In about 2 weeks or so my friends and I are going to play DnD

>>50880209

1. There are two general ways to go about roleplaying, also described in the players handbook (atleast in 5th edition). The best way for newcomers is to describe what your character is doing and saying. "I ask the bartender for information regarding the disappearance of the minstrel" is a simple way to do it, and gives the DM clear signs of your intention. However, you can try to make it a bit more flavourful by going "I raise a coin in the air in order to get the barkeeps attention. As he approaches I casually inquire as to why the inn is lacking a minstrel". Finally, you can speak the sentences your character says IRL at the table, and the DM replies as the barkeep. You'll find that if your fellow players are also keen on roleplaying, you'lll inspire each other.

2. What edition are playing?

>>50880209
Relax. The first thing to do, and your DM will probably do this with the bunch of you, is to determine expectations from the people involved.
There is no set answer for "how to roleplay", it depends entirely on the expectations and mood of the room.
If you guys are all noobs, it probably won't be Ibsen, and no one will be expecting you to do voices or necessarily speak "in character" at all times.
The main thing is that people are having fun, and to collaborate on having fun, without getting in each others way.
Some good general guidelines for roleplay is;
>Don't say "I roll to attack" or "I would like to roll to intimidate the bandit" - instead describe what your character is doing, and let the GM ask for the rolls he would like you to make.
>Try to communicate your characters body-language a little. This is usually less awkward for people than literally speaking "in-character", and it is a good entry-level way to start getting into character.
>Think about your character, and what they would do, given their personality. Learn to separate what YOU KNOW from what YOUR CHARACTER KNOWS. Don't try to game the system too hard.

>>50880209
Roleplaying is just like improvised acting.

Being the gallows-humor rogue who keeps things lowkey for the most part with the occasional instakill backstab, timely pickpocketing or lockpicking or trapbusting sounds like it could be your style. I really like rogues for 'asshole who always got your back.'

>>50880273
I believe we're playing 3.5 though the DM said he's pretty lenient as far as what we want to do.

>>50880209
As far as "what character to make" that is difficult to answer. I would say it is easiest to rp someone who is not unlike you, but it is usually fun to give them some hurdles and challenges that aren't necessarily a mirror of your own life.

Certain races and classes definitely lend themselves more easily to specific kinds of personalities, because of fantasy iconography that we've all internalized. (a dashing antihero rogue, a bard who is full of himself but witty and charming, a wizard with a touch of megalomania and poor social skills, etc. etc. )

In general, playing any spellcaster means a little more prep, because you have spell-lists and you usually need to choose spells to memorize.

To be a humorous curmudgeon with a heart of gold is a good basic idea.
Now think about what happened to shape your character into that person. Think of a few people (maybe 2-3 named persons) who means something to him, from his past, think of what he is working to achieve.
Think of his one weakness.

>>50880314
>we're playing 3.5
I am so very sorry that that has to be your first RPG experience.

OP here. Thanks for all the help so far but there is one other specific thing that I'd really like help on. The most important part of my character right now is having a backstory and class that is very fitting for his personality. I wouldn't mind doing a rogue/thief as it seems a good fit but unfortunately one of my friends is doing something similar. He's going to be a melee mage of sorts with daggers and blinks. Some magic spells I'd imagine. I could be a thief since it's still different than his class but I'd still stumped on a backstory that fits my personality. Like I said before I'm not the most creative person so any ideas for a back story would be wonderful especially this being my first character. I don't mind if its a bit generic bit it'd be nice if it was somewhat interesting and a bit funny. Thanks again.

>>50880361
Is it really that bad? What's the difference?

>>50880389
It's not that bad, just clunky and rules-heavy.
Fa/tg/uys will use literally any excuse to turn any thread into an edition war.

>>50880389
Well, first of all, all versions of D&D are bad.
Pre-3e because they couldn't have known any better back then, 4e because they were too boneheaded to fix blatantly obvious errors and 5e is bad by design.

3.5 is the worst of all, because it was designed with a mountain of trap options to punish new players and reward "system mastery", on top of being extremely inconsistent.
For example: Want to play a skillful, tricksy rogue? A wizard can do every mundane trick better than a rogue and has several supernatural tricks on top of that.
Want to play a tough, strong fighter? The druid's animal companion is a better fighter than a real fighter and that doesn't even take the spells and shapeshifting of the druid himself into account.

>>50880209
Nice copypasta and bait, anon.

>>50880383
You grew up in a small village named X, the middle son of a reasonably well-to-do homesteader.
In your teens, you fell in love with a girl from across the village, and she loved you back, but alas, so did your older brother.
Seeing as your brother was to inherit the homestead, the girls family favored him, and she and your brother were betrothed. You left the village, distraught, and signed up with a mercenary company.

Years later, you were involved on the wrong side of a border-dispute between local barons, and after destroying the enemy soldiers, you found the body of your older brother among the dead.
He had been levied to fight on the other side of the war.

You quit your company, and took to drinking, and doing dirty jobs for a local thieves guild.
The beginning of your campaign, and the companions you find here seem a way for you to pull yourself out of the muck.

Your character struggles with guilt and recriminations, is likely to drink too much occasionally. He is slow to trust, but has learned in a terrible way to protect those he love.
Eventually, he knows he must find his way back to his village, to tell the news of his brother, and to beg forgiveness of his family, and the woman he still loves.
He still has a few contacts with his old mercenary company, and his old thieves guild.

He will level as a multiclassed fighter/thief.

>>50880480
This is absolutely perfect. Thank you so much.

>>50880480
Two other things real quick:
1. What are some of my weapon options? I'd prefer not to do daggers.

2. What would be my race? Human or perhaps something else?

>>50880510
I haven't played 3.5 in ages, I honestly cannot remember. There are tons of weapons, and rules for them, depending on how many of the more apocryphal rulebooks your DM can be bothered to keep track off.
Also, what do you want your guy to do? Does he use a sword and shield? Or a warhammer? Two swords? It's pretty open, you're better off asking your DM.

2.
>As a human in 3.5 you get an extra feat at lvl 1, which is pretty neat if you are a fighter or rogue. Feats are usually pretty good. They're sort of special bonuses, but there are tons and tons of them, and picking up a few is def. smart.

If you don't play a human you get other bonuses, but I can't remember the different racial bonuses.

This thread restored some of my faith in the fa/tg/uys

>>50880383
>Daggers and Blinks
That sounds like certain dishonored, masked assassin. Well, shouldn't judge newbies too much.

You can focus on the less stabby parts of the Rogue, such as sneaking, trapfinding and lockpicking. Depending on the level distributions, you'll also get the sneak attack bonuses that stack pretty nicely on early levels.

>>50880510
1. Hopefully, most of your damage output will come from sneak attack(IIRC in 3.5 rogues worked like that), and even though that might sound very much like dagger management, shorts swords, shortbows, crossbows, throwing weapons are all viable to get that bonus. Talk about weapon choice with the GM.

2.
Humans get the extra feat, and +4 skill points (both are pretty good for a Fighter/Rogue).

Gnomes get +4 to hide checks and have bonuses for being small. They also get +2 Con (Which is good for a Fighter, really), but -2 to Str. That can be circumvented, however.

Halflings are similarly small and gain bonuses to Hide etc from it. +2 Dex, -2 Str. Also has Rogue as favored class, with benefits it confers.

Elves get lowlight-vision and +2 Dex -2 Con, get weapon proficiency for shortbows (among other things), also they find secret pathways easily (If the GM remembers that).

So, out of these options... As you should most likely take Weapon Finesse feat (lets you use Dex as the modifier for attack instead of Strength), getting extra dex (Halfling, Elf) is good. But, getting that extra Con as Gnome can also be beneficial to staying alive, but generally, Dex is the way to go.

Depending on the ratio of Rogue-Fighter, the more you are a fighter, the more you should go for human, and the more you are a rogue, to the non-humans.

Sorry for the lengthy explanation, 3.5 isn't the most light game to explain.

At least you aren't making a Monk