What Do Your Kids Think of D&D, and How Do You Handle It?

[Noumenon]

they can also learn a lot more by experimentation and by figuring out problems and writing games and scenarios and world building for themselves.

I think I learn more about project management and do more being a DM than for almost any of my classes, so I think that would be a really positive step.

 

[Garmorn]

My only advice is don't try too hard to dumb-it-down for them. They probably will have a little better grasp on it than you might expect -- and the parts that they don't get probably won't bother them much as it might bother you. They'll be too busy having fun with the aspects they do understand. We just leveled up the 2nd level, and boy, did they knew how to get every advantage from that level-up!

I will second this. In an earlier thread I said that my daughter start role playing with us when she was 12. I was thinking this was true because she started with our regular group and had no problems with the rules (2e ranger). I was corrected she was 8, so 8 or even a 7 year won't have many problems with the full rules.

 

[Olive]

My 3.5 year old loves pretending to be a superhero and hearing stories about knights (him) and monsters (his 1.5 year old brother). He also loves dice and loves watching me play PC games. But he also likes to win (as in he's still at the stage where he thinks he always wins, hasn't yet realised we're letting him win) and has no interest in rules as yet. So we'll keep playing simple board games and as these things change I'll look at introducing real RPGs.

 

[CharlesRyan]

My only advice is don't try too hard to dumb-it-down for them. They probably will have a little better grasp on it than you might expect . . .

This is a really important point, one that became really clear to me in my days of designing and focus testing entry-level games at WotC.

Kids (especially around the age they're most likely to be ready for RPGs) are really into rules. In a way, their entire life is about learning rules--rules about how the world and society work. Their little brains are really focused on sussing out, learning, and applying rules--even complex rules. In fact, you may find that an 11-year-old has more trouble with the free-form aspects of RPGing than with the rules.

I wouldn't throw an 8-year-old into the deep end ("Here's a PHB. Go read it."). But I also wouldn't dumb it down too much. Streamline, yes. Reduce initial options, certainly. Gloss over corner cases or highly specific rules, absolutely. And definitely keep an eye on how much they're able to take in, how fast. But kids will probably surprise you with their ability to grasp, remember, and follow rules.

 

[jcayer]

I have a 6 year old that expressed interest, probably when she was 5. At that point, she wanted to play with the miniatures and roll the dice. Now, she wants story and action. We don't get to play as often as I would like, so we've just used some improvised rules.

Reading through this, I'm thinking Swords & Wizardy might be the way to go, to formalize stuff. But I did see some references to a Fairy RPG that she would probably love, and I should probably do my do diligence and check out Mouse Guard, since every raves about it.

In my bi-weekly group, my cousin has a 6 year old and my brother has a 7 and 9 year old. We may have to put a group together sometime.

 

[bmadden]

Sophia (age 11) started watching D&D and rolling dice and shouting out ideas to the growns-ups back when she was 6. She started playing Mutants and Masterminds (with a lot of help from the other players!) when she was 8, and now has a character (rogue dagger thrower) along with the grown-ups in our weekly 4e game. She loves interacting with NPCs and solving puzzles, and is not so interested in combat. That being said, she seems to always know the exact best time to use her Daily powers!

Henry (age 5) wants desperately to play, but seems only interested in setting up fights between the miniatures. I keep planning to try him out with a simplified adventure, but never seem to find the time. Henry told us he will read the books and learn how to play on his own very soon!

 

[buddhafrog]

One of the fun differences b/t the adult game and my son's game:

When we see that 80 foot pit with slim at the bottom and skeleton bones, we know that this is something to avoid. We plan accordingly, roll, and usually succeed. We've been here before.

My son's game: "Oh my god, those skeletons -- WAIT! I know, that's acid! Oh my god!" ...(followed by 2 minutes of tense discussion on the best way to succeed, with real fear that their PC might die)... concluded with an elaborate double move of jumping, grabbing that iron ring, and then fey stepping the remainder of the distance... and the kids erupt with glee from success and run around the room feeling like heroes.

 

[CharlesRyan]

Buddhafrog, that's an awesome observation and makes me even more excited about playing with my kids soon.

 

[megamania]

The way kid's look at events is so different and special.


Things cliche in adult games are so new and fresh to the kids and their reactions are often so different from what you would expect.

Its refreshing.

Kudos for bringing up this point.

 

[Jack7]

Thanks for everyone who has responded with suggestions for me and the kids. With everything going on with Haiti and several other matters I've been tied up and unable to respond, but I'm reading your responses as I can.

As for my children, I think I am just gonna give them my old AD&D stuff (as far as fantasy role play goes, although I like some of the imitators as well), tell them to read it, and experiment with coming up with their own caimans, adventures, etc. Then me and some players from church and possibly others will make up characters and let them run us through whatever they piece together and they can gain experience that way.

As far as my kids and nephew go I'm gonna try and make up some new adventures based around Tomb Raider ideas (not the game itself, but the whole concept of exploration similar to the Tomb Raider methods) and a Lost-type environment. That will give them something to play they really like, because my kids and nephew love both Tomb Raider and Lost (so do I). I'm also gonna include some real life Vadding situations I've encountered, and since I've taken my kids vadding with me before I'll see if the scenarios I construct can't also help them gain a little mental practice for real life exploration.

I'm also gonna include a little archeology and some crime based on cases I've worked in the past, but that they don't know about.

This will give us all an opportunity to play together as a family.

I don't have time to start up a group again right now cause I'm swamped, but I'll be making more time to play a little with the kids and otherwise they can make up their own stuff as well.

In addition to that I'm gonna take em out to a game store and let me look at various games, not just role play or fantasy role play and see if something strikes their interest and what they might like to get and experiment with.

I'll also see if I can't find some of the stuff you guys have been mentioning and see how they react to that.

Thanks again for your help.

Kids (especially around the age they're most likely to be ready for RPGs) are really into rules. In a way, their entire life is about learning rules--rules about how the world and society work. Their little brains are really focused on sussing out, learning, and applying rules--even complex rules. In fact, you may find that an 11-year-old has more trouble with the free-form aspects of RPGing than with the rules.

I wouldn't throw an 8-year-old into the deep end ("Here's a PHB. Go read it."). But I also wouldn't dumb it down too much. Streamline, yes. Reduce initial options, certainly. Gloss over corner cases or highly specific rules, absolutely. And definitely keep an eye on how much they're able to take in, how fast. But kids will probably surprise you with their ability to grasp, remember, and follow rules.

By the way I think these are good points and I'm personally of the opinion that children nowadays are, overall, much more intelligent at a younger age than prior generations. Generally speaking of course. This says nothing about their limited experience with the world of course, but I do think kids are very bright nowadays.

I'm not a rules fanatic anyways, so I would myself emphasize creativity over strict rules enforcement. But with whatever they come up with (when they start building adventures and missions and campaigns) I'll just let me play it they way they want to.

Buddhafrog, that's an awesome observation and makes me even more excited about playing with my kids soon.

Yeah these kind of observations are good points to bring up. For instance in addition to what you guys brought up it is easy to scare my kids and monsters make a big impression on them (not just, "Oh, how do I kill it..." but, "Wow, what is that thing and what does it do??!!"). They are that way with magic, miracles, monsters, just about everything.

I think that's because compared to many adults the imagination of a child works at a near fever pitch. They are not necessarily limited to what they see but other things imply themselves to them, and they see wonder and interest and possibility in the unknown. And to me imagination and role play are the major points of fantasy role play.