Just thought I would share this long story with everyone.

[Rel]

I'd give them some pre-gens. I'd even write-up a bit of a background for the pre-gens. Make it like a con game. Provide strong archetypes that are easy to get into. Print out powercards and character sheets before hand. You want to get to the game as quickly as possible.

Because you control to an extent the pre-gens motivations and the story you should be able to come up a compelling story and combat.

Just don't waste time with 1 PHB trying to make 4 characters. Picking and writing in all those powers will take forever and will really turn them of the game. While making characters is less of a problem than with 3e it's still a problem. Promise me you wont let them make their own characters.

I agree with this completely. Don't have them make their own characters (which will feel more like doing their taxes) and get right into the fun of the game. Once you've got them hooked then you can give them the option of making their own characters (or maybe keep playing the ones they started with).

 

[Jack99]

My girlfriend of two years has no interest in D&D, but it and my other hobbies are apart of who I am. How can someone marry you and not know who you are completely. But, well, it seems that there are people(which surprises me because I've never known anyone like this) who play D&D or hobbies like it that are so embarrassed and scared of perceived misconceptions that they treat their hobby as if it's the same caliber of depraved behavior as picking up prostitutes or something.

What's depraved about picking up prostitutes? Aren't you being a bit judgemental?