Need help DMing my s.o. (take pity on me!)

[neg]

Situation: I dash off to game sessions every third week or so. Lately the girlfriend is interested in playing it seems. But she wants to do it one on one. She is too embarassed to play with others right now. I am a poor, novice DM at best, but up to the challenge.

Siginficant other likes the Harry Potter books, LoTR movies, X-Men movies, but likes them for their characters and the moral dilememas and challenges they face. The hack and slash (ala Conan) is not what appeals to her. She reads Solomon Rushdie...and likes it! I can read anybody, but I can't read Rushdie....so we are facing a smart cookie here who would prefer to think her way out of sticky situations.

So I am trying to figure out what to do that would be appealing to her. I would love to purchase a published setting and go, but a Forgotten Realms/Scarred Lands/Midnight setting seem to overwheling to me, and I imagine wouldn't appeal to her.

I was thinking of a few sessions where the encounters are humans only. People making evil choices to further their own ends kind of thing. This would allow me to ease her into the fantastical side of the game. I think she might lose interest if I stat throwing "strange creatures" at her on the first session. Plus that is the kind of campaign I would like to run anyway. Perhaps the BBEG could be a hobgoblin for the first few sessions.

SO...any setting ideas? Freeport? I know it is just a city setting, but I am looking for ideas that wouldn't overwhelm both of us. I just am worried about if there are ratmen running in the sewers causing major problems on the surface kind of thing. I would love something that is expansive in case she wanders to the edge of "civilization" and I need to know where she is. The excellent story hour on Freeport by drnuncheon has me interested in Freeport, but I don't know if it would work. Comments?

How about modules? Again, anything that is chock full of the fantastical would be something to steer away from. My guess is I will have to brew up something of my own to work with.

I will sit down with her and create a character and let everyone know what it is so I can get your brainstorming ideas, but anything you can suggest, and any advice you have would be most welcome. I imagine that I will have to craft an NPC to support her in case she needs the backup/firepower.

Thanks-

-neg

 

[Evilboy]

Have her start as a rogue, and run combat-light adventures for a while.

Of course, you should consider the possibility that she might not like combative RPGs period, in which case you'd have to consider if your two playing styles could mesh well.

Keep things realistic and simple, the old KISS rule (Keep It Simple, Stupid).

If you decide to introduce fantastic creatures or abilities, remember to treat them as such. A troll or dragon is only as spectacular and fantastic as you treat it. If a young dragon causes an entire city to run fleeing, its a huge, cinematic beast of legend. If its something that you meet in the forest and kill for experience, its a two-dimensional sprite with statistics behind it.

Good luck.

- Evilboy

 

[Agback]

G'day

Pity? You have a gamer grrl with taste in literature and you want pity? Okay, then! I'll take the problem off your hands. E-mail me your address and I'll send your SO airline tickets.

Regards,


Agback

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I absolutely think you SHOULD run Midnight. If she likes LOTR, you will be able to get an instant connection with her, story-wise.

There's no reason you can't do Midnight AND Freeport, ya know...


Wulf

 

[Douane]

neg,

you are not alone!

Try this thread for advice given to an ENBoarder with a similiar "problem"() .

(Oh, and this link was sponsored by "Mark" and his most excellent thread of DMing Advice; check it out!)


Hope this helps!

Folkert

 

[JDragon]

I'll second the rogue idea for the first character working by her self.

Try setting it in a small to medium sized city, where most encounters will be with human and PC races.

JDragon

 

[woodelf]

Situation: I dash off to game sessions every third week or so. Lately the girlfriend is interested in playing it seems. But she wants to do it one on one. She is too embarassed to play with others right now. I am a poor, novice DM at best, but up to the challenge.

Siginficant other likes the Harry Potter books, LoTR movies, X-Men movies, but likes them for their characters and the moral dilememas and challenges they face. The hack and slash (ala Conan) is not what appeals to her. She reads Solomon Rushdie...and likes it! I can read anybody, but I can't read Rushdie....so we are facing a smart cookie here who would prefer to think her way out of sticky situations.

So I am trying to figure out what to do that would be appealing to her. I would love to purchase a published setting and go, but a Forgotten Realms/Scarred Lands/Midnight setting seem to overwheling to me, and I imagine wouldn't appeal to her.

I was thinking of a few sessions where the encounters are humans only. People making evil choices to further their own ends kind of thing. This would allow me to ease her into the fantastical side of the game. I think she might lose interest if I stat throwing "strange creatures" at her on the first session. Plus that is the kind of campaign I would like to run anyway. Perhaps the BBEG could be a hobgoblin for the first few sessions.

Well, if you're willing to spend money to make your life easier, go get a copy of Dynasties & Demagogues. Provides a detailed structure for social/political conflicts, and lots of advice on running such adventures. Basically gives you all the tools to do exactly what you said, and then some. The example scenario reads like an old Zorro or Three Muskateers plot (not the movies, so much). Also, from what i've heard, if you want thinking adventures, the setting to get would be Shattered Peace. It's a campaign-size adventure and city sourcebook rolled into one. And it's all about a city that is ready to tear itself apart politically, and the repercussions. Sounds like it'd be right up her alley, and either route would still leave you room for some fighting, magic, and/or monsters, as interest warrants.

 

[howandwhy99]

Here's a thought for a noncombative, roleplaying intensive game: Call of Cthulhu.

One on One this game can be very fun. Chaosium published several outstanding adventures for their old system, which wouldn't be too difficult to convert over and then level down. Throw in some of the interesting grim fantasy elements suggested from the posts above to keep world elements freeflowing and nondirected and you could have the makings of a very flavorful campaign.

Potentially, when you Significant Other is ready, it should be rather easy to introduce other central characters to the plot (read other players) for varying lengths of time.

And easier still to drop them

PS: sorry to hear you don't like Salman Rushdie.

[yep, D20 CoC. That's what i meant ]

 

[neg]

Okay I like the rogue suggestion. Lots of skills can lead to lots of roleplaying. And she could take the whole Robin Hood side of it if she felt it was necessary.

Thanks Evilboy for the lesson in proportions. That was very helpfully conceptually.

Pity me only in the sense that I can't DM and I could use a crash course, not on my social situation. Plus she is afraid to fly, sorry Agback.

Wulf, you got me rethinking Midnight now. I didn't think of the instant recognition of it. I guess I was put off by the fact that there are no clerics or mages to speak of. But that may work to my advantage.

Douane, thanks for the links, I will read them next!

JDragon, I agree with the small to medium city suggestion. Thinking of starting in a village and some event or occurrence causes her to travel to the nearest town, where adventures ensue.

Woodelf, I saw the Dynasties book recently in FLGS. Didn't actually page through it, but I will take another look see as it has suddenly become relevant. And I am all about spending money to make it easier. Shattered Peace does sound interesting, and that is the first I have heard of it. I will check it out.

Howandwhy99, though I love Lovecraft, I think that is where my excitment for Cthulhu ends. I know the D & D system, I know nothing of CoC.

And as for Rushdie, I tried to read Midnight's Children, honest I did. It was the Booker of Booker Prize winners for Christsakes. I can pretty much get through most anything. But I had a hard time and couldn't get into it. Not to say I won't try again. S.O. swears he is brilliant and very funny, and from what she tells me of his writing, well worth my time.

Thanks and keep the ideas coming. Any adventures I can steal from or use completely?

-neg

 

[Sam]

Howandwhy99, though I love Lovecraft, I think that is where my excitment for Cthulhu ends. I know the D & D system, I know nothing of CoC.

Thanks and keep the ideas coming. Any adventures I can steal from or use completely?

There's a d20 version of CoC. That's what I use for my monthly game.

As for D&D settings, there was a company that was trying to make a go at one-on-one adventures. I bought one of them. Not bad. Let me see if I can find it.... Hold on..... Ahh, here it is. Wyvern's Claw Design.
Just checked the web site. They're not doing any new publications, but they have a couple of products out. I've got "Theivery 101: Joining the Watchers", which is a decent module. Good intro to a Thieves' Guild.

You could use it as the start of a homegrown world, or put it in an established city. Freeport, one of the Forgotten Realms Cities, Greyhawk. You choose!

Don't be intimidated by the GM-ing thing. Just make sure you keep the game going & don't get bogged down in the nitty-gritty rules. I keep a blank notepad by my gaming notes. If there's a rules question we can't answer within one minute, I make a note of it and research it after the game. I try to use my best judgement about the issue in question during the game.

--Sam