My question, first of all, is this possible? I have read a few forum posts alluding to it as a possibility.
If so, where do we start? What materials do we need? Of course we need the Bestiary and the core rules and already have a rolling set, but is there a guide for writing adventures, setting up encounters, etc. in the core rules? I understand what this entails theoretically, I would just like a system which breaks it down for each of us who plan on doing it.
Any advice is welcome. Just understand that none of us are too nitpicky about really anything. The most basic will suffice!
Thanks.
1). Yes, it is absolutely possible, and quite frankly, world building is one of my favorite aspects of roleplaying games.
2). Bestiary and Core Rulebook are the big ones. The Core Rulebook gives the basics of Game Mastering but there is also a GM Guide which will go into a lot more detail. Those 3 books will get you all of the basics and get you well on your way. After that, there a countless guides on assorted forums as well as simply forum questions for answering specific questions that might not be addressed.
To be honest though, I would actually recommend running a pre-made module first in order to get your feet wet. The good thing about the pre-made modules is that you can fit them into any setting with very little work. It is also good as it lets you focus on learning the rules and how to adjudicate them. There is a lot to learn when you first start out that can make running your own adventure a bit daunting. The other good news is that there are a lot of modules that can be concluded in a single session, so this would give each of the GMs a chance to run a module before getting into the meat and potatoes of their own adventure.
Welcome! You're going to have tons of fun. Building your own world is a lot of fun but can be really rewarding.
A lot of folks, myself included, like to start designing small and work outward. Make a single town, a couple nearby adventure hooks like a ruin or dungeon, and then just sort of let it perculate until its your turn to GM. So long as you've got a good handle on the kind of theme in your land you're looking for you can always build on more as the PCs ask questions.
This link is a good resource for getting started. Poke around these boards as well as Obsidian Portal, look at what others have made, and feel free to steal at will. When you're ready to sit down live you'll need:
Rules and monsters (the Basic Box, the core rule book and bestiary, a laptop with the SRD at hand)
Paper and pencils/pens/markers/crayons etc
Dice
Optional equipment includes:
Battle mats or maps
Miniatures
Gaming terrain
Wherever you feel comfortable starting, go there. If your game stems from inspiration and passion, it can't lose!
I can't say it better than Justin, so I'll just provide the link...
There are plenty of guides to different kinds of games you can play.
Dungeon crawls (focusing on exploration), all out brawls (combat), riddles and puzzles (more a challenge to the players than the characters and not really a good game for a pen&paper game), and character interactions.
A good and memorable experience will meld all of these styles, and as a DM you should try and incorporate all of them into your game session. Too often I've seen a game go to hell because a DM is focusing too much on one aspect of the game and not on the others. Figure out what the group likes and don't be afraid to mix it up for a different kind of game to keep it fresh. And always, ALWAYS, ALWAYS have a backup scenario in case the one you are playing through isn't fun or engaging enough to keep the players (or yourself) interested.
Also be very afraid of letting the players have too much and offsetting the balance of the game. There are horror stories in my group of a floating church of God that literally generated money for the players and broke the game to a point where it wasn't even fun for the players.