What would you do?

[lukelightning]

"You see a large stone door, covered in runes. What do you do?"
"Well first I save the game..."

 

[daBooj]

Nothing much to add here. I play with a 13 y/o who knows the rules better than I do. That's fine. He struggles a bit with thinking everything out, but does ok. (we had great fun when a giant hit someone who was glowing (we didn't know why) and suddenly declared, "I'm blind, I'm blind." The 13 yo took that to mean it was a great time to charge the giant, though he was almost dead. smack, thump, dead monk on the floor.

But, he's a good player, all in all. I would just suggest you not allow young players to have 2 liter bottles of mountain dew to themselves for a 3-4 hour session. Things can get out of hand.

 

[Azul]

I met that 9-year old's kindred spirit at my FLGS last Friday. There I was browsing the shelves when this little dynamo with verbal diarrhoea walks up to me and latches onto me as if I was his new best friend. The kid chattered my ear off while his dad talked old school gaming with the shop owner.

I was half-annoyed and half-amused. The chatter was all over the place and pretty typical "9-year old who hasn't quite grokked the game completely" stuff. The kid's enthusiasm was a bit infectious though. In the end, I decided suppress my annoyance and be friendly, helpful and encouraging of his new hobby. I gave a little advice on book choices and let him babble enthusiastically. The dad seemed to appreciate it and my wife seemed terribly amused by my plight.

However, I have to admit that I would dread having a kid that age (esp. with that kind of energy) at my gaming table... yikes! Those of you who can DM kids, my hat's off to you. That's gotta be like riding a bronco.

 

[Thunderfoot]

<SNIP> Those of you who can DM kids, my hat's off to you. That's gotta be like riding a bronco.

One I would gladly saddle again! Thanks for the complement.. If you don't have kids yet, assuming you want them (or can have them (if not my appologies)) you will understand that it isn't a gift, so much as a learned response. It is frustrating, maddening, and one of the best memories I'll ever have of my fatherhood.