Question about PnP

[Raistlin Majere]

Ive heard good things about old pen and paper roleplaying, but ive never had the chance to try it out. would someone like to tell me the basics of PnP, like how you basically play it. And i would appreciate it if someone could recommend one of their all time favourites. and i know, it depends a lot in what you like, and id propaply enjoy something close to baldurs gate(BTW, is there PnP that goes by the name Baldurs Gate?). And im sorry if this has been asked many times before.

[Luvian]

Well... Pen and Paper is very similar as the infinity engine game, as they use the same basic rules. Except that the possibilities in a P&P game are only limited by you and your friend's imagination.

The Forgotten Realm (the world in wich The Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale series take part, is a Pen and paper world. All that back story in those games (like the time of trouble, Elminster, Drizzt, Bhaal,...) is coming from the pen and paper game.

It's hard to describe a gaming session. But here is the best I can do. One player is the dungeon master. He play the role of the computer in a video game, he animate every Monsters and NPCs, and keep track of the rules and create the story and quests. The other player all create a character, just like in Baldur's Gate II. And then they interact with each others and the Dm's NPC, to solve the DM's quests and such. The only difference is that instead of the computer randomly generating your rolls, you actually roll some dices. And that playing with let's say, 4 friends, is a lot more fun than playing a computer games, they have a lot better Ai, and in most case, a better sense of humor too.

[karlosovic]

Balders Gate IS just a computer adaptation of the original PnP roleplay game, Dungeons and Dragons. As it is probably also the most common and popular, as well as you now being pretty familiar with the rules, this would be your best bet.

As for how it's played... well instead of PC graphics, you have someone called a Dungeon Master. This person is basically God as far as your game is concerned. He writes, describes and controlls all the events that take place. You tell him how your characters are going to react. and the details are worked out by rolling dice. Ie you hit a monster with a 2-handed sword, you roll a 12 sided dice ( D12 ) to see how many hit points you wounded it, same as a computer but with real dice. The actual game is played mostly verbally. the DM (dungeon master) says what is there, you say what you want to do. It's a story telling game.

[Sever]

Can anyone provide any info/links to leagues and players or whatnot. I wanna get involved in this stuff.

[Cerek the Barbaric]

Here's a link to the official Wizards of the Coast site.
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/splash.asp?x=dnd/splash,1

The best way to find a group in your area is to go to a local book store that sells AD&D books and see if they have a bulletin board - then post a note there saying you would like to join a local group. You can also go to the General Discussion area of Ironworks and ask if anybody there knows of any groups in your area.

Often, the person at the bookstore will know a lot of the local AD&D players. Beleive me, they will be one of the bookstore's better customers.

[Heartless Butterscotch]

Originally posted by Cerek the Barbaric: Often, the person at the bookstore will know a lot of the local AD&D players. Beleive me, they will be one of the bookstore's better customers.

You're not kidding. I have a friend who is an addicted PnP roleplayer who once bought over $200 worth of books during a "Going out of business sale."

As far as my favorite game setting, I'd have to say "Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay" used the best combat and character advancement system that I've seen. I also enjoyed the equally popular "Shadowrun" which is a futuristic, "Deus Ex" style setting (but with AD&D-like races).

The thing you want to be aware of is how much money must be invested to start playing the game you're interested in. AD&D isn't too bad, but there are games with tons of manuals that can end up costing well over a hundred bucks to start. If I was a beginner again, I'd try AD&D first (manuals can be downloaded for free through Kazaa) because other roleplaying freaks are likely also familiar with the system.

[ 12-22-2002, 08:24 AM: Message edited by: Heartless Butterscotch ]

[Raistlin Majere]

thanks alot everyone. i think ill try it out sometime. i havent heard anything negative, so it cant be that bad.

[Sythe]

Never have I ever played Pen and Paper. Since I don't no anybody in my neighborhood to play the frigin game with!

[Raistlin Majere]

i know the feeling, Sythe. i only have like one or two friends who would possibly want to play, but i think you need more to maximize the expirience. please tell me im wrong.

[slicer15]

I'd love to play PnP sometime. However, the general fantasy thing is not popular in England, or at least the area i'm in. There is no bookstore which sells AD&D books at all, save perhaps Waterstones.

I also understand that you kind of roll for stats when you make ur character? Or am I wrong?

[EDIT] YEAH! Finally, a new rating!

[ 12-23-2002, 06:40 PM: Message edited by: slicer15 ]