Learning new players to play -need encounter tips

[Veneficus the Great]

Hi

I'm going to learn a new group to play D&D 3.5e this summer and want some tips from you about how I should handle it. I am going to teach them the "hard way". They are going to combat two 1st-level encounters with a "step-by-step"-guide. And now to the questions..

1) What do they have to know and what can come naturally later in play?

2) What should the two encounters include? I don't want it to be "kill the goblins". I want to give them a little challenge and encounters where they have to use different abilities. Some ideas?

---
Veneficus the Mentor

 

[Voadam]

Keep things simple to start: attack, hit, damage. Repeat. Get the basics down then move on to different maneuvers such as readied actions, grappling, tripping, and other things that can provoke attacks of opportunity or set up opposed rolls.

 

[argo]

I think character creation is one of the best ways to learn the basic rules. Just understanding how to calculate all the basic values gives a good introduction to how the rules interact with each other. Find a good character sheet (I like the standard DnD sheet) and help them fill it our in its entierity, just understanding the difference between AC, touch AC, and flat footed AC can be a big deal at first.

Combat needs to focus on the basics at first. Luckily they probably won't be interested in much more than that their first time out. Remind them of simple things like charging, fighting defensievly, flanking and readied actions whenever it looks to you like it would be benefical for them until they start to think of it on their own. AoO's are hard to learn but I think you should try to force the issue from the start so that they get used to them as part of the game; let them know they are about to provoke an AoO before they do and give them a chance to change their mind. Tell them when an enemy provokes one from them, don't force them to remember at first.

Absouletly use some kind of battlemat and counters the first time. Expect combat to take a long time.


And I suggest you run The Burnning Plague http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/oa/20000801a it's a great intro adventure.

 

[Rackhir]

Well you could use a classed opponent or two. That would enable you to demonstrate certain class abilities or to step them through some tactics that they will need to know, like flanking and attacking to aid. A monk or a magic user might be a good choice for an encounter.

On the other hand, you might want to try starting them out at say 3rd lvl. It makes the characters substantially less fragile, permits you to employ a MUCH wider range of foes and give them a wider range of abilities and spells to employ.

Lets face it 1st lvl char can die in one shot and most spell users have only one or two spells to cast which means that once they have been cast the players might as well go to sleep since they are pretty limited in other abilities.

If you are trying to teach them to do things, then it is good to have them to be able to DO things. Third level characters make that much easier and cut down on the tedium of 1st level characters where you are so painfully limited.

 

[Rl'Halsinor]

To add what has already been said, I would first of all take each person individually and step by step help them with their character development, i.e. the character sheet. This should not be rushed and I think it would be a great opportunity for you to do some teaching.

As for combat I would take the characters along with same encounters you have chosen to use through various combat settings. A woods enounter, a camp encounter, a guard encounter, dungeon, hill, cave... whatever. Let them tell you what they are going to do. The give and take will help them visualize how their actions affect game play.

Lastly, words are like paint and you have the brush. Just don't give them the nuts and bolts, paint the image in their mind as you describe the setting sound, smells, etc.

 

[MerakSpielman]

A nice compramise might be one encounter with mindless fight-to-the-death mooks of some sort that is a simple whacking contest. Introduce to-hit rolls, hit points, AC, and damage. Toss in a healing potion or something.

The next combat should move forward, teaching them opposed rolls. Use some monks who constantly uses disarm, grapple, and trip attacks. These kinds of opponents don't often pose a serious threat, but are annoying as hell.

Then have them play "dueling mages" - create a 10th level sorcerer with a good mix of offensive and defensive spells. Have them fight another, identical sorcerer in a spell duel. Let them try multiple times until they win. Don't allow moving or attacking, just spell work. This will teach them basic low-level spells, and as a bonus introduce the concept of saving throws.