to their characters, some have lots of magic, some don't. Some DM's are wide open to every possibility, while others hope to collaboratively build a story with their players that isn't wide open. Regardless of how a DM approaches their world all of them do one thing in common - they are being creative. If they weren't then why not just play Axis & Allies, or Pandemic, or Guild Wars 2? Regardless if your DM's campaign is a gladiator pit where you attempt to build a character that can survive, or your DM has a plot that has 40 NPC's all interlocked in a grand plot that you are part of, it is the creativity of the DM that makes the otherwise meaningless numbers on a character sheet as interesting as they are. I think that's an inarguable fact. When you see a game you think you might like to be a part of you will get a spot more often than not if you approach your request with that in mind. First, read the Ad. If it has instructions, follow them. I don't like answering inquiries that do not because I figure if the person can't follow a paragraph of simple instructions, then they won't keep track of a plot of even a slightly involved story. Next thing is talk to the DM. Find out what the game is like, maybe you don't want to have to study to play! I have had players yell at me for that before. "I don't want to go to college to play a game" was the exact quote . On the flip side of that coin, I like my games to have a 'book-like' feel. I want moral consequences, I want stress, I want fear. Those things can only come from the players themselves, and being consumed by the mechanics of the game is sometimes detrimental to that effort. That's one of the reasons I sometimes prefer new players. They play the game in their imagination, where most of it should be in my opinion. I had a table of six players once, they were all family who I forced into playing because it was my birthday and that's what I wanted. Heh. Not one of them had ever seen the inside of a rule book, and it was one of the most fun games I have ever had. That being said, some games, it's best if you do know your rules, and you do know how to build a character that will survive. Games that have both elements are arguably the best. Back in the late 90's I had the pleasure of trading emails with Gary Gygax. Mostly we talked about non-game things. Jazz music, travel, family... I sure wish I would have kept the emails. You could just tell he was a kind, joyous person. It shocked me to be honest as I figured 'why would he have time for me?' when I sent an email to say hello. But he did. One of the parts of the game that we did talk about was all of the content. To condense it into the smallest amount of blabbing possible, it came down to this. Just because it is in the books doesn't mean it has to be in your world. The rule books, monster manuals, the deities... they are like cook books, and a certain kind of cake only has certain ingredients. So to wrap this up: Find out what kind of 'cake' is being cooked. If you like the idea, then 'show' the DM why you would make the collective effort better, as it is the player's contribution that truly makes a game go. When you have all the right ingredients, and everyone pulls the same way - it can be so much fun. The story becomes yours, and even the DM doesn't really know what will happen. I hope I made some semblance of usable sense. Peace and Good luck, JZouk
