Running "Intro to D&D" at Library --Suggestions?

[SquareKnot]

My FLGS owner has somehow persuaded the local public library to host a "D&D 101 for Teens" session. It is a 3 hour educational "class" held in the library to teach kids 12-18 (US grades 6-12) about D&D. The web link is here . The basic idea is to start with about a 30 minute class introducing role playing and the basics like race, class, backstory, stats, role of the DM, etc. After that, the group will break into tables of 4-6 students with an experienced DM.

I'm torn as to whether we should let them make their own characters or not. It's an important part of the D&D experience, but really takes up a lot of time (out of a too-short 3 hour session). Would we be better off with a lot of pre-gens so that each player could pick something close to their preferred concept? Are there tricks for accelerated character generation?

I'm imagining a two encounter adventure. The first would have lots of minions and one or two "real" monsters (kobolds? goblins?), the second some type of solo, perhaps? The plot would be some classic fantasy trope.

I'm really worried about time. Should I just plan for one encounter, knowing that complete beginners will be very slow? Maybe one combat and one skill challenge? Maybe a combo where the characters have to do something with skills during a combat (think "deliver a baby during a battle" like in Radiant Vessel of Thesk from Living Forgotten Realms)?

We DMs are meeting Tuesday 11 January to have a planning session.

Have any of you done something like this? Any advice? Any pointers to existing threads would be much appreciated as well. Thanks.

 

[Mark CMG]

Limit the intro to 5 minutes, use pregens so players can learn as they go, and separate the newer players from those who are experienced in CRPGing or any other type of RPG. The 4e forum would probably be useful regarding encounter design.

 

[Stormonu]

Having done a couple of "intro to D&D" sessions at Cons in the past, I'd go with premade characters, but a large pool to choose from (if you're expecting 6 people at a table, say 10 premades to choose from). Although, it wouldn't hurt to have one or two "either/or" choices that could be left to the players - say a choice of one of two powers or one of two item packs (a slightly different "other" equipment list, like say a choice of a healing potion or a potion of quickness that allows one initiative reroll - something minor but with meaniful effects).

Personally, for adventure, I'd start off with something non-combat, non-skill challenge; something to let folks ease into a role. Have the opening lead into a skill challenge - letting folks roll the dice and start seeing the mechanics in use without the pressure of "dying". End the adventure with a combat where the players can take everything they've learned up to that point and engage in a "life or death" contest. With the combat(s) being last, that decreases the likelihood of someone getting canned earlier in the adventure and having to sit out for a good bit (or try and work in a replacement). And, if the combat is at the end, if anyone gets killed its not so big a tragedy - you got to play to the finale at least before losing the character.

My adventure suggestion: Open with the characters having been summoned to a town meeting about a local problem with diseased rats causing problems in town (Characters get to introduce themselves and explain to the locals how they intend to take care of the problem). Second part is the characters need to investigate the town/question the locals to locate where the rats are coming from (an abandoned abbey at the edge of town). Finally, the characters enter the abbey to destroy the rats (to find that a pack of goblins are behind sending out the rats to try and drive the villagers away, and are led by a sort of goblin wererat).

 

[Umbran]

Have any of you done something like this? Any advice?

I run four-hour one-shot games of various types fairly frequently. If you want to have time to do any sort of rewarding gameplay, use pregenerated characters. Character generation is only interesting if you already know the goal, and what the choices they get to make might mean. They'll get bored, lose focus and interest.

Keep the intro short: You'll be playing the part of a character in a fantasy world with dragons and dwarves and elves. This is a GM and a player. This is what your basic stats are. These are powers, and this is the basic way combat flows (initiative, each of you choose to do something and resolve it). This is how you use a skill.

Have all the groups use the same basic pregens, so your into can say, "this is a fighter, this is a cleric, this is a wizard..." Don't sorry too much about filling all the basic 4 roles - they aren't going to be playing long enough to figure out the detailed mechanical benefits of cooperation.

Keep the pregens mechanically simple. Keep the scenario mechanically simple. I would recommend against sticking tight and hard to the rules - let the players know you're playing a little fast-and-loose to keep things flowing, but that if they want to learn more, there's lots of details you could be using.

 

[jbear]

Definitely don't do character generation.

Have a selection of 10 or so pregens. The DM reads a short blurb describing the character, race, class, role. Players choose the one they like the sound of most.

Get into the action as fast as possible.

At least that is how I'd organise things. Good luck hope it goes well!

 

[Tamlyn]

You may consider modeling the pregens after pop-culture characters that they're already going to be familiar with. The same way most of us did if we started as kids. Dwarf fighter as Gimli, Elf archer as Legolas, wizard as Gandalf, any martial artist as monk, etc... I'm not saying use the actual names, but copy the roles. It may be easier for them to get into it if they have already seen how their character (or something similar to it) has behaved on the screen or in a book. But keep the other pregens on hand too for the people who will want to do something more creative.

 

[Traveon Wyvernspur]

If you are a DDI subscriber you can do a ton of pregens very very quickly. If you don't subscribe see if any of the other guys who are going to be DMing do. I'd probably make up like 2x as many pregens as there are the expected # of players. The others in the thread gave great advice and it seems to be the general consensus to do pregens for this game. I agree with them, as it could take 2-3 hours to generate all the characters needed with having to answer all the questions that will take place during the creation process especially with new people unfamiliar with the game.

Keep the background stuff short and sweet, and I'd probably start it out with the cliche meeting in a tavern, followed by a single skill challenge to get their feet wet, then a single encounter consisting of quite a few minions and a "boss" directing them. Run it as a one-shot encounter to give them an understanding of what goes on, from there if they are interested in continuing to play at the library or elsewhere you can decide to allow them to keep those pregens or make new characters in future games.

 

[Bereaved]

watch this series at about the 7 min mark is when he starts to give advice. its pretty long but well worth watching imo.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdFClW2WVmI]YouTube - DM's Commentary: D&D Robot Chicken, Part 1[/ame]


woot first post

 

[fumetti]

Grab an old Basic Set and play that. Much easier to learn, and combats don't take forever.

If they like it, they'll eventually gravitate to 4E.

 

[DumbPaladin]

Agreed with pre-generated characters, just make sure the choices are varied and include lots of female characters, even if this means having 2 Fighters and 2 Clerics and what not ... if there are any girls playing, they will appreciate having some choices beyond "the princess" or "healbot" or "damsel in distress". I'm always surprised at how often little kids of both genders want to be the character with the cool armor and the HUGE sword and the ability to beat up the bad guys but GOOD.

Oh, and good luck! Sounds like an interesting endeavor.