Community Center Class

[Wombat]

I have been approached by a local community center to run a class for kids (at this point probably 9-13 year olds) in "What Is Roleplaying?" The concept at the moment, subject to much change and probably not running until mid-Summer or early Autumn, would be to 1) bring gaming to these kids and 2) defuse the more "questionable" aspects for their parents. The class would meet once a week for about 2 hours for about 4-6 sessions.

I have contacted the manager of my FLGS who is more than happy to provide material at a discount (PHBs, dice, even figures if the kids want them) as a way to help encourage more business (thanks, Gary!), so that aspect is covered. I decided early on, of course, that D&D is the way to go, as it is the most available and widely know rpg.

So, let me throw this out as a general question -- how would you approach this? I was thinking of Session 1 being "What are RPGs/How to Make a Character" and working with stripped-down versions of the rules (limited class choice, spell choice, etc., for ease of creation). After that I was thinking something possibly thematic? Maybe "Lord of the Rings Night" where they might learn about the Tolkein tie ins and fight some orcs & goblins, followed by "Classical Mythology Night" where they might learn about the heritage of centaurs, the minotaur, etc., and then have a simple adventure involving them. But as I say, these are just some very, very open notions.

Any thoughts? Creative notions?

(p.s. if the sessions go over well, I will be invited to do it again and/or run "advanced" sessions in things like adventure design)

 

[IamTheTest]

Kudos to you it sounds like a great public service. When I was in high school (3 years ago) I taught kids how to play CCGs and RPGs at my local game shop and it was great. Seeing that you are doing community service while doing something you enjoy is great. I think that the first session should definately cover what role playing is and isnt. After that I think itd be sweet to learn what the kids intrests are and then run a game suited towards them. You could run the game like a giant tutorial and see where it goes. Id definatley reward them for good role playing and any pictures they draw or back story they come up with. Good Luck and Have Fun.

 

[Quickleaf]

Cumbia! What a lucky opportunity.

IDEA #1: One idea I've seen posted elsewhere is a cooperative storytelling approach...

Every time a player checks for clues, they say: "I expect XYZ to happen." Then they roll, consulting the following table...

Fail by 10 or More: No, And
Fail by 5 or More: No, But
Fail by less than 5: No, But or Yes, But (at GM's discretion)
Success by less than 5: Yes, But
Success by more than 5: Yes
Success by more than 10: Yes, And

GM Narates "NO" plus "AND" on a failure and "BUT" on a success
Player Narates "YES" plus "AND" on success and "BUT" on failure.
Only one “Clue Roll” per character per scene
Only one “Clue Roll” per skill per scene

For example, if Jen is playing Genevieve, she may decide to make a Gather Information check to learn about the evil orc warlord. Jen says: "I think he has destroyed several other cities whose last remaining knights are forming an allegiance against him." She rolls, succeeding by 3, for a result of "Yes, but..." Jen narrates that it was as she suspected, while you (GM) narrate, "...but the leaders of the allegiance have been taken captive and their alliance will soon fall apart without their command."

If your class is very smart (as I'm guessing they are) this shouldn't be too much.

IDEA #2: Come into class with a word bank, a list of 100 or so words describing possible themes. Have the class decide on 4-6 words to describe their adventure. Then have each kid draw their ideal character, with a time limit of 3 minutes. You draw the villain and/or setting (if you chose). Now, each person in the room passes their picture to their right, allowing each one of their classmates to add (not change) a small detail. If you have a big group, you might want to do this in groups of 3 or 4. Now have the original owner of the picture describe their character, integrating all the additions made. I did this with two "grown-ups" and the results were fantastic!

Cheers!

 

[Rel]

I got a chance to take a class like this back when I was just a kid, maybe 12 or so (this was over 20 years ago now). It was great and I applaud you for doing it.

My advice would be that this is a great opportunity for the use of the new Basic Box Set. It already contains a pared down set of rules, has a complete set of figures included and is relatively cheap. I would stay away from the core rulebooks for right now for a few reasons:

First if you're encouraging the kids to buy a PHB but you're using a pared down set of rules then you may wind up spending more time explaining what the rules AREN'T than what they are. If these kids have real interest in the game (and let's hope they do) then they're going to be poring over those PHB's between sessions and it may be confusing to them that you are doing things differently from what's in the book they're reading every night.

Also, if you are using the core rulebooks then these kids may wind up urging their parents to buy the other books before the class is even over. That'll mean that, in addition to whatever money they had to pay to get the kid enrolled in the class, the parents will be looking at shelling out somewhere around $90 (less the discount from the FLGS) and they may start to say, "What have I gotten myself into?!" They definately won't balk at the cost of dice and probably won't at the cost of the Box Set.

Hopefully these parents will be open minded and you'll be able to get across the benefits of roleplaying to their kids. But if they start paging through the Monster Manual (and, let's face it, it has the most pictures in it...) and seeing the Demons, Devils and so forth, they may start to think that the old tales about D&D have some merit. The Box Set has nothing scarier in it than what they've seen in LotR or Pirates of the Carribean.

And finally, if they have the Box Set, they're walking away from the class with a complete set of rules to work from that will get them started gaming with their friends. They'll have figures, dice and a battlemat too. That should be enough to fuel their adventures for a while until they can figure out whether this is a hobby that will appeal to them over the long term.

 

[Varianor Abroad]

So, let me throw this out as a general question -- how would you approach this? I was thinking of Session 1 being "What are RPGs/How to Make a Character" and working with stripped-down versions of the rules (limited class choice, spell choice, etc., for ease of creation). After that I was thinking something possibly thematic? Maybe "Lord of the Rings Night" where they might learn about the Tolkein tie ins and fight some orcs & goblins, followed by "Classical Mythology Night" where they might learn about the heritage of centaurs, the minotaur, etc., and then have a simple adventure involving them. But as I say, these are just some very, very open notions.

Any thoughts? Creative notions?

(p.s. if the sessions go over well, I will be invited to do it again and/or run "advanced" sessions in things like adventure design)

Very cool! That's a great idea Wombat.

Based on starting my 8 year old playing, I found that the new D&D Basic Set was very handy. Character creation sounded boring to her when we talked about it. She just wanted to get started. The set enabled starting play immediately with discussion of the rules along the way. Turns out she wanted to kill things and loot their stuff. Who knew?

So, if you're starting with a small group, I'd almost suggest jumping in feet first on day one with playing for a couple hours, then breaking to show them how to build their own PCs because they will be thinking "how can I do X?" Having played a bit, my 8-year-old is more interested in creating her own PC now.

You might also start gathering questions ahead of time for a one-page FAQ (sounds like you may be working on this) to give to them for their parents.

The theme nights does sound like a cool idea. Harry Potter is huge in that age bracket, so there's possibly a third night. (Magicians and wizards, giant spiders, flying, etc - there's tons of references.) You could als supply them with a list of fantasy books and DVDs to watch, while pointing out that game rules do not reflect the "reality" of the fantasy novel. Then if this goes far you could have a "Spot the Reference" contest during a session.

Hmm. Thinking back to my days with the high school D&D club, one night you might even want to talk about conflict resolution in some non-judgmental way. I remember some of my peers wanting to kill each other's PCs and getting into huge snits over minor things. But these issues really meant something at age 17. This may be suited for an "advanced topic" along the way. Dunno.

This all sounds really cool though. Oh, and kudos to the game store owner who's supporting this. That's also a great community service.

 

[fusangite]

I recommend Mutants and Masterminds over D20. Kids are more likely to all "get" the superhero genre so there is no need for them to learn mythological backgrounds. The excessive crunch of D&D is also removed. Most attractively, however, the superhero genre and the M&M damage systems are all about incapacitating without killing. If your job is to allay parental fears and create a game that feels "fun" for younger kids, M&M seems to way to go.

Also, if kids want to buy the books themselves, M&M is advantageous in that they only have to buy one book, which contains all the rules and, unlike a dialed-down D20, everything in the rule book will be correct/true. Also, this is a system where witty banter, etc. are rewarded and accommodated, avoiding the danger of the game being little more than wargaming.

Finally, I find 9 year old boys are a lot like drunk adults. M&M is, without a doubt, the best OGL product out there for drunk adults therefore I see great possibilities for kids.

Regardless gender, geekiness, etc. all kids dream of being superheroes. Play to that universality and throw in references to popular comic books, cartoons and movies. You can't miss.

 

[Wombat]

Some very interesting notions here!

I must admit that I am a bit nervous about using a game other than D&D, even if it is D20/OGL simply because of less "name recognition" (plus some potential availability issues). M&M is a good game, yes, but I have learned one major thing from dealing with young kids of late (about half a dozen nieces & nephews and many friends' kids: Uncle Wombat is hauled in for many kid-o-centric times, which is great!) -- they are incredibly brand-oriented. D&D is a brand, ergo it is easier to attract them, and possibly retain their interest.

I would also like to show them, further on in the class, that there are many other types of games out there, ranging from other D20-type products to such rivals as GURPS, Tri Stat, Ars Magica, etc. I think I wouldn't mention Vampire, again due to possibly "crossing the line" with certain parents, even though I was a horror film nut as a kid of that age range.

The idea of the FAQ for parents does, indeed, fit with something I am preparing. I am glad to see that this was not just a concern of my own.

I hadn't really thought about the Basic Set before, but that might well be a way to go. I'll check in with the FLGS about this one.

Yeah, I also had Harry Potter in my head for a theme (I have been "hired" by a local bookstore for the last two HP book release parties to dress up as Hagrid and entertain the kids -- my pay was to see a whole bunch of kids excited about reading and a copy of the book! Yeah!). Between hippogriffs, potions, and different schools of magic, this should make a neat fit.

I was also really interested in pushing the "vocabulary" aspect of gaming -- what is an Enchantment?, what is Chainmail?, etc. I know a lot of folks who say the D&D did more for their vocab than a hundred spelling tests!

Anyway, thanks for the responses so far and keep the ideas coming!

 

[BSF]

You know, this sounds very cool, but I am not sure I would even get into the rules of any system the first class. That first class is where you establish all the groundwork and set the tone. That first class is where you defuse all the myths about role-playing. I would encourage parents to be at that first class so they can meet you and so they can figure out what this role-playing thing is all about. Be very open and very willing to answer questions. Focus on the very basics.

Many adults have been in role-playing scenarios for different aspects of school/work. How do you deal with an angry customer type stuff. Most parents are familiar with the cowboys & indians/cops & robbers scenarios that kids play. You want to point out that all of these are role-playing scenarios, with a framework of rules. We have all seen the kids that are playing and it goes like this.

Kid 1: *bang* "I shot you!"
Kid 2: "No you didn't, I ducked and you missed."
Kid 1: "The bullets in my gun never miss, they turn corners and they even come back until they hit you."
Kid 2: "I have a bulletproof vest."
Kid 1: "They are special bullets that even go through bullteproof vests."
etc

Role-playing games have a rules framework to adjudicate this. Namely the GM and the rulesbooks. Then there is a theme to the role-playing, like fantasy, or superheroes, or space, etc.

Break down the barriers on what role-playing is. Make it simple and understandable to everyone. The kids will probably start to get bored so use them in examples. But the parents will probably appreciate it and will leave feeling like the whole things is mostly harmless.

Now when using examples, go through a few of the genres. Yes, D&D is a good one! But also point out modern day adventures with D20 Modern/Spycraft, Superheroes with Mutants & Masterminds, outer space with D20 Future, etc. I would even break out a pseudo genre of licensed properties. Star Wars, Wheel of Time, Buffy, Babylon 5, Conan, Star Trek, etc.

You might even consider putting together a list of different games and the books that they use for the parents. If the parents start wanting to buy material it helps for them to be informed when they walk into the FLGS. Not to focus on the negative things too much, but you might also point out the games that are possibly inappropriate because of the themes and the age of the children. This is a tricky one because you don't want to scare parents. But it is probably better for them to be aware that they are looking for appropriate material for their children before they stumble on Vampire themselves.

By the end of the first class, you should have the children and the adults comfortable with role-playing. Take a few dice and keep the general examples vague. Involve the parents if you can too. Assign a couple of generic roles, describe the walk through of a dungeon or something. Assign values on task resolution. "OK Bobby, you are the trap expert and you want to see if there is a trap on the chest. You have a +6 to finding traps. Roll this 20-sided die and add 6. You need to get higher than an 18." That sort of thing.

It sounds like you have a lot of experience with this stuff anyway so I am sure you will do fine. The biggest difference is that your past experience is with family and friends who already know you to some degree. You aren't having to set their expectations as much. In this case you are dealing with strangers and might need to put forth a lot more groundwork to establish trust.

 

[fusangite]

I must admit that I am a bit nervous about using a game other than D&D, even if it is D20/OGL simply because of less "name recognition" (plus some potential availability issues). M&M is a good game, yes, but I have learned one major thing from dealing with young kids of late (about half a dozen nieces & nephews and many friends' kids: Uncle Wombat is hauled in for many kid-o-centric times, which is great!) -- they are incredibly brand-oriented. D&D is a brand, ergo it is easier to attract them, and possibly retain their interest.

Good point. And an interesting one I had not considered. However, part of what I was getting at with respect to the universality of superhero stuff with kids was the problem of branding. You have the opportunity here to situate your campaign in the Spiderman, Batman or Daredevil universe; my feeling is that at the 9-13 age range, kids at the bottom end of the range will not strongly distinguish between campaign, story and system.

Whatever you use, I highly recommend that it not involve anyone (you or the kids) ever having to deal with flanking, stacking bonuses, attacks of opportunity and other stuff that those of us not technically minded are still wrapping our heads around to this day.

I would also like to show them, further on in the class, that there are many other types of games out there, ranging from other D20-type products to such rivals as GURPS, Tri Stat, Ars Magica, etc.

Rather than focusing on competing systems, I think you might want to begin with alternative genres. So pick a rules set, be it OGL, BRP or GURPS that is portable across genre. I think throwing a bunch of different systems at kids in that age range is a little much.

I hadn't really thought about the Basic Set before, but that might well be a way to go. I'llcheck in with the FLGS about this one.

If I were to use D&D, I would go with that. Removing crunch indiscriminately from 3E creates too many balance problems and creates too much of a disjunction between the RAW and the rules under which the game is operating -- not a good thing for kids.

Yeah, I also had Harry Potter in my head for a theme (I have been "hired" by a local bookstore for the last two HP book release parties to dress up as Hagrid and entertain the kids -- my pay was to see a whole bunch of kids excited about reading and a copy of the book! Yeah!). Between hippogriffs, potions, and different schools of magic, this should make a neat fit.

Is there a Harry Potter RPG yet? Why don't I know the answer to this question?

I was also really interested in pushing the "vocabulary" aspect of gaming -- what is an Enchantment?, what is Chainmail?, etc. I know a lot of folks who say the D&D did more for their vocab than a hundred spelling tests!

I agree 100% -- of course in the good ol' Gygax days, we also learned a bunch of incorrect words like "libram" and "wight." Still I can see this adding to the appeal of fantasy over superhero gaming.

 

[DaveStebbins]

I would also recommend the D&D Basic Game and pre-generated characters for the first session. You'll be doing enough explaining about how things work without worrying about chargen right away. Let them get a feel for the basics before they worry about building their own PCs. Heck, creating a custom PC could even be the second class session. Two hours will absolutely fly by with kids.

For parents, GAMA (the Game Manufacturers Association) used to have a wonderful pamphlet called Questions and Answers About Role-Playing Games available for download from their site. In fact their publications page mentions it, but I could not locate it where they said to look.

http://www.gama.org/index.pl/publications

You should contact them about getting a copy of this. It is a file meant to be printed out double-sided on a single sheet of paper and then tri-folded into a pamphlet. It contains answers to the most commonly asked questions about RPGs, and was well written.

Good luck!
-Dave

Edit: I just found a file on my hard drive that has the text of the pamphlet, but not the correct formatting. It was written by Loren K. Wiseman and Michael A. Stackpole in 1991. I'm not sure it would be right to post it here, so first see if you can get it direct from GAMA. It may take them a while to answer, however, as their annual GAMA Trade Show is this week in Las Vegas, so be patient.