This is quite good advice. Also I notice something. When I started my career in GMing I had people who were expereinced with the game join so they kind of knew how to play and I was just learning. The new players we did have could learn from the experienced. However at some point life comes a calling and my original group is long gone. Slowly but surely over the years to keep a regular game going new players have shown up. Now with only two original players left.

I note that new players can fall into the video game logic trap since they have never played an RPG before and don't realize there are consequences unlike in any video game. So even if the players teach them and help them with the rules theres this long period of adaptation that this is a world with consequences. Granted they all usually love it almost instantly. Still new players often cause the most havoc because their only frame of reference is approaching it like a video game.

Yar laddy!

http://roll20.net/

We have been using Pathfinder's rules for the longest time but are slowly switching to 5e. Usually Saturday or Thursday nights(sometimes both) and normally we always end up like Monty Python at the end of the session usually depending on who's GMing, least week we had an encounter with a tsunami made out of skunks it was hard to keep a straight face and not burst out laughing as our poor characters ran for their lives!

Yep it was the first RPG i played, 1981 1st edition AD&D, then went onto to play and run a ton of 2nd ed, when 3rd came around i wasnt a fan, to much roll and not enough role, i still like the 1st and 2nd ed and occasionally run them, well 1st not so much when someone stole my books, but now ive played and ran so many systems ive lost count, but D&D was just one of those games that was easy to play and create games.

I started playing in 1979 and stopped about 1990. I still have all my Gary Gygax material.

1st edition books are quite valuable.

How easy is it for a complete beginner to jump in and try it? I've always wanted to try D&D (or anything similar) but I've never been able to find a group that played. I don't want to be the guy that gets shunned because he doesn't know what the heck he's doing.

I should say that I was referring to computer game D&D, not pen-and paper. But reading through this thread, I see that most people here are talking about pen and paper. So, I don't know, I think now that my post probably wasn't relevant.

It's not too bad. I don't want to sound like some guy pushing a product or anything but if your that nervous about learning the rules then Numenera is simple enough to pick up even on your own. Still as for 5th edition DnD it's pretty easy to learn assuming you got one person who knows the rules or your willing to take a little time. Everyone should just take their time and not expect to know everything right off the bat. Just like you don't know all the secrets to a video game, how could you instantly bew good at something as complex as an pen and paper?

I never had any GM to turn to so I stepped up the plate with zero experience. Only one person in my group knew anything about 3.5 DnD, and not much. So I had to crash course myself in everything. Good thing I picked it up quickly. Also as long as your having fun who cares how well your learning the rules. So don't go too hard on yourself if no one minds your messing up now and again.

@Wyrd

Some of those rpg's were fairly accurate to the pen and paper system. BG1 at least was similar to second edition dnd. I'm no expert on all those old school rpg's though so I have no idea how much of them are similar. There are no modern crpg's that use a modern pen and paper rpg system. About the closest thing won't be out for at least a year or a little more. Torment Tides of Numenera (spiritual sequel to Planescape Torment).

The latest version of D&D (5th edition) is very easy to get into, especially compared to older versions. It's fairly robust in that it's difficult to make a "bad" character, and the rules for combat, skills etc are really straightforward. And the beauty of roll20 in particular is that it does a lot of stuff for you. Any group worth playing with will have no problem helping you out as you get used to it.

That's cool. I have a bunch of irrelevant posts

Thanks for the quick answers. Turns out a couple of friends I see regularly want to give it a shot as well. We'll see how it goes!

Played some from mid to late 80's. Mostly drew pictures of characters with friends from art class mostly. Study hall and art class I pretty much wasted.

Pathfinder and yes I love it! To bad the ultra villainous "real life" keeps foiling our plans to play sigh I'm actually thinking about just going solo (GMing AND playing a couple characters at same time) and seeing how well I would be.

I've done that many times. Very doable.

I played solo with the older AD&D edition. The DMG had some "interesting" random tables that came in handy. A couple of my usual D&D friends also played a "Random Campaign" using those tables. It was quite fun and had many moments of hilarity

I used to play a bit of AD&D back in the late 90, and later on I did host a bit as DM. What version I can't remember, but it was a lot of fun. I would typically roll thief/rogue characters...sometimes a ranger. The characters are always on the mischievous side, with some displays of Machiavellianism.

Oh, and if they're a halfling, always a master rock thrower. You would be surprised how handy it is, and how often it can come into play, to be able to throw a 2 pound stone with pinpoint precision from 30 yards.

Lots of fun...