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How to trim 5E down to "Rules Lite" (for kids)
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<blockquote data-quote="Jer" data-source="post: 7534535" data-attributes="member: 19857"><p>Echoing [MENTION=83242]dave2008[/MENTION], they can probably handle a lot more than you think. My son started playing 4th edition when he was about 6 and, while he was kind of advanced for his age, I wouldn't have put him up against a 10 year old in the development department. We started him with a fairly easy character class (fighter) and turned him loose - now he's 10 and he plays mostly wizard types. I find it's actually <em>adults</em> coming to the game for the first time that need a lot of streamlining, not so much the kids.</p><p></p><p>I have run a lot of 5e (and 4e, and 13th age) over the past few years for kids in the 8-12 range, and here's are some thoughts about things that I've noticed among the kids I play with:</p><p></p><p>* Use the Basic Rules. This is mostly because I don't want them or their parents to think they need to shell out money just to play the game, but also because reducing choices down makes it easier to get started. And I can easily have a few Basic Rules books available to hand to the ones who want to know more about the game.</p><p>* Use pre-gen characters for the first game. I have a stack of 1st level pre-gens in the four basic classes and the four basic races that I will let them choose among. This not only narrows down choices and makes starting the game easier and quicker, but also allows me to make some choices about things like spell lists and skill selection that helps to avoid a bad experience on their first game.</p><p>* Have spell lists with descriptions printed up with the pre-gens that need them. I actually have made little spell-cards to pass out, but having the spell lists printed is also fine. The big thing is to have the rules right there so the kids can read them themselves rather than trying to look them up in a book. (I also have magic treasure cards to pass out if they find magic treasure because kids dig cards).</p><p>* Ask them what they want to play, then figure out how you can hammer a pre-gen into something close to what they want. Usually once I explain a bit about the game to them I find out what kinds of things they already know about. One of my nephews didn't have a lot of traditional fantasy in his background but wanted to play "Captain America" and we got him a fighter with a sword and shield. One of my nieces wanted to play a magical fairy princess so she got the elven wizard. One of my son's friends wanted to play someone like "Harry Potter" and so he got the human wizard, and so on.</p><p>* Skills and backgrounds can go either way. Some of the kids I play with like having the skill list there because they come with ideas about things they never would have come up with on their own. and some really like the backgrounds and will come up with elaborate ideas about their Noble or Entertainer or whatever. others just ignore it and focus on their spell list or just hitting monsters with swords. So much like the adults I play with I guess <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jer, post: 7534535, member: 19857"] Echoing [MENTION=83242]dave2008[/MENTION], they can probably handle a lot more than you think. My son started playing 4th edition when he was about 6 and, while he was kind of advanced for his age, I wouldn't have put him up against a 10 year old in the development department. We started him with a fairly easy character class (fighter) and turned him loose - now he's 10 and he plays mostly wizard types. I find it's actually [I]adults[/I] coming to the game for the first time that need a lot of streamlining, not so much the kids. I have run a lot of 5e (and 4e, and 13th age) over the past few years for kids in the 8-12 range, and here's are some thoughts about things that I've noticed among the kids I play with: * Use the Basic Rules. This is mostly because I don't want them or their parents to think they need to shell out money just to play the game, but also because reducing choices down makes it easier to get started. And I can easily have a few Basic Rules books available to hand to the ones who want to know more about the game. * Use pre-gen characters for the first game. I have a stack of 1st level pre-gens in the four basic classes and the four basic races that I will let them choose among. This not only narrows down choices and makes starting the game easier and quicker, but also allows me to make some choices about things like spell lists and skill selection that helps to avoid a bad experience on their first game. * Have spell lists with descriptions printed up with the pre-gens that need them. I actually have made little spell-cards to pass out, but having the spell lists printed is also fine. The big thing is to have the rules right there so the kids can read them themselves rather than trying to look them up in a book. (I also have magic treasure cards to pass out if they find magic treasure because kids dig cards). * Ask them what they want to play, then figure out how you can hammer a pre-gen into something close to what they want. Usually once I explain a bit about the game to them I find out what kinds of things they already know about. One of my nephews didn't have a lot of traditional fantasy in his background but wanted to play "Captain America" and we got him a fighter with a sword and shield. One of my nieces wanted to play a magical fairy princess so she got the elven wizard. One of my son's friends wanted to play someone like "Harry Potter" and so he got the human wizard, and so on. * Skills and backgrounds can go either way. Some of the kids I play with like having the skill list there because they come with ideas about things they never would have come up with on their own. and some really like the backgrounds and will come up with elaborate ideas about their Noble or Entertainer or whatever. others just ignore it and focus on their spell list or just hitting monsters with swords. So much like the adults I play with I guess :). [/QUOTE]
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