[OT] Future Gamer on the Way!

[WSmith]

Happy, I am. Read to child Faded Glory Story Hour, you shall.

 

[Quickbeam]

Speaking of which, at what age do you think you can meaningfully introduce children to gaming? I have a 6 1/2 year old, but I think he's still a bit young to really "get it."

I'd say somewhere around the age of ten is good, but that number will certainly vary from child to child. Like you, Josh, I have a six year old (and a four month old) and I'm certain he's not yet ready for D&D. Mainly that's because he's still learning how to read; doesn't particularly care for games with a comprehensive set of rules; and wouldn't grasp the concept of which spells/abilities he could and could not utilize.

That said, he loves to play a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants version of Star Wars d20, wherein we set arbitrary limits for hit and miss threshholds, and the amount of damage characters can sustain. These games have almost no story, background, or character development whatsoever, but there's plenty of hack & slash. Jake understands who hits who during our battles and why, but isn't very concerned with why the characters are fighting beyond good vs. evil. At that level, you could start playing with your son/daughter now I'd guess.

 

[Desdichado]

Y'know, oddly enough, I was thinking of something real similar to this: a real simplified and simplistic variation of Star Wars d20 to get him started. He could handle that, I'd guess, at his age, and would probably enjoy it more anyway (at least while the movie is fairly fresh on his mind...)

 

[Quickbeam]

This actually happened for us by chance. Last year we were at Disney World/MGM Studios during a promotion they were running called Star Wars Weekends. Throughout MGM they had special Star Wars events; screenings of making Episode II and mini-sneak previews of the film; Jedi training classes for the kiddies (no adults dammit!! ); and other related "stuff." One of these events was a Star Wars trivia contest, and I managed to become a contestant. My prize for playing (I was eliminated within the first three rounds) was the d20 Star Wars boxed set.

Jake loves the movies, and has asked about playing D&D with me when our group is at my place. So, I did a bit of reading about the game, punched out the character tokens included in the set, and we grabbed our dice (Jake has about 80 of them -- he's quite a collector ). The rest we just make up as we go along.

Good luck if you give it a go, but I don't imagine you'll encounter any problems. If your son like Star Wars half as much as mine does, the gaming details will take care of themselves naturally and you'll find yourselves playing several times a week!

P.S. Sorry Old One, for temporarily pirating your thread.

 

[Chairman_Kaga]

Wow, that's quite a coincidence...

Just a few short months ago, in one of Old One's many Faded Glory threads he mentioned why he was a little flustered on time, what with four baby-making attempts per week IIRC. I responded that my wife and I were likewise looking to have a lil' one of our own...


and now we are both expecting little tiny gamers and both in February 03! I feel honored to be in such esteemed company. As a fellow Rat Bastard DM (member since 83) I offer you a hearty congratulations...

I'll also take you up on the offer of mead!

ENWorld will have a couple of new regulars in a few years, of this I have no doubt!

 

[Desdichado]

Chairman_Kaga:
Just a few short months ago, in one of Old One's many Faded Glory threads he mentioned why he was a little flustered on time, what with four baby-making attempts per week IIRC. I responded that my wife and I were likewise looking to have a lil' one of our own...

Sounds like fun! When you've already got three, you need the excuse to try four times a week, y'know?

Anyway, sorry for the hijack... Bad JD, bad, JD.

 

[Chairman_Kaga]

LOL...



sorry, all this baby talk is making me giddy!

 

[King_Stannis]

congrats, old one!

 

[R.X.DIEM]

CONGRATULATIONS!!

When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of Fairies.

James Matthew Barrie

 

[Old One]

WOW!

What amazing and hearfelt congratulations...thank you to everyone!

(1) Willpax - I definitely wasn't ready at 25...too many wild oats to be sown

(2) QB - Thanks much, my friend! We actually had 3 trips almost back-to-back...San Francisco, NYC and Aruba...I guess practice does make perfect (or at least babies)!

(3) Darkness - I figure 10 years would work, provided Morrus hasn't been committed to the asylum by then! I will make it a Tofu turkey stick for you!

(4) Dr. Midnight - I will receive said hug with all the manly thanks I can muster...thanks!

(5) Tortoise - Quite the boom indeed...Corey led the way, a member of my old group is due in September, Chairman Kaga (and others) and now us...wahoo! BTW, does the scheming really help?

(6) Dougal - I plan to start telling wonderful tales of knights, dragons and castles very early.

(7) Darklone - We were still very suprised at how quickly it happened...just started trying at the end of January!

Gotta run...I will catch everyone else in a bit!

~ Old One