Signs of Assimilation into the Hobby

[Skade]

Most of the players I know kind of grew up with the game, having their first experience sometime in junior, or high school. I recently convinced my cousins wife to play for the first time at 23. She was slightly hesitant at first, not sure of what the game entailed, but after her first session she started really getting into the game.

Today she and I went shopping, and as people do, we split up to look at different items. When I found her she was in the game section at a bookstore, on the floor, with about 6 game books arrayed around her. It was a smaller selection on the shelves than I have at home, but these were new to her. She was very excited by the prospect.

I told her she had finally come fully over to the Darkside.

Well, now I have begun her assimilation process. Now, I just have to take her to the local game shop, and eventually to a con!

Have any of you ever brought someone into the hobby that was at first reluctant, and how did that go?

 

[Samothdm]

Yep - pretty much my entire group now (6 players) are for the most part novices. We're all in our late 20s or early 30s. Two of the players are women and this is their first foray into RPGs. One is a guy who hasn't played since he was 15. The other three are somewhat veterans but don't play all that much.

Anyway, we started playing about 2 years ago. One of the women has gone on to buy miniatures and paint them (that's a sure sign of being "assimilated" if I ever saw one). She's also posted a few times on D&D message boards.

The other woman (my wife) I've caught reading through my "Manual of the Planes" or "Heroes of High Favor: Elves", all the while insisting that she "doesn't want to play" and can she "kill my character off?".

The guy who hasn't played since he was 15 has bought a few extra supplemental books, read through all of the spell descriptions, and redesigned his character around a pretty cool background just to make him fit in more with my world.

I still think that the woman who bought and painted her own miniatures is the clear "winner" in this group, though.

 

[Azzemmell]

The only person I have introduced to D&D is my wife. She is what Robin Laws would term a "casual gamer", IIRC. She plays to hang out with everybody. She isn't very interested in the rules, and sometimes she annoys the other players; they are more of the hack&slash variety and she is constantly trying to find ways to "save" the enemy. They say, "Orcs?! DIE YOU FILTHY MONGRELS!!"

She will then, to her credit, proceed to strike up a conversation with the orcs while trying to call off her blood-thirsty comrades. She has, on several occasions, saved the party from making fools of themselves by killing the wrong NPC. And she has, on other occasoins, nearly gotten herself dead. She is learning the rules slowly. That's fine. If I had the course load she does I don't think I'd have the time for reading anything else either. Has she assimilated?... naw. But that's... (wait for it)... OK.

Azz

**assumes a posture of supplication before the Monkey God**

 

[Skade]

The only person I have introduced to D&D is my wife. She is what Robin Laws would term a "casual gamer", IIRC.

She has, on several occasions, saved the party from making fools of themselves by killing the wrong NPC. And she has, on other occasoins, nearly gotten herself dead.
**assumes a posture of supplication before the Monkey God**

Who is Robin Laws? I have seen this mentioned a couple of times, but I don;t know the reference.

Every game needs a player like your wife. That's pretty darn cool.

LOL Your obeisance is noted, and you shall be blessed for it, Perfectly Sylablled One

 

[SpringPlum]

The sudden, uncontrolable urge to collect dice. And to find a set of dice whose colour best represents your current character or characters.

Also, buying a jumbo pack of those plastic sleeves that go in binders in which to preserve your character sheets for all of eternity.

 

[Taren Nighteyes]

My wife

While I have introduced a bunch of people fo the hobby, my latest convert is my wife.

While she claims to be a casual gamer I have noticed the "addict" signs:

1. She has given me nothing but grief for loaning her PHB to a friend who didn't have one for a while.

2. She flips through the books looking for "good" prestige classes for her character. (good - kills things more efficiently)

3. She says after a couple of weeks goes by "I can't wait to play <insert date here>"

4. She remarked last gaming session "Hmm....I haven't bought any dice for a while...."



Taren Nighteyes

 

[kengar]

Who is Robin Laws? I have seen this mentioned a couple of times, but I don't know the reference.

Robin Laws wrote -among other things- the games Feng Shui and Dying Earth (based on the Jack Vance books). He is also the author of the incredibly useful "Robin's Laws of Good Game Mastering" sold by Steve Jackson Games. (Link here. ). In it, he descirbes the different types of gamers; butt-kicker, casual gamer, tactician, etc.

A highly recommended read.