Discussion:Brand new player - basic gameplay and character selection Q's

I've read a few things about groups being irritated with a Paladin because of the characters desire to pursue good, and that sometimes there will be quests associated with helping the needy/church; so for a first timer who is the least experienced of all the players in a campaign as well as the only person who actually believes in a diety in the group (LOL), is this a smart move? I was craving a tanky role (barbarian is already taken), since I always chose a DPS role in WoW so my errors didn't stand out in group/dungeon play, but I think I'd like to just go nuts and see how much damage I can do as one of the tankier adventurers in my first ever game. Again, I have NO experience w/ D&D. A few more questions:

1. How many hours/days/weekends does a typical game take if we are playing Sunday afternoons?
2. Do I have to be in character in-game (eg saying do-gooder things and stopping us from doing evil by only allowing us to pursue good/lawful outcomes)?
3. Do I have to wear a costume?
4. How do I make sure I don't do anything evil (again, I have no exp w/ D&D and have no idea how this works)?
5. What's a good backstory for a campaign for a Paladin that is being transported to a detainment facility for a life in prison? (And how far should I go with my backstory?)
6. Can I create secret powers/spells related to my backstory?
7. Can I be a BLUE Paladin w horse hooves? (Sorry, this comes from loving Dranei characters in WoW, but seriously...lol)

Any other pointers for a beginner?

In case you're wondering why I'm not asking my DM instead of posting here, my DM goes into these days-long Introverted/can't be bothered "I'm not feeling very communicative" modes quite often, so I figured this was my quickest way to get answers in time for the campaign this Sunday. Thanks, all!

Marasmusine (talk) 14:05, 7 October 2014 (MDT)

The unhelpful but actual answer for all those questions is "it depends on your gaming group and DM". But if we pretend for a moment that you were in my gaming group, then these are your answers:

1. Two hours
2. Yes. Lawful Good isn't "lawful stupid", though. Think of almost any hero from an action film, particularly those who have to associate with not-so-lawful people. Off the top of my head Robert De Niro's character in Ronin has to work with criminals but ultimately is someone with honour working towards a good-aligned goal.
3. No
4. Your paladin is undercover, trying to find the identity of a cult leader suspected to be an inmate.
5. Again, just think of any action film hero and think what they would do. Luke Skywalker, Frodo Baggins, or John McClane for example. If you are playing 5e, your background gives you ideas on how to give your character's behaviour some direction.
6. Not until you understand how spells and powers work in the game.
7. What.

A DM is there to to help you enjoy the character you want to be in this shared story. If he can't help you do this by answering these kinds of question in preparation for the game, I'm afraid you're in for a rough campaign. Good luck!

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