How to play by post?

[chongjasmine]

I am a newbie when it comes to play by post? How to begin? Which thread should I look into first? What is IC or OOC? How to roll die? How to create characters? What determine their stats/attributes?
Is there any book I need to buy?

[HotsuSama]

To quickly answer some questions:

- IC = in-character. It refers to anything you write while acting out or voicing your character.
- OOC = out-of-character. It's for when you need to talk about something but not in your character's voice (e.g. asking a question about dice rolls.)
- Rolling dice is done on-site using code. This is the general on-site guide. Feel free to ask about anything that doesn't make sense to you here.
- Creating characters, and their stats, really comes down to the kind of game you want to play. Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition is the most common and most popular RPG, is this what you were asking about, or did you have something specific in mind?
- Buying books or PDFs, again, depends on what game or system you want to play. For example, you wouldn't need to buy anything for D&D 5e to just be a player, as the basic options are free to peruse online (See: D&D Beyond).

I would strongly recommend looking at our New Player Solo Game options. They will not only cover the basics of the system in question but also outline beginning principles for play-by-post and using this site.

[chongjasmine]

Hi, yes, I have DnD 5th ed in mind. Also, what other rpg games are there beside DnD and Pathfinder?

[Admin Dirk]

Let's see... I know this is a very incomplete list:

Star Trek
Star Wars
Starfinder
Call of Chthulu
Vampire the legend
Mutants and Masterminds
Monsters and Mutants
GURPS
CarWars
Cypher systems
FATE
Pokemon
Shadowrun
World of Darkness
13th Age
Iron age?
Serenity
Traveler
Superhero Genre
Everquest
Werewolf Games Systems
Earthdawn
Fallout
Dark Heresy
Naruto
Mass Effect
Champions


whew... There's a couple hundred more, but I think that's a good start.

[lostcheerio]

Hi chongjasmine, and welcome!

I had similar questions when I first started because it was hard for me to imagine how a TTRPG could be played out in writing turns. I learned a ton by playing through the New Player Solo Game, and also asking questions -- like you're doing now. I recommend poking around the menus at the top of the page -- features like "Today's Posts" can give you a great idea of what goes on around the site. If you find a game to follow, you can also just pick up some rhythms and protocols by reading their posts and skimming how their game unfolds. Best of luck!

[writelite]

It's good to see that someone braves the gap between PbP beginner and the experienced players, once in a while. Nice initiative here, CJ! There might be many like you who can see themselves on your side of the dialogue. I hope you will return with more questions, as you progress! Or maybe to share something of the obstacles you met and how you went past them?

A conversation like this seems like the best way to guide newbies, and it would be great to see it stretching up to the point where the newbie becomes one of the site. Both questions and answers above are excellent to start with: short, light, to the point. The advice - easy on the novice and future game colleague. It's hard to add anything to it! So to show the support more, I'll just point - for inspiration - to past talks, which unfortunately did not make it to a complete run:

Through the collections here and here one can easier reach the thoughts of others - from the far past up to quite recent times.

...The only problem with going through them is thinking that their great amount has everything covered -- it doesn't. It does not have your fresh perspective - your unique way of approaching things. So, please, don't get lost in there... It certainly isn't "demanded" reading! (*phew*) The way I'd go through them as a first-timer is in butterfly-mode: Just browsing, here and there, dropping anything that feels too heavy, you know? finding the fun parts!

Wishing you quick progress!

[chongjasmine]

How to know when you are required to roll a die or not in role-play? I read the dungeon and dragon's guide and discovered sometimes you need to roll dies.
Besides during combat, how do you know when you are required to roll a die or not?

[chongjasmine]

Another question, how do you know what to add to the attack? For instance, some posts I read add 2 or 3 or even 4 attack points to the dice roll. It is not consistent. Some players add 2, some 3, some 4. How do you know how to determine what points to add to your initial dice roll?

[HotsuSama]

Originally Posted by chongjasmine

How to know when you are required to roll a die or not in role-play? I read the dungeon and dragon's guide and discovered sometimes you need to roll dies.
Besides during combat, how do you know when you are required to roll a die or not?

If in doubt, ask the person running the game (usually known as a Game Master, or GM, or Dungeon Master, or DM). Some actions always need a dice roll for its result, such as attacking someone. But there can be rolls for various skills as well, such as being stealthy. Sometimes the GM may call for a roll if you're doing something strenuous or risky (e.g. 'You're trying to swim across a river with a heavy current, please make an Athletics roll to determine your crossing').

Originally Posted by chongjasmine

Another question, how do you know what to add to the attack? For instance, some posts I read add 2 or 3 or even 4 attack points to the dice roll. It is not consistent. Some players add 2, some 3, some 4. How do you know how to determine what points to add to your initial dice roll?

That's where your character stats and equipment come in! When you've completed a character, it'll have everything you need to determine how much you add to specific rolls. Every character has their own strengths and weaknesses, and this translates into the modifiers used with dice rolls.

[chongjasmine]

Thanks, sorry for asking so many questions. I am a complete newbie. Just apply for the solo game.

[Admin Dirk]

never apologize for seeking knowledge.