With credit to one of the more experienced members on the site, mxyzplk, I thought I'd ask where noobs like me should ask or find answers to basic questions about Dungeons & Dragons mechanics if we are having trouble interpreting the text in the Player's Handbook (PHB)/Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG)/Monster Manual (MM)? Please be more specific/explicit than just "your FLGS or the game SRD" as I don't necessarily know all the acronyms yet 🙂
[RPG] I have read the D&D PHB but am still having trouble grasping some of the basics, how can I learn more
dnd-4enew-gmnew-players
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I have done extensive searching on material on the World Tree and only found a small sample of info.
Adventurer's Vault and AV2 both have a few items "of the world tree" but no supplementary information.
Primal Power, the book in which the World Tree Guardian epic destiny was published, has this to say:
The World Tree
The most ancient primal spirit of the forest, the World Tree is closely associated with Tree Father, but they are not the same spirit. The roots of the World Tree extend to the foundation of the earth, circulating life and primal power throughout the world. In fact, some shamans say that the World Tree is the spirit of the world itself--not any particular aspect of it, but the entire creation, its interconnected inhabitants and precariously balanced environments.
Some say that Corellon planted the World Tree and in that way seeded all the forests of the primeval world. Other legends say that Corellon or Tree Father, or the god and the spirit working together, gathered seeds from the World Tree and spread them across the world to plant the first forests.
Only characters who adopt the World Tree Guardian epic destiny in this book can call on the might of this ancient and powerful spirit, as they strive to protect it--and the world itself-- from destruction and corruption.
I searched through probably 90% of published 4e books and as many magazines as I could, and this is the only information out there.
In and of itself, a bird on a roof is not something out of the ordinary, and not something that would (or should) alarm a character.
I assume from the fact that you are asking the question, that by noticing the bird, and divining its purpose, the character can gain some advantage in the near future.
So to me, this isn't even a perception question, but an insight one - I would let the bird be seen, almost automatically, but only address its significance if the PC passes a passive (or active) insight check.
I would ask the player if they are keeping an eye out for trouble or anything else in particular. If they claim to be, ask for details of what they are looking for, and then give answers appropriate to the questions that are asked.
DM: You proceed down the path towards the building. The light of your lantern illuminates the way ahead, but darkness pervades on either side of you. Do you make right for the building, or do you want to play it safe a study your surroundings?
PC: Play it safe of course. What do I see?
DM: Well, there are some trees on your right. You hear the rustle of what might be wings of a small bird pass overhead. Are you looking for anything in particular?
PC: Well, am I sure the noise is just a bird and not something bigger? Do I see or hear anything threatening?
DM: You're not totally sure about the sound, but you don't see or hear anything threatening.
...
If your players are going to feel betrayed when the significance of the bird is sprung on them, have them hear a bird call as well as the bird above, and then if they ask about birds, let them see the one on the roof, and maybe another in a tree.
If your players don't go for the idea of player skill (embodied here by the need for the players to divine that birds are significant), then a similar scene can be played out, bringing passive insight (or perception) into play by giving out details if their passive score beats a medium or high difficulty for their level.
Picture a suspenseful scene in a film - as the viewer you would expect to be aware of the birds before they are meaningful, but you would either not expect to know the role they have to play, or not expect to know which bird it is you need to focus on unless you have already learned the significance of birds.
As for what to compare the PC's active or passive perception or insight against, the Rules Compendium p126 has the difficulty class by level chart.
I would suggest that this is medium or hard to detect (as significant) for a low level character - so I would pick hard for level 5, which is a target number of 22.
Best Answer
When you're just getting started, it is certainly possible to figure out the game from the books and just start running it for your friends. That's how I and others learned to game "back in the day." But there are certainly things that can help.
Huh? If you are profoundly and existentially confused about "what is roleplaying", see What is role-playing, and where do I start? and if confused about the general nature of D&D see I'm at a loss with “Dungeons and Dragons.” How does one play it, anyway?
READ THE BOOK. The Player's Handbook (PHB), cover to cover. I know you said you've read it, but no really, read it. Especially with 4e D&D they really tried to write to a simpler grade level and have copious examples of anything trying. If you closely engage and read the book, many of those questions will go away (and you'll get less newbie haters when you subsequently go looking for help). Use normal lookups - a word you don't understand? If it's a game term look at the Glossary or index; if it's a normal English word check a dictionary. See also: Playing 4th Ed D&D for the first time, what should I read to avoid holding everyone back?
Join a game. This is going to be your #1 route to very, very quickly answering 200 possible basic questions because in one round of combat you'll see people doing all the dice addition, checks, etc. Check with your friends. See Where can I find other RPG players? For D&D, there's a D&D Encounters program where there are demos and games being run in most gaming stores on an ongoing basis. You can join in, or if you just want to watch, you can watch. There's meetups, conventions, any number of places where you can join or observe a real live game.
Watch a game. If you are having trouble in meatspace, consider watching one of the many video and/or audio podcasts of what is usually called "actual play." See Where can I find actual play podcasts for RPGs?, search on iTunes, etc. Or you can read play-by-post games, see Where can I find transcripts of actual game sessions?
Try the beginner box. If the full game is still too confusing, consider the D&D Starter Set (Red Box). It's fewer rules and more newbie-helpful guidance.
Seek help. Needless to say if you know anyone who's played an RPG they can explain it to you better (and I GUARAN-DAMN-TEE you know someone who's played D&D - it's been around since the '70's and have been popular over time, so a parent, a teacher, a friend, someone's done it - ASK AROUND). If you are a brain in a jar, then for super basic "I totally don't know how to do this" questions it's probably quickest to do it in RPG.SE chat. If you want someone to personally take you under their wing and show you the ropes, ask for help there or on a forum, like one of these.
Ask questions on RPG.SE. It's not that beginner questions aren't welcome here - there are just some questions so basic that it's much more efficient to have someone in person or chat talk you through "how to add 1d8 + 4" without clogging the site with hundreds of those questions - you'll get answers faster.
Note that as soon as you have played a game, further questions (like about the DMG or MM) can be asked here, that's not too basic, as long as you've read the book first).