Are there any real DnD newbies?

[Wyn A'rienh]

I became interested in D&D after I started playing Dark Age of Camelot, a MMORPG. Somebody told me that it was basically D&D, without the actual dice rolling.

I talked to a couple of friends, one of which used to play but not since he was about 12 and we decided we were gonna play once a week. It never happened.

Then me and my S/O got together...he's been playing since first edition and he taught me to play. I read the player's handbook and we started a wee little campaign with just my little elven druid and a bunch of NPC's.

That was a few months ago and I now play in an email game and a weekly face-to-face game that was actually put together through the gamers seeking gamers forum.

I love it. *grin*

 

[maddman75]

I learned it that way. Saw an ad in a comic book, bought the 2e PHB and Greyhawk Adventures. Talked a friend into playing, soon afterward found some other guys that played and recruited my sister.

That was 14 years ago. I still play with this group.

 

[ForceUser]

A friend of mine and I talked about this once. Games seem to be generational - games that were all the rage in our grandparents' time are usually considered old and unappealing by younger generations. I suspect that since roleplaying games are a product of our generation that they will fade away when we die out. Certainly, today's children are much more interested in computer and console games than in anything that ever has come before.

On the plus side, when I'm 80 and in a nursing home I'll have plenty of people to play in my campaign

 

[Gunslinger]

I'm 17, and I just started playing D&D about a year ago. 3E was the first P&P RPG I ever played (since then I've played the AD&D PC games).

 

[Olive]

I've personally intoruduced at least three people to the game, but two had played baldurs gate, and one of those had played the WEG Star wars game a bit.

But there are new people playing all the time. I'm not sure they're kids tho.

 

[The Sigil]

Reading a few posts talking about new editions/vile content/ combat vs skill being good for gaming or bad for gaming has made me think - are there any real newbies playing DnD?

Absolutely. Let me give you the breakdown of the last group I DM'd (before I moved last November) in terms of experience.

Me -> 16+(!) years (at the time - now over 19)
My next-oldest brother -> 15 years
One of my old RPing buddies -> 12 years
One of *his* RPing buddies -> 10 years
His brother -> 8 years
My youngest brother -> newbie
His friend -> newbie
High school senior I knew from church who wanted in -> newbie
Another High school senior I knew from church who wanted in -> newbie
His brother, junior-high age -> newbie
Another High school-aged kid that wanted in -> newbie
Friend of High Schoolers #1 of 7 -> newbie
Friend of High Schoolers #2 of 7 -> newbie
Friend of High Schoolers #3 of 7 -> newbie
Friend of High Schoolers #4 of 7 -> newbie
Friend of High Schoolers #5 of 7 -> newbie
Friend of High Schoolers #6 of 7 -> newbie
Friend of High Schoolers #7 of 7 -> newbie

I wound up running two campaigns. Now all of them have a year to three years more under their belts (some of them had to go off to college, started working, moved away, etc.).

Thus, in my latest group, we had:
5 grizzled vets
13 newbies

What I'm quite pleased about is that of the newbies, 3 or 4 are (last I heard) DMing their own campaigns... usually in my homebrew world.

So I guess I've introduced 13 new players (funny thing is, I introduced all of the vets but one "back in the day" to RPGs, too) to 3e. And I'm responsible for 3 or 4 new DMs. More DMs means more games means more players means more D&D for everyone.

I won't claim I'm responsible for their DMing talents - just for being there when they were interested in D&D and needed a veteran to "show them the ropes."

--The Sigil

 

[Moe Ronalds]

I got my copy of 3E about 3.5 years (fancy that) ago for my 11th birthday. I basically learned the rules from the book and the other two core books (and since several others), and managed to find one other person my age who played. We still needed players though, and so far we've managed to introduce 6 newbies to the game, and we've also found another kid (11 years old now) who learned the rules the same way we all did.

So yes, kids still do learn the game still, and introduce newbies.

 

[Judas]

True enough, but to get into gaming (a kid who heard about D&D from the movies or discovered this website or just saw the books or played Baldur's Gate for example) you'd have to buy all three unless you knew someone in your area to show you. That's pretty inhibitive.

It's only $63 for all three books.. if you know where to buy from.

 

[Chauzu]

It seems (from messageboard polls at least) that most of us started playing 15-20 years ago when we were kids or teenagers and have just kept going with it. Do you think anyone goes to a shop, sees a Player's Handbook and says "that looks interesting" and buys it. Do you think that anyone, once buying the book, reads it and works out how to play?

Back in Oe/2e days I was browsing around a comic/game store when I was a little kid and bought a OD&D box set cause I thought it looked cool. I read it, and got how to play it (well most of it), I just didn't have anybody to play with though. But that was back then...

One of my friends said he bought the 3e Player's Handbook out of curiosity. When he got home and started reading it, he realized there was no playing board that came with the book and thought there was supposed to be one, so he returned the book back to the store.

 

[Ivanova_Valenkov]

Newbies, eh?
I happen to be one, mind you. I've began reading the 3 core rulebooks 3 years ago, yet haven't played a single game. :-(
As far as picking up the hobby...well, I always wanted to play, since i've heard of it. Beyind I (the super-geek), getting others is hard. I suggest we (as gamers) try more to interest people, and banish the rumors of mass-escapism and cult ideals.