Getting Started

So, you're new to the game, and you're not sure where to begin. And on top of that, you have a whole wiki to rummage around in, but no idea what page to start on.

So Why Not Start Here?
First, an introduction. Tempest is a tabletop role-playing game in the vein of such games as Dungeons and Dragons or Pathfinder. The setting takes place in an alternate Earth, around the time of the Renaissance. Players will play as heroes (or villains) that become the stuff of legends as they continue to explore and adventure. The best way to think of Tempest is not as a game, but as collaborative storytelling with dice rolls; the characters are not merely interacting with the world, they are influencing the world of the game that their gamemaster has created.

What will I need to start playing?
The four most important things one needs to play Tempest are as follows: Any other accessories you choose to bring are up to you.
 * Dice. Six-sided dice, labeled d6 in dice notation, form the core of the Tempest rules system; while the game should not require vast amounts of them, having six to ten d6 available per player is advised.
 * Access to the game rules, such as via this very wiki. While Tempest is designed to be a logical and intuitive system, it can nevertheless be daunting to get into at first, and players may find the rules difficult to memorize. For ease of use and simple arbitration of rules disputes, having these rules at hand is a good idea.
 * Friends! Tempest is a game that should be played by three or more people, one to be the gamemaster (or GM, for short), and the rest to play as the characters in the session. A good group size is probably six or so people, GM included, but you can play with as many people as you feel comfortable with!
 * Imagination. Being a pencil-and-paper roleplaying game, Tempest relies heavily on your ability to visualize scenarios and act out scenes as your character. The ability to stay in character and collaborate in the storytelling as it progresses will make the game more fun for everyone.

What else is on this wiki?
This wiki contains the complete System Resource Document (SRD) for Tempest, as well as a number of pages like this one offering advice to new players. As such, by looking through the wiki and using the search bar at the top right, you can find information on a wealth of in-game topics, like character classes, the combat system, how to roll the dice, and more.

Useful Links
So you're ready to get started? Great! Here are some helpful links to get started with.
 * Character Creation: This page will help you create your first character.
 * Tips for Gamemastering: A page for both new and old GMs that will give them ideas on how to run a game of their own.
 * System: This is the rules page for the d6 system that Tempest uses, and contains information on how dice are rolled in the game.
 * Glossary: A useful list of terms used on this wiki and in the SRD.
 * Combat: This page gives a rundown of how a combat encounter plays out in gameplay.
 * Skills: A list of character skills and how to use them in-game.
 * Trait: A page on available character traits.
 * Classes: This page links to the Classes category on the wiki, giving a complete list of every playable character class in Tempest. This can be useful for finding out what sort of character to play.