TTRPG primary school club question

[Illudenerth]

Hi everyone! I'm a teacher trying to start a TTRPG club in my primary school, but I've got a problem. I originally wanted to play DnD, but after a trial run I realized it's too difficult for the kids. It's got tons of rules and it was very overwhelming for them. We also only have 1 hour of play time per session.

Here's my question: is there a simpler game like DnD that we can play and let them get attached to their characters and enjoy all the role playing and combat and such that I enjoyed from DnD? I guess I'm looking for a d20 game with the usual combat, exploring, and discussing that DnD has without as many rules or math.

Also, I have the dice but no board or minis of my own. I thought about just buying them, but then decided it would be fun to let the kids build everything themselves. Besides clay, what craft supplies would be good to buy in bulk that they could make structures or minis from? Sorry if this is the wrong subreddit. It's a bit of a find a game + craft supplies ask.

Thanks for your help or pointing me in the right direction!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

There’s probably others, but The Fantasy Trip was an early rules light FRPG from Steve Jackson Games. It was played on a hex grid with flat cardboard game pieces. It was a little more wargamey than AD&D, and had fewer options, but it was still robust enough to run straightforward adventures or even campaigns.

Most people I know played it as a “beer & pretzels” alternative to more complex games. Once you became familiar with the system, PC creation could be done in 5-10 minutes.

It went out of print years ago. But fortunately, it was recently re-released, so it should be a relatively easy find and fairly inexpensive. (I don’t know if they changed anything.)

Not only that, Dark City Games used a version of the same system to create RPGs in a variety of genres.

As for minis in general? In my time in the hobby, I’ve seen a lot of variations. There’s the conventional metal or plastic minis from all kinds of games. There’s flat cardboard pieces like those mentioned above. SJG also used to sell cardboard minis you’d fold into a 3D shaped (and they still might).

Besides those, I’ve played at tables that used coins, Go/Othello/Pente/flat-bottomed glass beads, boardgame pawns, or beads mounted on pins or needles that have been mounted on styrofoam. I know others who’ve used hard-shell candies or gummies. And of course, you can use game pieces from board games if they’re the right size. The Monopoly Terrier makes for a fine werewolf.

 

[Dbudzik]

Hi everyone! I'm a teacher trying to start a TTRPG club in my primary school, but I've got a problem. I originally wanted to play DnD, but after a trial run I realized it's too difficult for the kids. It's got tons of rules and it was very overwhelming for them. We also only have 1 hour of play time per session.

Here's my question: is there a simpler game like DnD that we can play and let them get attached to their characters and enjoy all the role playing and combat and such that I enjoyed from DnD? I guess I'm looking for a d20 game with the usual combat, exploring, and discussing that DnD has without as many rules or math.

Also, I have the dice but no board or minis of my own. I thought about just buying them, but then decided it would be fun to let the kids build everything themselves. Besides clay, what craft supplies would be good to buy in bulk that they could make structures or minis from? Sorry if this is the wrong subreddit. It's a bit of a find a game + craft supplies ask.

Thanks for your help or pointing me in the right direction!

OD&D or 1st edition D&D are simple enough for kids to play. Use ascending armor class instead of THAC0. I’d recommend Old School Essentials.
But you could also use Knave 2e. It was designed by a teacher who plays RPGs with kids.

 

[aco175]

@Illudenerth welcome to the site. There is another thread about this similar with a couple posters running clubs at school that should be a good help.

One of the things I use for map making is Christmas Paper that has the 1inch grid on the inside. I can magic marker as big a map as I need, but found that having a giant map that you roll out some and roll up the used part as you go does not work as well as I thought it would. You can also make a dry-erase blank grid if you needed to.

Mini figures can be printed out and glues together. I have seen a few sites where they are free for some things. I have seen glass beads with symbols to represent, or even chess pieces and such. I'm not sure you recall Pogs, but print something out and glue it to cardstock and you have PCs and monsters. A lot of sites can show you how. You might even get some 3d printing stuff from the kids.

 

[LordEntrails]

You've got a white board right? And if it's magnetic then you can put magnets on your pogs and play on the nice big whiteboard. Players can find pictures of their characters and you can print those out and then glue onto the pogs (or straight onto magnets).

Minis would be great, but.... you can sometimes find similar sized mini/figures at places like dollar stores. You can also use LEGO minifigs, but they are not cheap unless you find them in a garage sale etc.

You can stick with 5E D&D, but stick to the basic/SRD rules. Restrict to the basics and the rules are pretty simple. Just because a system has something doesn't mean you have to use it.

IMO, other editions of D&D would not be good alternatives. OD&D has too many idiosyncrasies and conflicting rules. The intermediate editions are not as simple as 5E.

There are tons of alternatives, but D&D has the name recognition and the larger community to grow into. Both for the club and for the kids.

 

[The Soloist]

No Thank You Evil, by Monte Cook Games was created for that purpose:

Scalable rules adapt easily to the abilities and interests of kids from five on up, so everyone can play together. How will your adventure play out? Your options are limited only by your creativity. Together, you and the other players create a story as you work together to make your way through the adventure!

No Thank You, Evil! - Monte Cook Games Store

No Thank You, Evil! is a tabletop game of creative make-believe, adventure, and storytelling. In No Thank You, Evil!, you create a character based on a couple of cool, descriptive, imagination-firing traits. The Guide (a special role often played by a parent or older sibling) presents a dilemma...

www.montecookgames.com

 

[bloodtide]

Most of the OSR games are simple. Daggerheart is "D&D lite".

Really 5E is simple enough. For kids of that age I just make simple characters. AC and HP. Just one generic Save. Abilities just do damage. It works out just fine.


Check out your local train hobby store, they often have lots of mini things. Often enough on sale too.
The same is true of a science store or an aquarium store.

Legos, or any other such blocks. You don't even need "the castle set", but they exist.

Your average craft store is full of "minature/doll" crafts. You can get figure parts (body, arms, legs) and all sorts of stuff. It is easy enough to take a 'human figure' plus a pterodactyl and make a "dragonborn".

 

[SteveC]

It has been a minute, but I did this back in the days of 3.5. I think you may be underestimating how much students can learn and process a game like D&D. They just need to learn it gradually. Back in the days of 3.5 I made a series of adventures where I introduced the rules gradually over several weeks. We didn't get into combat until about the 4th session, but I did everything I could to make it exciting. At the time, I found character sheets that were simplified and used them.

Now, in 2025, you have a good resource: the new starter set! I would pick up one of these (or actually several) and use it to start play. Back at the time, WotC had resources for schools and I managed to get some boxed sets from them. I'd try and contact WotC, the worst they can say is that they no longer do it.

The great thing about the new starter set is that the eventual goal is to have switching DMs. So you or staff might start by running, but you will likely find kids who just run with it and learn everything and are enthusiastic to run it themselves. I'd pick up a starter set and start reading it with an eye of how to teach the game.