[Play Report] DMing for Middle/High Schoolers

[TheAuldGrump]

That's cool [MENTION=6957]TheAuldGrump[/MENTION] - do you buy the stands, or print them out? And, what makes the minis stiff enough to be held up - do you glue them to cardboard?

I was planning on printing out tokens, cutting them out and gluing them to cardboard.

There is a selection of bases to be downloaded and cut out. Pretty much everything from dirt to grass to diamond plate to wood to molten lava. They have bases that are compatible with both World Works Games and Fat Dragon. The bases are free.

Also, for the most part they can be folded flat, makes transport pretty easy.

I generally print on index stock - thin card, you can get it at Walmart, Staples, etc.. Not as cheap as it used to be, I think that it runs about $10 - $12 for 250 sheets.

The Auld Grump

 

[buddhafrog]

Rechan ~ I love this thread and hope others will try to do what you're doing - even if it's with one's nephews and friends. Kids love this game and especially if they're new to it, they'll have no idea how poor of a DM you are - they will think you're awesome. I'll answer all your questions in a bit, but quickly:

I firmly believe that no one needs minis to play D&D. With that said, I do think they'd enjoy them a lot (same is true to a lesser extent with paper vs. battle maps).

Do you have friends that play and might have the D&D minis or tokens? If so, I bet they might be willing to loan you some seeing that you're going to do this at the youth center. I know a lot of Enworld'ers support you.

In fact, if enough people read this thread, I'm sure someone would be willing to donate all their unused tokens and maybe a few PC minis.

I have a bunch from the D&D box sets that I never use... but I don't want to ship them to the USA. However, if no one else here offers and you can't find any, PM me and I'll mail them to you as a donation. If there is a FLGS near you, I bet they might be able to locate some tokens if not a few minis as a donation. They'll want to get kids involved into gaming as well.

I think the tokens are pretty nice and work well. The Beginners' DM Kit box set comes with many and has a fantastic adventure: The Reavers of Harkenwold. This is the only adventure I've really loved so far. It's level 1 and I think would be great for beginners (if you run it, I have a few tweaks that I think work great with kids).

I've never used paper tokens but they look pretty nice. I worry about their durability and such. I just have a feeling that you should be able to find tokens at least, and hopefully once you know your PC's, one mini for each PC.

* As a side note, regarding levels, I've never gotten above level 10 or so. I strongly agree that you should start Level 1 (I always change levels for adventures and was suggesting possibly Madness at around Level 2). The higher the levels, the more confusing it becomes for players. I often level up more quickly as well so that they feel a greater sense of achievements. But you know they'll be wanting to fight those dragons and beholders... so I just knock the "fun" monsters down quite a bit so they can be fought at earlier levels.

 

[amerigoV]

For gods sake, don't shoot their PCs in the knee. You would hate for their first PC to wind up an NPC guard.

(cuz we all know talking to a guard at the gate is not fun, especially one whining how they used to be like you).

 

[TheAuldGrump]

For gods sake, don't shoot their PCs in the knee. You would hate for their first PC to wind up an NPC guard.

(cuz we all know talking to a guard at the gate is not fun, especially one whining how they used to be like you).

But what if they are Dragonborn?

The Auld Grump

 

[amerigoV]

But what if they are Dragonborn?

The Auld Grump

Actually, that might be the test. It certainly explains why there are so many ex-adventurers in Skyrim.

"Next!"
Thummmp! (shoots arrow aimed at the knee of prospective Dragonborn)
<intense screams of pain>
Nope. Not Dragonborn.
"Next!"

 

[Gentlegamer]

More so than usual, adopt the "Rule of Cool." That is, the "cooler, more entertaining" the proposed action is, the more likely it is to work. Of course, even cool actions can have unexpected complications, so this isn't license to 'narrate' unmitigated success in the game.

 

[Gilladian]

I have run games for teens at my library in the past. I had to deal with the situation that each week different kids showed up for the game. Some were the same every time, others played once or twice and didn't return, or came four times out of the 12 weeks, etc...

So I ran a VERY episodic game. All the PCs were pregens. They were all 1st level the first week, and went up to 2nd level at week 3, etc...

The campaign idea was that the PCs were members of a huge wagon caravan, the survivors of a city that was evacuating ahead of a besieging army. The city had already been sacked once, and a bigger group of baddies was on the way, so they were fleeing, lock stock and barrel. The PCs were scouts, scavengers, and flank guards for the caravan.

Each week they had different "mission goals"; one week was food scavenging - they ended up going through a haunted house. Another week, they fought off a raiding band of goblins. Later on, they were hunting for a secret temple in the mountains where they hoped to find healing for many of the sick, exhausted city-folk in the caravan. Cliches are your friend!

My take-away was as follows: don't simplify the rules too much. But you control what they are exposed to, so if you want to keep them to essentials characters, do it. They won't miss the complexity of the other style, because they're still new enough it is ALL interesting.

Do keep things moving quickly. Always have a quick ambush or encounter of some sort (even just "Sarge" coming by to yell at them for dawdling) ready to go...

Minis are fun, as are battle-mats, but kids have great visual imaginations. Once they're used to seeing the action in their heads, they don't need props. But they do love them.

Don't be afraid to give some room for improv, silliness and general chitchat, but also don't be afraid to "call them to attention" now and then. They'll respect you and the game the more for it.

Lastly, have fun! Don't go with the idea of "teaching the game to a new generation" as if it is a recruitment mission. Go with the idea that having fun is healthy, and stimulating imaginations is always fun. The "game" is secondary.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Actually, that might be the test. It certainly explains why there are so many ex-adventurers in Skyrim.

"Next!"
Thummmp! (shoots arrow aimed at the knee of prospective Dragonborn)
<intense screams of pain>
Nope. Not Dragonborn.
"Next!"

Been watching Puma Man again, have we?

The Auld Grump

 

[S'mon]

If they're 10-18, don't treat them like 5-year-olds. Don't patronise them. Think back to what you were like at 10.

Run an adventure with plenty of choices - traditional dungeons do this naturally, with branching paths. Don't let the older or louder players dominate group decision making. Make sure everyone's voice is heard.

As Wyatt says (heh), don't make them Search for the Fun. Starting session 1 at the dungeon entrance is good. Also, make it pretty Epic right from the start, and as exciting as you can. IMO epic quest goals like the sword that can unite the kingdom are better than 'there's some treasure down there'.

After session 1, assess the group and their interests, and adapt accordingly. Eg if they are mostly 10-12 year old male butt-kickers, the campaign should be different than for a mixed-sex group that likes talking to unicorns and traipsing through fairy rings. But you will almost certainly have a variety of interests among your players, and should have a variety of encounters/experiences, likewise.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

All the PCs were pregens

The last time I ran a game for kids, I let them make their own PCs, with some guidance from myself and another experienced gamer I had sitting in the game (a "pro from Dover", if you will). But in that situation, I had all Saturday to have them make PCs and run a good little dungeon crawl. And, as noted, an assistant.

So I kind of second this idea of pregens to get the ball rolling. Except instead of forcing pregens on the players, supply a generous stack of them, and let them know they can use them as-is, modify them, or make their own.

Hmmm...come to think of it- is there anyone you can get to help you on launch day? Even just one more experienced gamer can lighten your workload when getting everyone started. After all, the kids will probably be asking LOTS of questions.

Added benefit: if you kill your assistant's PC, you reinforce that the game has hazards, and your assistant can then return to acting as a "2nd DM" of sorts.