D&D 5E Single session beginners introduction for kids

[humble minion]

So, I’m currently travelling internationally, staying with friends who have 5 kids from ages 14 to 5.

The older kids (at least) have expressed interest (mania?) in D&D. Partly cos I talked about it, but they’ve got a long-running vaguely rpg-like make believe home brew game going on, and a series of the old late-3e era ‘guide to monsters’ systemless background/setting books which were acquired goodness-knows-where being obsessively reread until the covers fall off.

I figure they’re prime for introduction to the hobby, and have decided (with their parents approval) to buy the the starter set, dice, and core books as a gift (I’ve missed LOTS of Christmases and birthdays, being on another continent).

I’m also looking to run a session for them, just so they get the idea of how things work in practice. I don’t want to use the starter set module because I won’t be able to finish it in the time I’m here, and they might want to play it themselves in their own time.

Does anyone know of a beginners module that’s be age-appropriate and finishable in a single session? I can of course make something up, but I have no experience DMing for kids this young (the 10yo absolutely will want to play, the 8yo is a maybe, and if she does, I suspect the 5yo would not want to be left out) so I’d be happier running something pre written and targeted at the age group. Or failing that, advice for introducing young kids to the game would be greatly appreciated.

Also, these kids are largely off grid and have very little screen access, so things like dndbeyond are likely of limited use (much as I itch to show them heroforge). Does anyone know if WotC still sells pads of blank character sheets, or should I try to print some up?

 

[Parmandur]

Yes, inexpensive packs of character sheets are still for sale, comes in a folder:

https://www.amazon.com/Character-Sheets-Wizards-RPG-Team/dp/0786966181?ref=d6k_applink_bb_dls&dplnkId=c347b55e-165a-4177-a8c5-0ea9786e51c2

And printable free ones are also readily available:

D&D Character Sheets | Dungeons & Dragons

Download official D&D Character Sheets and explore pre-generated characters inspired by the most popular D&D races and classes!

dnd.wizards.com

Based on my experience running for kids, I would recommend just playing a pretty standard straight game: not sure about any one shots, the new Starter Set is really good for this sort of thing.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Children are more impulsive but also coward, worse social skills to solve conflicts. Short games because they can get tired and deconcentrated soon.

Play as if you were a gamebook, you are telling, throwing dices some times, and offering options to choose.

Do you know the dungeon-crawler board game "Hero Quest"?

Offer XP rewards if they add ideas to the characters background and worldbuilding.

 

[Quickleaf]

Good one-shot for new players is The Delian Tomb concepted by Matt Colville. I forget who did this 5e writeup, but here ya go: The Delian Tomb (public) by 424C414B45 IMO it's suitable for introducing kiddos to the game.

 

[aco175]

Good one-shot for new players is The Delian Tomb concepted by Matt Colville. I forget who did this 5e writeup, but here ya go: The Delian Tomb (public) by 424C414B45 IMO it's suitable for introducing kiddos to the game.

I would second this. I ran it for some Scouts ages 10-12 with some minor adjustments to fit 2 hours. There are also free maps for the encounters found online. I made characters and has them pick ones and forced the into a bit to get things rolling. Playing with younger scouts before led to attacking each other before the main part even got started.

 

[Rabbitbait]

The very first goblins cave in Lost Mines of Phandelver can be an excellent standalone. Just put them outside the entrance and let them know "You are tracking a friend who was kidnapped by goblins. You need to try and get him back. After a day of following goblin tracks through a forest you come across a cave. Outside there are goblin tracks everywhere - you'll need to be careful".

 

[jgsugden]

Talk with the parents to make sure they understand what you'll be running. Ask them about the experiences of the youngest one playing. You do not want to be the one to introduce concepts like death and killing to these kids without clear consent from the parents. Then, I'd stay on the safer side in terms of content.

If the parents are comfortable with it, I'd go with a simple adventure which can be done without killing any "realistic" living creatures. The PCs are at a local fair. The fair is attacked by skeletons and animated objects that are merely a distraction while somone steals the animals from the show. The PCs fight off the skeletons and animated objects, and are then hired to recover the missing animals and capture whoever is responsible. A clear enough trail drives them to an old manor house outside town that was thought to be abandoned, but is now the home to a warlock that has come to perform a ritual for their evil patron/matron. The PCs will find evidence of the ritual before they encounter the warlock, and they'll realize they have less than 8 hours to stop the ritual. There will be 3 encounters possible in the manor, with the first 2 being avoidable through stealth or guile. The first two would be more animated objects that guard the main entrance, and the second a small elemental, demon or devil guarding outside the warlock's ritual chamber in the basement. The group might sneak past these enemies or lure them away. The warlock would be there (3rd level warlock) with two skeleton guards. The PCs are supposed to capture him, and there are several obvious traps in the room that the PCs could push him into in order to trap him.

There are dozens of battlemaps for carnivals, fairs, and manor houses out there for free.

 

[jdrakeh]

My own In Search of Adventure(rs) might work for you. Shoot me a PM and I'll hook you up with a free copy.

 

[Scott Christian]

My long time friend who hadn't played in 20 years really wanted me to run something for his daughter (11 years old), her friend, and him. They liked fantasy movies and the Harry Potter books, so I cooked something up. But I kept to a few tenets:

• Combat was not taking a sentient's life. The two combats in the game revolved around breaking apart a construct built by the wizard they were trying to find, and a giant flying wasp (she had been recently stung by a bee for the first time so I thought it might be clever to throw it in).
• A unique magic item. I added one magic item in there that they could use to get by a few skill checks (basically a magic rope that they could as to climb up and tie to something to skip climb checks).
• No more than 2 hours. I kept the session to under two hours.
• Very few NPCs. I kept the interaction between them and NPCs to under three roleplays: the town's mayor, a pixie that wanted to compete in a dance competition (They are both in dance, so this is something I had them roleplay out. I did as well, making a fool of myself, but they seemed to enjoy it.), and the wizard that had the special magic rose they could use to clean the town's well.
• Use a riddle. I used one riddle. I stole it from my friend who stole it from some podcast. It's basically a knock-knock joke.

I think adhering to those things and personalizing the game towards someone of that age goes a long way.

 

[Clint_L]

So, I’m currently travelling internationally, staying with friends who have 5 kids from ages 14 to 5.

The older kids (at least) have expressed interest (mania?) in D&D. Partly cos I talked about it, but they’ve got a long-running vaguely rpg-like make believe home brew game going on, and a series of the old late-3e era ‘guide to monsters’ systemless background/setting books which were acquired goodness-knows-where being obsessively reread until the covers fall off.

I figure they’re prime for introduction to the hobby, and have decided (with their parents approval) to buy the the starter set, dice, and core books as a gift (I’ve missed LOTS of Christmases and birthdays, being on another continent).

I’m also looking to run a session for them, just so they get the idea of how things work in practice. I don’t want to use the starter set module because I won’t be able to finish it in the time I’m here, and they might want to play it themselves in their own time.

Does anyone know of a beginners module that’s be age-appropriate and finishable in a single session? I can of course make something up, but I have no experience DMing for kids this young (the 10yo absolutely will want to play, the 8yo is a maybe, and if she does, I suspect the 5yo would not want to be left out) so I’d be happier running something pre written and targeted at the age group. Or failing that, advice for introducing young kids to the game would be greatly appreciated.

Also, these kids are largely off grid and have very little screen access, so things like dndbeyond are likely of limited use (much as I itch to show them heroforge). Does anyone know if WotC still sells pads of blank character sheets, or should I try to print some up?

I created a 2 hour game for teaching D&D to absolute beginners, complete with plot and printable, very simplified character sheets beautifully illustrated by one of my students. I built the map out of Dwarven Forge but I think I have photos I can attach. PM me if interested, or I can post here if others are interested and it is appropriate to do so; not sure about etiquette.

The catch is that it was written for adults - specifically teachers, for a pro-D session, because they wanted to learn about this D&D thing that all the kids have been getting into again. So I made the plot very simple: the party of 8, all level 2, regain consciousness in a subterranean cell. There are also two children in an adjacent cell. As the adventure begins, some Grung burst into the room and hustle off with the wailing children. Motivation and ticking clock! Now the party has to figure out how to escape their cell, get past the guards, figure out a fairly simple trap-type obstacle, and rescue the children from the BBEG while evading the Froghemoth it is summoning. It worked great!