What would you do?

[Nebulous]

I ran a Midnight adventure yesterday, picking up where our first adventure had ended over 4 months ago. I had one old player, a new guy who had never played DnD at all, and his 9 year old son who is a videogame junkie.

It went pretty well, but the kid talked the whole time. He (and I warned the father this would likely happen) treated it like a videogame. He made up his own rules, wanted to cast spells to make people die and enemies fight each other, or carry weapons around in town and not be arrested, etc. His imagination is actually quite keen, and i'm sure he will be a good player/DM one day, but constant interruptions dragged the game down (he pulled me outside to ask if he could make a Listen check to hear and fight a Star Wars miniature - the Acklay - he'd brought from home).

The funniest part was when a particularly nasty troll cornered an NPC and ripped both arms off. The kid was flat out terrified by that point and wanted to quit playing. His character (who i had supplied and was a fighter, with the kid's Elminster-like additions) he actually took his mini off the board because he didn't want to fight the thing (he was the only defense and heavy hitter who could possibly do it).

Well, we made him put it back, he got swiped good, then a well placed critical hit chopped the Troll's arm off and sent it running. So all's well ends well.

But the kid still kept asking, literally about 10 times, if we could play the mission again and not let the NPC get killed. I tried to explain it was more like a story, chapter 1, 2, 3, etc. and you wouldn't go back and re-read a chapter you'd just finished. You move on to the next. Well, he thought that was stupid.

So, i wouldn't mind playing with the dad again, he seemed to like it, but the son is an extra degree of frustration that i'm not used to. If he comes along again should I just grin and bear it, or subtly suggest that the game is not quite appropriate for his age yet (plus it's morbidly violent, not that the father cares too much). And he might not come at all and it's a moot point. I'm just not sure of what to say or if i should say anything at all.

 

[WayneLigon]

Me, I would be very hesitant to invite someone with a nine-year-old at all especially if the kid wanted to play.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

That's kind-of funny, the kid wanting to "replay the mission," and all the other strangeness he brought to the game.

I was nine years old when I started gaming, so I don't know that the kid is necessarily too young. Midnight might be a little gritty and mature in its thematics for a nine-year-old. Mature in the sense that it requires a greater amount of thinking than standard D&D, since almost the whole setting is out to get the PCs.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Midnight might be a little gritty and mature in its thematics for a nine-year-old. Mature in the sense that it requires a greater amount of thinking than standard D&D, since almost the whole setting is out to get the PCs.

Yeah. Great setting and all, but not suited to a video-game mentality.

I don't think there's anything wrong with that mentality either. It just needs to be transitioned.

 

[Henry]

As one suggestion, try sitting down with him (with father present of course) and try to explain what the differences are between this kind of game and video games, and don't slam the video game, but explain this is different similar to the way that checkers and chess are different.

Find out from the father if he's interested in his child playing such a violent game, and if he wants to include his son. If it's going to cause problems as-is, you have two options:

1) The father AND son just aren't invited back;
2) You tone down some of the more gory or emotionally disturbing descriptions in-game.

 

[Nebulous]

I don't think the violence quotient bothers the Dad too much, the kid has played his fare share of Mature games (i think he's even seen a few screens of Leisure Suit Larry). I will probably try to explain to him what the differences are between an rpg and a videogame, and that he can't make up rules midstream as it is disruptive to everyone else. It's funny, he actually said at one point, "I want to do what you're doing." He wanted to jump on the reins and steer the adventure to God-knows what avenues of prepubescent weirdness.

 

[Xombie Master]

Hey I'm coaching my girlfriends 10 year old brother into DnD. He has a firmer grasp of the concept than your pupil, but remember, your doing your part to expand the hobby. You just have to determine whether his presence going to hinder your game, if so, suggest the Dad pick up the books and teach his son the basics. If not, then great. It's cool to include all ages but not at the expense of your game.

 

[Enkhidu]

Truthfully, the kid sounds like a typical 9 year old to me, and IMO that's a good thing. Nine year olds have lots of imagination (as you have now experienced, sometimes a bit much to handle!) and take to gaming pretty well.

By the way, if you decide to stick with it, try using video game terminology to your advantage. Some games have a "hardcore" mode that enforces character death (I think Diablo does, doesn't it?) and would drive home the point.

 

[Nebulous]

By the way, if you decide to stick with it, try using video game terminology to your advantage. Some games have a "hardcore" mode that enforces character death (I think Diablo does, doesn't it?) and would drive home the point.

Now that might work. I told him once that i can beat Halo2 on Legendary mode, and the other day I was approached by his neighbors (ages 4-10) all telling me I was a Halo master and if they could watch me play! I actually felt sorta special...

So, yeah, i could say that "Midnight is like playing on Legendary Mode, not Easy. And Trolls are like Hunters, and no, you don't have double needlers."

It doesn't help that he's knee-deep in DnD Heroes on Xbox and is carving up the Underdark with a 20th level Drizzt.

 

[Arnwyn]

Me, I would be very hesitant to invite someone with a nine-year-old at all especially if the kid wanted to play.

Yeah - that would've been the show-stopper for me...

You're a better person than I, Nebulous, and it looks like you already have the patience to handle the situation.