I am a new player with almost no experience in RPGs. I have joined a public gaming group and the first session is in a week. They are playing Pathfinder. My question: should I buy some Pathfinder books for the game? What others materials is it necessary to have (MORE than ONE set of dice?) ?
[RPG] What materials should a new player bring to a gaming group
new-playerspathfinder-1e
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"Better" may mean different things to different groups, so it depends somewhat on the play style of the GM and other players.
If you have a group that is heavy on the role-playing side, don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. It is sometimes a challenge for new players to speak "in character" because it feels a little embarrassing when you are new to the game or group, but getting comfortable with that aspect of role-playing can lead to some of the best in-game moments. Don't worry so much about trying to do an accent, or speak with some other affectation; just use your own voice but try to think about how your character would react in the given situation. Instead of speaking in 3rd person like "My character says...," just speak in the first person, "I am honored by your presence, Duke NPC". Check out role-playing podcasts that discuss 1st person vs 3rd person. Google "Fear the Boot" and peruse their role-playing show topics.
If you have a a group that really enjoys tactical combat, it's important to understand how your character's feats/spells/maneuvers can aid the other characters on the grid. You might want to do some Google search on class optimizations / builds. Read through the combat section carefully. Understand how flanking, feints, aid another and other in-combat maneuvers can give you or you allies bonuses. If you are a spell-caster, research the use of buff and de-buff spells beyond just damage dealing spells. As an example, "Grease" is one of the most powerful utility spells in the game.
In terms of helping the GM, listen to the descriptions given as the GM narrates a scene. Ask questions about the details of the objects and surroundings of the scene. Ask about your other senses (smells, sounds) as the GM may sometimes to forget these details and the interactive give and take of noting these small details can really help a GM's creative juices as well. Honestly, as a GM, I am brought up to another level when the players ask leading questions. Sometimes I don't have all the answers, but other times it suddenly occurs to me that I can add a clue that I might not have otherwise thought to include or gives me inspiration on how to to build more atmosphere.
Don't be afraid to ask questions of the more experience players, but remember that it is your character, so have him or her act as you wish. You don't always have to act in accordance to their advice or desire.
Lastly, thank the GM for their game. It takes a lot of prep work and it is often thankless. At the end of the night, note something in the session that you thought was really cool, or particularly fun about the session. If you are really comfortable and friendly with the GM, you can sometimes offer positively framed constructive critique, but this is a very tricky path to tread and you really need to have a strong trust relationship with that person.
Ideally? You don't need to buy anything at all.
You should ask your GM ahead of time if there's anything they specifically want you to bring, but here is the important thing to remember about the books, or any gaming kit really:
It can and should all be shared by players and GM alike
I can think of very few items in a gaming system that cannot be borrowed from another person or easily produced for free. Dice can be lent (most experienced players will have a collection anyway), books can be borrowed (as a beginner, you may want someone else to help you make your character anyway), and character sheets can be printed off the web or simply fabricated with paper and pencil/pen. The Game Master is usually the one responsible for bringing books to a gaming session, so unless you plan on being the Game Master right away (not recommended—experience playing is the best way to learn good game master practice), you can count on the game master for your gaming tools.
Now don't feel like if you've bought a few 3.5e books already that you need to return those books right away. It's easier to make your own character as you see fit when you've got your own copy of the rules. But, don't feel like you must have any particular book to play a game either—a good Game Master will provide for new players, and good players will help new players along.
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Best Answer
Typically it is best to simply ask them. Groups don’t assume new players will magically know things without instruction.
That said, there are some simple things you can do. The Pathfinder System Resource Document is a massive reference guide to just about all the options available in Pathfinder, completely free and legal. You could start to take a look at it. It is designed as a reference first, which can make it difficult to dig into as a new player with no guidance, but Getting Started and the Character Creation Outline should be accessible enough even reading on your own. Note that many (most?) groups have “houserules” that may change some of the details contained even in those most basic pages, but understanding the default rules will help you to understand what the houserules mean.
Caveat: I do not recommend that you create a character from scratch, with no help, and without having met the group and discussed the specifics of the game. That could be a ton of work, fraught with confusion (that can be easily clarified by working through it with someone experienced), and the character may not even fit in the game they’re playing. This is more just about reading how character creation works in general, to understand how to use the system and what some basic terms mean.
Aside from that, it’s a good idea to start thinking about what you would like to do with the game, particularly if you know a little about what the group is doing. I don’t mean the options presented in the PFSRD, but rather purely thinking about what character you want to create, what role it is you’d like to play. A warrior-type or a mage-type or a sneaky-type? Some kind of hybrid mix of two or more of these things? A stalwart dwarf or passionate elf – or passionate dwarf? Someone loyal and faithful, a quintessential exemplar of his race, community, country, or class, or someone who’s unusual, rejecting some or all of those norms?
Again, note that I’m not suggesting that you pick out a class (more like a category of classes; a warrior could be a fighter or cavalier or barbarian or paladin or whatever), much less going through choosing all the class features, feats, and so on. Those details make more sense to figure out once you have met the group and learned more about the game and other characters. Typically, a group doesn’t expect someone who has never played to show up with a ready-made character. Personally, I’d find that to be an extremely unreasonable expectation.
All of these ideas are possible, at least in the right game. Even if the game is set in an unusual setting or has a very specific focus, these kinds of ideas get you thinking about possibilities; you can adapt your idea, or you can just take it as practice and create something new and more tailored for the game when you learn more details.
As for dice, most groups have plenty, but more is never a problem. I have never played in a group where a new player was expected to have their own dice, but it couldn’t hurt (a simple set isn’t usually expensive), and it avoids the potentially-awkward situation where they were expecting you to have your own and you don’t. Along the same lines, pen(cil) and paper; they almost certainly have plenty, but it’d be awkward if they didn’t.
You probably don’t need to buy Pathfinder books, considering the existence of the PFSRD, but some do find that their greater detail and guidance for new players useful. Still, with an experienced group that can show you the ropes, I feel like it’s a fair bit of cash for what is usually pretty generic advice.