N for Noob in D&D and could I survive in REAL D&D group? (A-Z)

Still going with A-Z challenge. May is over, but I entertain myself to the end of alphabets. Now it is turn for letter N, what stands for noob in D&D.

I never actually played any of D&D editions. When I was a kid, one of my friends had D&D Red Box Finnish version with a dungeon battle map, cardboard figures etc. We did play it once or twice, but never actually found it enough fun to play more. Maybe because we already had Warhammer, MERP, Rune Quest and other fantasy roleplaying games we were used to play already.

One of my friends even got himself second hand AD&D 2nd Edition Dungeon Master's Manual and Player's Handbook with Psionics Handbook, but I don't really remember us playing AD&D even once. As AD&D2 was left unplayed, I got it from my friend for free.

Later I got this Lankhmar boxed set really cheap from my local gaming store. Liked the map and the fact that whole boxed set was focused on this one particular city. And the map was gorgeus. Big, four color map with details of every building and street. I wanted to give it a try and we started a game with AD&D2 rules which Lankhmar boxed set was meant to use with. After first fight we ditched AD&D2 rules and started to use Praedor (Burger Games Praedor site) instead.

I got myself Dungeons & Dragons 3 core books, because I got them cheap. Otherwise I wouldn't have bought them, but the price was only 10€ total for three of them and it was a nice addition for my collection. Later I got myself Forgotten Realms book for D&D3, also cheap. I did not play it until my player-girlfriend agreed to try D&D3 out just to see what's the fuzz about the game.

We had earlier played Blue Rose, what uses True20 system. Simplified version of D&D3. I think it helped us to understand D&D system before we grabbed the real D&D system. Blue Rose setting I dislike and probably will never play it again. D&D was fun to play, but we used kind of ripped version of it. All attack of opportunities, flat footed, minis etc. we did not use at all. But it was fun and different what we were used to play.

So, Why Would I Be Noob In Real D&D Group?


That was introduction to my relationship of D&D. And the main reason why I would be a noob and weakest link of the more experienced party is that I think I am not that good in optimizing my character for the needs of party. I know how to do a character, I know how most basic rules work, but I don't know how to abuse character creation and advancement system to make an efficient character.

I'd probably create a character what I find interesting and what I think is fun to play. I might buy feats and skills I find suitable for character in cost of efficiency. If the game was challenge oriented, I guess my character would suck. This is if the group is power gamers, who optimize their characters to meet all the tough  challenges DM creates for them.

If game was more story oriented, well, it would be obviously easier to play when all these nifty rules and combat grids weren't involved. But if game was for example a tough dungeon crawl, my character would be first to die or first to cause trouble for rest of the player party for bad character build or bad combat decisions.

It would be fun though to try out more tactical rpg with minis and tactical combat. It's not my style of play as I consider story and inner character development more important than combat achievements.