# Anyone interested in running a D&D for newbies?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223
**Category:** The Game Room
**Tags:** rpg-dnd-wargames
**Created:** [May 24, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223 "2013-05-24T14:33:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223/1 "2013-05-24T14:33:18Z")
Anyone interested in running a plain-vanilla D&D campaign here on the boards?
I’m fairly sure this has been done before here, but I’m a rank newbie looking to play a 1st-level Human fighter, so I’m hoping some wise, kindly and patient soul will be interesting in being the DM. Anyone else up for this?
Maybe a fairly standard Forgotten Realms setting and a shortish campaign that’s suitable for starting players? I have a character I’ve put a lot of backstory into (indeed he’s the subject of a short story I’m writing), so I hope there are other players out there who’d be interested in joining the adventure.
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### Author:  [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2013, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223/2 "2013-05-24T17:56:22Z")
Well, that’s an interesting idea. Do you want a specific edition?
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### Author:  [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2013, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223/3 "2013-05-24T18:11:33Z")
Yup, latest edition would be just grand!
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### Author:  [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2013, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223/4 "2013-05-24T18:59:10Z")
Are there any decent online tools to manage combat/play? I remember wizards working on something, but I cant find anything other than a few DM helper tools to create monsters and print out character sheets.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2013, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223/5 "2013-05-24T19:14:17Z")
What are you looking for? A forum-based game is generally going to be rather light on rolls and heavy on RP. The players usually say “I’m going to try and do this and this” and then the DM rolls the relevant dice and describes what happens.
I might be willing to run something if **smiling bandit** doesn’t want to.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223/6 "2013-05-24T19:16:53Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#):
>
> Are there any decent online tools to manage combat/play? I remember wizards working on something, but I cant find anything other than a few DM helper tools to create monsters and print out character sheets.
[MapTools](http://rptools.net/) is pretty good (and it’s free), but it might be overkill for a play-by-post game.
I’m in a Pathfinder play-by-post which uses [Roll20](http://roll20.net/) for combat (it’s a browser-based map tool); that seems to be working well from what I’ve seen.
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2013, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223/7 "2013-05-25T01:24:56Z")
I’m interested in playing. Been a _long_ time.
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### Author:  [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223/8 "2013-05-25T01:54:39Z")
likewise.
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### Author:  [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2013, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223/9 "2013-05-25T02:16:12Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#):
>
> I might be willing to run something if **smiling bandit** doesn’t want to.
I don’t have 4th edition at hand (and am not really the biggest fan anyway), so I wouldn’t be running.
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### Author:  [@Phnord\_Prephect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phnord_Prephect)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2013, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223/10 "2013-05-25T06:07:24Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#):
>
> I might be willing to run something if **smiling bandit** doesn’t want to.
Hey, lemme know if you do. You were fun in the other thread; I’d like to see you runnin’ a game!
-Moftar the Hermit
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### Author:  [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2013, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223/11 "2013-05-25T06:51:40Z")
I’d love to play as well, if there’s room. There are tremendous resources available for 3.5 at [http://www.d20srd.org/](http://www.d20srd.org/), and for Pathfinder at [http://www.d20pfsrd.com/](http://www.d20pfsrd.com/) . No idea about 4.0, as I’ve never played it.
EDIT: Oh, and I’d be happy to run any class we need, though I’d prefer a cleric.
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### Author:  [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2013, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223/12 "2013-05-25T06:59:34Z")
I’d say I’d be willing to run a game but I have a history of dropping games (see: [Rule of Three](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=623715); [Shadows of Arcady](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=654674)).
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### Author:  [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2013, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223/13 "2013-05-25T08:07:51Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#):
>
> What are you looking for? A forum-based game is generally going to be rather light on rolls and heavy on RP. The players usually say “I’m going to try and do this and this” and then the DM rolls the relevant dice and describes what happens.
>
> I might be willing to run something if **smiling bandit** doesn’t want to.
Heavy on the RP is perfect, no problem at all. As **Smiling Bandit** has declined, would you do the honours?
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### Author:  [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2013, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223/14 "2013-05-25T08:46:24Z")
I always wanted to play D&D…how would one get started on this over a forum?
Please explain in the noobiest terms available…
If I can do this over a dumb phone I would like to try a rogue!
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### Author:  [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2013, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223/15 "2013-05-25T11:20:13Z")
I’d be interested in playing, but I haven’t DMed since 2nd Edition and I don’t have any of the books anymore.
I’ve heard good things about Roll20 for this sort of thing.
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### Author:  [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2013, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223/16 "2013-05-26T01:08:48Z")
Some while back the long-running SDMB D&D game moved over to the [Mellophant](http://www.mellophant.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?36-Role-Playing-Games) boards, where it ran quite successfully for a couple of years before petering out. There are two current games over there, neither D&D, and one of them (run by yours truly) has a slot open for another player, if anyone’s interested. The other, run by **Elendil’s Heir** , may have a slot or two open; you’d have to ask. They’re both good examples of how play-by-post can work at its very simplest.
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### Author:  [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2013, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223/17 "2013-05-26T12:35:54Z")
…so can put in the time for this. 🆒
My background:
- played and Dm’d face-to-face since 1979
- run a school campaign for 24 years
- took part in a couple of the games here
My offer:
- I can run a thread-based game here
- it would be for complete newbies (though experienced players are welcome too)
- it would be a simplified version of 1st Edition (yes, I’ve never changed 🙂 )
- players wouldn’t need rulebooks
- players would need to be keen (say for 30 minutes every 2 days)
- I’m on UK time, but that shouldn’t be a problem
Some details:
- we would spend some time designing characters, with the emphasis on interesting roleplaying rather than ‘power gaming’
- you would get a character sheet (so newbies can see how it works), but all die rolls are done by me
- there would be two threads: the actual game with my adjudications based on your Private Messages and a thread for questions, explanations, comments and humour
- you would need to send me a Private Message every two days (if you were stuck for time, I’d make your character do something obvious)
The main things about thread based games:
- text based (though if somebody wanted to host it for me, I could post maps)
- straightforward (I do all the calculations)
- need player commitment (each adjudication only moves the game forward a bit, so you need to keep sending in orders)
As a teaser, here’s some character information:
Player character races
- Human, Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Hobbit
and + classes
- Specialist Fighter, Ocean Barbarian, Paladin, Ranger
- Cleric, Druid
- Magic-User, Summoner
- Thief, Warrior Monk
Let me know if you want to play!
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### Author:  [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2013, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223/18 "2013-05-26T12:44:26Z")
I have a bit of free time for the first time in almost a year. I would be interested in playing if there is still room.
ETA: I have played in one of glee’s games before and it was a lot of fun, but I am down for whatever.
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### Author:  [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223/19 "2013-05-26T12:56:30Z")
Nine minutes and I have my first player. 😃
NAF, you’re an experienced player. Would you kindly wait to choose your character until any newbies have chosen theirs?
That way, I can get a reasonably balanced party…
I’ve just started the companion thread to the game here:
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=16324913#post16324913](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=16324913#post16324913)
If you would like to sign up, please do so there.
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### Author:  [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2013, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-interested-in-running-a-d-d-for-newbies/659223/20 "2013-05-26T13:00:16Z")
> [@glee](#):
>
> Nine minutes and I have my first player. 😃
>
> NAF, you’re an experienced player. Would you kindly wait to choose your character until any newbies have chosen theirs?
> That way, I can get a reasonably balanced party…
>
> I’ve just started the companion thread to the game here:
>
> [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=16324913#post16324913](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=16324913#post16324913)
>
> If you would like to sign up, please do so there.
Gladly. I am happy to take on whatever fits the party.
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