First off: the first Icewind Dale game uses 2nd Edition rules. It's Icewind Dale II that uses 3rd Edition rules. (Also, I think IWD2 has a reputation for being harder than IWD1. It was assumed that people playing IWD2 had previously played other Infinity Engine games.)

You can't really wing it, no; you aren't expected to memorise the entire manual, but you absolutely need a basic sense of how the rules work in order to make progress and avoid building a poor character. Have a look at http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/256221-icewind-dale/faqs/8566 (assuming it was IWD1 you wanted to play) and see if it helps clarify the essentials.

Playing with four characters is certainly possible, especially in IWD1, but as for whether it's really feasible for beginners, I'll defer to those who've tried it.

I would maybe recommend playing the baldur's gates' first. The story is better and the combat easier. Also, you can download scripts that make micromanaging all your characters not as necessary.

I put this thread together to specifically help people who don't know the D&D rules so they can make effective characters.

You can definitely play with less than 6 characters. I have soloed the game twice (my first and second play-through) with a dual class fighter/mage and then a dual class fighter/cleric. In fact, I would suggest starting with only 2 pure-class PC's for the first chapter, and set the difficulty level to high. Why? Because you get twice as many experience for killing monsters and completing quests on highest difficulty as you otherwise would. Experience is divided up depending upon how many PC's you have in the party. So less PC's on highest difficulty = leveling up faster = more kicka$$ abilities sooner. The monsters aren't that much tougher on high. At least one of your starting characters needs to be a Bard if you want to get offered all possible quests in the first town.

There is enough experience to gain from "talking" quests that you can level up a single character to level 4-5 without even leaving the first town (2 characters to about level 3-4) before even going to investigate the missing caravan. By the time you get to Kandahar, your 2 pure-class PC's can be easy lvl 6 and can then bring in some new blood to the party if you think you need it. You can add/subtract characters to the party at will in IWD using the import/export menu options.

You should be able to google some playing tips (or find quite a lot of advice in this forum). One thing I would say is that EVERY character should be equipped with a missile weapon at the start, since taking down your opponent before they get a chance to strike is a huge survival advantage.

The magic system in D&D is quite different from Diablo. Your magic users only get a finite number of spells to cast per day, and especially the damage spells start out quite weak. So spells like Mage Armor, Grease or Sanctuary can be much more beneficial for you at the start.

I'd actually advise against cranking the difficulty level UP if you're new to the game - the combat is hard enough as it is!
Especially if you haven't played any D&D games before and are unfamiliar with it's tropes and qualities (like wizards are being really, really fragile at low levels but becoming very powerful later in thei career).
Not to mention that if you're new to the game rules and are still learning how to control your characters, the last thing you want are increased numbers of enemies that'll do twice the normal damage to your party!

Instead, my advise would be to set the difficulty to "Very Easy". :)
That'll give you the same advantage (receiving the double amount of experience points for quests and battles, ergo: leveling up faster) while making the game a bit more forgiving overall, due to reduced enemy damage.
Not that it'll be completely a walk in the park for someone who's never player Icewind Dale before, but you should easily be able to learn the ropes without the game becoming utterly frustrating. :)

As others have already said, playing with 4 characters is perfectly viable. I like to play that way myself, since it's way less hassle than having to controll 6 characters at the same time.

There've been some good suggestions for guides to check out; take a look, but don't become discouraged by to overwhelming amount of information available out there.
In general, a "classical" party*, consiting of a warrior, a thief, a mage and a priest is a pretty safe bet.
Though I'm personally of the opinion that you should play the game the way you like it best; if you like the idea of having a dwarven fighter/thief in you party, do so, by all means!
You guys can make the game harder for yourselves by rolling bad stats or putting them where they don't make much sense (e.g. a mage with low intelligence), but don't worry too much about it. The advise given in the game should have you easily covered for the most basic stuff.

And if you get stuck somewhere, just come back here and someone will probably help you out. :)

By the way, Imy first Icewind Dale session was also done togehter with friends (everyone controlling one or two chars) and we didn't know anything about the game. Was still loads of fun! :)


*"classical party" is probably one of those D&D tropes that don't make much sense to those who are not familiar with the game. ;)

I also recommend Dan Simpson's guide (the link in VanishedOne's post). Icewind Dale requires some reading to get into at first but you can do it while playing the game - no reason to read the whole manual before even starting the game, just read the basics from the guide, then play the game and whenever you feel lost, revisit the guide and/ or the manual. In a matter of days or so, you'll understand it's concept and I think you'll enjoy it.

Finally, if you enjoy IWD, consider checking the other infinity engine crpgs!

Edit: typo fixed.

i dont know man, i downloaded it and have never played a d&d game before. Having loads of fun with it. You can always just save your game and reload if something fucks up. I recommend it. Great game.

Icewind Dale, along with the other Infinity Engine games except Planescape Torment - it's kind of its own special thing - require a basic understanding of Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition rules (3rd Edition for Icewind Dale 2). That is to say, understanding of the basic mechanics and how they influence a character. The beauty of the computer is that it will handle the nitty gritty for you, so memorizing the Dungeons and Dragons handbooks is completely unnecessary. Simply reading the game manual is all the homework you'll ever need if you're completely ignorant of how Dungeons and Dragons works. These are games in the old vein of "Simple to learn, difficult to master." And they are difficult but not punishing. They do not penalize you for failure. The only thing a game over costs you is time. The last save state is only a keystroke away.

It may seem daunting at first but the mechanics are really quite simple and don't take long to figure out. You'll learn as you go and master it as you play, which is satisfying. But this does require a time investment. Tactical combat is pretty methodical and involving. Far from Diablo's fast visceral point and click. Infinity Engine is a whole other game than Diablo's mindless clickfest.

The first Icewind Dale is notable for being perfectly manageable with four characters. In fact, in many respects a four character party is ideal because the right configuration can handle pretty much everything and the nature of how experience is gained in DnD means fewer characters level quicker so you can stay ahead of the curve. In my current playthrough I endeavored to play a four character party but just couldn't resist adding two more. Less units to manage makes micromanaging less of a chore as well. Icewind Dale does not penalize for playing on lower difficulties but it does reward more experience for cranking up the difficulty. Early on you can exploit this to cheese a couple of levels out of your characters before the game even sets out in earnest. Just max out difficulty when turning in a quest to amass significantly more experience. Then lower the difficulty before entering combat.

Also out of all the Infinity Engine games Icewind Dale makes for what many consider to be the ideal multiplayer experience because there is less narrative and prebuilt companions to interfere.