Gotta Write Adventure 4 NonGamers - Need Your Help

[varden]

Family bet: my sister and her one son, a gamer nerd, agreed that he will play a family game of softball with her and his jock brother (and 15 other friends and family) if she and the jock son play a game of D&D 4 with him and Uncle Varden.

That means I have to write and DM a 1st level D&D 4 adventure for them.

The players are:
* a 15-yr-old gamer
* a 13-yr-old jock who is intelligent and did like LotR and Harry Potter
* a 40-ish woman who does like Star Wars and LotR, but thinks gaming is silly.

I want to tailor the adventure to their personalities and interests.

Your thoughts?

 

[Camelot]

That's an awesome bet. =)

I see Lord of the Rings is common between the two non-gamers, so I'd start there. It isn't hard to do in D&D. Maybe make their characters based on LotR characters; a halfling rogue, a human wizard, a human two-blade ranger, a dwarf fighter, or an elf archer ranger are the obvious tropes to start with.

The adventure should consist mostly of roleplaying and skill challenges, with only a few combats, and even those should be easy. Go for humor over drama, as it will be more likely to draw their attention, whereas drama could cause your sister to nod her head and think "Yep, a bunch of weirdos."

Again, go for a LotR inspired story. Follow all the tropes of fantasy, as they all came from LotR. Start in a tavern, with a humorous bartender, a shadow cloaked traveller, etc.

Hope this all helps. Good luck!

 

[fba827]

premade PCs that are SIMPLE (almost as if you were making NPCs from the DMG guidelines). Though perhaps make a couple extra to give them a choice (i.e. the old scholarly wizard or the young archer, etc).

I definately WOULD turn towards LotR and HP for inspiration, "you see the elf shifting down the staircase as he shoots arrows along the way" rather than flat-out saying "Legolas" because then it may make it less of "their own" and instead just acting out a book

And make a story similar to those common tropes that we all know and have burned into our brains. OR perhaps take something they know and spin it. For instance, in Lord of the Rings, what is happening in town X while the heros were elsewhere? Or maybe they are at hogwarts during the summer when the regular students are away and something happens ... so they can see the familiar images in their heads, but it's a new story.

 

[ZephyrTR]

I wouldn't count tremendously on their interest in LOTR unless they own memorabilia or something. Yeah, craft their characters in the stereotypes, as that's what they're expecting and it will be easier for them to accept, but stop there.

Yes, make a really goofy adventure. NO, do not ask for a lot of Roleplaying! That's the hardest aspect of the game to new players, because it feels alien and their head oftentimes is straining just to keep up with the rules of the game.

Do some country bumpkin stuff, like they're trying to find their neighbor's cat and he's been kidnapped by kobolds, and they have a mind to eat him for dinner. So they get to save the day. Introduce them fighting some kobolds away from their livestock, then they find the kobold scouts that stole the cat, then they go take out the kobold menace while they have them on the run.

Also, make plot points EXTREMELY obvious. Even if it seems obvious to you, it might not to them since they've never played before -- and you don't want them to get lost. Don't give them time to get frustrated, keep the fun coming.

 

[aco175]

Also have good environmental props during combat. I had some new players that looked for the obvious ways to use the enviroment such as ropes for swinging and pits of fire to push baad guys in, but make sure they know they can do things like that.

 

[varden]

thanks guys.

as a woman, do you think my sister will like a scenario that involves taking care of something, or something having to do with a relationship?

as a sports fan, do you think my nephew will appreciate a story that involves some kind of medieval sport?

 

[fba827]

as a woman, do you think my sister will like a scenario that involves taking care of something, or something having to do with a relationship?

I can NOT make a generalization about women. Having said that, of the women I have DMed for who were gaming for the first time (i.e. to play with a significant other, etc), they did tend to like having an animal companion/familiar/etc. Something to nurture and worry about.
(A familiar might be the better way to go in 4.0 since they can be in passive mode... as opposed to an animal companion which would be expected to enter combat, and that raises the question of why sending your pet in to dangerous combat; alternatively perhaps a really minor magical item that doesn't really have much effect other than giving a tiny magical animal that stays perched on her shoulder, etc. -- and then give that companion/familiar/magic creature some sort of purpose that ties to the adventure -- like a crevice that only the animal can fly through and squeeze in to unlock the door from the other side, and so on.)

as a sports fan, do you think my nephew will appreciate a story that involves some kind of medieval sport?

"sportsfan" is not as broad as "women" since you are trying to gauge interest (RPG sport scenario) by comparing to another interest (sports). Thus, I can see a sport scenario being of interest. I'd go with some sort of skill challenge type thing, heavily focused on athletics. And just be sure to describe each round in immersive detail ("you are struggling to wrestle him down -- you have a good grip but can tell he knows a good number of reversals himself ... the crowd is cheering you on though!")

 

[ZephyrTR]

When describing a sporty skill challenge to a sports fan, its a good idea to listen to sportscasters -- turn on the radio to a baseball game or something so you can get the feel of the voice he might be looking for.

 

[Arlough]

Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Harry Potter at least one very useful thing in common. A mentor/guide for the journey (Gandalf, Obi-wan, Dumbledore)
This will give you a means to keep them on track, should they become stalled or distracted. Like the mentors mentioned, the mentor in your story should have a reason why he can't bust out in awesomeness and win the day, thus it falls on the heroes. DM self agrandizement, even just percieved, is terrible for the morale of a group.
The mentor/guide could be the head of a guild order, and he is observing a group of initiates (players) to see if they are ready, or could be old sage who is the only one who knows how to open the Vault of Annarath but hasn't much strength and needs a bunch of strong lads to get him there and then help him haul out his treasure. Whatever you choose, it should be someone with implicit authority of some sort over the party, even if he never really wields such authority.

Also, let the roles guide you.

• Controller - Has the least simple task, and player must accept that damage is not the character's primary function. If you use this one, give it to the most experienced player. But I think that in a small group of newbies, the controller is the least necessary. Maybe make your mentor a NPC controller so he can hop in and save the day if the adventurers are at risk of loosing. A controller NPC is less likely to steal the glory from the players.
  
• Defender - Feels like it should be doing damage, but that is not really what the defender is about. A good defender is nearly as complex as a controller, less optional in a group, and easy to initially mistake for a striker (and that usually ends up being disappointing) Make it clear, if you use this one, that this guy is the one keeping the others alive. This would be a good one to give to the experienced player.
  
• Leader - So long as it is stated up front to all that play that the leader indirectly wins the fight for the party by enhancing others, then this can be a fun role for certain personalities. The classic leader will of course be the cleric, but you could really call any of them whatever you want. This would be a good one to give your sister, as it allows for both nurturing as well as directing. Nearly all mothers I have known would fall into that role quite naturally.
  
• Striker - The most direct role by far. You are there to hurt things until they don't hurt you any more. Strikers get the big damage numbers, and the most glory. Honestly, strikers are fun. You don't need to know much to pull off a striker well. This seems like it would be the best option for the skeptical brother. Since he is into athletics, I would stick with either a Ranger, Barbarian, or Rogue. If he is into football or wrestling, Barbarian. If he is into baseball or basketball, Ranger. If he is into soccer or tennis, Rogue.

Also, do not let them die! Fudge the dice, grant action points for cool stunts, intervene with an NPC, whatever. You, as the DM, are an entertainer and are allowed to do whatever it takes to make sure they are having fun. Your job is to make them feel like they have an overcome difficult situations because they are awesome, both as characters and players.

Use game aids liberally. I suggest power cards, because nothing kills momentum like having to search through the books, and like a party, you don't want this to stall out.

Finally, I would suggest starting at 3rd or 5th level. That way the players are not out of options by the end of the second round.

 

[Fridayknight]

First ^ this. dont let them die and make it fun.

I can't speak on behalf of all but as a 15 y/o gamer rpger the way i got into it was books (and imagination). Give them a small (too large = homework) bit of writing (e.g from RA Salvator) to spark their imagination. But good luck with your sister, I now how hard it is to get adults interested in something they think is silly.

My second bit of advice, keep it non-fantasy as possible. They'll just be looking for something to mock if you put on an accent and be a pretend dwarf. GL Varden.