Help me get started with PnP

Black Angel

Grand Inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus
To make long story short, I'm a newfag to the whole cRPG genre. My only encounter with RPGs in my childhood was mostly JRPGs, like Radiata Stories, Sword of Mana, Final Fantasy (specifically FFXII), etc etc. I remembered playing a Wizardry game on PS2, so it's probably my first and only encounter with a blobber back then. It was only in 2015 that I was aware of 'cRPG' genre, and also aware of this whole PnP stuff. I vaguely remember making some kind of a map in middle school for a PnP setting of my own, except I wasn't even aware it was called 'PnP' back then.

Since I'm an Indonesian, it's next to impossible to find out if there's any PnP RPG/DnD enthusiast out here.

Anyway, rules and system; what would you suggest for a noob like me? Or do I have to make my own? I was thinking of making my own character sheet. And is there any particular setting I have to start with, before trying my hands on other? Also, could anybody explain what GM and DM specifically do? I'm not even sure if the description of RPG Codex subforum 'The Gazebo' ("You see a well groomed garden. In the middle, on a small hill, you see a gazebo. A gazebo? What color is it?") is something that would be recited by a GM or a DM. And regarding dices, since I won't probably be able to find a 20-sided dice, I'm probably gonna use 2-3 pieces of 6-sided dices instead. Would that work for an existing system or should I try making one with it?

Also, since a PnP session requires at least 2 person (I assume a minimum of 2 for a single-player session, if it's even possible for a single-player session), I guess I'll be GMing and DMing a session, and drag a friend of mine or more (for a party session) even though they were mostly MOBA/MMORPG/Shooter players.

This is also in purpose of training and accustoming myself to PnP so that I could properly contribute to NMA's Fallout PnP project.
 
Did you seriously say "newfag"? Dude we're not on fuckin 4chan.
Out of the stuff I've written in the post, and 'newfag' is something you took notice of and got a problem with? Dude, stay on topic or stfu.

Besides, I got that phrase from RPG Codex. I've never bothered paying attention to whatever phrase 4chan made because I've only visited that site like three or four times in my life so far.
 
GURPS lite, as mentioned above, is indeed a good way to start.

If you have the basics of what and how in your head already, you could also make a simple set of rules by yourself for a short campaign. Think of a game you wish to play, come up with some common rules on "how to" and "what not to", come up with all the skills you think are necessary and roll them (d100 -- success being rolled for equal or under the skill value), play. No need for extensive charts or beastiaries, most of the stuff comes on the fly if your GM knows his business. Very simple.

That's how I got started back in those days. We did have some Rune Quest books with which we played, but it was an incomplete set and in english (which none of us was too adept with back then) so we had to adapt and get creative.
 
Back
Top