DnD IRC?

[wordsmith]

Hey all, I have started getting interested in the origins of the gaming genre (RPG) that I have followed since I can remember, and have stumbled across DnD.

I've always avoided DnD in the same way I used to always avoid WoW, blinded by the cliche of "DnD/WoW=geeks, geeks=bad". I now see that there is a distinction between geeks and gamers, and I fall neatly between the two. I recently read a book called Game Night (look it up on amazon, it's awesome! Jonny Nexus is the author), and I'm interested in giving it a go.

as my mates and I are too busy to meet on a regular basis just to play, I was wondering if anyone can recommend any free IRC sites available to play, and also any online/pdf versions of the rulebooks (the essential ones). I know this may be overstepping the copyright mark, and if this is the case can you PM me the info rather than get us both yelled at by mods

yours

~wordsmith

(p.s. I'm not looking for the MMORPG version of it, I'm looking for a text-based version)

 

[Zombie_King]

Why are geeks bad? A geek can be a gamer and vice versa. Don't be so quick to condemn the geeks. It's not like we're part of a cult or anything...


Join us...join us...join us...join us...join us...

 

[Nine of Hearts]

You can find the complete 3.5e rules at www.d20srd.org, barring some stuff on experience and copyrighted material (mind-flayers). A good site for play-by-post is www.myth-weavers.com, and you might be able to find a chat-based game on openRPG (www.openRPG.com). I don't know any IRC stes dedicated to DnD, but the magicstar.net server has a built-in dice roller which can be used for DnD.

I hope this helps.

PS: I'm not a geek, I'm a nerd.

 

[TheIceface]

The problem isn't playing the game, the problem is getting too involved in the game. Obsessing over miniatures and dressing up in costumes while shirking all physical contact with strangers.

I've played the game about 2 or 3 times, I basically play it the same way I would monopoly. That includes hiding little plastic hotels in the snacks for choking hazards to add danger to the game.

 

[Tanthalos]

Playing online in a text based environment whether it is email, IRC or IMs is that there is a chance for a player to cheat on what they got for their dice roll. Doesn't sound like a big deal but people ignoring the 1s they roll or magically turning a 3 into a 6 on a D6 will ruin the game given time.
It stops being fun if everyone is invincible or always dies.

 

[Nine of Hearts]

There are ways around that. Most places have a dedicated dice roller to discourage that. Just ask that people use said dice roller out in the open and you should be okay. For example, magicstar servers have the /roll command, while Myth Weavers has the [dice] tag.

 

[Xelliz]

I've got to say that wordsmith post sounds more like someone who always thought DnD players were a bunch of nerds to be bashed and looked down upon. However, now that WoW is so freaking popular and the "in" thing, he wants to play DnD since its the accepted beginnging of the genre so he can say "look at me, I'm one of you."

Either way, I really don't care much for online pen and paper playing...unless it was with friends who no longer live near me. To truly enjoy the game I highly recommend in person sessions...which can either be accomplished by getting your own group started or joining a local one. Though I understand this isn't always possible.

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

anybody ever play Spelljammer?

yeah, didn't think so

 

[wordsmith]

I've got to say that wordsmith post sounds more like someone who always thought DnD players were a bunch of nerds to be bashed and looked down upon. However, now that WoW is so freaking popular and the "in" thing, he wants to play DnD since its the accepted beginnging of the genre so he can say "look at me, I'm one of you."

You're half right anyway... I used to think that DnD players were, as that is the stereotype I as given from a young age. My mum is a womens football coach, and my dad is an aircraft engineer, so you can imagine that neither are particularly in-tune with fantasy and that sort of stuff (I had to work really hard to get my mum to pick up a pratchett book... exactly).

WoW is being played by more and more people, however after picking it up, playing for 2 months (one free, one paid), I saw the "second job" aspect of it coming in, so I abandoned my account.

the attitude of "I'm one of you" is a really... strange concept. I've been playing RPG's for years, to the point where my mates come to me asking for recommended games, help with certain bits of the game, whatever. How does me picking up DnD rather than some RPG pc game mean me "joining" you in any way? It's sort of like me researching your family tree and you deciding I'm trying to get into your family :s. I'm sorry if I misread or misinterpreted your post, and if I have please say.

 

[vede]

If you want to get a taste of D&D, you should come over to the Game Master Foundation. I might start up a play-by-post game soon. (using AD&D 2.0 rules. The superior rules. Not 3.0 or 3.5)

I'm pretty sure you could get some PDF versions of the 2.0 rules somewhere around here on the network of tubes. Free (legally questionable) or for a price (I'd look at the WotC site first).

Really, though, join the GMF. We need more members (we only have four active members right now). We even have a podcast. Please.

 

[zari]

and my dad is an aircraft engineer, so you can imagine that neither are particularly in-tune with fantasy

That's odd, a lot of the engineers I knew at uni were fellow RPG nerds (in between the binge drinking, anyway ).

I've always looked at IRC as being a good way to role play though, since it allows for stuff like multiple channels for things like in-character, out-of-character and private dungeon master dialog, a lot of which is always difficult in a face to face setting. The problem with it of course is that it cuts out the social element (and the pizza, well, not necessarily, but buying pizza just for yourself isn't quite the same and you get oil on the keyboard).

The group which I used to play D&D and Vampire with years ago looked at going online when two of us (me included) moved to different towns for work, but it all ended up feeling like a bit too much hard work for a limited payoff.

 

[Xelliz]

@ wordsmith - I don't know you...so I have no idea about you as a person or your background. My reply was based solely on your post and to me, thats the way it came across.

@ Ballptpen - yes, I played Spelljammer

 

[Kovash86]

Geeks are great, they are the OCD that keeps technology developing at the rate it is, last 100 years of technical development are all because of geeks. Orville and Wilbur Wright? Geeks both of them, they flew kites and did all kinds of strange experiments until they created their flier. Harrison Ford, wasn't oddly enough, he just had a really good idea to improve mechanization.

 

[le machin]

Harrison Ford, eh? I admit he was pretty good in "Clear & Present Danger" but I suspect you are thinking about HENRY Ford in this case.

I have always been into roleplaying games in some sense or another. I played a campaign via bulletin board that lasted for several years. But doing PnP in person never appealed to me- partly it was because the the aspect of writing for BBs really appealed to me and partly because of the dearth of players in my area, and in a lot of cases the people who were into DnD were shut-ins who couldn't look me in the eye, let alone portray a heroic warrior convincingly.