So you've decided to play D&D, what should you expect?
A lot of confusion and a good deal of hesitance. If this is your first time playing, you won't know all the rules and things may seem frustrating. There is far too much within the system to understand and piece together in a single play through. Rules will seem bizarre and nonsensical.
Don't be afraid to ask questions. Most likely the people sitting around you are your friends so feel free to ask and I'm sure they'll be more than happy to help. Even strangers will offer advice, since if you play the hobby grows.
Pick a class/race combination that is straightforward and easy to play. At this point, the less confusion the better. While the game is going on, observe how other people are playing their characters and what they do; it'll help you understand the game better.
If you're playing with alignments, pick one that is closest to how you would act. At this point in your gaming career, it may be best to stick to something that seems natural to you, instead of trying to think and behave in a manner that is foreign to you.
Having fun can take some time as well. Campaigns have high and low points. If you're coming in midstream it may take some time before you catch up to what is going on. If you're coming in at the beginning of a campaign, it may take some time for the story to get interesting. Not only that, but even individual gaming sessions experience this ebb and flow.
So the rules for first time players are:
- Play something easy and that you can relate to.
- Give it time to make sure you aren't at a lowpoint in the campaign of the session.
- Above all, ask questions if you're confused or unsure.
So you've decided to run a D&D game, what can you expect?
So you've played some games and want to tell your story to the group. Or the current GM needs a break and asks you to run a game. Or you convinced your friends that gaming is fun and have taken upon yourself the onus of being the first GM. What can you expect?
Being a GM is difficult and very different from playing. As a player, you only have to worry about the development of your character. You really only need to know the rules that pertain to what your character does. As a GM the story is your character and you need to know the rules pertaining to everyone's characters. You need to be able to spend at least a few hours a week planning the session and creating NPCs and encounters.
Planning is particularly difficult. If you plan the story to down to a "T" you'll be accused of railroading your players. Railroading eliminates the player's free will in your world. Instead of the player's being the focus of your game, the story is. This ends up alienating your players since it feels like they really have no input on where things are going.
The flipside is sticking your players in a "sandbox" where they can do anything they like, go anywhere they like. This lets the players create the story they choose to. A true sandbox requires a few things.First, you need to be comfortable with improv. Second, your players need to take some initiative and help you move things forward. If your player's don't do this, it can become an aimless mess and people end up being frustrated.
I find a mix between the two to be ideal. In my mind, I set the start of the story and the end point for the campaign. Everything else in between is gray area that the players can fill in however they choose. Having an endpoint in mind can help me move things forward if the players falter; but it is important to keep the ending flexible so that the players can shape the story in whatever way they want. Having a beginning and an end gives you the basic framework for the campaign and provides the initial guidance for the players to get started.
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