Starting a D&D group

[Kufaz]

Me, and some of my friends would like to start a D&D group, but we know nothing about what you need or how its played. Can anyone answer the following questions:

1)what do I need to buy to start playing?
2)how much will these items cost?
3)how many people are required to play, and can the game still function if someone drops out or is added?
4)do I need to keep the board set up between playing?

Thanks!

 

[spikespiegel]

3: 1 DM and however many you are. The more players the more fun.
1 and 2: You need the books, which can all be found online if your afraid of using money. DM guide, players handbook, monster guide ect. You can also use an online dice roller if you can't easily get a hold of them. Ie: free. If you wanna buy everything it shouldn't be that expencive, either online or in a gamestore/comic store.
4: me and my mates never use boards. As long as the dm is good enough, and you have an imagination you don't need little action figures mapping it out for you

edit: It allways help to have someone experienced to help you out the first time

 

[Lord Xtheth]

New players should start things off with
The red box [http://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Fantasy-Roleplaying-Starter/dp/B0042UCF52/ref=sr_1_6?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1286378634&sr=1-6]
One of the things I suggest is Heroes of the forgotten kingdoms [http://www.amazon.com/ESSENTIALS-HEROES-FORGOTTEN-KINGDOMS-1-1-2/dp/B0040F5SLW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1286378412&sr=8-3]

Those are the best 2 places for new DMs and Players to start

As far as how many people? A good starting number is you and 3 others. Depending on how comfortable you are, you can have more, but I wouldn't suggest going below 2 other players.

 

[Micah Weil]

1 and 2 - The Books. Oh dear christ, the books. For the first games, until you're used to the system, I recommend starting with three: Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Handbook, and the Monster Manual. How to play, tips and ideas for running a game, and things to throw at your unsuspecting lot. Of course, I stopped at 3.5, so I have no idea how many "manuals" are in 4th edition. Expect to pay a pretty penny regardless of which.

Once you're used to it, go bananas with the books. There's enough supplemental material out there to run ANYTHING.

3 - It's recommended that, aside from the DM, you have at least two other players. The fun of D&D - or any tabletop gaming - is the interpersonal interaction. If it's just you and one other person, it's going to get boring. I'd say cap the group at about six or seven, so nobody's voice gets lost and you don't overwhelm yourself.

4 - Boards and figurines are for PUSSIES. Man up and, if you're really desperate, get some graph paper and glass beads to use to represent PCs and monsters.

 

[Flying-Emu]

1) Theorically, the only thing you absolutely NEED to buy is pencil and paper. They have online databases (and PDFs) of all the books, as well as online dice rollers. However, I STRONGLY recommend you invest in all of the equipment, as it makes the experience much more authentic.

2) Well, depends on which edition you're playing. If you're playing 1.0, you can probably get the core books for $15 each. If you're playing 3.5 ed, first off, GET USED BOOKS. You can probably get the cores (Players Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual) for around $10-$30 each.

Dice are the most important part of the game, and you can buy them at most hobby shops for between $9-$10 a set.

Figurines are easily the most expensive part of the game, so my group improvises; we use tokens, figs from other games (like Heroscape, for example).

Don't buy the pre-printed character sheets: WotC has like seven different PDF forms that you can download and print for free.

3) You need one dungeon master and one player, and that's it. However, the game was meant to be played with five people; one dungeon master, and one of each class archetype. However, feel free to adjust the player count as you see fit; I'm currently in a party with six players and one DM.

As long as you can explain it within the story, there's no reason that people can't drop in and out. However, it is probably best if you havea solid core group of at least 2-3 players (excluding the DM. He's the only one who needs to stay to retain continuity).

4) Depends on what you use. I use 1.25 inch grid paper printed at an architectural firm (connections ftw), laminated, of course. We use dry erase markers to draw battle scenes, and that's it; it's too cumbersome to draw a whole dungeon on fair-sized grid paper. As Spike said above; your imagination is your greatest tool.

The thing you need to remember most about DnD is that the rules are less rules and more guidelines. If there's something that you don't like, don't use it. I've been a Dungeon Master for seven years now, and nothing ruins a game like having to dig through books constantly to find the one obscure roll for dodging a white dragon's breath weapon by trying to dive into your bag of holding.

*EDIT*

You also need snacks. Lot's fo them.

 

[Shadowfaze]

First off, are you american, or english? I'm english and books cost about £20 ish. You absolutely need 3 core rulebooks- The players handbook, for making characters, The dungeon masters guide, and the Monster manual (for the DM to stock your dungeons with beasties) You'll need a dungeon master, and 4-6 players, to cover the 4 different roles. The game can still function when players drop out, as long as you have imagination enough to explain why, storyline wise. You dont really need a board, hell, i do it on paper! But it might be wise to purchase a starter set (£20 ish again) or the essentials kit (dont know price, haven't got it yet). Also, having an experienced DM or player show you the ropes is a wise idea. YOU'LL NEED A GOOD SIZE TABLE. Most people forget that, playing in a cramped space with no table is a total pain.

 

[Kufaz]

Thanks Everyone!

One more question:
Can you be a DM and play a character at the same time?