There were three indispensable tools for me as a DM:

Dungon Master for Dummies -- Seriously, this is a fantastic book. It was written for 3rd Edition, but most of the book's advice is relevant for any RPG. Both authors have a long pedigree in designing and writing for D&D.

Sly Flourish's The Lazy Dungeon Master -- This book is now on its second edition ("The Return of...") and is amazing. It basically distills a lot of conventional wisdom related to running your game with the least amount of effort. That sounds bad, but when you get into DM'ing you will find yourself burning out quickly if you don't find a way to reduce the amount of boilerplate planning you have to do.

How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy -- By Orson Scott Card. This book is recommended because of its world-building chapters. The way he thinks about and approaches world-building has influenced many other amazing writers, such as Brandon Sanderson, his protege and successor as creative writing professor at BYU. This is worth reading, again and again.

--EDIT: I hit "Post Reply" instead of "Insert Link". Whoops.

Here are some other bits of advice that I hope are helpful:

Know the rules

Seriously; read the PHB, know the PHB, love the PHB. 90% of you disagreements with players will be covered by the PHB. Do your due diligence so you can make trustworthy and authoritative rulings. If they players know they can trust your rulings, they will question you less.

As a newbie DM, I failed to do this, and the result was that my players did not trust me or my story. Engagement is hard to come by in that situation.

Also, read your DMG cover-to-cover. But I do find myself referencing that book quite infrequently (I make my own magic items, so I don't really consult the loot table, either). What the DMG has, and is worth reading for, is its advice on running games. This is also true of the 4E DMG, which is worth a read even if you never run that system (no one will ever ask you to).

Embrace Rule Zero

If you know the rules, and the players trust you, you are ready to employ Rule Zero: "The DM is always right." This is absolutely necessary. Many a time I've had a player attempt to use the RAW to create situational advantages that did not square with what I believed was common sense. The rules aren't running your game: you are.

Now, having said that...

Always Say "Yes"^H^H^H^H^H"But"

In 4E, the designers of D&D distilled a common and effective "design pattern" of DM'ing, and called it, "Just Say Yes." The idea was that you could maximize player buy-in and investment (and therefore, engagement) by giving them the most possible creative control over your story. Taken to its extreme, however, this proves disastrous; players are not uniformly interested in advancing your story, and I have some players that often need to be constrained a bit from taking every license possible.

The modern incarnation of this philosophy is "Always Say 'But'." "Yes, but..." and "no, but..." are incredible tools that help you keep control of the narrative while mitigating player frustration.

"Yes, you can run up to the BBEG in the middle of his monologue and bunch him in the face... (hidden bogus roll a couple times) ...but with a casual wave of his hand, you are thrown back 30 feet." (aside: this scenario requires maximum player trust, as well as Rule Zero4)

"No, you cannot by any means use deception to convince the king that he's a potted plant, but you can convince that dimwitted guard over there."

In short, be lenient, but don't be too lenient.

A word on voice acting: DM's that are good at it are amazing; the best DM I know is a veteran stage actor and drama teacher. It helps that he is a great storyteller. But it is absolutely not necessary to have an immersive, compelling game. In fact, done badly, it can be awful. I ran a 1E Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil game, and I wanted to play up the village of Hommlet by giving them all Irish accents. After two hours my players asked me to stop. Faking a voice that is wildly different than your own here and there is fine, but if you absolutely cannot pull it off (through no fault of your own), your game is best served by not trying. Speak in your own voice, and add adverbs like a book would. Don't try to lower your voice; describe his voice before you speak for him, and then speak naturally.

Caveat: joke characters or comedic relief situations you should totally ham up voices.

What you've got pictured in that first link is the 3.0 Player's Handbook. (There is no such thing as 2.5, despite someone's mislabeling.) For comparison, here's the 3.5 Player's Handbook which looks rather similar, but has "v.3.5" near the bottom.

Regarding visual tools (playmat, miniatures, etc), those are often helpful, especially for new players/DM's and for those who like tactics-heavy battle, but I'll note that they aren't required, and some DM's eschew them on purpose, focusing instead on vocal descriptions of events.

Do you have a Dungeon Master's Guide? Here's a 3.5 DMG - the 3.0 and 3.5 versions are close enough to work together without too much trouble, and 3.5 is generally seen as superior, but a 3.0 DMG would work too. The DMG has a wealth of information useful for running an engaging game.

If you're, say, missing some key element of DM'ing, I'm not sure we could identify it easily - if you can't see it, we can't tell you about it. In general, though, it helps to try to pay attention to what does interest and engage your players, and do more of that. Or if some part seems to annoy a player, find a way to make it less of an issue.

One thing some players like, is to feel like they have some special trick or advantage they've figured out that gives them a special advantage. Maybe your fighter would think making a trip attack or sundering a weapon would be an awesome thing to do. Look for opportunities to let him try unusual stuff when it'll have dramatic effect.

Note that players can have radically different types of games that interest them; there is no magic bullet here. The original D&D had characters with short lifespans, who were basically just out looking for loot and had backstories like "merchant's disowned son looking for riches" at most. Some games have virtually no combat at all, focusing entirely on verbal descriptions. Some players enjoy basically enjoying going down a predefined story, and others like a more "sandbox"-like experience where they choose where they go in the world.

Another thing that can help is getting some practice. Try running through some combat scenarios on your own, doing all rolls and decision making for all (2-6) characters in combat. This will help you get used to the flow of combat, and let you handle it more smoothly in a real game. It won't help you with other skills, like interacting with players and reacting to their unexpected decisions and goals, but confidence here will help elsewhere. You can focus on the goblin chieftan's speech more if you aren't worried so much about handling a pair of attack of opportunity.

If you feel you're having trouble with storytelling, it might help to use a "module" - a pre-made setting and story, with some ready-made adventurers and lots of flavor to follow. If you do, you don't have to follow the module exactly (your players almost certainly won't!), but having the structure to rely on will serve you well.

Basically you need the Player's Handbook, the Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual. There are also "premium" versions of these books printed in 2012 that include many years worth of errata, and you should try to get those if you can.

The three core books are enough to play, but of course Wizards of the Coast published a very large number of supplements to the game that add more rules, systems, and advice for DM's to use and more options, classes, and spells for players. One of these is the Dungeon Master's Guide II, which includes a large bit of advice for DM's, more magic items, and some new rules and systems, including a detailed system for building towns. It was a fine supplement, but is certainly not essential for running a campaign, and I wouldn't even describe it as the best 4th book for a new dungeon master to buy.

Actually, if you're just starting out DMing, the best 4th book to get would probably be a pre-published adventure, or even a mega-adventure or adventure path. The Sunless Citadel is an excellent adventure for 1st-level PC's, though you should check first whether anyone in your group has played through it before. As for mega-adventures, both The Red Hand of Doom and Age of Worms have excellent reputations, though the latter was published in Dungeon magazine which makes it hard to find a copy.

I have had fun with either rule set, and that is the main thing to keep in mind. If the system allows you to have fun then use that rules set. AD&D isn't difficult at all. Just because it is different from what we know now in 3.x, Pathfinder, 4E, and now D&D Next, people look down on it undeservingly so. If all you have ever played is the later editions it will take some getting used to doing things differently. It won't be a problem though if you can think it through.

Also keep in mind that AD&D had a different style of play in mind from later editions. In AD&D you're role-playing the hero of a story, emphasis on role-playing. Later editions tried to make players more like heroes of cinema where they can chop through armies of goblins all by themselves. Both can be fun just depends on what you and your players want out of the game.

If you want the AD&D books without paying WOTC a ridiculous amount of money for the reprints get to amazon and get a used copy for a third of the cost.

http://www.amazon.com/Players-Handbook-Advanced-Dungeons-Roleplaying/dp/0786903295/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1369092987&sr=8-2&keywords=ad%26d+2nd+edition+players+handbook

One last note, any rules set you get is going to have to be house ruled at some point. All systems have their flaws, some stifle a players creativity others allow players who will try to exploit those flaws create game breaking characters.

Hope this helps you, and good luck.

I really don't feel a lot of the problems listed for, at the very least, the 5e published adventures.

As a somewhat experienced DM (can I say that with about a decade of experience?), I really like the adventures because they give me a really solid structure, and my group and I can build our adventure around it.

For the complaints about railroading: If you have a group that you cannot reign in, to work on story, you shouldn't be playing a published adventure path adventure at all. You should be playing a straight sandbox where they can do what they want when they want.

For the complaints about not railroading enough: You aren't playing a video game rail shooter. Even with guidance you will have to go off-script, and often. If you just can't handle being given so much to be responsible for I recommend trying some of those mini adventures that publishers like Paizo became famous for. The very first adventure I ever ran, both as a player and as a DM, was a Wizards adventure called The Sunless Citadel. A third edition classic that has introduced several generations of players to the game... and everyone's favorite bumbling (at least until the optimization forums got to him) Kobold, Meepo.

For the somewhat specific complaint of having "level requirements" like in a video game: ...So? It's really more of a recommendation. Any experienced DMs are going to ignore that and adjust encounters as necessary, and it'll teach newer DMs about encounter power relative to player power. Besides, that has literally been a component of all of these published adventures since their inception. Right on the cover is usually a littler blurb "Intended for a group of X players at level Y," or something to that effect. Even those old micro-adventures that were literally a folded pamphlet with like, maybe 1500 words total, they devoted a precious few to level requirements.

To expound on the previous one a little more... specifically the author complains about being able to go to areas too easy or difficult at the drop of a hat; one of the oldest, most infamous, enormous, and expensive published adventures of all time Rappan Athuk, is hundreds of pages and dozens of maps worth of dungeon adventure. There are multiple entrances to the giant complex, ranging from the main "low level" entrance, to a mid-level one where a single Gargoyle would be able to wipe out an entire party without losing HP. And that's not unusual at all. Eventually you learned that "threat assessment" was a thing in that particular dungeon. Long story short: this is not new, it's not bad, and can actually present a fairly unique challenge to your players: having encounters your party cannot beat, can teach your players there are times where it's actually smart to run the hell away.

Okay this post has gotten way too big, so I'm not going to address every little problem so I'll sum up with something another poster said: You can't make everyone happy. But, in my opinion, even those people are not really trying and could be having a lot more fun than they are.

INVESTIGATING...

1. With newbies, I make it ultra obvious until they get used to looking around. First I make sure to be clear in my descriptions. I also really push passive perception. I will share that they notice things around them. Whatever makes sense in context that might give an indication they should look around more closely. If that doesn't get them biting them I simply ask "Do you want to look around more carefully?" Then if they say yes I ask them to roll an investigation check. Newbies frequently need to be given more obvious prompts until they get used to operating more independently.
   
2. If they are veteran players I usually don't have to do the above. I let them make their choices but I make sure I am really clearly describing the area.
   
   MAPS...
   
   
3. I do not rely heavily on actual maps unless there is a tactical reason they need one. I use Theater of the Mind. As long as I am describing things well, it can actually enhance play since everyone has a clear picture in their head of a 3 dimensional space instead of a flat map.
   
4. I rarely ever draw a map while in game. It takes too much time. When I do need a map, if the space is complicated enough that I actually feel the players need a map, then I need time to draw it accurately anyway. If the space is something like a 20x20 room with nothing in it but the PCs and the bad guys then I don't usually need a map.
   
5. I also hate spending hours and hours on maps when my players may never even go to the whatever I am mapping. Therefore I use a hybrid of things to provide a map when it is necessary, but almost always prepped ahead of time.I don't always draw the map, though. I sometimes rely on other resources. Examples below:
   
   

• I sometimes use these: https://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Tactical-Reincarnated-Accessory/dp/0786966793/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=grids+dnd&qid=1571626033&sr=8-6
  
• and these https://www.amazon.com/DUNGEON-TILES-REINCARNATED-WILDERNESS/dp/0786966319/ref=sr_1_11?keywords=grids+dnd&qid=1571626069&sr=8-11 upon occasion.
  
• I also bought this and use this for larger maps. I create them then save them for reuse/retasking later. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RGYL979/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I only buy it when it is on sale.
  
• I do have erasable battle grids but I ended up rarely using them. If I am putting in the effort to create the map I would like it to be in a format for reuse/retasking later on. And what if the players come back through the area? Having to draw the thing again seems a waste of energy. That's just my preference.
  
• There are also generic maps available for all kinds of settings for very little cost on the Dungeon Master's Guild website. Tons of options. Many look quite professional. Sometimes I use those if they fit with my needs. Example selected at random: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/190205/A-Dozen-Maps
  
• Along with the above, frequently there are really nice looking maps available for specific official modules. I don't believe there are any for Dragon of Ice Spire peak but I know there are many offerings for other modules. Some are really, really good.

OP. Happy Halloween

Here is the module redone to 3.5 from 1e. I've played through it a few times and I love it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/078693946X

I also suggest you read this first. This is Strahd's memoirs. It will help you understand his origin, personality and ultimate goal better than just reading the module. I love DMing and playing Ravenloft, its been a childhood favorite since I started back in 1e.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0786901756/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1383185851&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70

Good gaming my friend

Advanced D&D (late 70s, early 80s) had psionics as an optional ability (if DM allowed). The skills were only slightly useful for combat situations (like molecular agitation to heat metal) but were fantastic for roleplay and campaign scenarios - like telempathic projection, or dimension walking for traveling vast distances.

In the early 90s, TSR finally put out a sourcebook for Psionics that included a Psionicist class with more combat-ready powers in it. It was pretty awesome, but again, optional.

Two trap books:

• Traps & Treachery. Some of these are too convoluted -- the PCs will not avoid them, nor even have a clue, so they're meh. However, others are great. The "Taking Stock" trap on page 89 will only go off when a rogue-type gets greedy for something out of reach in a hole. It is in fact a trap which never triggers unless you try to disable it. There is a section in the back for puzzles & riddles too, so that's a bonus.
  
• Traps & Treachery II. I like the "Leg Shredder" on page 23. It's just a covered hole with downward-pointing spikes. Very low-tech. However, can you imagine getting stuck in it while a tribe of kobolds is bearing down on you? The player has to decide to fight basically while on his knees, or else tear his leg out, doing huge damage. It's a nice conflict. The back has a section for poisons, plus a smaller number of pages for puzzles/tricks/challenges. Although that section is only 14 pages, it still offers 23 of them.
  
  There is also a module which is all puzzles. Here it is:
  
  
• Crypt of Lyzandred the Mad. It's for the old AD&D game (1st edition, I think) but since it's just puzzles & riddles, it doesn't matter that it's for an older version of the game. Simply pillage it for what you want to use. Lots of these are math puzzles, which I skipped. E14 is good -- a doppleganger recites a poem, changing form as it recites, all leading to the solution of "I'm seeing reflections in a mirror." If the players get it, the doppleganger doesn't attack, but reveals a mirror, which is a portal. Not bad. E22 has "ooze spheres" which must be arranged "no more than 2 along any single line on the grid" -- if you fail the spheres disappear and you're fighting oozes. E30 is a carnival game. E47 = archery contest with a twist. E56 is a "move as optimally as possible" mini-game, set on floating clouds -- which I changed to be giant lily pads. E81 is a small dungeon maze with stones you have to push out of the way as you move, but pushing some will reveal zombies in alcoves. I stared at that one hard one night and discovered that there is a way to move only 1 or 2 stones and bypass almost everything -- that's not the solution to the puzzle; it appears to be an oversight that the author didn't notice. I think it's cool, a good reward for players who pay attention.
  
  Have fun! Good luck!

There is no Pathfinder adaptation that I know of, but if you can find a copy of the 3.5 Dragonlance Campaign setting then it would give you a leg up. 3.5 is relatively easy to translate, and there were a few other books that came out that might help as well such as War of the Lance, Dragons of Winter, Dragons of Autumn, and Dragons of Spring. Yes, these adventures are all out of print and may run you hundreds of dollars to have physical copies of, but you might be able to track down a .pdf somewhere as well and go from there.

1. Book coverage: Waterdeep is a lot like a broad template at times - like reading the Wikipedia recap of a TV episode. Many aspects are fully fleshed out. Others say "The players are tasked with finding three bandits who stole a necklace" and then you just have to figure that out yourself. Get ready to improv!
   
   
2. I would only consider doing voices if you think you have 30+ unique voices in you already. Otherwise, they'll all sound mostly the same, and your players may get confused. Learn a few of the most important characters (the main villains, vital NPCs, etc) and make a voice for them. For everyone else, generic fantasy British works most of the time!
   
   
3. Buy one of these (https://www.amazon.com/Chessex-Role-Playing-Play-Mat/dp/B0015IQO2O) and a set of wet erase markers (https://www.amazon.com/Wet-Erase-Overhead-Transparency-Markers-Assorted/dp/B00006IFGX/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=wet+erase+markers&qid=1564073953&s=gateway&sr=8-5) and never worry about battle maps again - unless you REALLY want to make unique and custom maps for every single thing the players see. I find that the flexibility of being able to quickly draw out a big rectangle with some trees and barrels on one of these maps for those encounters you couldn't have planned on outweighs the benefit of having a detailed battle map you custom-make for everything (unless you just have the time and money to do so!). The official Dungeon Tiles are also great, and you can lay them on top of the map I linked earlier. (https://www.amazon.com/DUNGEON-TILES-REINCARNATED-CITY/dp/0786966297/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=d%26d+tiles&qid=1564074069&s=gateway&sr=8-4)
   
   Also, check out the official Waterdeep: Dragon Heist subreddit for an entire host of questions, answers and resources just for that book. https://www.reddit.com/r/WaterdeepDragonHeist/

> there is nothing in 4E that limits interacting with the world, exploring a dungeon, seeking treasure

There's also nothing that aids it, and when I buy products, I look for that (as, apparently, do most RPG players). Here is what I mean:

1.
When I am about to buy an RPG, I ask myself how hard will it be to do away with the battlemat & minis, so that players and I can just imagine it all. Are there a lot of abilities/powers/skills/attacks that involve manipulating positions on the battlemat? How much of a pain in the ass do I think it's going to be to modify a battlemat-heavy game? D&D 4th doesn't hold up well here, at least not to my satisfaction (and when we're talking about what I'm buying, that's pretty much the only criteria that matters). Believe it or not, 3.5 edition did fine here -- just took out AOO and it pretty much hummed along, not much else relied upon squares of movement.

2.
When I scan the feats/powers/spells, do I see anything usable outside of combat? For example, the D&D 3.5 book Complete Adventurer (I think) has a feat called "Master Manipulator" which is used during in-character conversation with your DM. If you make the roll, as you are talking, the DM is supposed to play "tripping up" and "accidentally" giving you more information/secrets than the NPC desired to reveal. How many feats/powers in 4th edition have nothing to do with combat like that? D&D 4th edition didn't hold up well here (and to be fair, D&D 3.5 only holds up well because of the million official supplement books, each of which only had a few non-combat options, but which altogether added up to a ton). Pathfinder murders both 3rd & 4th here, with a new "traits" system that is solely supposed to be for backstory (though some power gamers still just min/max it), and awards many, many non-fighting bonuses. Extra languages to speak, bonus to diplomacy with a specific group or gender, tricks for handling traps or avoiding combat, and so on. And then there are the "down time" rules that provide a system for players to set up a shop or enter politics, etc. Numenera is also great here, with so many weird techy talky strange options that have no combat application (or at least are very fun & viable outside of combat too). I have high hopes that 5th edition D&D is going to be a return to this, with support systems for a variety of activities, but I really am just going on hope there.

3.
What does the game reward? For example, in the original D&D editions back in the 70s/80s, you gained XP from gold acquired, not from killing monsters. This fostered very different game play. For example, since characters were weaker in those older systems, and since fighting monsters didn't get you much, a rogue was a godsend, and if he/she could just sneak in and steal a little bit of loot, everyone could safely level up. So there were modules about fighting, to be sure, but there were also a lot of modules about sneaking, providing distractions, unlocking treasure chests & traps through problem solving instead of die rolls, solving riddles/puzzles to get a payday, etc. The monsters back then had "morale" systems, too, and that fostered a lack of fighting as well. These systems would cause the monsters to essentially have a saving throw when the first death or injury happened on either side -- sort of a "oh shit things got serious, RUN!" kind of thing. So often, the moments leading up to a fight were as tense as a real-world confrontation, because neither side wanted to die and the rules made it so that fear and flight were real options. D&D 4th edition pretty much defaults just to rules for kill-monster-get-stuff, and nothing like the older offerings. Do 100% puzzle-based modules similar to the 2nd edition Lyzandred The Mad even exist at all for 4th edition?

I could go on, but the point is simple: there are editions that have system mechanics that foster certain play styles, and saying "But 4th edition doesn't block that stuff" is not going to hold a candle to competing systems that are going above & beyond to enable the desired play style.

I have another question. First, back story info.

I bought the Keep on the Shadowfell Adventure book and downloaded the quick start and bought some dice.

I played with my siblings and siblings-in-law (that sounds weird) and I enjoyed it, my wife at least pretended to, nobody else was a fan.

I found some friends who want to give it a try though.

My question is, should I get the Red Box for the first encounter, it is supposed to be easier, or should I say screw it and try again with the one I have.

I am tempted to buy the Red Box for the tokens but I don't know if it would be easier to play with a new group.

I guess it comes down to Essentials vs 4E core.

The Warcraft RPGs were published from 2003 to 2008. It's been seven years since the last supplement was released, which is why you're unlikely to find it anywhere. Additionally, it was a license which has since expired, so even if there were any backstock remaining with the publisher, they would no longer be allowed to sell it.

Two editions were released: 2003's Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, and 2005's World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game. Both were published by White Wolf under the Sword & Sorcery imprint.

Warcraft was branded with the D&D logo, one of only a few third-party products to use it. As implied, it was essentially a D&D campaign setting with a Warcraft flavour to it.

World of Warcraft didn't have the branding. It didn't even use the d20 License, going straight to OGL. It was more of an adaption of the WoW MMO (which had been released by that point), so it had a lot more tweaks in terms of classes and races in order for it to feel more familiar to MMO players. The Pandaren were also available as a race in one of the later supplements, ages before they were playable online.

On Amazon.com, I'm seeing the Warcraft RPG for $9.48 used&new, and the WoW RPG for $19.89 used&new, which are both fantastic prices. I'm not sure you could find much better than that outside a lucky find at a book sale.

eBay has listings for the WoW RPG around $15. Not a lot cheaper than Amazon, but a good price nonetheless.

My recommendation would be to go pick up some 2nd, 3rd or 4th edition sourcebooks for dirt cheap at Half Price Books or online. The Forgotten Realms sourcebook from 3.5 is what I am currently using, it has a removable foldout map of Faerun, and detailed lists of major sights throughout the realms, including descriptions of the major cities, ruins, etc.

I've heard good things about the Greenwood Forgotten Realms book as well.

You can probably also find sourcebooks specific to Waterdeep, Neverwinter, etc. though I don't know the specific titles.

The point is that generally speaking the edition doesn't matter when it comes to background materials, physical descriptions, major characters, history, politics, factions, maps, etc. It just doesn't. So do yourself a favor and buy this stuff cheap from older editions.

Also, keep in mind that while you are building off of an existing world, and there is something cool about that, the minute you start to play in it it's YOUR world. None of these sourcebooks are going to have every single detail fleshed out, and often will just give you the flavor of a particular city, a few major landmarks, etc. From there on you should create your own landmarks, taverns, interesting characters, history, etc.

This is the book that I use a lot:
http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Campaign-Setting-Dungeons-Roleplaying/dp/0786918365/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417478819&sr=1-2&keywords=FOrgotten+Realms

Here are more:

http://www.amazon.com/Greenwood-Presents-Elminsters-Forgotten-Realms/dp/0786960345

Neverwinter book:
http://www.amazon.com/Neverwinter-Campaign-Setting-Dungeons-Supplement/dp/0786958146/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417478789&sr=1-4&keywords=Neverwinter+source+book

Waterdeep book:
http://www.amazon.com/City-Splendors-Waterdeep-Roleplaying-Supplement/dp/0786936932/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417478895&sr=1-1&keywords=Waterdeep

http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Realms-Atlas-Karen-Fonstad/dp/0880388579/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417478853&sr=1-3&keywords=FOrgotten+Realms

Hope that helps. Also buy 4th edition stuff now if you ever think you want it. Lots of stores are having fire sales moving their 4th ed stuff.

I’m pretty sure you’re talking about The Hero Builder’s Guidebook

Hero Builder's Guidebook (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0786916478/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_tcovCbP0NZFNR

Make sure the chips are the right size though. If they're actual casino-style chips, they're going to be too big for the battlemat.

As far as the power cards, your best source is going to be either a character generator (either the old non-supported offline character builder from Wizards of the Coast or the java-based one you get with your D&D Insider subscription). There are also multiple free programs that can let you create your own power cards (Google around, there's at least a dozen and it's a matter of preference which you like best), but that may take some extra time you may not have or want to invest.

This is the Amazon link to the cards I was referring to. It's a great idea, just poorly executed because the cards came out AFTER WotC released sourcebooks with additional powers. I cannot recommend these cards because of that fact alone and the fact that a $10 subscription to D&D Insider will let you print cards with all the numbers from your character on it as much as you want with ALL the powers currently released.

If you're completely new to DnD, I'd go for either DnD 3.5 or Pathfinder. Neal uses an apparently very homebrewed 2nd Edition, so, you're not going to be playing the same game with regular old 2e stuff. It's clunky and aged, and he (presumably) still uses it because it's what he's always used, so he's used to it, and he's ironed out the kinks.

So, yeah, the most recent edition of DnD is 4e, which is commonly considered to be a little bit too dumbed down, but it doesn't really matter that much if you're new. Still, the books are expensive, so you should try to look into the different versions and find out which one sounds like you'd prefer it. 3.5 and Pathfinder are very similar, as Pathfinder is actually based on 3.5 with a couple things done to streamline some of the combat. Also,the art in the books is really pretty (completely superficial, but it's nice,) and you don't have to buy a rule book, player handbook, AND a bestiary, just the core book and a bestiary if you're DMing, so it's like thirty bucks cheaper, AND Pathfinder is backwards compatible with 3.5 books, so... yeah, that's also nice. They also have a DM's guide which is all about how to make and run a game. Pathfinder and 3.5 both have a bunch of ancillary resource books too, like NPC and equipment books. I know Neal has at least one weapons book, but they aren't necessary; they're just extra guidance.

If you can find the original 4e starter set on Amazon get that instead of the new Red Box, it is easier to follow.

If you want to jump in and play right away get the H1 Keep on the Shadowfell adventure http://www.amazon.com/Keep-Shadowfell-Dungeons-Dragons-Adventure/dp/0786948507/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1300370947&sr=8-8 (this full length adventure includes quick start rules and pre-made characters) and some dice.

OPs wife: We got our tiles from Amazon. We have two boxes each of the wilderness, city and dungeon sets. They are pretty great. I def like the versatility of having multiple sets of each.

https://www.amazon.com/DUNGEON-TILES-REINCARNATED-WILDERNESS/dp/0786966319

The book Forgotten Realms: City of Splendors has a lot of great info.

City of Splendors: Waterdeep (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0786936932/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_IEIIDbJWZB72H

Alright, thank you very much for your help. So, if I wanted to start in 3.5, would I need this, this, and this?

>How big is the arena?
>
>Grid, map, or theatre of mind?

I'll be using the full foldable adventure grid, which is pretty big (about 20x25 squares) with some terrain pieces (pillars, small changes in elevation, braziers, some hazards, and such. There will be a 3x3 platform in the middle which will serve as a sort of King of the Hill type area. I plan on having some random lair actions that occur at initiative count 20 that will seek to either encourage people to move to the central location, or otherwise mix things up. The platform in the middle will usually be safe from these. I'm thinking of things like the following:

• everyone within so many feet of [hazard] makes a save to avoid damage (activated hazard)
  
• players make a charisma saving throw to avoid randomly switching places with another player
  
• until the next lair action, damage is reassigned to the player to your right (not announced, just something they'd discover)
  
• Strength save to avoid being pulled 10 feet towards the center and knocked prone
  
• A shadow is summoned next to each player
  
• Players outside the center get some Temp HP (small amount)
  
• And other silly things to mix it up (probably a d6 or d10 table)
  
  Might also run these as legendary actions so they could happen more than once per round if I think it necessary.
  
  > How will stealth be handled?
  
  If a player takes the Hide action, I'd have them roll Stealth contested by everyone else's Passive Perception. Players who have a lower PP than the check "lose track of that character and don't know where he or she is until they do something that would reveal themselves (move in the open, attack, etc.). If a player sought to just hide every turn and not really participate, I'd likely leverage the hazards to encourage otherwise.
  
  > How will general fight aviodance be handled? Druid wildshape, tiny hut, rope trick, etc?
  
  No druids in the group, so no worries about unlimited wild shape or such. I don't plan on giving them in-game time to prepare. It's a dream, so they just appear in the arena, the Moon Deity announces the contest, and they begin! So things like Tiny Hut are a non option. Things like Rope Trick won't work, as extradimensional space cannot be created here. They've had their fair share of unexpected interactions with teleporting or creating extradimensional space in odd places, so I think they'll know to expect those tricks could have unintended risks. But in general, hazards will be used as needed to encourage participation, though I am not at all opposed to tactics outside of the usual "do damage until everyone dies" game.
  
  > Will pc’s get a short rest or long rest during this? If not how will you balance short rest classes?
  
  Nope, this is a single battle. Definitely something that could be negatively impacted by the "5 minute adventuring day" effect, but otherwise, I've given the short-rest classes (just our Monk, really) tools that help to combat that (an item that restores a ki point on crits/kills with unarmed strikes). Otherwise, I could do some minor random reductions to long rest resources to represent being part-way through a day and reduce crazy nova.
  
  > What level are the pc’s?
  
  Level 20, baby!
  
  > How will you handle summoned creatures? Can the cleric planar ally?
  
  The same way I usually do. They can use them as written, but attacks are rolled in batches to save time, and if you don't have your turn planned out when you get to it, they attack the closest enemy. Haven't had a problem with this, as no one wants their turns to take forever. The cleric could cast Planar Ally, but it'll take about 100 rounds of combat haha
  
  > How about divine intervention, wish, true Polymorph, shape change, simulacrum?
  
  There's only one player with level 9 spells (Wish being one) and I'm going to rule that it can only be used for the "duplicate a lower level spell" effect. Otherwise, run them as written, paying close attention to casting time.
  
  > What about players teaming up?
  
  Totally allowed, if not encouraged. Two players are very much more combat oriented than the others, so I absolutely suspect someone will propose teamwork.
  
  > the problem I see is that one person is winning and the rest are losing full stop.
  
  That's generally how Battle Royales work, eh? Yeah, my concern is with people sitting around for an hour or more if they get knocked out early, so I had a plan for that: when a character falls, a Shadow (or another creature I choose) rises there with the goal of taking down the person who defeated them. These creatures will be immune to damage, effectively making them active hazards. That and having them do rolls for the lair actions and such to make sure people have things to do if they fall.
  
  So that's my thoughts. Just need to figure out if I'll let them know ahead of time that we'll be doing this or make it a surprise.

The Underdark (or as I like to call them "The Sunless Lands") is your chance to do anything you want, mostly because if the PCs are being played correctly, they probably haven't heard much about it...or if they have, what they may have heard are wild tall tales or fanciful rumors that have very little basis in reality.

And blank slates don't come along very often, so you should make the most of it.

For source material, if you have access to previous editions of D&D, I would try any of the following:

https://www.amazon.com/Menzoberranzan-Famed-City-Drow-Revealed/dp/1560764600

https://www.amazon.com/Skullport-AD-Forgotten-Realms-Undermountain/dp/0786913487/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1473797909&sr=1-1&keywords=skullport

https://www.amazon.com/Drizzt-DoUrdens-Underdark-Forgotten-Realms/dp/0786915099/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1473797970&sr=1-2&keywords=underdark+AD%26D

Or read some of R.A. Salvatore's novels such as

https://www.amazon.com/Homeland-Trilogy-Forgotten-Realms-Legend/dp/0786939532/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1473798026&sr=1-1&keywords=r.a.+salvatore+drizzt+series

Or try http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052948/ -- you can turn the plot of that 1959 movie into a D&D equivalent and run wild with it. Bet they never expected a "Hollow Earth" would exist down there!

I would argue the fact that DnD4e is the most strightforward and simpliest system out but I guess that is not the disussion on hand.

What I think you might be looking for are power cards for example this pack

If you have the time to invest you could also make your own power cards like this.

building on that, this book really helped create a great back story.

It takes about 20 minutes to go through, but it helps tie character elements and worldbuilding elements together.

If you like 3e and the d20 system, look at Iron Heroes. Mike Mearls wrote it and he's one of the main devs for 5e.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Heroes

https://www.amazon.com/Monte-Presents-Heroes-Fantasy-Roleplaying/dp/1588467961

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/25985/Iron-Heroes-Revised?it=1

Its been over 10 years but I recall enjoying it. We didn't play it much though so I'm not sure how it pans out beyond 1-5 or so.

You can play D&D as a low/no magic setting. The rule set is very flexible. They're more like guidelines than a strict rule book. Iron heroes is a low/no magic setting.

AD&D with Diablo II Awakening supplement. Or, D&D5 with Diablo II Awakening supplement with some converting. It has a huge random creation section.

https://www.amazon.com/Diablo-II-Awakening-Advanced-Roleplaying/dp/0786916125

Edit: Oops, just re-read that you wanted a new system. Maybe you'll still find it useful.

This got me unreasonably excited and I went to find where I could buy it -- and now amazon has another package on its way to my home now.

For anyone else who wants it, let me save you the google search: https://www.amazon.com/Diablo-II-Awakening-Advanced-Roleplaying/dp/0786916125

Well, since you're playing 3.5E, I would honestly suggest you pick up a copy of this:

http://www.amazon.com/Dungeon-Dummies-Dungeons-Dragons-Roleplaying/dp/0471783307

As there is a newer 4E version out, they're going for like $0.25 + $3.99 shipping new. The content is almost exactly the same in the 4E version minus the 4E stuff, so you wont be losing out etc... (in fact they removed a chapter on dealing with troublesome players in the 4E version for some reason)

My main advice would be to use a module and do a lot of prep work(ie be very familiar with the module, don't be trying to figure stuff out in the middle of the game).

You are aware that they made a WoW campaign book for 3.5E back in 2003 right?? Heres the link...

https://www.amazon.com/Warcraft-Roleplaying-Game-Arthaus/dp/1588460711/ref=pd_cp_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1588460711&pd_rd_r=VHSQHBMZ42WK5JA0964J&pd_rd_w=FwFUh&pd_rd_wg=oNkFc&psc=1&refRID=VHSQHBMZ42WK5JA0964J

Looking to sell some old D&D box sets/products.


Dark Sun AD&D 2e. Looking to sell this as a bundle. $50

• Dark Sun campaign setting, this is the original setting
  
  
• Dark Sun supplement, The Ivory Triangle
  
  
• Dark sun adventure Arcane Shadows
  
  
• Psionics Handbook, this is "required" to play Dark Sun (it's not really but to get full use out of the rules you need it)
  
  
  
  Dragon Mountain adventure boxset. $30
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Mountain_(Dungeons_%26_Dragons)
  
  
  
  Dragonlance 5th Age, SAGA Rules. Looking to sell this as a bundle. $50
  
  
• Campaign Setting
  
  
• Heroes of Sorcery
  
  
• Heroes of Hope
  
  
• Heroes of Steel
  
  
• Heroes of Defiance
  
  
  D&D 5e, $15 for both
  
  
• DM Screen
  
  
• Starter Set, though there are no dice with this

I get a lot of use out of Wizards of the Coast's version, the Adventure Grid. It's rigid and easy to clean. I've used mine twice a week since it came out in late 2017 and it still looks brand new.

Character is old, bro.
https://www.amazon.com/Skullport-AD-Forgotten-Realms-Undermountain/dp/0786913487
Is about his hometown, I have it. Great read.
Strahd debuted in 1983 too btw.

Hmm. Well, I did a google search and found this:

https://www.amazon.com/Players-Handbook-Advanced-Dungeons-Roleplaying/dp/0786903295

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: TSR Inc.; 2nd edition (April 25, 1995)

So, it looks like they have a typo when it came to putting up the page number. 320 seems much more reasonable, and is in par with the 5e Player's Handbook.

This link seems to have the cover you were looking for, the page count you'd be familiar with, and while I'm not sure about the content inside, I would say this is the book you're looking for.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0786916125?ie=UTF8&force-full-site=1&ref_=aw_bottom_links

That is the Diablo necromancy spells. We got a lot of joy out of those.

If you're playing 4E, the modules are fairly good, with Keep on the Shadowfell being the first. Also, you can download that one from Wizards (PDF).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planar_Handbook.
It was a bit of an updated (updated from 2e) PHB specifically for planescape adventures, it's got expanded races and information on the default dnd cosmology (I think the greyhawk one, I'm not sure).
You can tell them apart from the covers.
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS PLAYER'S HANDBOOK CORE RULEBOOK I v.3.5.
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS PLAYER'S HANDBOOK CORE RULEBOOK I.
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS PLAYER'S HANDBOOK II called Book 2 David Noonan.
This is the reprint with errata.

Song of Ice and Fire is a low magic world, so Iron Heroes could work really well.

Added link to buy Iron Heroes. Works well with most d20 manuals.
http://www.amazon.com/Monte-Presents-Heroes-Fantasy-Roleplaying/dp/1588467961

Pathfinder is the generic store brand version of 3.5e, so you just need to find the 3.5e version of Ravenloft.

https://www.amazon.com/Expedition-Ravenloft-Dungeons-Roleplaying-Supplement/dp/078693946X would be a good place to start.

Dungeon Tiles Reincarnated: City is good for encounters on the streets that don't have a specific map. In addition to streets and plazas, it includes tiles for sewers, rooftops, and the inside of a fort. For detailed pictures, go here.

I'm unfamiliar with 5th edition and any changes they have done to any campaign settings, so I might say something pretty stupid here.

So, why not go for something that has already been done in the FR setting? You could use the Undermountain, located under the mountain range (and the city of) Waterdeep. There is a 3.5 supplement of Waterdeep, and a 3.5 supplement for the Undermountain (and there is also one for 4th edition, but I have no experience with that one). The waterdeep book is mostly flavor, and you can use the undermountain book for the same reason and simply convert whatever you find interesting to suit your 5e needs.

The tiles making up the grassland look like two sets of D&D Dungeon Tiles Reincarnated: Wilderness.

The castle itself looks to be papercraft. You can find all kinds of papercraft on www.rpgdrivethru.com (recommend things by Dave G or Fat Dragon Games to start).

Source: am DM, use both of these elements in my games

Well then. The cheapest thing I can find is this (assuming you get me a used copy)

And why?
PINAPPLES THAT IS WHY

Do you mean the adaptation of the original I6 : Ravenloft module?

I think it would be this thing.

Edit : Here's the PDF version.

Has Dragonlance been updated in any way? Is this worth getting?

> i mean when the fuck is the last time you saw all of those books together in one place at a flat rate

At every Half-Price Books and game store with any significant used rpg section I've ever been to.

Price Comparison:
Priests guide $3.50 http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0880388188/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1369586939&sr=8-1&keywords=complete+priest%27s+handbook&condition=used

Bard $6 http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1560763604/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

Dwarves $4.79 http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1560761105/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

Psionics $.50 http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1560760540/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

Ranger $7.75 http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1560766344/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

Wizards $3.99 http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0880388382/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

Arms & Equipment $5.03 http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1560761091/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

Fighter's $1.98 http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0880387793/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

Monstrous Compendium Annual 2 $6.29 http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0786901993/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

Mythus Magick $9.99 http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1558781331/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

A hair under $50. Even with sales tax, OP would still probably get a much better deal buying these books individually at places that sell RPGs. As a package deal, at a closing store these very common books should have been priced to liquidate. $25-$30 would have been about right.

Ordered it from amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Adventure-Grid-Wizards-RPG-Team/dp/0786966211/ref=mp_s_a_1_14?crid=2IL6ZYP781QGU&keywords=dnd+battle+mat&qid=1554750814&s=gateway&sprefix=dnd+battle+&sr=8-14

If you get one use the cardboard to make yourself a screen too!

There are two blank spaces listed on Amazon right now (here and here), both of them under $20. I doubt it's going to be a big adventure path. I'm guessing one of them is going to be a collection of UA stuff.

Check out Iron Heroes. The setting is low to no-magic and the classes are built to support this change.

https://www.amazon.com/Diablo-II-Awakening-Advanced-Roleplaying/dp/0786916125

I mean it's not the pdf but there's this https://www.amazon.com/Diablo-II-Awakening-Advanced-Roleplaying/dp/0786916125

Oh yeah?

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/0786966211/ref=cm_cr_srp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8

Diablo II: The Awakening

You should be able to afford this - http://www.amazon.com/Dragonlance-Campaign-Setting-Dungeon-Roleplaying/dp/0786930861/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373632376&sr=8-1&keywords=Dragonlance+3.5

http://www.amazon.com/Sunless-Citadel-Dungeons-Dragons-Adventure/dp/0786916400

http://www.toywiz.com/dd2000sunlesscitadel.html?gclid=CP2X9_fhy7ICFUJo4AodjBAAwA

http://www.amazon.com/Sunless-Citadel-Dungeons-Dragons-Adventure/dp/0786916400, http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=sunless+citadel&_sacat=0

They are called Dunegon Tiles and they come in a few different flavors. This was part of the City Set. I have found getting two of each set allows you to make most maps on the fly.

>I know how hard it can be to get your hands on these

Not that hard. amazon.com is selling them for under $33 each (retail $50), and they qualify for Prime shipping:

• Player's Handbook
  
• Dungeon Master's Guide
  
• Monster Manual

I'm going to disagree on your point of editions. 3.5 is still massive, even with Pathfinder eating into it. WotC just recently released a new printing of the PHB, DMG, and MM1. There's many out there who still play this and have a trove of these books. I've played in several groups over the past 5 years, and they all played 3.5*. That said, most 3.5 stuff could probably be covered at the same time as Pathfinder.

^(*And I never sought out any specific system when joining. I've actually been itching to try out Pathfinder, Savage Worlds, Call of Cthulhu, Shadowrun, the new Marvel RPG, and just the other day backed the kickstarter for "OVA: The Anime RPG". Too bad I only have time to be in one group!)

There was a series of modules for 3.5 that started at 1st and went up:

In order:

Sunless Citadel

Forge of Fury

Speaker in Dreams

Edit:
Also from a non-wizards publisher
Dungeon Crawl Classics DCC14
My group is currently playing through this as a 'pick-up' when we are missing players from our main campaign.

https://www.amazon.com/Adventure-Grid-Wizards-RPG-Team/dp/0786966211/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?crid=24PHHCZC6UB3C&keywords=dnd+game+mat+dry+erase&qid=1556820874&s=gateway&sprefix=dnd+game+mat&sr=8-12

I like this one, since it's cardboard, you do the have to worry about it rolling up. I haven't had any issues with staining.

I found this, although it doesn't look great. Still, it seems to be double-gridded

https://www.amazon.com/Adventure-Grid-Wizards-RPG-Team/dp/0786966211

Basically almost everything except the RPG is technically canon. Chronicle does retcon -some- stuff but most if it is just a repetition of what we already know with stuff added on. So basically, anything that ISN'T from the RPG, plus Chronicle is canon.

And by RPG, I don't mean WoW, I mean the Tabletop DND setting.

https://www.amazon.com/Warcraft-Roleplaying-Game-Arthaus/dp/1588460711/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=7ZSJ4JMAWB70CWB1J4KC

>I can get them for 79SEK each (about $11)

Holy shit, they're almost 3 times that much in the states. The advantage of the Red Box is that it's cheap, so you don't feel bad if you don't like it. $20 for the red box, or $90 for the rule books.

If you're going to buy the books, you might also want to buy a pre-written adventure. Keep on the Shadowfell is written for low-level characters, and should get you up to level 3. In my experience, this will take about 6 game sessions depending on how fast you play. Plus, if you like the adventure, it's part of a series which goes all the way up to level 30 (max level).

>How many do I need of each?

One of each die. A full set of dice contains d4, d6, d8, d10, d10 (tens place), d12, d20, and you can usually get them in game stores in a matched set.

If you want to get extra dice, it can't hurt. It will save you time passing them between players, and you will frequently have to roll several of the same die.