Going to your first gaming session with a new group!

So, after a lot of hard work, I might have found a gaming group in the middle of nowhere Indiana. To commemorate I'm making a list of all the good habits one should follow when going to a group for the first time.

• Be polite! Its probably not your house so be nice to the owner. But even if it is still be polite to the other gamers, we are often few-and-far-between, so don't go alienating someone.
  • More specifically; Say "Please" and "Thank you."
  • Don't go hitting on the GM's wife.
  • Or girlfriend.
  • Or any other players wife or girlfriend. Even if you don't want them to be there, be respectful. Actually that is so important...
• Be respectful! Seriously, If you completely ignore someone else at the table, or multiple people, sooner or later one of you isn't coming back.
• Bring some sort of treat.
  • Candy, pizza, money for pizza, soda. Anything to show that you care about the other people.
  • Don't bring alcohol to a first session. Maybe later, but you don't want to start off as the guy who is getting boozed up before the game even begins.
  • If you can swing it, homemade dishes are awesome. Brownies are good and easy.
• Don't be stingy with your vehicle.
  • That doesn't mean you can't say no to helping out someone if you really aren't able to, or if it is out of your way.
  • Basically see if anyone else is along, or near, the same route you take home or to game. Try to arrange pickup times for game. If its out of your way, politely ask them to drop a dollar or two into your gas tank.
  • In the same vein, be cautious with your parking, ask the host what the parking situation is like ahead of time. Try not to block any driveways, and obey all Traffic laws.
• Respect others property.
  • Its OK to borrow other peoples dice, just MAKE SURE YOU ASK!
  • If you forget to bring a pencil or something, politely ask to borrow one.
• Bring your own materials as much as you can.
  • Try to bring a notebook or something along with pens/pencils. If you really want to be Cool bring a whole box. You can get them from Wal-mart or office supplies stores for less then $2.
  • If you REALLY want to be awesome, bring an old mug or something with you, and offer it to the host, filled with Pencils.
• Hygiene!
  • Seriously, take a shower if you can. I understand that some people just don't have the time, or the facilities, but PLEASE do it for your first time. If you REALLY need one, go to your Local YMCA. You can get a one day pass for like $5.
  • Deodorant is a must. If you have a tendency to sweat, like I do, use it. Something strong. If you get sweaty backs I've heard that a line of deodorant down the center of your back can help.
    • Brands I recommend: Oldspice, any athletic quality one is good too.
    • ABSOLUTELY NO AXE! Stuff stinks. 'Nuff said.
  • Brush your teeth. No one likes bad breath, and if you plan to spend a couple hours roleplaying with other people using your best scottish accent, any lack of dental hygiene will be noticed.
• Remember, you and everyone else are there to have fun. Don't try and rain on someone's parade just cause they did something stupid.

Any other Useful tips from the Troper Gaming community?

edited 24th Sep '10 11:03:35 AM by Voot

I shall be sure to peruse this and maybe add a few from my own experiences when I get myself acquainted with CURS in a week or so...

Yeah, here's a post-script to the whole "not hitting on wives and girlfriends" section: You should probably avoid hitting on your host's daughter. Just ah, personal experience from a really awkward situation I got myself in.

0_o

Impressive.

I need to remember to pick up some more of those Pilot erasable pens tomorrow. Those things are perfect for gaming, and mine are almost out of ink.

Impressive.

No, not really. When joining a game at the house of a new DM, I made some comments (something to the order of "Holy shit, THAT's your daughter? The power of drinking milk, huh?") in reference to her height; she was a lot taller than myself or her father, or most of the players gathered. It wasn't until my buddy called me on it that I realized they could be construed as comments in reference to her breast size; inappropriate, considering the girl in question was like 16. A few minutes discussion assured her dad that I wasn't a chester and wasn't oggling his daughter, but he was totally about to go for his shotgun before we cleared the air.

On a more serious note, here's another tip that I hadn't seen mentioned in the original post: Bring any and all rulebooks you own for the system you'll be using. If you have a book no one else does, they may find a character option within useful. If you wind up with duplicates of the same books, just as well; that way you're not asking "Who has the DMG?" and "Lemme see the PHB when you're done".

OK, that simultaneously makes perfect sense and means you aren't a creepy weirdo! Yay!

Comments:

• Never, EVER borrow another man's dice. You'll inflict bad luck on both you and him for the rest of the session. The exception is if the DM has dice he lends out to people who don't have any or forgot theirs. But if you don't believe in bad luck, I suppose you could ask first.
• Try to keep a reasonable balance between going with the party's style and going with the DM's style. If your DM is the storyteller-type and the party is filled with Real Men (tm), don't do anything entirely stupid but don't bore the rest of the players with your silly roleplaying.
• Snyder's of Hanover Honey Mustard Pretzel Pieces=the bomb. You will instantly make friends if you bring a couple bags.