Good Intro to RPG

[WECIII]

Hi. I'm looking to get my feet wet with an RPG. I have played a very short campaign of D&D using a sort of hybrid 4th/3.5 approach and enjoyed it, but might like to try a little something else. What would be a nice, simple-ish system to try out? I like the D&D world, but also like steampunk and other kinds of aesthetics.

Thanks much.

[Bryan Stewart]

Some Questions,

Do you plan on running the games or to find someone who is running a game?
Do you like realistic leathlality or more Role Play?
Do you feel comfortable Creating you own world or would you prefer a already made world?

You have had pratice with the hybrid, try one or the other strait. You can use the Open Gaming License (OGL) stuff for 3.5, so any type of genre is there for the taking.

As for Steampunk I can think of Iron Kingdoms (baised on Warmachine tabletop minature game), Castle Falkenstein, gurps steampunk, deadlands (if you cross the ocean and play in victorian england), Space 1889 and who knows what else, I have played most of these and they have their different merits..

There are different steampunk subcatagories. It basically boils down to a sliding scale of steam to magic think of the Arcanum computer game...

http://rpgcharacters.wordpress.com/2...eampunk-books/ found that looking for d20 (OGL) games

[WECIII]

Thanks a lot Bryan! I would like an already made world for ease of learning as I go this time around. I think your advice about trying D&D straight up in one edition or the other sounds like the easiest point of entry. I might pick up the Red Box and go from there, grabbing some of the Essentials books to try to learn a little about running a game. I know that a lot of it is preference, but would you recommend 3.5 or 4 in terms of D&D? I'm also thinking of trying to look over L5R again and maybe put a character together as practice and see if I can start or find a game.

Thanks a lot for your time and thorough answers!

[Bryan Stewart]

Your welcome, to ease yourself in, I would hmm lol, it's a hard decision. I have played both and it boils down to prefrence I love both in different ways. Ok I would go to one of the hobby stores and see If anyone is playing (which there should be 4.0 games which are sponsored by wizards of the coast, and I don't know if anyone is playing 3.5 the closest you will get is pathfinder which some considered 3.75 and it was baised on D20 system) Play a couple of games before you buy and see what you like more, both are easy both pathfinder and 4.0 have starter boxes which are very well rounded. I highly suggest the starter boxes to learn how to play.

http://paizo.com/beginnerbox (pathfinder starter box)
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/redbox.aspx (Dnd Redbox)

I'm sorry I am a fence sitter lol...Try them both and see what you like the best (there have been heated discussions on which is better and well Both sides are right lol).

And welcome to the world or RPG's don't forget the Cheetos and Mt. Dew