This Should Be An Interesting Exercise

[Theron]

My usual Tuesday night game got canceled this week, which means my entire clan (Myself, The Missus, and The Kidlet) are actually home every night this week (her regular commitments are likewise on hold at the moment.)

"Whatever shall we do with our extra family time?" I ask.

"Maybe you could run a one-shot D&D game for me and The Kidlet," she replies, much to my utter shock and slight dismay.

You see, my son is a budding geek. He's been pestering me to show him how to play D&D for months, ever since I got him the cartoons on DVD for Xmas. But he's seven. And has ADHD, which is usually worse in the evenings. And he's still having some problems with reading. So, I've been holding off until I saw a bit of progress, but no time like the present, right?

Then, there's The Missus. Who, in her own words, "Hates, loathes, and despises everything about D&D, which should show us how much she loves her son."

FWIW, she IS very much a gamer. She just doesn't like the fantasy genre or D&D as a system. But I think a lot of that has to do with the games she's been subjected to by past DMs (myself included). She's been stuck with the inevitable 1st level dungeon crawl which just doesn't engage her at all.

So, my mission for the next twenty four hours is two-fold: create a short adventure that will give my son a taste of the game AND engage my wife's interest. No dungeon crawling allowed. Simplified mid-level characters. Oh, and intended for one sorceror and one rogue (the boy wants to play something sneaky and The Missus is happiest when her characters can blow things up).

Granted, as long as he's happy, that will be enough, but part of me really wants to show her that D&D isn't nearly as awful as she thinks.

If anyone's got any advice, I'd be glad to see it.

 

[Crothian]

Why does it have to by D&D? I'd take a very simple system and just run them through something tailored to them.

 

[Teflon Billy]

Make them 4th level...powerful enough to be credible, but not so swamped with options that an ADHD kid will be overwhelmed.

"No Dungeoncrawling" seems a bit of a handicap given the short notice (short notice D&D is pretty much Dungeoncrawling as a rule)

I guess whip up a small village, have them wander into town shortly after (Blank) has gone missing. The Townsfolks interact with them (seeing as they are the most powerful folks the locals have seen in ages) and try to get them to get (Blank) back.

Some locals, however, are in league with the (Other Blank)'s that took (Blank) and will do anything to make sure not only that (blank) isn't returned, but that their involvement isn;t revealed.

That's what I'd do.

And why on earth would someone who is "happiest when she is blasting things" poo poo a dungeoncrawl?

 

[Delemental]

First thing that comes to mind: stick to core rules only. Don't muck about with other books.

I'd aim for levels 3-5 - high enough to avoid the level 1 pitfalls, but not too complex in terms of options.

Perhaps designing encounters that have more than one way to get through - let them sneak/bluff/think past some of the encounters, rather than making them all combat oriented. Show them there's more to D&D than attack rolls.

In fact, you may want to make the whole adventure more narrative-based. Most of the time, gamers at balk at D&D do so because it's perceived as 'rules-heavy'. I don't know if that's what The Missus thinks, but given your son's needs, making things so there are fewer numbers to track won't hurt.

What kind of RPG's does your wife like?

 

[Theron]

Why does it have to by D&D? I'd take a very simple system and just run them through something tailored to them.

Good question. Largely because he KNOWS what D&D looks like, even if he hasn't played it, so whatever I run is going to have to be D&D "flavored." I certainly am not going to run a RAW 3.5 adventure, but I do need to have the basic trappings in place. Which may mean using C&C, come to think of it.

 

[Varianor Abroad]

I think they can both have their cake and eat it too. They have to a) get to a castle through orc hordes and b) sneak their way in to blast their way out while

1. rescuing someone
2. finding a Maguffin
3. just going there for no particular reason

By the way, kudos to you for doing this! It's always nice to see members of the younger generation of potential gamers getting some time.

 

[Theron]

First thing that comes to mind: stick to core rules only. Don't muck about with other books.

I'd aim for levels 3-5 - high enough to avoid the level 1 pitfalls, but not too complex in terms of options.

Perhaps designing encounters that have more than one way to get through - let them sneak/bluff/think past some of the encounters, rather than making them all combat oriented. Show them there's more to D&D than attack rolls.

In fact, you may want to make the whole adventure more narrative-based. Most of the time, gamers at balk at D&D do so because it's perceived as 'rules-heavy'. I don't know if that's what The Missus thinks, but given your son's needs, making things so there are fewer numbers to track won't hurt.

What kind of RPG's does your wife like?

We're pretty much of the same mind here. I'm thinking of something along the lines of a chase through the woods after some goblinoids or something. Narrative is definitely the approach I'm going to take.

Her favorite genre is superheroes. That's why I want to give her a sorceror with some power.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I ran a game in a previous campaign where the characters had to go rescue the younger sister of one character from the faeries she'd run away from home to be with. The faeries, not surprisingly, took the word of a 6 year old literally, and thought they were defending her from something awful.

No dungeons involved, and a story that a kid would understand and a mother would respond to.

I had the faeries living at the top of a waterfall, requiring some tricky Climb rolls (and an icy pool of water to fall into to keep it from being too dangerous). The kidlet could have to fight the faeries' champion in non-lethal combat or something, to satisfy that particular urge.

But keep it 1st level. Simplest is best.

 

[Theron]

I think they can both have their cake and eat it too. They have to a) get to a castle through orc hordes and b) sneak their way in to blast their way out while

1. rescuing someone
2. finding a Maguffin
3. just going there for no particular reason

By the way, kudos to you for doing this! It's always nice to see members of the younger generation of potential gamers getting some time.

Well, it's not my first time "GMing" for him. I've got the old Pokemon Adventure Game which we've worn out completely, and I ran some Marvel Super-Heroes for him last year ("The Adventures of Zane Viper!").

I think some ideas are falling into place now, but I appreciate any advice. Heck, if y'all want, feel free to use this thread to discuss running games for kids or dubious family members.

 

[Theron]

I ran a game in a previous campaign where the characters had to go rescue the younger sister of one character from the faeries she'd run away from home to be with. The faeries, not surprisingly, took the word of a 6 year old literally, and thought they were defending her from something awful.

No dungeons involved, and a story that a kid would understand and a mother would respond to.

I had the faeries living at the top of a waterfall, requiring some tricky Climb rolls (and an icy pool of water to fall into to keep it from being too dangerous). The kidlet could have to fight the faeries' champion in non-lethal combat or something, to satisfy that particular urge.

But keep it 1st level. Simplest is best.

That's really awesome. I'll have to think on it.