Thread 96331623

How do you learn an RPG? What exactly do you do? Do you just read the entire rules first? Do you take notes and stuff? I feel like I've been trying to learn the same game for months now. I just have no concept of how to learn things.

>>96331623 (OP)
Reading the book. You can also go ahead and test out the rules yourself by making a character an an npc/enemy and testing interactions.

You can also try and find podcasts of people who play the game and listen to their interactions assuming you can stomach their talking.

>>96331623 (OP)
A lot of players tend to not read the rules
I think some beginner sets do well at teaching the basics
For example the first "adventure" of Die Schwarze Katze or the solo adventure from the CoC box
If your game doesn't have something like this I would just recommend finding a beginner friendly group and being taught during the game and reading up as you go

>>96331623 (OP)
Sounds like you're just dumb. That's okay, though. Lots of people are dumb, matter of fact, most people are.
Assuming you're the dumbest retard ever, all you need to do is make a character, and understand who they are.
Okay?
You make a character who is an angry fighter man, you should be angry, and fight. As you read the book, when you get an option that lets you be angrier and fight harder, pick that option. If you're having trouble even making a character, use an app on the internet that automates a lot of the process for you.
Type in "[RPG HERE] character creator"
If you can go through the character creation process, clicking on stuff, reading stuff, you will eventually understand what your character can and can't do.
As for as being a GM and actually running a game? Don't even bother thinking about that for now.
What game are you trying to learn?

>>96331652
>You can also go ahead and test out the rules yourself
I think this is really the only reliable way to do it, just putting every rule you want to use into practice solo, otherwise I feel like you ain't retaining shit, unless there isn't much to retain in the first place.

>>96331661
Well yeah, but I'm considering learning from the GM standpoint. The ideal would be getting a group who already knows what they're doing etc etc. but then there's no discussion. What I'm picturing is someone learning a new system they are familiar with so they can introduce it to a group.

>>96331665
>all you need to do is make a character, and understand who they are.
No, that really isn't learning the system though.

>>96331623 (OP)
Good question

When i had 1 week to learn a system well enough to run it i read through the rules and rewrote my own reference sheet for how the rules worked.

Doing that is good because
1) you read the rules
2) you expressed how they work in your own words, so you understood them
3) you have a reference in your own words if you forget
4) you have a chance to find any confusing points in advance

If you want to understand the game just run rests

>>96331668
>When you want to be peter but know you are soup

>>96331668
>What I'm picturing is someone learning a new system they are familiar with so they can introduce it to a group.
I mean
Just do a slow play and do learning by doing
It's completely fine to look up things during play
Most systems have good introduction adventures and some even ones that introduce more and more mechanics the longer you play
I don't think there's a way of reading 300 pages of rules and knowing it all
You just have to play

If you aren't a reading person you could always just watch videos for a few hours and you will have the basics down

>>96331623 (OP)
go through all first to have idea where is what
go thouroughly with combat, tests, char creating section - these will be constatly used
when confident enough, go and train players
later in play you will grok other parts when needed preparing to session
tl;dr first bare essential bones, then put meat on them

>>96331623 (OP)
Role up a few characters, see how the rules work with different aspects such as combat, problem solving, encounters, travel, reactions, etc. Play a short game either with a friend who also wants to learn (or already knows), or just run through a short game solo. Most people learn by doing.