[Play Report] DMing for Middle/High Schoolers

[Connorsrpg]

Hey Rechan (back), glad to hear all is going well...you are playing

Which PC sheets did you use?

Your initial set up sounds familiar. I am running Roleplaying as my Lunchtime Activity at my school this year. Hoping for around 4-6 (maybe 8, tops) interested Middle Schoolers (Grades 5-8 here), but got 12.

So I did split them into 2 groups of 6. Mixed those with some XP and 3 males and 3 females in each group. (I imagine some will drop out and we will end up with one largish group over time).

Have had an initial meeting and the chose their PCs from the 18 pregens I had done (sev with ideas from the kids).

First group (Blue) play this Thursday (recess and lunch). Like you I am worried about the time. Only have ~15-20mins for Recess and then about 45 mins for lunch. Will need to focus on keeping things running, though I 'think' I am very prepared.

Looking forward to hearing more and making comparisons - esp in regards for running games for juniors

 

[Connorsrpg]

Not sure I would run that DM NPC Healer for them though - might only encourage them to get into more trouble...and think that you will get them out of it?

Just do something simple like letting them spend an Action Point to heal a surge instead of taking extra action if you feel they need a little more in combat. Obviously use more minions too

My website also has stacks of GM Aids if you are interested - especially if you love rolling lots of random things/ideas.

I have:
1. Encounters (split into creatures, events and places; Note: you come up witht he type of creature accoring to where you are - I do a separate encounter chart with the actual monsters - my charts are before that stage).
2. Businesses and Buildings: great for random city quarters, businesses or even an NPC's profession.
3. NPC generation charts (inc how to get one quick 'quirk/hook').
4. Massive Realms Creation docs for creating a feel for anything from a Goblin Tribe, to a Forest, to a town or even full blown Empire. (I have even used it for a Train and its inhabitants).

Note: All of the above have many charts in them that you can cherry-pick from, and the entries are not just my ideas - they are mostly a collection of ideas I have gathered from the many editions of DnD, inc page or magazine references.

 

[Rechan]

Hey ConnersRPG! I wound up initially using some character sheets I threw together, that were very basic and (quite frankly garbled). Recently I just printed off the traditional PDF Char Sheet.

We haven't played the last two sessions. I was ordering some more player books and they just hadn't arrived in the mail yet, so I had them play the boardgame Revolution that I got for Christmas. They liked it a lot, enough that I went and bought the expansion.

Yesterday, one of the players couldn't show. Even worse, there was a 12 year old who was really enthusiastic about playing, but he doesn't know if he can make games due to arrangements with church/tutors/etc eating up his time. But, he wouldn't be the first kid who is an "every other weekend or whenever I show up" player.

So far we've just made characters - a Deva Shaman, a Dragonborn Paladin of Helm, and a Rogue (haven't decided on race). Yay a healer!

Currently I'm drafting up quests to keep them occupied/directed for the nest few sessions. Doing some preliminary planning so I don't run out of material. So far I have:

• Investigate the location on the burned map.
• Hunt down and seek Vengeance on Arven the Priest.
• Seek out the ashes of St. Corrad (a hero in the Helm church) and bring them back to Helm's Hold (the high temple).
• Depose Stalker in Shadows*
• Rescue Sanguine Orchid*
• (Possible) Take out the Iron Circle in Harkenwood.

The * relates to a sidetrek I'm prepping. I don't know if the Pcs will go along with it tho. A road travels through a twisted, dark wood, and on the way, they see a chest sitting out in the middle of a clearing beside the road. If they walk on, they find themselves walking in circles, passing this chest twice more. Knowing the thief, I'm sure he'll go for it. Inside the chest is a gnome, who asks them for help, as they clearly have the skills he needs. His Lady, the fey ruler of the forest, has been bound and captured by a mortal man (he has her in his villa, and has commanded her to Love him). In her absence, a twisted fey has claimed rulership of the forest. The gnome asks the PCs to depose him, and rescue his Lady. They don't have to do both.

Sanguine Orchid is bound by an object that the thief has to steal from the Lord's safe (but what the other Pcs do during the theft, I donno). Once she's free, she asks them to go to the noble's vineyards and spread a curse that will rot his grapes on the vine and sour his bottled wines (this is where his money comes from, and will ruin him financially).

The possible relates to the adventure Reavers of Harkenwood; I'm debating if I want to use it.