Hard to pick up?

[SkallyWag]

Hey guys.

My friends and I were interested in picking this up and playing, but we don't really have any experience with table-top RPGs.  What I was wondering was if this particular RPG was hard to learn and start playing.  A relative of mine plays RPGs and when I was speaking to her about her favorite (Worlds of Darkness, as I recall), it sounded very complex.  I'm just a little intimidated, I guess.  I know I'm not really giving a great indicator of what would be 'over the top' or not, and I'm sorry for that, but again - complete table-top noob.

Pretty much what I'm asking is if this RPG would be a good place to start, or if I should keep looking for something a little more beginner-friendly?

Thanks in advance for any input, help, or what have you  =).

[Kagami]

For what it's worth, having played a substantial number of White Wolf Storytelling games (the people who make the World of Darkness series'), the FATE system is much, much simpler to just sit down and play. FATE focuses on narrative ability a lot more, so be prepared to talk about the 'themes' of your character, their enemies and the world around you; exploiting narrative ideas from the aspects that this game runs on, things such as tired and hungry or Never forgive, never forget, is what FATE is about.

While others might disagree, the heavy mechanics of the DFRPG game (dice, the magic system, creating balanced items/stunts/powers, etc.) pale in comparison to other systems. I think that, as long as you're prepared to use the narrative aspect of the game and not be wanting to rely on a die roll for everything, it's a great game to break into tabletop RPG.

[Haru]

I would describe it as "easy to learn, hard to master". I would say go for it. If you have never played before, every game will probably seem intimidating at first, because they all come with this huge book of rules. If you have a chance to have someone who already plays explain a game to you or better yet, invite you to play with them, that'd be the easiest way to get into it, because you see all those rules in action. Doesn't even have to be the setting you eventually want to play in, just any game to give you a bit of a feeling on what is actually happening.
If you don't have that opportunity, just work through the book and try to start yourself. If you have questions, there are a bunch of great guys here that are always willing to help out. There are also some great resources here, that can help you get started. Or you might even get into a play by post game to get started and learn the rules.
Or you can listen to some podcasts of people playing. I know of this one, I think there are some more out there. It might be a bit weird as well, but you'll get a glimpse into a game as well.

There is not much you can do wrong, though. At its core, it is storytelling with friends, and all those rules are there to give you some tools to help you along with that.

If you are unsure about Fate, you can get a free version from here. There are even some things that had been exclusive for the dresden files book, like city creation, that are now available there. It is lacking some modifications that have been made specifically for the dresden files, but it can surely get you started. And if you like it, you can get the Dresden books anyway.

[OwleIsohos]

It's fairly easy to pick up!  As others have said, it's quite a bit simpler than World of Darkness, and it's a lot lighter on rules than most other systems I've played.  I would actually recommend it as a system to start out with if you're not familiar with tabletop RPGs.  And, if you have any questions about the system, ask!  People on this forum are pretty friendly and happy to help new players out.

[SkallyWag]

Thank you all very much for your input, I've just gone and ordered the rulebook and after some doing some research, decided that my friends and I should start by playing around with the pre-written Baltimore campaign that comes with it (just to get our feet wet). 

I'm also going to check out that podcast that was linked, but if I have any more questions, I'll be sure to come back and ask.  Much appreciated!

[Wordmaker]

Just chiming in, yes no matter what, your first rpg is going to be intimidating. A friend and I started off on 2nd Edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons when we were 15. We had no-one but ourselves to help us figure it out, and that wasn't the simplest of games, either.

Take your time, don't let the rules scare you. And remember, as long as you're having fun, you're doing it right.

[cold_breaker]

Yes, it's one of the simplier systems. Start at a low refresh though!

Also, highly recommend the one shots to get you started! They're pretty rules lite and will help you figure out the basics.

Also, as a note: world creating seems to be a hit or miss activity - my group loved it, but I've heard a lot of complaints from others. Don't be too discouraged by it though. I personally have spent a few months fleshing out all the details of the world - including a large chunk my players do not know about yet - and I think as a GM it's been a great introduction for me.

[Wordmaker]

Another bit of advice is to give everyone the chance to re-arrange their character design if they find it doesn't suit them. It's no fun being stuck with a character that's not as effective as you thought it'd be.