So I just bought a D&D 4e book set..

[Flutterguy]

..And I'm a fish out of water.

The last time I played I was about 13, and we did not use miniatures or a battlegrid, it was 2nd edition I believe. I never had to DM or learn many rules outside of my class and whatever the current encounter was.

I took an hour reading through the introduction of the DM manual and read a few starting guides online. Now I'm curious of a few things.

-Is a grid necessary? Is it worth bending the rules to avoid using one?
-What are some good websites to ease the learning curve?
-Can I be DM ready in a week?

All I can think of for the time being really. Any help is seriously appreciated. What am I doing...

 

[Armadox]

Would you like some help?

4e does kinda have to have a grid, as the system works more like a video game rpg then any of those that came before. Your skills and abilities are set, and burned as they are used. You can actually be DM ready if you study up on it and get a general idea. You can figure out the small points as you go.

And Wizards of the Coast has a decent site if I remember correctly, and there is a D&D wiki..

 

[Fappy]

Is a grid necessary? Is it worth bending the rules to avoid using one?

Not sure about 4e, but you don't need one for previous D&D editions/Pathfinder. I prefer them, but have run plenty of sessions without them before.

Can I be DM ready in a week?

Not for veteran players, no. If you're all relatively new to it then you should be okay, however. Even experienced groups need to double-check rules every now and then.

 

[murrow]

4e is more miniature-centric than other editions. Combat-wise, it plays like a tactical CRPG. I don't know if it's worth bending the rules to avoid. You'd have an easier time choosing another system.

A lot of things got simplified from the last edition. Actually, from the player perspective, creating a character has never been faster. I remember spending a few hours in character building with 3.5, whereas with 4e people were done in an hour tops. In our group one guy was experienced in the format, two (myself and another) were 3.5e veterans who hadn't played in ages and one was a complete newcomer. I DMd after studying the rules for a few weeks. Since we played once every 15 days I had time to review things between sessions. What confused me the most is the levelling system: it really works like a videogame, and it took a while to get into the new mindset. Creating and levelling characters as practice might be a good idea.

4e was made to be 'accessible' to a broader audience. Even some of the terminology is borrowed from MMOs. If your group is not too hostile to its simplicity, you'll probably be able to get it up and running. Although I confess I had to settle on some house rules, because some aspects of the system were just way too streamlined.

 

[small]

honestly my recomendation is to track down some cheap copies of AD&D and go back to it, the new editions are too video gamey

 

[Ranorak]

First, my personal opinion, because of reasons; I think 4e was terrible, but I hope you like it! I'd say go for either 3.5/Pathfinder or the new 5e.

As for your questions:
-Is a grid necessary? Is it worth bending the rules to avoid using one?
Yes, the grid is very much needed for most of the combat in 4e.
All rules are based on number of squares and relative position of each other.

What are some good websites to ease the learning curve?
Watching youtube. Honestly seeing other people play is a lot of help.

-Can I be DM ready in a week?
Depends on your players.
If your players are just as new as you and don't mind learning as you go along, I say yes.
Making mistakes is not a big deal most of the time, and while looking up rules during the session is terribly boring for the players, they too should understand you're just as new as they are.

While still not a fan of 4e, I did play it for over 6 years, so if you have any questions regarding rules or just in general, feel free to send me any messages. I'll be glad to help you out.