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I'm starting a D&D group made entirely out of new players, except for me. Where are some good tools to teach the game to new players? I've got a link to the SRD, and the rulebooks, but what's a quicker read for a new player?

IGTN wrote:I'm starting a D&D group made entirely out of new players, except for me. Where are some good tools to teach the game to new players? I've got a link to the SRD, and the rulebooks, but what's a quicker read for a new player?

The way I really grasped the mechanics was by practice.

Make up sample, fairly generic characters with, and I can't repeat this enough, ALL BONUSES LABELED AND ACCOUNTED FOR, and sample encounters, and figuratively hold their hand as you walk them through the dice rolls. Mix up the classes, and have them switch character sheets after an encounter so they each get a turn at being a rogue/wizard/fighter/whatever.

Actually, level 2 would be a nice level for this.

Feel free to give them pro tips. Like that a cleric should buy a wand of Cure Light Wounds. And have the wizard character know Color Spray and Silent Image, and encourage them to try the spells out.

I don't think there's going to be anything I don't know to do when teaching, just things I might forget. I'm looking more for something that I can send people as a resource to read so that they'll have some idea of what experience will be like without wading through the SRD.

Reminders of how to run the session work well too; I'm fairly forgetful.

For the experience...then, writing out a sample encounter for them to read might help.

Or explanations of mechanics (attack, flanking, spells, skill checks, initative, feats, sneak attack) written like it was being played out. Point is, reading an informal tutorial that shows the effects in practice would be a lot easier than reading the SRD.

Play a sample encounter out yourself with four characters, and write down what happens and and include the notes about what the bonuses to attack rolls and skill checks are, because few things slow a newbie down more effectively than giving them a +2 to flanking and +1 for high ground when they don't know about that yet.

Are you using the normal 3.5 rules, or some variant (Like Tome)?

Send them the SRD and the Tome.

Then, give them a sample combat challenge (include map positions if you use them), including everything from initiative to finishing off the enemies with -2, and a sample skill challenge along the lines of: "Josie uses her balance skill to not fall on the ice, while Tim uses the results of his Jump check to jump over a crack in the ice. Janie is an elf/hobbit/rogue, so doesn't have to worry as much about balance, and concentrates on making Spot checks for approaching enemies."

Something fun and flavorful. In combat, make sure to include a list of combat options, and an example of several (especially the more-used ones). I suggest, at a minimum:
a spell
a charge attack
a full attack (TWF?)
a sneak attack
a 5' step
Casting a spell defensively
movement that provokes an AoO
a Run action
a trip/disarm/bullrush attempt (that provokes an AoO)
a grapple
ranged weaponry.

It is my experience that MOST of these occur in a standard combat.