What should be ground rules for teaching new games?

[Humanophile]

Tomorrow, I'm probably going to be gaming with a friend of mine. Nice guy. Good GM (if a tad too optimistic about human and gamer nature.) And not a bad group. But this guy, having come back from GenCon, came back with the indie games he so seems to love.

The problem? He only brings one copy, that he hasn't fully processed, and expects everyone else at the table to pick the game up by him pointing out rules and requirements as they come up. This would be tough enough in a D&D or WoD where the rules and sheet are rather straightforwards. But as I said, he's a fan of indie games.

So this makes me ask, both as someone with the potential to explain a new system to gamers in the future, and as a general guide for anyone about to introduce a new game. (To total newbies or veteran gamers.) I can think of a few, wondering what more there are.

• Pregenerated characters. With cheat sheets. For the love of god, blind character creation is a great way to make for unhappy characters. Especially if your system in any way references the game world instead of simple, discrete values. Pregens also allow you to avoid the accidental creation of subpar characters, which is a good thing. It lets the players feel useful. (Note also that intentionally making and handing out subpar characters is just plain dick.)
  
• Simple plot. This can be waived for veteran gamers, but most of the time you want your players to be able to focus on absorbing on the system and setting. Making them puzzle out mysteries as they do so tends to overload their systems. Additionally, you should be wary of shocking the characters with system or setting bugaboos. As novices, we have no way of knowing who's special or what's rare, so why should we give a toss about this supposedly rare/special baddie or hero.
  
• Typed up plot synopsis. This can come individually with each character, or handed out as a world background before game begins. But without knowing the world or hooks attached, players will create and play as genericman in genericworld. If this is your intent, fine. But when we do, please don't bitch that we should make more interesting characters. You try doing that in a vaccuum. (This goes double if you want everyone to play a comedy game. Yes, I was called on to do this. That should fully explain why I'm peeved.)

So. Anyone else have any good pointers for explaining new systems? Or just to comisserate about having to absorb way too much from the word go?

 

[MonsterMash]

Not with RPG's particularly, but I remember some Avalon Hill boardgames (notably Squad Leader) having a ruleset designed so that you only had to read maybe six pages to play an introductory scenario, and then the rules building up through the different scenarios till you were using the full set saving having to read a 64 page rulebook before starting to use a game.

The three things that you mentioned are really useful to have for RPGs whether a new game system or just to use with new players or novice GMs.

For cost and size reasons I can understand publishers supplying pregens and scenarios as downloads (also not everyone likes to use pregen characters even with a new system).

A getting started and FAQ sheet are useful things to have (again possibly as web enhancements rather than in the package).

I've got to admit I'd be a bit annoyed if one of my group turned up with a new game wanting to play it if they hadn't read the rulebook through once (maybe not so important with a D20 variant, e.g. Conan or Grim Tales where at least the basic mechanics are familiar).

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

I'm familiar with this one! I play in a large group - 6 players - and we quite often end up trying out new systems with just the one book.

We start with a brief explanation of the setting and then do a questions and answers sessions - easier than reading a lot of stuff, as long as everyones awake and vaguely paying attention. Good way to get character concepts?

Pre-genned characters can work, but we often spend a while on character creation - do a series of 1 on 1's with the DM. Explain what you want, they'll help you build it. After all, they're the one that knows the system. Meanwhile, everyone else chills out, plays some video games or watches a film. Often takes up a session with some of the more complicated games. But feel it's time well spent.

As a slight add in to simple plot, it ought to be one that showcases the setting properly... serves as a good pointer to what the campaigns going to be about. I agree that the rare or special bits of the system are not something for a first session - want to see the staple stuff. Also a good combat to get the idea of how that works.

We normally allow easy character changes during the first 4 sessions. Helps if someone is unhappy with their initial character creation choices...

Only thing that bugs me is if we go through this and the game fizzles after a half a dozen sessions.

 

[wizardoftheplains]

It's on the gamemasters' shoulders to have the gaming material thoroughly digested before everyone tries to play. Your examples are good ones. I'd suggest a 1-page rules overview, just bulletpoint out everything so that players can get an overall grasp of mechanics before starting play. We do this with board games AND roleplaying games. Makes for a better session and everyone will be more likely to judge the game on it merits than on the gamemasters lack of preparation.

Gary