Looking for a fantasy TRPG for children
Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
What will engage them first, because there are different games that emphasize different things.
FATE Accelerated is the first one to come to mind - the rules get out of the way and you can play anything. In any genre - what interests him, FATE can handle it. That said, it may be too little structure. Limitation breeds creativity as well as helps guide. Also it's not my first choice if wargame-like combat is a draw.
There's a whole stream of Powered by the Apocalypse games in various genres. This gives each player a move book which will help them frame what they want to do and provide some of the structure I was mentioning, while also putting your son firmly int he drivers seat to explore what interests him as the GM is less of a plot-master and more of a facilitator in it. However, part of it is rules for relationships and if it's just a him and you that may be a strike against it.
Bubblegumshoe is a kids detective game like the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Encyclopedia Brown, Three Detectives or Scooby Doo that has both easy rules and can work well with only 1 player. Does that genre range interest him or is (s)he looking for a more heroic (and adult) character? Combat is definitely downplayed, with insult wars being just as "deadly" as a fistfight.
Superheroes is often a good genre for kids - it can be four color and deal with shades of grey only at the levels you feel are appropriate, no death or gore needed, and can be played solo, perhaps with an NPC sidekick (who never steals the spotlight!). Sorry, my knowledge of super systems doesn't give me a good feel on which to use for kids, unless you want to circle back to FATE. (Icons I think is a FATE-based one, or just the base FATE Core and download one of the many fan-made free supers expansions.) But there's probably other supers systems suitable for that age range.
One additional point - my kids often will learn/expand skills watching youtube. There's a lot of both RPG primers as well as actual play. If that is something your 12y.o. likes maybe aim them there, first. I'm watching the episode of Tabletop where they play FATE right now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOFXtAHg7vU&feature=em-uploademail
FATE Accelerated is the first one to come to mind - the rules get out of the way and you can play anything. In any genre - what interests him, FATE can handle it. That said, it may be too little structure. Limitation breeds creativity as well as helps guide. Also it's not my first choice if wargame-like combat is a draw.
There's a whole stream of Powered by the Apocalypse games in various genres. This gives each player a move book which will help them frame what they want to do and provide some of the structure I was mentioning, while also putting your son firmly int he drivers seat to explore what interests him as the GM is less of a plot-master and more of a facilitator in it. However, part of it is rules for relationships and if it's just a him and you that may be a strike against it.
Bubblegumshoe is a kids detective game like the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Encyclopedia Brown, Three Detectives or Scooby Doo that has both easy rules and can work well with only 1 player. Does that genre range interest him or is (s)he looking for a more heroic (and adult) character? Combat is definitely downplayed, with insult wars being just as "deadly" as a fistfight.
Superheroes is often a good genre for kids - it can be four color and deal with shades of grey only at the levels you feel are appropriate, no death or gore needed, and can be played solo, perhaps with an NPC sidekick (who never steals the spotlight!). Sorry, my knowledge of super systems doesn't give me a good feel on which to use for kids, unless you want to circle back to FATE. (Icons I think is a FATE-based one, or just the base FATE Core and download one of the many fan-made free supers expansions.) But there's probably other supers systems suitable for that age range.
One additional point - my kids often will learn/expand skills watching youtube. There's a lot of both RPG primers as well as actual play. If that is something your 12y.o. likes maybe aim them there, first. I'm watching the episode of Tabletop where they play FATE right now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOFXtAHg7vU&feature=em-uploademail
Celebrim
Legend
By age 12, you can deal with any adult oriented RPG provided the content is appropriate for the player. So jump into your favorite and tailor the content to your gamer. The content will be the most important part in most cases.
For a younger gamer, consider SIPS:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?468011-The-Simple-Imaginative-Play-System-(SIPS)
For a younger gamer, consider SIPS:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?468011-The-Simple-Imaginative-Play-System-(SIPS)
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Interesting, thanks for your input. I have some experience on all three systems you mention, but aren't their mechanics too conceptual? Do children understand the way it works?
At first brush, I was shooting for something much straightforward, in the stat/skill/DC vein, but I might well be misguided. It might even be a better idea to introduce new players to something more... refined?
Re: theme. I gave him some choices, and fantasy came out on top, eventhough it isn't too hot for solo play. Maybe I can try bringing in his little brother...
At first brush, I was shooting for something much straightforward, in the stat/skill/DC vein, but I might well be misguided. It might even be a better idea to introduce new players to something more... refined?
Re: theme. I gave him some choices, and fantasy came out on top, eventhough it isn't too hot for solo play. Maybe I can try bringing in his little brother...
Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
Excellent! And that's part of where I was going in what interests for your specific audience.
My girls have lots of interest in challenges to overcome - but little interest in combat, so there are systems that fit better then 5e for them.
I'm pretty impressed actually with the creative ways they are coming up with to avoid fighting. They are a little gun shy from a near death experience with the dragon cleric. Amazing how different kids think.
My 9 year old also showed a lot of interest in the 7th Sea 2e book sitting on my desk. I think he could handle it and have fun but I'm not ready to run it yet.
My 9 year old also showed a lot of interest in the 7th Sea 2e book sitting on my desk. I think he could handle it and have fun but I'm not ready to run it yet.
Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
That's why I said more structure may be good. On the other hand, for someone used to shows, movies, and books, having a system that can't encompass what they envision may be off-putting as well. Many years ago when my eldest first asked me about what I was doing with D&D we designed a character just talking through it. She liked the idea of healing and of changing shape, so we went with druid, but she wanted her defining physical characteristic to be that she was amazing nimble, like Peter Parker. She wasn't conditioned to D&D-think that a druid needs to be wise (and resisted it when I suggested, she wanted a young girl who got into trouble because she acted first), nor had any understanding that her amazing agility would not carry over to when she was in animal form. She also wasn't interested in other spells, just healing. This type of rules vs. imagination disconnect is why I suggest more flexible system where the mechanics can realize what they envision without having to jigger it around.
Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
It's not that you can't play D&D with a minimal combat focus, it's that other systems do it better. If you take combat out of character creation, those chapters in the PHB could shrink to a tenth of their current size; it's one of the focuses of the mechanics of the game.
This isn't a slight on 5e, I really enjoy it myself. My "Excellent" was heartfelt, not sarcastic. Just not knowing the OP's 12y.o., I was putting out options. Sometimes you want a car that can do 0-60 in the blink of an eye, sometimes you want a pickup that can tow a heavy load, sometimes you want a minivan with four rows of seating. Different game systems emphasize different aspect of play. Viva la difference!
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