Mistwell
Crusty Old Meatwad
My friend (who vary occasionally posts here) is a good dad, and a good DM. He's been one of my DMs since the beginning of 3e (and in fact reintroduced D&D to me after a hiatus of a decade), and he DM'ed 1e and 2e before that for other groups. He's currently running War of the Burning Sky for us.
He introduced the game to his daughter several year ago, at first with our group (initially using 3.5e), and she really loved it.
After a time some of his daughter's friends were curious about the game she always talked about. So a couple years ago he opened up a kids-only game for his daughter and some of her friends and other kids in the neighborhood, using 4e, teaching them about role playing and the rules and game.
I knew they had started a kids game, and he invited some of us adults to be guest NPCs, and said he tells stories of our games sometimes, and the time he introduced the concept of the TPK to them by relating a story from our group. But I didn't know really how successful the kids game was. I figured it was his daughter and a friend or two.
But last game we adults played, he mentioned the kids game. Here is what I gathered from that conversation:
Right now, that game contains 7 kids, average age of 10, with one 12 year old.
The kids LOVE it. They're up to 5th level.
They love it so much they told all their other friends.
If he wanted to, tomorrow he could have THREE games of 7 kids each (with no overlap in kids). Yes, about 21 kids would happily play D&D, average age around 10 I think. There is constant demand to get into his game. I got the impression kids come over to watch, play monsters or NPCs, give advice to players, etc.. They want in on the game, but he is holding the line at 7 players per game.
The 12 year old in the game is almost at the point where he can be a DM himself. All he does these days is read D&D books. My bet is by the start of summer break he will start his own game.
And I have no doubt that once that 12 year old spins off his own game with 7 of those 14 kids waiting in the wings, they will tell their friends, and there will be another 7 waiting to play. And someone will eventually decide to DM, and spin off another game...
I am pretty amazed by it. It seems if you teach it, they will come. In droves. Kids still like D&D...they just need someone to introduce it to them, and preferably a peer talking about it to start the interest.
He introduced the game to his daughter several year ago, at first with our group (initially using 3.5e), and she really loved it.
After a time some of his daughter's friends were curious about the game she always talked about. So a couple years ago he opened up a kids-only game for his daughter and some of her friends and other kids in the neighborhood, using 4e, teaching them about role playing and the rules and game.
I knew they had started a kids game, and he invited some of us adults to be guest NPCs, and said he tells stories of our games sometimes, and the time he introduced the concept of the TPK to them by relating a story from our group. But I didn't know really how successful the kids game was. I figured it was his daughter and a friend or two.
But last game we adults played, he mentioned the kids game. Here is what I gathered from that conversation:
Right now, that game contains 7 kids, average age of 10, with one 12 year old.
The kids LOVE it. They're up to 5th level.
They love it so much they told all their other friends.
If he wanted to, tomorrow he could have THREE games of 7 kids each (with no overlap in kids). Yes, about 21 kids would happily play D&D, average age around 10 I think. There is constant demand to get into his game. I got the impression kids come over to watch, play monsters or NPCs, give advice to players, etc.. They want in on the game, but he is holding the line at 7 players per game.
The 12 year old in the game is almost at the point where he can be a DM himself. All he does these days is read D&D books. My bet is by the start of summer break he will start his own game.
And I have no doubt that once that 12 year old spins off his own game with 7 of those 14 kids waiting in the wings, they will tell their friends, and there will be another 7 waiting to play. And someone will eventually decide to DM, and spin off another game...
I am pretty amazed by it. It seems if you teach it, they will come. In droves. Kids still like D&D...they just need someone to introduce it to them, and preferably a peer talking about it to start the interest.
