D&D General Making sure everyone can play D&D

[payn]

Participate in organized play.

 

[Stoutstien]

As someone who ran and still runs an after school TTRPG club I would say the first hurdle is basics supplies. Not just dice but pencils, paper, and the basic stuff is usally a bigger issue than content.

As for online play that requires both a high speed Internet connection and a device that can handle a VTT and chat. Locally about 1/5 don't have anything better 3g phone service.

The biggest issue is lack of public spaces. I had days of back forth to get the local library to allow play and to actual put out the source books I donated on the shelf.

WoTC could also stop being so blatantly dinkish with the whole IP thing. Seems to be one issue after another for years now.

 

[SableWyvern]

Yes.

Then the barrier that needs to be removed is the idea that the opinion of someone on Reddit or EnWorld should have any bearing on your own, private table.

 

[Vael]

Participate in organized play.

That reminds me, more support for LGSes and organized play. I played a lot of 4e because an LGS ran DnD Encounters. I DMed most of it because the adventure material was free and I got to keep it, so I have a bunch of poster maps and adventure content.

 

[Incenjucar]

Then the barrier that needs to be removed is the idea that the opinion of someone on Reddit or EnWorld should have any bearing on your own, private table.

Yes, by having something with answers to use instead of a hundred pages of arguments.

"SableWyvern's List of Rules Interpretations" is going to be less of a headache than trying to figure out the conclusion of a bunch of rules arguments.

Many people, when faced with an angry wall of text, will just nope out and move onto something that doesn't require research. In a world of endless options for fun, entry friction has a big impact on whether or not someone engages long enough to see the fun.

 

[payn]

That reminds me, more support for LGSes and organized play. I played a lot of 4e because an LGS ran DnD Encounters. I DMed most of it because the adventure material was free and I got to keep it, so I have a bunch of poster maps and adventure content.

Its a great environment to meet folks both you g and old. You can practice GMing, or you can just play without having to commit to a regular scheduled game. Its a good thing g for FLGS and the community.

 

[Shardstone]

What do you think are the barriers preventing people from playing D&D?

me.

 

[Jacob Lewis]

That reminds me, more support for LGSes and organized play. I played a lot of 4e because an LGS ran DnD Encounters. I DMed most of it because the adventure material was free and I got to keep it, so I have a bunch of poster maps and adventure content.

The Encounters program was really innovative for a lot of reasons. The one-encounter-a-week format was designed specifically for people with busy work-, school-, life-schedules. People with little time to prep or learn everything about the rules were provided with ready-to-play materials without requiring a large amount of homework or commitment. The products they provided were of the same high quality as anything else they published. And they provided it for FREE as incentive for people to run games. It may not be cost-effective for a company, but it proved a fruitful strategy in the long-term for bringing people into the hobby.

 

[Vael]

The Encounters program was really innovative for a lot of reasons. The one-encounter-a-week format was designed specifically for people with busy work-, school-, life-schedules. People with little time to prep or learn everything about the rules were provided with ready-to-play materials without requiring a large amount of homework or commitment. The products they provided were of the same high quality as anything else they published. And they provided it for FREE as incentive for people to run games. It may not be cost-effective for a company, but it proved a fruitful strategy in the long-term for bringing people into the hobby.

It's a shame we couldn't get something like that again. I do think a lot of my enjoyment and fondness for 4e came from the Encounters program. Sure, it was a little vexing to just play through levels 1-3 (sometimes up to 5) over and over, but it was a way to try out different classes and I made friends, got some reps DMing in a fairly low-stakes method and spent more than I should have at the store, so, win/win. And 1st level 4e PCs had a lot more going on than other 1st level PCs. I still have all that material they provided, like battle maps with those adventures. Sure, they were just dungeon tiles, but that means I can augment them with those same dungeon tiles!

 

[payn]

It's a shame we couldn't get something like that again. I do think a lot of my enjoyment and fondness for 4e came from the Encounters program. Sure, it was a little vexing to just play through levels 1-3 (sometimes up to 5) over and over, but it was a way to try out different classes and I made friends, got some reps DMing in a fairly low-stakes method and spent more than I should have at the store, so, win/win. And 1st level 4e PCs had a lot more going on than other 1st level PCs. I still have all that material they provided, like battle maps with those adventures. Sure, they were just dungeon tiles, but that means I can augment them with those same dungeon tiles!

I wish there was more org play than D&D and PF! Its a great way to grow a game's community!