On Newbs, Part One: Getting them to learn the rules

[Saern]

So at the start of this past summer, I had the immense pleasure of establishing a new playgroup after not having one for almost two years. Only one member of the old play group is in this new one, and everyone else at the table was absolutely new to D&D, and tabletop RPGs in general for that matter. They all liked fantasy and/or had experience with a variety of fantasy video games, and have come to love playing D&D.

But they won't learn the damn rules! One of them barely (and I stress barely) knows how to make an attack role. None of them are very clear on the difference between a skill and a feat, if they have any clue at all. Don't even ask them what the difference between a light and a one-handed weapon is, or a simple vs. an exotic weapon, or what armor check penalty does. We've been playing for months now. I've variously suggested, begged, and outright stated that, if they plan to continue playing D&D, they need to both acquire a copy of the 3.5e PHB and read it. To date, none have.

Now, my friend and I are living, breathing, walking encyclopedias of D&D 3.5 knowledge. Both of us are more than happy to continue dispensing said knowledge on their behalf indefinitely... but they don't even understand it when we do, let alone know enough to ask the right questions of us. We've already had several new characters created, and each time, I or my friend end up making the character for the player, and the player has no real concept what most of the stuff on the sheet means or what he or she is capable of. My friend and I might as well make our own characters and say, "Here, play this."

In combat, anything outside a basic attack roll creates utter confusion. The sorcerer's player has learned a little bit about what casting a spell entails, and the barbarian's player kinda knows how to work Power Attack. The druid is totally lost when it comes to preparing her spells, when she does it, and how; particularly if I suggest changing her prepared spell list for an upcoming adventure when, say, entangle isn't likely to be very useful (such as going underground with no plant life).

Anytime one of these non-routine situations arise, it falls to myself or my friend to tell them what we would do (i.e., what they should do), and they do it, making the rolls we tell them to and accepting their success or failure without any understanding of what just happened. It's like we're playing their characters for them.

I know it takes people a while to learn the game, but again, we've been playing for months now. They aren't showing any signs of progress. If it was a single player, that would be different, but it's basically the whole group.

Has anyone else here ever been in a similar circumstance? What can I do to help them learn the rules? They all really do love the game, but seem to have no desire to actually get and read the PHB. I can understand them not having the time; we're all college students and the fall semester has just begun. I know most of them worked over the summer, but they still had more time than they do now and yet still didin't get the books. I'm not asking them to become experts, but if they could at least understand what the difference between a free and a full-round action is, that would be supertastic. Ten minutes of the PHB a day would do wonders, and with the release of 4e, 3.5 books have never been cheaper!

So, suggestions, thoughts?

[Jal Dorak]

Something that has worked for me, having trained 3 players pretty satisfactorily in 3rd Edition, is to walk the players through character creation step by step.

Don't make the characters for them, even in the slightest. Put a blank character sheet in front of them and have them start filling things out one at a time.

This frequently takes one or more sessions, sometimes hours at a time, until they create the character. But once they finish, they should have a good idea of what is on the page.

Having a new player go with a druid is risky, there are a lot of sub-rules to know. I'd also highly recommending starting games at 1st level. Play through some short adventures before getting into a detailed campaign.

Finally, go easy as the DM. Don't use the more complex rules systems (like Aid, Special Attacks, Concentration checks, Attacks of Opportunity) until they get the basics down. I can understand when they get confused by grapply if they don't understand touch attacks, let alone attack rolls.

[grrtigger]

One thing that worked pretty well for me is to run a few practice sessions focusing on small portions of the rules.

For example, when I put my players in a "combat arena" to fight each other, they suddenly got a lot more interested in making the most of their combat options because they were fighting "real" opponents they could later brag about beating ;)

Just have them all roll initiative, then make Team A the first and third combatants and Team B the second and fourth. This helps mix it up every combat and they get to see how different pairings work within the group. This also allows you to advise each one individually on the best way to beat the others, which you technically can also do as DM in a regular session but you don't feel like you're helping them beat the game by giving away all your secrets.

Edit: meant to add you could also set up small session of social interactions, so each player can try a few different approaches to see what best suits their own character. Plunk them down in an inn (or town square, or sheriff's office) and tell them the point is to find out x, y, and z or befriend a specific person without relying on combat skills.

[Sect]

First time I had ever made a character for myself was at a Living Greyhawk game. Before that, my friend had always made my character and told me how to use the abilities, though I didn't quite understand what was going on on the sheet.

When I was making my first character, there was a step by step instruction sheet right in front of me, and no one walked me through it (though, one of the DMs was nearby to answer my questions). When I finished making my character, a half elf sorceror, I understood the basic rules and knew how to play him.

To this date, he is one of my favorite characters I've ever played.

So, my advice is to have them create their own characters, and don't hold their hand too much.

[SmiloDan]

Definitely go with the blank character sheet at 1st level. They need to learn what is what. Personally, I hate almost all pre-generated character sheets, but it might be easier to do that for newbies. Also encourage them to use some of the less complex character classes. I'm also DMing for a newbie elf druid, and it is painful to watch her make sub-optimal decisions (especially since my last real, long-time PC was an elf druid I tool from 1st to 16th level), but at least she's making her own decisions. Her husband helps her out a bit, but sometimes TOO much, like running her summoned critters for her, and occasionally telling her what spell to cast.

I DM for some players that have been playing for years and years and are still confused by some basic rules. It's a little frustrating, especially when they don't have their Touch and Flatfooted ACs on their character sheets and have to figure it out each time, especially when I've TOLD them to have it figured out AND WRITTEN DOWN already!!!

But I like the idea of a battle royale between newbies, with braggin' rights afterwards.

[Andrew Betts]

My best method to teaching new people is when they ask a question, I hand them the PHB and say look it up. I'll tell them where to look, sometimes even the page, but I prefer to make them look it up, and sometimes even read it to everyone.

[Luna eladrin]

It is also a good idea not to decide the actions for them. Let them blunder a little, so that they see why they have to learn the rules. I have 2 new players since November last year. They play in a group of experienced players. So I introduced a rule that nobody meddles with the actions of other players, not even the new ones, unless the new ones specifically ask to explain a rule. This had the advantage that the new players see how the experienced players play and want to do these things too. They can only do that when they know the rules.
Now during the summer one of the new players decided to read through the whole of the PHB. At last!

If they balk at reading the whole PHB, just let them read the combat section and information about their own classes.

[CourtFool]

It could also be they just want to have fun and their idea of fun is not taking a class in RPG Theory 101.

As with most problems at the table, I suggest you talk to them. Find out what they want out of the game. Then explain your frustration. Then try to find some common ground.

[Rezdave]

Hey Saern,

You have, IMO, a couple different issues here, so I'll address them in sections.

Saern wrote:

Only one member of the old play group is in this new one, and everyone else at the table was absolutely new to D&D

This is a major source of your trouble. Normally, you have more experienced players than newbs in a group, so it's easier to pick up by osmosis. Now you have the reverse problem. Basically, you need to run a "newb campaign" that is specifically tailored to them, rather than a general campaign like you wold for more experienced Players.

Saern wrote:

I've variously suggested, begged, and outright stated that, if they plan to continue playing D&D, they need to both acquire a copy of the 3.5e PHB and read it. To date, none have.

This is obviously a major problem. At this point they are simply taking advantage of you, but also your "encyclopedic knowledge" is allowing them too much of a crutch.

Stop giving them suggestions, let them struggle and then kill off their PCs. Let them experience character death and a TPK due to their own ignorance.

THEN ... start a new campaign (as I'll outline below) and require that they get a PHB. I don't know how many newbs you have, but certainly you can convince them to at least share a copy among themselves rather than always rely on yours.

Saern wrote:

One of them barely (and I stress barely) knows how to make an attack role. None of them are very clear on the difference between a skill and a feat

Do not tell them anything about the rules from now on, but rather show them in the book. Make them read the specifics.

Saern wrote:

Now, my friend and I are living, breathing, walking encyclopedias of D&D 3.5 knowledge. Both of us are more than happy to continue dispensing said knowledge on their behalf indefinitely

Sorry, buddy, but I think it's time for some "tough love". Take off the training wheels and let them crash once or twice.

Saern wrote:

I or my friend end up making the character for the player, and the player has no real concept what most of the stuff on the sheet means

As others have said, you need to force them to develop the PCs themselves. However, you can walk them through it.

They sound to me if they've been with you for "months" and "love it" that they are into the RP-chatting and back-story and character development more than rules and mechanics. You're going to have to learn to live with that, but also figure out how to bring the two together for them.

When you're developing their next set of characters, have them start by developing back stories, and then work with them to place stats according to what they've developed. Make sure they understand how everything relates, but make them do it themselves with your coaching and instruction. Right now, the teacher is doing all the homework, so why should the students?

Have everyone develop back stories as a group, then have your experienced Player walk them through Stating-up his PC as a "sample problem". Do it in stages. They can probably all collaboratively develop backstories for the characters, but then he does Ability Stats for only his, explaining his decisions at each step. Now everyone else places their Ability Stats. Next he does Skills with explanations, then everyone else does Skills ... and so on and so on and so on. You need to get back to basics, here, and teach as an elementary school math teacher might.

Saern wrote:

In combat, anything outside a basic attack roll creates utter confusion. The sorcerer's player has learned a little bit about what casting a spell entails, and the barbarian's player kinda knows how to work Power Attack. The druid is totally lost when it comes to preparing her spells

The complexity of the party is too much. The fact that you have a druid powerful enough to cast entangle is a problem. Never let newbs play spellcasters if they don't know rules.

Rule #1 for New Players

New Players unfamiliar with D&D rules and mechanics are restricted to playing only straight Human single-class Fighters. Those with strong math skills and who grasp rules and mechanics quickly might, at the DM's discretion, be allowed to play Rogues. New Players are absolutely forbidden from playing spellcasters until they have displayed a basic understanding of mechanics and own a copy of the Player's Handbook.

You made the mistake of taking a bunch of Kindergartners straight into the High School-level game that you and your friend wanted to play, and then crutching them along.

Saern wrote:

I'm not asking them to become experts, but if they could at least understand what the difference between a free and a full-round action is, that would be supertastic.

Honestly, they're taking advantage of you. Maybe they love the idea of D&D but not really the practice. Perhaps they just like movies and video games where they watch the plot unfold but are more interested in being viewers than coauthors of the story.

I'd talk to them about it and clearly voice your problems with their attitude. Make it clear to them that you feel they are taking advantage of you and not showing sufficient responsibility. Then do the following:

1) Inform them that by next session they must at least share a Table Copy of the PHB if not each buy one individually;

2) Offer them your copy at the current session and point out rules, but make them read. Do not tell them what to do;

3) At the session they bring their PHB, have them look things up on their own;

4) At the session after they get a PHB, run the game straight-up and let there be a TPK because they don't know what they're doing. Keep the monsters simple and make sure they know it's simple, but still kill them;

5) Perhaps skip #3 & 4 and go directly to #6;

6) Start a new campaign, but not a new group. Talk to them and make clear that you and the other Player moved them along too fast and you guys all need to back up;

7) Launch a new campaign with a very simple concept. They should all be a party of straight Fighters or even Commoners who must become PC classed characters (you can allow the experienced Player to be a Ranger or even spellcaster - probably Cleric - to offer them some additional rule exposure). Whatever it is, keep it simple and cut XP awards 50-75% to keep the levels down until they know the rules and are ready to progress to the next level. Here are some campaign ideas:

A) Caravan Guards - The PCs are all Fighters who have been hired to guard a caravan. They have backgrounds as soldiers, town guards, traders who grew up on the roads or whatever. Let them start off fighting bandits, getting into bar brawls, clearing monsters out of caves so the caravan can find shelter when it rains ... stuff like that. Remain very Low Fantasy until they get the basic rules down.

B) Army / Guard / Militia - The PCs are all Fighters who are members of the same Army/Town Guard/Village Militia. If in the Army then they are at war and deployed into the field and are sent on various missions. First they fight another unit of enemy soldiers (teaching the Players the basics of Attack rolls, AC and so forth) and then can be sent on more and different missions as you determine what they still need to learn.

The Town Guard might find themselves under attack (perhaps in the same war) by enemies or monsters, but could also simply be investigating crimes, breaking up bar-room brawls and street riots. All of these are simple but will teach rules.

The Militia will need to protect their small village and shepherds from wolves and goblins, bandits and so forth.

C) Kids Kampaign - I had a lot of fun with this some years ago. Literally start the PCs as kids with no classes. Make them all 15-18 year-old Commoners. Perhaps give them Ability stats (and obviously Saves) but no Skills. If the Players develop good back stories for their kids, then let them gain a Skill Point or two in something (no more than 4 total points, probably).

In this campaign, a ruined tower overlooks a small village, and the kids like to sneak out at night to play in the tower. One evening as they look down a band of goblins comes out of the woods and burns the village to the ground, killing all of the parents of the kids. Most of the goblins leave, but a small patrol (2-4) comes up the hill.

The kids are now orphans, but also must flee/hide from or defeat the goblin patrol. They must them make their way to safety and a larger community. They will have to scrounge supplies from the village, use goblin weapons or manufacture their own basic tree-branch spears and so forth, killing dire rats for food when they stumble upon a nest. Along the way maybe they encounter a bandit camp they can raid to gain supplies and food.

Little by little they acquire supplies and weapons and armor and gear as they struggle to survive, and all the while your newbie Players get a better and better grasp of the rules. Allow them to start spending their "backlog" of Skill Points and Feats, and eventually they gain a Fighter level (now let them begin spending the usual 4x points).

IN CONCLUSION ...

All of the above ideas are designed to found a low-fantasy campaign that will ease your Players into the game and the rules and mechanics together.

You experienced Player can act as a guide or leader, but he must lead-by-example. He can show them rules and variations and explain what he is doing, but that's all.

You both need to stop acting as crutches for them and force them to walk or fall on their own.

The experienced Player need to design a PC concept for a follower personality and not a leader, otherwise you will get into the same problem. Make his PC lack Intelligence or Wisdom and have him play it as such. His character should be shy and quiet, and allow/force the others to make decisions.

If all this fails, maybe it's just time for a new group, but I think you can probably make it work.

HTH,

Rez

[CourtFool]

No one expects the D&D inquisition!

[French Wolf]

Start them with 0 level characters and let them develop from there.

You can use the NPC classes for that.

I have a similar problem in that the group I run has a wide variety of players and none of them played 3rd Edition before we gave it a go. One had played 1st edition.

However my guys are mature, 30 somethings, and have bought the books. Reading them is not such a big deal though.

The key for us has been very slow experience development (especially for the cleric) and one or two severe kickings by monsters when they drop behind the rules and spells that they need to know.

The last time culminated in them being imprisoned, tortured and watching the bad guys chat over who got what magic item. By Jove are they motivated to get better.

Cheers

EDIT: I have TPKed them twice before but this time they are doing the Temple of Elemental Evil and trying a bit harder.

[Saern]

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys! I really appreciate it. We had a game last night, and though I wasn't able to implement these ideas (I wasn't able to check the boards between posting and the start of the session), I still came away with some new insights.

First, environment. Our college is a partially commuter campus, and members of the group live anywhere from five to forty-five minutes away. Most have jobs and we're all full time students, as I mentioned before. This makes it rather difficult for us to get together frequently and for extended periods of time. I have realized this is why my friend and I have fallen to becoming cruches; we're usually under such time restraints that we think, "We'll explain later, but for expediency's sake here and now, we'll just move on quickly." This is, of course, a disservice to the new players, and later rarely comes.

The dispersed nature of the group also makes it difficult for them to share PHBs, which one of them actually has but hasn't read much of (she did say she's made some progress, though, which is definitely good).

The logistics of the group often also mean that we're running one or even two people shy on average. It's very difficult to find times that work for everyone, and even when we do, they seem to change from week to week.

It also seems that the traditional spot we play in has become inappropriate as well. Over the summer, no one was around on campus and the large communal game room was ours for the playing. Now that the semester has started, people are coming and going and getting constantly. Getting into the game proves difficult. It also impairs metagame discussions about my concerns. This came to our attention yesterday when the distractions became so bad we finally moved and found a secluded corner elsewhere. A few moved tables and chairs later, we discovered we were having much more fun and nominated that little place as our new primary play area.

The issue is further complicated because I am not the current DM. I have suspended my campaign due to my own time obligations over the semester, and don't know if I'll be able to take the chair again for the rest of the year. (Actually, suspended is the wrong word; I've ended it and plan to start another, but don't have the time currently) My friend is still running his Eberron game, so it's not really for me to take the strong leadership position except by speaking with him about it first. Luckily, we are almost always in agreement. Unluckily, finding time to discuss such matters before a game or otherwise away from the table often proves difficult.

That all said, we played in his campaign last night and everyone had a great time. It was actually one of the best games of D&D I've had the privelege of playing in. Part of the reason was moving out of the crowded game room we had been ignorantly lingering in long past its useability. The other was actually the roster of players present (and, conversely, absent). I also noticed last night that there are about three of the five newbies that have both a greater capacity and interest in the rules, and in roleplaying for that matter, than the others, two in particular. Chance happened to limit last night's game to those two. We were all able to pick up the slack and play other people's characters well enough (which was astounding considering the inexperience).

This subgroup is also more regularly free to play D&D than the others. Therefore, I think it would be wise at this point to arrange a mini-campaign or a few one-shots specifically for these more "advanced" beginners, geared towards teaching them the game more thoroughly. As has been gotten at by others and I have been fully aware of for some time, one of the major problems is exactly that the majority of the players are inexperienced, whereas normally it is one or two who pick up rules from senior players as we go. That problem can hopefully be remedied by these small "focus" subgroups, so that when the entire group convenes to player, there are effectively more experienced players at the table.

I don't have the time to develop my own at the moment, but I may be able to use some published adventures. Perhaps Hollow's Last Hope and Crown of the Kobold King. They can be run as pretty good straight-forward kill-the-monsters-and-raid-the-dungeon adventures, are tough enough to make them need to learn the rules, and don't require much time on my part.

Finally, in regards to speaking with them, thatI have done. Repeatedly. Between sessions, they forget what I've told them. Repeatedly. While I think that "taking advantage" may indeed be what they are doing, it seems to be the unwitting kind that exists primarily because I've enabled it to. I think the numerous suggestions to stop telling them things and start handing them the PHB are the best advice for dealing with this, and so it shall be from this point forth.

Thank you again, and feel free to continue with the suggestions!