Teaching New Players

[mara]

I've been reading a lot of threads the discuss ways to keep the game alive. Getting new players into the game is an obvious hurdle to expanding the hobby, so I'm curious as to how people address that in their groups. How many players have you personally introduced to D&D within the last year and how did that work out?

 

[diaglo]

10+

i ran 4 sessions of OD&D at Gen Con this year.

 

[Nifft]

One last year, none this year.

Cheers, -- N

 

[TerraDave]

One year is a pretty narrow time frame.

In the last 15 years I have probably introduced about 10, and gotten 2 to stick with it long term.

That may not sound like a lot, but if we all went out and trippled our numbers,it would be a big change.

 

[freyar]

Just one new player, but I also got another old player back in the game...

 

[BlackMoria]

Since 1974, when I started D&D, I have introduced 117 people who have never played the game to the game. And I don't go to conventions, so that number isn't being padded by one time only games.

 

[palleomortis]

Only a couple for me.

 

[kenobi65]

Within the past year: 0.

Within the past 2 years: 2.

Within the past 4 years: 5.

 

[Blackwind]

4 new players within the last year. Since I started 13 years ago? A total of 15 that I can remember. I don't go to cons, so these are all friends that I invited to join my campaign and who stuck with it for a significant length of time (or are still playing). That number would be higher if it included lapsed 1E players that I've brought back into the hobby and instructed in the ways of 3.x.

I've never understood the people who worry about finding players for whatever edition or game they play. I don't actively recruit 'gamers' for my games. I take my friends and turn them into gamers.

 

[Dragon Snack]

One in the last year. It was more of a reintroduction though, since he had played about 10 years ago. Quite honestly, it's NOT MY JOB to introduce people to D&D. You're better off just introducing people to RPGs, then helping them choose their own, if you want to "grow the hobby".

That said, I also helped introduce another person to RPGs (Savage Worlds specifically) and I've helped introduce people to Tabletop Miniature Games (Reaper's Warlord specifically, but that actually was my job at Gen Con - so who knows how many).