Newbies

[STARP_Social_Officer]

What's the worst example of a newcomer's introduction to an RPG in your experience?

An example:
Once time we invited a player whose entire previous gaming experience consisted of Warhammer 40K. He therefore had no clue as to the nuances of "role playing", and thought D&D was just some sort of tabletop wargame without the miniatures (of course, he was also iredeemably stupid). So he screwed everything up in the first thirty seconds of the game.
Each PC had recieved a mysterious note asking them to go to a certain tavern, from whence he would get the ball rolling on the adventure. None of us knew where the tavern was, but a couple of Gather Info (or whatever the 2E equivilant was - it's been so long) checks got us there.
Not our newbie. He grabbed a random passer-by, drew his sword, held it at the guy's throat and demanded to know where the tavern was. This was, of course, on a public street. Therefore, about ten guards and a whole bunch of other passers-by who were armed helped the guy out, essentially by beating the newbie until he was dead.
The DM then pushed the "reboot" button and let the newbie have another go.
He never played with us again. He said he thought it was "stupid."
Yeah. That's right. The game was stupid. As opposed to certain players.

 

[shdwrnr]

Back in my college days I had a gaming group for a sci-fi based game I created. We were enjoying ourselves in the wreckage of an alien spacecraft until about the second combat. Our newbie, a 20 year old man, started crying (literally, full on tears and runny nose) because his character was hit by blaster fire for minor damage. He basically threw a temper tantrum claiming I was trying to kill his character and how I was being unfair. During combat. A combat inwhich another player, heedlessly charging into a group of suicide droids, wound up as a fine paste lining the ship's corridoors.

He wasn't invited to future sessions.

The dead character was a funny story later though.

 

[Oryan77]

The only thing I can think of was my introduction to D&D. It wasn't bad, but I've always thought it was pretty funny.

I was 18 y/o when I first played. I knew nothing of D&D and my new friends asked me if I wanted to play. I rolled up a character and the DM started the game.

He told me I was standing at the bar of a tavern and he asked me what I wanted to do. I didn't understand what he meant because all I had was some dice, a character sheet, and a pencil. I didn't understand how the DM knew my character was at a bar and I didn't understand what my options were since there was no boardgame infront of me.

Since I didn't understand what he wanted me to do, I just said, "I stand on one leg and jump up & down". The DM laughed and said, "Uhhh, ok, so you're jumping up & down on one leg and everyone in the bar starts looking at you". Then it made sense to me! I'm supposed to imagine what he tells me is going on in my head!

 

[IamTheTest]

Oryan...that is fantastic.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

The only thing I can think of was my introduction to D&D. It wasn't bad, but I've always thought it was pretty funny.

I was 18 y/o when I first played. I knew nothing of D&D and my new friends asked me if I wanted to play. I rolled up a character and the DM started the game.

He told me I was standing at the bar of a tavern and he asked me what I wanted to do. I didn't understand what he meant because all I had was some dice, a character sheet, and a pencil. I didn't understand how the DM knew my character was at a bar and I didn't understand what my options were since there was no boardgame infront of me.

Since I didn't understand what he wanted me to do, I just said, "I stand on one leg and jump up & down". The DM laughed and said, "Uhhh, ok, so you're jumping up & down on one leg and everyone in the bar starts looking at you". Then it made sense to me! I'm supposed to imagine what he tells me is going on in my head!

I'm glad I wasn't drinking anything when I read your post Oryan. My keyboard sends its thanks!

Just a quick question, what in the world made you answer that you were jumping up and down on one leg?

Olaf the Stout

 

[GreatLemur]

My first D&D character was Venger.

My friends and I didn't form a party and go on adventures; we played solo at home and then tried to kill each other when we played together.

Our newbie, a 20 year old man, started crying (literally, full on tears and runny nose) because his character was hit by blaster fire for minor damage. He basically threw a temper tantrum claiming I was trying to kill his character and how I was being unfair.

Woah. Now that ain't just a "lol, newb" situation; that is a clinical psychiatric problems situation.

 

[Oryan77]

Just a quick question, what in the world made you answer that you were jumping up and down on one leg?

Well, I didn't understand what was going on since the DM had nothing on the table except for his dice & a DM screen. I was thinking that surely I can't do anything I wanted....I've never played a game where I had free will.

The closest I ever came to that were the old DOS text based rpg games. I guess I was thinking D&D was like that and that the DM was just going to read stuff to me. So since I was confused about what my options were, I stood on one leg & jumped up & down just so I could see what the DM would say next. I wasn't trying to be a smartass, I honestly was trying to do something abnormal so I could see what happens because I was confused.

That's all it took though. Once he explained how I'm hopping up & down and people are staring at me, I understood that I have to imagine that I'm actually in a bar and I can do anything I want...even look like an idiot!

 

[migo]

You know, I think that's the best introduction to RPGs I've ever read. All the ones that explain that it's like Cops & Robbers only with paper and dice and you're not running around the field with sticks don't get the point across quite as well.

As for the WH40K guy, someone should have read him that intro. Sounds to me like a play group error - nobody explained what RPGs were, and stupidly assumed because he played a game he'd know what it was and what etiquette he should follow.

 

[maddman75]

You know, I think that's the best introduction to RPGs I've ever read. All the ones that explain that it's like Cops & Robbers only with paper and dice and you're not running around the field with sticks don't get the point across quite as well.

I always tell people that its like a combination of improvisational theatre and double-entry accounting. Though its totally unhelpful I also find that its the best description I've ever heard.

As for the WH40K guy, someone should have read him that intro. Sounds to me like a play group error - nobody explained what RPGs were, and stupidly assumed because he played a game he'd know what it was and what etiquette he should follow.

Agreed. I'm all for consequences in a game, but what's wrong with making sure the player knows that those are, or could be. I mean a simple "If you do that, the town guard is going to be quite upset with you". With new players, or even someone new to your group, you cannot assume they'll "just know".

 

[STARP_Social_Officer]

You know, I think that's the best introduction to RPGs I've ever read. All the ones that explain that it's like Cops & Robbers only with paper and dice and you're not running around the field with sticks don't get the point across quite as well.

As for the WH40K guy, someone should have read him that intro. Sounds to me like a play group error - nobody explained what RPGs were, and stupidly assumed because he played a game he'd know what it was and what etiquette he should follow.

Agreed. I'm all for consequences in a game, but what's wrong with making sure the player knows that those are, or could be. I mean a simple "If you do that, the town guard is going to be quite upset with you". With new players, or even someone new to your group, you cannot assume they'll "just know".

All of which is true, but please also remember the guy was quite dangerously stupid. He once ran a red light because he thought you were allowed to run red lights if you did it before traffic started moving. I swear I am not making this up!