Help, My players don’t know how to play.

[Ganymede81]

I ran a game once that had a lot of noobs (of the seven players who were at the table over time, only two had played before). The campaign went on for over a year but, somehow, most of them never really learned how to play D&D.

Getting them to explore the environment or follow plot hooks was like pulling teeth. They'd make weird boneheaded decisions like avoid certain plot hooks or adventures because they "sound scary," but they'd plunge headlong into overly dangerous situations that resulted in party deaths and near TPKs. All sort of loot and treasure was glossed over because the players didn't want to search things. There were two separate occasions where I had to roll initiative to determine which hasty, greedy adventurer wanted to open the trapped chest first.

 

[Jester David]

As others have said, some people play for the social activity of hanging with friends and the fun of roleplaying.

In general, most gaming groups are built around one person who knows the rules and has the books (typically the DM) and a bunch of casual players who do not.
If it's not their passion and they don't think about the game between sessions, they might not have spent a lot of time on the game.

 

[hawknsparrow]

I have 6 players. Two understand how to play. The others have been playing from between two years and four years. I think that is adequate time to get a grip on the most basic rules. I still find myself reminding them how to calculate attack bonus when it is printed on their character sheet. Even helping the figure out saves and damage. I should be collecting a check from them for the extra work beyond running the game. Any advice will be read and appreciated.

Perhaps try a different system. I saw one post mentioning it kind of, but 5e is really simple. Gumshoe by Pelgrane Press is also quite easy... it's more about role play and investigative work. Fantasy Flight Games Star Wars is also easy. It's more about interpreting the dice and collectively talking through how the story advances... more theater of the mind. Try some different systems and use the time limit recommendation from an earlier post. Good luck. Don't give up!

 

[Older Beholder]

I started a campaign for my friends that all had played 20 years ago in high school or whatever.

One of them was like in the scenario you mentioned, he just straight up refused to learn the rules, (but still told everyone else what their character should be doing in combat every round)

We played once a month for a year or more, eventually it ended in a TPK, the guy that refused to learn the rules then refused to play a new character/campaign saying he'd never be able to make up a new character as good as the one that had died. So, in the end I just found a new group to play with.

 

[Umbran]

How about we hook up and discuss on discord and I would like some feedback and if you think they are good enough tools to share?

Because, when a random person on the internet repeatedly asks to go somewhere else to "hook up" it makes people nervous.

Especially when that person's username is "Scary". I mean, a bit on the nose there.

EN World gives them a relatively safe place without giving up much of their identity, with moderators at hand if something starts going weird. So, while folks are free to associate however they wish, maybe you ought to get to know them a bit before asking them to go off into another space.

 

[Scary]

Yes, I hear you!! Just trying to offer to help.

 

[GMMichael]

They'd make weird boneheaded decisions like avoid certain plot hooks or adventures because they "sound scary," but they'd plunge headlong into overly dangerous situations that resulted in party deaths and near TPKs. All sort of loot and treasure was glossed over because the players didn't want to search things.

Hey! I resemble that! If a hook sounds scary, avoiding it means I live longer! In my cozy, boring, mundane adventurer life... Also, searching takes time, involves legal issues, and invites trap damage. Who wants to do that?

@OP: in case it hasn't been suggested, just roll for your clueless players. Are they going to get upset at not being allowed to do something that they won't bother to learn?

 

[Wiseblood]

Thanks Scary, but I don’t use discord. This is my preferred medium.

I agree with you Quickleaf the character sheets out there need revision. The one you posted looks a lot like the one I have been brewing in my head. I may start a thread on character sheet philosophy where instead of custom character sheets designed by anyone we evaluate the information, it’s arrangement and it’s importance.

I have also had one on one discussions with some of my players. Finding that the most experienced player likes the character sheet because of similarities to older editions. ( which is why I selected it, nostalgia)

With the least experienced player I would go over and clarify the information on the sheet. There is a lot of redundancy on the sheet and I also found out that my notation actually made it harder for her understand. 6/6 to me meant two attacks at +6 each, to her it was 6 out of 6. We then worked together to make it clear. I’m optimistic about the results.

I am also reading the chapters on skill use, combat and casting again. I am trying not to take anything for granted. Also the chapter titled adventuring. (IIRC)

 

[Scary]

That is fine, thank you

 

[Scary]

Thanks Scary, but I don’t use discord. This is my preferred medium.

I agree with you Quickleaf the character sheets out there need revision. The one you posted looks a lot like the one I have been brewing in my head. I may start a thread on character sheet philosophy where instead of custom character sheets designed by anyone we evaluate the information, it’s arrangement and it’s importance.

I have also had one on one discussions with some of my players. Finding that the most experienced player likes the character sheet because of similarities to older editions. ( which is why I selected it, nostalgia)

With the least experienced player I would go over and clarify the information on the sheet. There is a lot of redundancy on the sheet and I also found out that my notation actually made it harder for her understand. 6/6 to me meant two attacks at +6 each, to her it was 6 out of 6. We then worked together to make it clear. I’m optimistic about the results.

I am also reading the chapters on skill use, combat and casting again. I am trying not to take anything for granted. Also the chapter titled adventuring. (IIRC)

I have used a sheet like this since I started playing AD&D back in the early 80's. Instead of a player always looking at their PC sheet for attack/damage numbers, you have them all in one place, totals and simple numbers. This may help whomever.