New - looking for D&D group but for a beginner!

[cyberyan]

Hello! Relocated my post, let's hope I have better luck here :>

Strangely enough, I've just recently gotten into Dungeons and Dragons RP and have heard much of it, many terms (tabletop, rolling dice..?) but am completely clueless! Well, I know the basics but would really like to actually try a game out for myself and perhaps play with a group? I've listened to some podcasts, watched some videos and think I've got the basics down but would very much prefer to test it out by actually playing. If there is anyone or any groups out there willing to take me in as a protege I would very much appreciate it. Don't worry, I learn quick.

Also, setting and theme don't matter to me too much other than I would like to start off with a non-sexual roleplay. Medieval, modern, sci-fi, doesn't matter. I am open to anything you feel is the easiest or most fun.

[Wandering Mind]

Do you know what D&D edition you want to play or is that something you're still trying to decide on?  Each edition has their own books and rules.

[cyberyan]

Do you know what D&D edition you want to play or is that something you're still trying to decide on?  Each edition has their own books and rules.

Whichever is the most fun/easiest to learn. If I had to choose I'd go for the 5th edition but then again I'm generally clueless about the differences and would just be picking at random!

[Wandering Mind]

5th edition is a good one to start with.  It's one of the easiest to learn.  Do you have any of the books or pdfs?  What got you interested in Dungeons and Dragons?

[cyberyan]

5th edition is a good one to start with.  It's one of the easiest to learn.  Do you have any of the books or pdfs?  What got you interested in Dungeons and Dragons?

Unfortunately, I don't. I think my curiosity got to me when a group of roleplayers were discussing the D&D method of rolling dice, something along those lines and from there I searched it up which led to a youtube podcast and another one, etc...

[Wandering Mind]

I'll be honest.  I think it will be difficult to learn without the materials.  The following video could help you with the basics and even provide some links to basic rules.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHBM9ARGdD8

I recommend seeking out people who play face to face.  Depending on how popular the game is where you live, you may be able to find some people in a local comic book store.

[Sain]

The rules for chargen you can access to for free (completely legally) in the online system reference document. Hope that helps

Learning through play is definitely the way though, either live or in some game here on E. I know a few people who have gotten into system based RPes over here and learned nicely. Keep an eye out for new group games. 5e is quite popular so new groups for it tend to pop up every so often.

[RedPhoenix]

You can also download the basic rules for free from Wizards of the Coast.

http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules

=]

[cyberyan]

Thank you for the links! I'll definitely be on the lookout for any new groups. Quick question, do all groups use discord or some other kind of voice-chat method? I noticed that the roleplaying is almost always carried out via voice, more than actual writing.

[Sain]

Thank you for the links! I'll definitely be on the lookout for any new groups. Quick question, do all groups use discord or some other kind of voice-chat method? I noticed that the roleplaying is almost always carried out via voice, more than actual writing.

Most people that look for the D&D groups on Elliquiy play it on the forums in writing.

[Thufir Hawat]

By the most conservative estimates, there's over 400 000 posts in system games on Elliquiy, as you can easily see (being an approved member): that's just the number of posts in the 6 sub-forums dedicated to system games.

For the record, I just opened the Bondage-Small Groups sub-forum which doesn't divide the games in system and freeform ones, and the first four threads were obviously for system games. So rest assured, all kind of people play all kinds of system games on E. ! Of course, some would prefer to use a chat system. There's no way to tell how many such games there are, nor how active.

Now, System games means that there is a tabletop system being used (if there isn't, it's instead Freeform). For a lot of games, that system would be (some edition or clone of) D&D, which is what you're asking about...but it might be Amber, Tunnels&Trolls, RuneQuest, IronClaw, RISUS... whatever. Oh, and there's a system named "Maid", which I gather would be relelvant to your interests !
So instead of having "D&D" forums, we have "system" forums, without specifying the system.

For now, my best advice is: don't bother with the differences between them! Find a game you want to play in, and learn the respective system that the game is using!
Yes, you might find yourself learning Amber, or Ars Magica, or DrWho instead of D&D...but if you find the game itself fun, that makes no difference, does it ?

For the record, the threads on the first page of the Players Looking For GMs sub-forum list in their names the following systems: D&D (you), D&D 5E (requested twice - same as what you are asking, but specifying the latest edition), Demon: The Fallen, Kult, "Old-School D&Dish kind of game" (so a D&D edition from 0e to 2e, or their clones), IronClaw (anthropomorphic animals), PathFinder (D&D clone, requsted twice), StarFinder ("space variant" of PathFinder), Shadowrun (cyberpunk with elves, dwarves and magic), Vampire: The Masquerade 5E (modern personal horror with the PCs as bloodsuckers), Beast: The Primordial (playing monsters).
I'm too lazy to open the previous pages, or the threads that didn't make it clear whether the request is for freeform or system games ).

[Galactic Druid]

Here on Elliquiy, most of the groups you’ll see in threads like this are looking for forum based, play by post (PbP) groups. There is a non-forum group request you could try for something like a discord group, but honestly, if you’re looking to set up something like a group that meets once a month for a X hour session, your best bet might be a site like reddit or roll20 or Wizzards of the Coasts’ own forums, as many members of E tend to prefer to keep their role playing within the site itself.

If PbP tabletop interests you, Thufir mentioned a lot of great systems. Finding the one that’s right for you and making a request would likely be the next best step, as well as deciding if you want to be a player for the game, or the GM running it.

One system I’d also recommend looking at is Numenera. It’s not super well known, but it’s very beginner friendly. The entire game is played with a single 20 sided die, the players are always the ones making the rolls, and the game is designed in a way that the GM (which is the exact same as a DM, for the record, just a more all-encompassing term) can easily react to player choices and assign a difficulty to a task, making it very easy for a GM to keep moving a game fluidly.

I hope this helps and you manage to find or make yourself an awesome group!