Intro to D&D product

[johnsemlak]

I'd like advice on an x mas present to a 12 year old boy who has never played D&D, though has played related computer games, and is very interested in fantasy.

I've looked at various threads that discuss teh Boxed D&D Adventure gameor whatever. Would that work?

 

[Crothian]

I think that would be the best way to go. It offers a sort of rules light version and the map (after I lamenated it) and chits are helpful even two years later.

 

[Eternalknight]

I used the D&D Adventure Game to teach my girlfriend's brother (who was 14 at the time), so I'll second Crothian.

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

At 12, he might be ready for his own PHB.

 

[johnsemlak]

At 12, he might be ready for his own PHB.

That might be true. It's really hard for me to look at this thing from a 12-year-old's point of view. I have a hard time imaginine that all the complex rules in the PHB, or 3e in general, could be digested easily by a 12-year old who has never played a pen and paper FRPG. But I'm sure he could surprise me.

I think that would be the best way to go. It offers a sort of rules light version and the map (after I lamenated it) and chits are helpful even two years later.

A map? What's it a map of?

 

[Mulkhoran]

At 12, he might be ready for his own PHB.

Ready, yes, oh scal-ed one, but will he be willing?


Noooooo, johnsemlak, go with the Adventure Game, as others have suggested, to lure him in...........then SPRING the PHB on him once he's taken! Then he will be ours!!!!

No offence, great scal-ed one........

*slithers away*

 

[Eternalknight]

A map? What's it a map of?

It's a map of a dungeon, which is large enough to use mini's on (or in the Adventure Game's case, cut out cardboard monsters).

 

[Moe Ronalds]

That might be true. It's really hard for me to look at this thing from a 12-year-old's point of view. I have a hard time imaginine that all the complex rules in the PHB, or 3e in general, could be digested easily by a 12-year old who has never played a pen and paper FRPG. But I'm sure he could surprise me.

I was 10 or 11 when I got my PHB and hero builder's guide and dice. The rules were way over my head but after I'd read through it I could figure things out. Still, my first character was a barbarian because I only read the first class description.

 

[Sam]

I've looked at various threads that discuss teh Boxed D&D Adventure gameor whatever. Would that work?

I'd definitely go with the Gold Box Adventure Game! It's the way that I introduced D&D to my family (and re-introduced myself to it, after not playing since 1E). My 2 older kids (ages 6 & 9), and my wife (who had never roleplayed before) picked it up very quickly. The game gives pregenerated characters, with a cut-down set of options for each.

For example, Eberk, the Dwarven Cleric only knows three first level and three zero level spells. There are only 8 skills listed on the character sheets. Initiative is fixed. Each character has a static initiative score. After playing 3-4 adventures from the book, the wife & kids were ready to move on to the full-blown 3E. I got the core books and started running some of the free adventures from the WotC website. Now the family is hooked!

My wife and I play every Friday with a regular gaming group. My two kids and I play (with me as DM) at least twice a month.

Also, the price is right. If they haven't raised the prices on the box set, it should be $9.95. That includes a bunch of usable carboard counters, and a full set of dice!

I got to figure that 15 years from now, my kids will look on the gold box set with the same sense of nostalgia as I do with the 1E basic set (that I had to recently repurchase on eBay for my shelf)