Is it just me, or is the downloaded D&D player's handbook kinda vague?

[The Cavalier]

I'm trying to create a character (I finally got my printer to work), but the PHB I have is pretty vague. Maybe it's beacuse it's the downloaded version? cause I'm having trouble filling out a character sheet... does anybody have a COMPLETED sample character sheet or something that a can see, as a visual guide?

Also, there are plenty of examples in it like this:

DM: You've been following this tunnel for about 120 yards. The water on the floor is ankle deep and very cold. Now and then you feel something brush against your foot. The smell of decay is getting stronger. The tunnel is gradually filling with a cold mist.
Fighter 1: I don't like this at all. Can we see anything up ahead that looks like a doorway, or a branch in the tunnel?
DM: Within the range of your torchlight, the tunnel is more or less straight. You don't see any branches or doorways.
Cleric: The wererat we hit had to come this way. There's nowhere else to go.
Fighter 1: Unless we missed a hidden door along the way. I hate this place; it gives me the creeps.
Fighter 2: We have to track down that wererat. I say we keep going.
Fighter 1: OK. We keep moving down the tunnel. But keep your eyes open for anything that might be a door.
DM: Another 30 or 35 yards down the tunnel, you find a stone block on the floor.
Fighter 1: A block? I take a closer look.
DM: It's a cut block, about 12 by 16 inches, and 18 inches or so high. It looks like a different kind of rock than the rest of the tunnel.
Fighter 2: Where is it? Is it in the center of the tunnel or off to the side?
DM: It's right up against the side.
Fighter 1: Can I move it?
DM (checking the character's Strength score): Yeah, you can push it around without too much trouble.
Fighter 1: Hmmm. This is obviously a marker of some sort. I want to check this area for secret doors. Spread out and examine the walls.
DM (rolls several dice behind his rule book, where players can't see the results): Nobody finds anything unusual along the walls.
Fighter 1: It has to be here somewhere. What about the ceiling?
DM: You can't reach the ceiling. It's about a foot beyond your reach.
Cleric: Of course! That block isn't a marker, it's a step. I climb up on the block and start prodding the ceiling.
DM (rolling a few more dice): You poke around for 20 seconds or so, then suddenly part of the tunnel roof shifts. You've found a panel that lifts away.
Fighter 1: Open it very carefully.
Cleric: I pop it up a few inches and push it aside slowly. Can I see anything?
DM: Your head is still below the level of the opening, but you see some dim light from one side.
Fighter 1: We boost him up so he can get a better look.
DM: OK, your friends boost you up into the room . . .
Fighter 1: No, no! We boost him just high enough to get his head through the opening.
DM: OK, you boost him up a foot. The two of you are each holding one of his legs. Cleric, you see another tunnel, pretty much like the one you were in, but it only goes off in one direction. Thee's a doorway about 10 yards away with a soft light inside. A line of muddy pawprints leads from the hole you're in to the doorway.
Cleric: Fine. I want the fighters to go first.
DM: As they're lowering you back to the block, everyone hears some grunts, splashing, and clanking weapons coming from further down the lower tunnel. They seem to be closing fast.
Cleric: Up! Up! Push me back up through the hole! I grab the ledge and haul myself up. I'll help pull the next guy up.
(All three characters scramble up through the hole.)
DM: What about the panel?
Fighter 1: We push it back into place.
DM: It slides back into its slot with a nice, loud "clunk." The grunting from below gets a lot louder.
Fighter 1: Great, they heard it. Cleric, get over here and stand on this panel. We're going to check out that doorway.
DM: Cleric, you hear some shouting and shuffling around below you, then there's a thump and the panel you're standing on lurches.
Cleric: They're trying to batter it open!
DM (to the fighters): When you peer around the doorway, you see a small, dirty room with a small cot, a table, and a couple of stools. On the cot is a wererat curled up into a ball. Its back is toward you. There's another door in the far wall and a small gong in the corner.
Fighter 1: Is the wererat moving?
DM: Not a bit. Cleric, the panel just thumped again. You can see a little crack in it now.
Cleric: Do something quick, you guys. When this panel starts coming apart, I'm getting off it.
Fighter 1: OK already! I step into the room and prod the wererat with my shield. What happens?
DM: Nothing. You see blood on the cot.
Fighter 1: Is this the same wererat we fought before?
DM: Who knows? All wererats look the same to you. Cleric, the panel thumps again. That crack is looking really big.
Cleric: That's it. I get off the panel, I'm moving into the room with everybody else.
DM: There's a tremendous smash and you hear chunks of rock banging around out in the corridor, followed by lots of snarling and squeaking. You see flashes of torchlight and wererat shadows through the doorway.
Fighter 1: All right, the other fighter and I move up to block the doorway. That's the narrowest area, they can only come through it one or two at a time. Cleric, you stay in the room and be ready with your spells.
Fighter 2: At last, a decent, stand-up fight!
DM: As the first wererat appears in the doorway with a spear in his paws, you hear a slam behind you.
Cleric: I spin around. What is it?
DM: The door in the back of the room is broken off its hinges. Standing in the doorway, holding a mace in each paw, is the biggest, ugliest wererat you've ever seen. A couple more pairs of red eyes are shining through the darkness behind him. He's licking his chops in a way that you find very unsettling.
Cleric: Aaaaarrrgh! I scream the name of my deity at the top of my lungs and then flip over the cot with the dead wererat on it so the body lands in front of him. I've got to have some help here, guys.
Fighter 1 (to fighter 2): Help him, I'll handle this end of the room. (To DM I'm attacking the wererat in the first doorway.
DM: While fighter 2 is switching positions, the big wererat looks at the body on the floor and his jaw drops. He looks back up and says, "That's Ignatz. He was my brother. You killed my brother." Then he raises both maces and leaps at you.

At this point a ferocious melee breaks out. The DM uses the combat rules to play out the battle. If the characters survive, they can continue on whatever course they choose.

If anybody could offer up an example like this (but a little more detailed, maybe longer too), I'd really appreciate it.

I'm still trying to fully understand the mechanics of the game.

I haven't looked at the DMG yet, because I don't plan on being one, but should I check it out? Maybe it'd clear thing up a bit?

[ 01-19-2003, 08:18 AM: Message edited by: The Cavalier ]

[Vaskez]

It's just you [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Nanobyte]

That's pretty decent gameplay right there. The only time you use dice is for checks (i.e. spot, listen, etc), or when you're in combat. If I could compress my character sheets a bit, so I could host them at Ranchoweb, I'd be able to show you how it all comes out. Unfortunately, I can't

Maybe if you tell me what you're having trouble with, I can help you.

[ 01-19-2003, 09:07 AM: Message edited by: Nanobyte ]

[shadowhound]

Its scary when you try to figure out where my character would have fit into that example...

He would be the one who convinces the heavies fighter to stand on the door until he shouts out for him, also convincing him to pass over his backpack for safe keeping...

The last thing they would see is Shadow bolting down the hallway with the groups valuables

[Nanobyte]

Yea.. hand 'em out like chocolates, and see if that matters any. The monsters will kill you all the same

[Nanobyte]

OK. Here's another excerpt from the DM's guide on how gameplay works. I'm not sure this will help any, but two are better than one, right?

p. 130-31 (for reference)
The players are playing Tordek (a dwarf fighter), Mialee (an elven wizard), Jozan (a human cleric), and Lidda (a halfling rogue). These four adventurers seek the ruins of the abandoned monastery, drawn by rumors telling of a fabulous fire opal, supposedly hidden there by the abbot when the place was attacked.
After passing through the lifeless aboveground ruins of the monastery, the adventurers find a rubble-strewn staircase leading down.

PC(Tordek): Let's give these upper ruins one more quick examination.
DM: [Making some rolls in secret, but knowing there's nothing to find in the burned-out shell of the monastery.] You don't find anything. What are you going to do now?
PC(Jozan): Let's go down!
PC(Lidda): We'll light a torch first.
DM: Fine, but I'll need the marching order that you'll be in.

At this point, the players arrange their miniature figures, each representing one character, in the order in which they will march down the stairs (and walk down corridors, and enter rooms). Tordek goes first, followed by Jozan (with the torch), then Mialee. Lidda brings up the rear, her player noting that she will be watching behind them occasionally.
If the players didn't have miniatures, writing down the marching order on a piece of paper would suffice.

PC(Tordek): Fortunately, the torchlight won't spoil my darkvision--that'll help us navigate in the dark down there.
PC(Jozan): Okay, we go down the stairs.
DM: You descend southward, possibly 30 feet laterally, and at the end of the stairway you see an open space.
PC(Tordek): I enter and look around.
PC(Jozan): I come in behind with the torch.
DM: You are in a chamber about 30 feet across to the south and 30 feet wide east and west. There are 10-foot-wide passages to the left and right as well as straight ahead, each in the center of it respective wall. Looking back, you see the stairway entered the chamber in the center of the north wall.
PC(Lidda): What else do we see?
DM: The floor is rough and damp. The ceiling is supported by arches that probably rise to meet in the center about 20 feet above you--it's hard to tell because of all the webs. There are some moldering sacks in the southwest corner and some rubbish jumbled in the center of the floor--dirt, old leather, scraps of cloth, and some sticks or maybe bones.

After a short discussion and the formation of a plan, each player announces an action for his or her character. Tordek looks down the south passage, Mialee investigatesthe rubbish in the middle, Jozan looks at the old sacks, and Lidda looks down the west passage. The players position their figures on a floorplan the DM has sketched out on paper.
Since no one paid the webs any attention, the DM doesn't worry about the Spot checks to see the spider.

DM: Okay. As two of you are looking down the passages and Jozan starts looking at the sacks... [The DM rolls a touch attack for the monstrous spider in the webs. He knows knows a 14 indicates success because he wrote down everyone's ACs ahead of time and knows Mialee's AC is 13]...Mialee, you feel something land on your shoulder--it feels hairy and moves toward your neck!
PC(Mialee): Yikes! What is it?
PC(Tordek): If I hear her call out, I'll turn around. What do I see?
DM: Wait, just a minute. First, Mialee, roll for initiative.
PC(Mialee): [Rolls] I got a 19!
DM: [Rolls initiative for the spider, and gets a 14.] Everyone else should roll for initiative as well. Tordek, you heard Mialee gasp, and you turn to see a large, hairy spider on her neck.

Jozan rolls a 10, Lidda an 8, and Tordek a 4.

DM: Mialee, you go first. What do you do?
PC(Mialee): I grab it from my shoulder and throw it to the ground, where I can stomp on it with my boot.
DM: Okay, but your unarmed attack provokes an attack of opportunity for the spider, so it bites as you grab at it. [He rolls an attack roll for the spider, and gets a 16.] Yug! Mialee, you feel a sharp prick on your neck. Make a Fortitude saving throw.

The group all gasp in fear. Mialee rolls a die and would add her Fortitude bonus, except that she has none.

PC(Mialee): Fortitude, my worst save! Let's see--15 plus 0 is, well, 15. Is that good enough?
DM: You feel okay. But the bite still delivers 1 hit point of damage.
PC(Mialee): Ouch. Okay, then I roll a 14 to grab it and throw it to the ground. Do I succeed?
DM: Yes. The spider lands on the ground but looks like it's going to scuttle away. Perhaps back up the wall to the webs above.
PC(Jozan): My turn? I run up to it and smash it with my mace! I roll a natural 20! With my bonus, that's 22 in all.
DM: Good roll! You can move that far and attack, so roll a confirmation roll to see if that's a critical hit.
PC(Jozan): [Excitedly rolling again] Is a 15 good enough?
DM: Yep. Roll damage--twice. Add them together.
PC(Jozan): [Rolling] Sweet! 12 points altogether once I add my Strength bonus--which also doubled with the crit!
DM: That mighty blow smashes the creature to bits.
PC(Mialee): Cool. Well, now that all the excitement's over, I'm going to search through this refuse on the floor like I said I would.
DM: Okay. First make another Fort save to see if there are any lingering effects from that spider bite.
PC(Mialee): Uh-oh, that doesn't sound good...[rolls]...a 17!
DM: No problems, then. You feel fine. Looking at the pile of debris, you'd guess it's probably refuse from the spider--leftovers of its victims and its own castings. Amid bits of bone and tatters of clothing, you find 19 silver pieces. And make a Search roll.

Mialee rolls a 9 and adds her +6 bonus for a result of 15--just enough to notice the hidden gem!

That's about all I can handle for right now, I have to get ready for church. Maybe if you're still having problems, I can help you out.

[ 01-19-2003, 10:13 AM: Message edited by: Nanobyte ]

[/)eathKiller]

ok if you want to see some dice usage let me take a little example from a mid-air battle I had to detail...

DM: The sun is blazing through the foggy cloudline and creates a warm orange light which bathes the surrounding mountains and hillsides. AS you come over the side of the hill you notice large silouted beasts flying about care-free and imperviouse of your presence.

Half ork Fighter: Me Break Monsters!
Clerek: But what did they do to you?
Half ork Fighter: Urrr... THEY MONSTERS!
Clerek: Before he gets us into any more trouble I cast Sanctuary on myself
DM: Alright then you vanish from view, Anyone else got a decision on what to do?
Ranger: I choose to try and befreind the animals before our Half ork goes berserk on us...
DM: Alright but first you've got to get closer to them they'e practically on the horizon from where you are.
Clerek: I'm not goin ANYWHERE
Mage: I cast Mordenkainens Wings
Necromancer: I summon any undead wyrvins in the area and cast mount undead
DM: For such rediculouse spells from the Necromancer I'm going to ask for a Dice Check, *rolls* alright lets say theres a 25% chance of even finding a darn Wyrvin, controlling the wyrvin will take a roll of 1 or less on a D8...
*dice roll*
Necromancer: HAH!
DM: Lucky %@&*#! A skeletal wyrvin comes up and you get on it and ride off into the horizon along with the mage who'se flying toward them
Half Ork: ME WANTS TO GO TOO!
DM: alright then you'll have to make it through the rough hillside, go on now.
Clerek: I'm not Going ANYWHERE
Half Ork: ME PICKS YOU UP INVISDIBLE MANS!
Clerek: NOOOO!
DM: You cant find him since he's invisible but your arms do have such a broad range you do manage to grappled something which you assume is him because its invisible, pickit up and drag it with you in tow...
Clerek: But I dont wanna go!!!
Half Ork: QUIT WHINING!
Dm: Alright as you near the flying beasts you notice that the way which the hills were layed out actually throws off your perception. The eleged Wyrvins silouted against the skyline are actually Demi-Dragons, Just hatchlings, but still dangerous. Suddenly you hear an explosion on the ground behind you and turn to see a figure clad in dark black and red armor which is very smooth and shiney, he holds a spear in his hand and looks very threateningly at the lot of you through his peircing red eyes.

*by this point a New PC joins the game*

New Character: You are invading on Dragon Territory! i request that you leave at once and no harm shall come to you!
Half Ork: YOU DRAGON MANS!?
Clerek: That's the guy we were sent here to get rid of so the mountains could be used as a pass for traffic again!
New character: HOW DARE YOU defile these natural lands with your hands of men! Thes lands are to be UNTOUCHED!
DM: He blows a wistle and the two baby wyrms join by his sides, they bear the same threatening expression.
Clerek: RUN!
Half Ork: AAAAAAH!
Necomancer: If he wants a fight he's got a fight! RIDE my boney steed!
Mage: You have no idea as to how WRONG that sounds... Alright up! up and away!
Dice roll check is made for elevation gains with the riders monster's movement dice when undead turned, the Mordenkainen wings has its own movement rate as well as diminishment rate, over about 10 turns it slows, and continues to until the wings have all but fallen off.
New character: JUMP!
Dice rolls: The New character jumps into the air about 30 or 40 leagues, he has a perfect areal view of his enemies and allys down below, he begins to fall at an exponetnial rate and in 3 turns must select a target, 2 and a half turns if he hopes to attack someone in the air. Everyone on the ground does a DC check for a turn of pause due to the amazement of seeing a man leap into the air, the Half ork fails it, the higher your intelligence the longer you stare in awe.
New character: I attack the mage
2.5 turns pass while chaaracters on the ground do battle with the baby dragons and mostly can't penetrate their hides.
Mage "Magic Missile!"
Three missiles strike one baby wyrm, making it retract its head to the side and scratch at the burn marks created like an itch with his hind leg.
Mage:aww how cute
new character: "HATAAAH!"
DC check, Roll 4 times...
Mage: He gets four attacks!?
DM: He just plumeted from 40 leagues in the air I think he gets 4 attacks with his spear 2 with his longsword
Mage; But spears are stronger!
DM: Hey I'm just playing by the rules here
Dice rolls 20, no critical hit, 10, hit, 8, miss, 24, hit.
Mage is hit 3 times. Damage rolls.
5, 6, 7.
Mage is dealt 18 damage.
Mage: AAAACK! Im 1/4 dead! I return his attack with VIVICECTION!
DC Check takes 1 turn for spell, 1 turn for the attack, must be at close range.
New character: I've long since fallen past the mage and landed on the ground next to the half ork, I proceed to use Boomerang sword.
DC roll Boomerang sword, Sword boomerangs for 1d4 turns, then strikes targed toing 2d6 damage if you beat his armor class.
*rolls*
Half Ork: WHAT IS HE DOING THROWING SWORD!!!
new character: HAH!
DM: The sword boomerange and cuts jonathn for a whopping 12 damage, he drops the invisible figure under his arm who upon the shock of the half ork fallin on him is released form invisiiblity
New charcter: "I stab the pinned one in the head!"
DM: ah but your sword hasnt returned yet
New character: WAIT I take it back!

heres where you could be mean or nice, let him wait to take the sword or go with what he wanted to have the booomeranged sword come back and knock his helmet off [img]tongue.gif[/img] its your decision...

Anyway:
Clerek: AAAACK MY HEAD!
Half Ork: AAAAH TALKING COURPSE!
Mage: By this time i've rode down and VIVICECT THIS GUY!
DM: Your hand evicerates his armor and peirces his flesh in his back
Dice roll check 1-10 nothing 11-20 an organ gets ripped out
Mage: MUWAHHAHAH!!!
DM: your alliance has changed to chaotic evil
Mage: huh?
DM: You're hand is buried in the back of a Light Genasi, its an unholy act to rip ones organs out I'm sure [img]tongue.gif[/img]
Mage: I can live with that... DIE ORGANS DIE *rolls a 1*
Mage: $%&#@ !!
New character: I Catck my boomerang sword anow and use the remound of it on my hand to do a Point blank Shot at the mages head!
DM: All but too easy...
Mage: I *dice rolls 19*
DM: Dead
Necromancer: Shesh that guy was getting on my nerves...
Half ork: YOU SHOULD HEALS THE DEAD MANS!
New character: I stab this dumb one in a similar fasion
DM: You realize you cant move the left side of your body without pain, 1d4 damage per turn of moving starts now...
Half Ork: TUMBLE!
DM: done
Half Ork: I STAND UP AND MAKE HIM PAY!
DM: you take on turn to take your sword out carefully...
New character: STAB!
DM: With?
New character: Uh SPEAR!
DM: Roll... *Dice is 15*
DM: Hit
Half ork: GURRRH!
Roll: 8 more damage
Half ork: YAAARRR! ME MAKE PAIN!!!
DM: your sword comes down in berserk mode dealing extra damage percentages and ooh I think you knocked him out...
New charachtr: UMPH! 5 turns out on the ground..
Alright the Baby Wyrms decide to save their tamer now, attackign jonathan at both sides... The half ork fighter is lifted into the air in one's mouth
Half Ork: SOMEONE GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!
DM: The dragon flys into the air with its brother and they twirl about so that you can't tell which one is holding the half ork
Necromancer: Im done casting Resurection on the stupid headless idiot
Mage: AAAAH! I see my body!
Neceromancer: Oops forgot to screw him back on...
Everyone laughs
DM Breaks laughter: DEAD without a head
Necromancer I fly down to save the poor fellow and the clerek using Stitch and bonemending.
DM: it'll be 7 turns before they're up and runnign again like normal, meanwihle the half ork is still being drug around up there...
Half ork: AAAAOOOWWWW!!
DM dragon is litteraly blood letting you, like sucking on a candied treat 1d6 damage per round
The necromancer is almost done with his spells when suddenly the second dragon dives downa nd grabs him up.
New character: IM UP!
Necromancer: I draw an explosive rune on his tounge!
DM: OOOH he's gonna feel that in morning! [img]tongue.gif[/img]
New character: OH NO! HUWEY!
DM: Dragons jaw is BLOWN clean off, from the inside out...
Necromancer begins to fall at a rate od 1 league per turn
Necromancer: SLOW FALL SLOW FALL!
DM: Spell failed you said it twice and it canceled itself
*now that was being mean*
Everone laughs
Necromancer "AAAAH!"
New character: I jump and grab him...
DM: Done in less than a turn...
Necromancer: WHAT ARE YOU!!?
New character: My name is Exelcius and I am a dragoon...
Necrcomancer: I grab him and write an explosive rune on his back
Dragoon: BOOMERANG!
DM: Huh!? WHOAH that's Brilliant!
Necromancer: What did he just do?
DM: and the Necromancer is motion sick...
Mid ari catch chances are 75%
Dragoon: Caught *rolls dice* hah! I can see the future!
DM: heh... alright you land... Oh and the Half orks dead now...
Dragoon: Toss him in the body pile, My command is said in Neutral Draconian.
DM: the dragon obeys.
Dragoon: I poke this Wizard of the dark arts in the back and order him to resurect his comrades with NO funny business!
DM: You rest to regain your arkaina... Then Begin to cast...
Necromancer: mmmm pile of bodies... so ... tempting... I CAST TWISTED RESURECTION!

Everyone: WHAT!! YOU CRAZY!!!
Everyones bodies become sewn together after 6 turns the Dragoon stares in horror at the abomination thinking the Necromancer was doing his job

Dragoon: I STAB HIM IN THE BACK!
DM: DEAD! The abbomination is now running amok!
Dragoon: JUMP!

Necromancer: I choose to innitiate my Tree life hundreds of miles away
DM: Done, you appear 5 feet away from the tree and the tree falls over dead, you are born again as a Lawfull Good paladin/mage. Starting at level 1...

Goodie Goodie Necromancer: This is crap, oh well i'll deal with it...

"and now to avenge the destrution of my comrades which I began! and i've only got a week to do it, or else they'll decay into nothingess... I hope that Dragoon knows how to run...

--- and thus an advenutre A new begins --- [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Grojlach]

Is this an official release made available for download by TRS, or are we talking about illegal warez now? Just checking...

[Nanobyte]

That was power gaming at it's best.
It would seem the DM was a little biased towards the new PC, and dice rolls? Almost every character attempting an action made a successful roll.

[The Cavalier]

thanks everybody, this is all starting to make sense (a little). I guess you just gotta go play and laern from experience, right?

Originally posted by Nanobyte: Maybe if you tell me what you're having trouble with, I can help you.

I'm just having trouble filling out the sheet. Like, there are ALOT of sections, and I don't know what to put, or where to find the information to put there. (I'm using/playing with 2nd edition sheets and stuff)