Okay so I'm putting together a new game crew, as a fun diversion as I was thinking about a DnD game inwhich all the players are kids.
This came about because one of my players, and best bud, has an 8-year-old son who sees his dad and ‘uncles’ playing with toys (they are not toys they are hobby miniatures) on the table and wanted to play too. Well my friend isn’t really into RPG’s, so the other game suggestions I had for him and his son, he wasn’t interested in, and of course he wanted me to GM a game. Well things went from a game with two adults and a kid to two adults and 5 kids (to which I said, errr boy). I created all the characters and went with CMB rules, and generally watered down everything in the game. (Really I should have gone for a simpler system but as my friend was sort of co-DMing and he’s never played anything else we went with what we both knew). We played last sat.
In any case what struck me wasn’t the game itself, it was the fact that they wanted to play kids protecting the village, not manly men heroes. I didn’t even know they we’re of this mindset until I was correcting one of them that their character was taller then the Goblin, the Halfling was the small guy in the group. I was the one corrected; he was playing a ten-year-old human boy (I have chosen not to wonder why they were in a Tavern at the start of the game).
That started me thinking about role-playing such possibilities in DnD. Either as a full-blown adventure or in flashback as one shots. Think of the Pathfinder Icons, as I understand it each has been given a fairly good background, some even with artwork showing them as kids. Haven’t read any of this mined you, but I’ve gathered that from some of the boards. Now lets say your playing RoRL and one night only one or two players could show up, you are at a critical stage, even if they could push through on their own you kinda wanted the whole group to be there. So you do a flash back adv.
My problem is I’m not sure if I like what I’ve read so far in terms of rules for this.
NPC classes don’t really work, as the full hit points seem off somehow for a kid.
The 1st level multi-classed rules fit much better, just drop one class and go with the character as an apprentice, but I fear I’m missing something. And even then as kids it still feels slightly off.
In my mind I toyed with the idea that as kids they start with 1 hit point per encounter and/or skill rank until they reach full hit points/skill ranks for the class they wanted (if flash backs continue I’d add class features until they have in effectly created a 1st level character). So that each flashback they are being rewarded with out gaining true XP. Barbarians being the only exception in that I’d give them 2HP per encounter. This would work also for full-blown adventures. In terms of skill ranks Pathfinder Beta would be far better then 3.5 BTW. In the game with the kids for example they had no problem understanding skill ranks. I took some ideas from Loot for Less and gave the kids a ring of invisibility, but since by that point I’d adjusted and was being very fast and lose with the rules anyways, told the kid, the Wizard who forged the ring completely messed it up. Yes it makes you invisible, but only once, it then has to be used by somebody else, and once they remove it someone new. Something along these lines would also be good for rewards in the game.
In terms of story I’m not worried about killing the character. As a flashback I can say the situation was a nightmare and in reality you lived, or saved the life of so and so. As a full-blown adventure it would actually be great, the players would have to role-play the impact of having one of their own being killed.
I looked around my Library and net reviews of books and have yet to find anything except for DCC #0 by Goodman Games, which is very good but assumes adult NPC as players. And something called Grim by FFG but I don’t own that so I have no idea of its usefulness.
I’d like some thoughts on my idea and solution of executing it. Am I missing a critical pit fall? Please keep in mind that as kids this adventure/flashback they wouldn’t encounter anything much more then EC level ¼, sometimes not even that much (i.e. it would be a storyline encounter).
Thanks for any help/comments.
TTFN DRE
P.S. For the record it was nice having a game where the players didn’t correct you on the rules.
(they are not toys they are hobby miniatures)
The first step in resolving your issues is to admit to yourself that they are, in fact, toys.
In my mind I toyed with the idea that as kids they start with 1 hit point per encounter
Fear the cat! Fear the mouse! Everything will kill you! :P
P.S. For the record it was nice having a game where the players didn’t correct you on the rules.
I have that all the time. Comes from being a smart-alek know-it-all.
My suggestion: Do something like the apprentice rules, and give them a -2 to -4 juvenile penalty on the stats.
You can also lessen the class skill bonus to +1 or something.
(they are not toys they are hobby miniatures)
The first step in resolving your issues is to admit to yourself that they are, in fact, toys.
No they are hobby miniatures
In my mind I toyed with the idea that as kids they start with 1 hit point per encounterFear the cat! Fear the mouse! Everything will kill you! :P
yeah something like that, the point they are kids, thinking about what's out there in the typical setting I'd fear the cat too.
P.S. For the record it was nice having a game where the players didn’t correct you on the rules.I have that all the time. Comes from being a smart-alek know-it-all.
My suggestion: Do something like the apprentice rules, and give them a -2 to -4 juvenile penalty on the stats.
You can also lessen the class skill bonus to +1 or something.
That's not bad, but I would still need to resolve the issue of rewarding the Kid character for the gaming, becoming who you are at first level kind of thing. Still for simple flash backs that is easier.
Nothing wrong with this as an idea for a one off or as a short series of light entertainment type sessions.
To be honest, they are probably going to be more roleplay heavy, and combat will be almost negligible - as medieval kids they might have started their formal apprenticeships in their adult trade, although if you are playing the child version of adult PC's then perhaps they have started 'informal' trades already...such as being a cutpurse or street urchin.
Frankly I wouldn't even bother with putting combat in, unless its against the neighbours angry dog - as anything else WILL result in a TPK.
Your adventure would more be geared towards the Famous Five uncovering the evil plot, or resemble the movie The Goonies - with the kids working out nifty ways to foil the evil plot - they sure wont be straping the sword and board and putting the smack down on an Ogre (though they could lead the Ogre down an alleyway where some well placed banana skins, a bowling ball, and a broom await - hilarity may ensue)- Think Home Alone - but with a Werewolf.
Either way - light and fun - crazy hijinks.
Princess rescuing optional.
(Just to clarify - I wouldnt bother with a class, stats yeah ok, skills yes, feats NO - unless skill related)
Give them XP.
I guess it's not meant to be a whole kid campaign, so after their adventure, they'll go back to being kids for a little while longer.
Next time they're on adventure, they'll have their grown-up stats, as well as some XP to start them up with more experience than a normal starting character - which make sense, since they have already been adventuring.
Give them XP.
I guess it's not meant to be a whole kid campaign, so after their adventure, they'll go back to being kids for a little while longer.
Next time they're on adventure, they'll have their grown-up stats, as well as some XP to start them up with more experience than a normal starting character - which make sense, since they have already been adventuring.
Yep, and the odd minor item etc that they may have gained, presuming ther adult selves are kicking off at 1st level... otherwise they may as well just do it for the laughs and fun.
Then again, I'm perfectly happy with peasant hero campaigns where the players are off to face Lord Dastardly with farming implements and burning torches - I quite like ghetto campaigns or 'just for laughs sessions'. Ub3rfymenow games are sooooo 80's.
|
The only d20 stats I've seen for Age Categories before "Adult" are in Star Wars: Saga Edition.
Young Adult PCs (12-15 years for a human) are -1 to all stats (relative to Adult)
Child PCs (1-11) are at -4 to Str and Con, and -2 to Dex, Int, Wis, and Cha, again, relative to Adult scores.
Then again, that's for the Star Wars universe, and who knows how it would best work in Pathfinder or an OGL game.
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
A Game Of Thrones as some as well, for human kids :
- Young child (7-8) : STR-4, DEX+2, CON-3, CHA+2, Hide +6, Climb +2, Bluff* +1
- Child (9-11) : STR-3, DEX+2, CON-3, CHA+2, Hide +4, Climb +2, Bluff* +2
- Early teen (12-13) : STR-2, DEX+1, CON-2, CHA+1, Hide +2, Climb +2, Bluff* +2
- Young adult (14-15) : STR-1, CON-1, Hide +1, Climb +1, Bluff* +1
* The bonus to Bluff only applies when an adult is not paying full attention to the child.
Characters age 11 and younger have a base move of 20'. Also, they cannot use large shields nor 2-handed weapons.
A Game of Thrones uses d20?
(they are not toys they are hobby miniatures)
The first step in resolving your issues is to admit to yourself that they are, in fact, toys.
Being stuck here at work all I can say is... That made my night. It is so true.
Being stuck here at work all I can say is... That made my night. It is so true.
Not to mention all those dice.
Note that all this comes from a guy with a very large DDM collection (completed all the sets until wizards convinced me that they don't want my money) and who has just returned from the RPC in Köln with 4 more dice sets and over a dozen loose dies.
Being stuck here at work all I can say is... That made my night. It is so true.(they are not toys they are hobby miniatures)
The first step in resolving your issues is to admit to yourself that they are, in fact, toys.
Oh, I think boys will understand the difference very well. Dad's "hobby miniatures" are not "toys" the exact same way that a boy's "action figures" are not "dolls."
Though if we're going to do miniatures to scale, Barbie would make a pretty sweet colossus....
Being stuck here at work all I can say is... That made my night. It is so true.(they are not toys they are hobby miniatures)
The first step in resolving your issues is to admit to yourself that they are, in fact, toys.
Oh, I think boys will understand the difference very well. Dad's "hobby miniatures" are not "toys" the exact same way that a boy's "action figures" are not "dolls."
Though if we're going to do miniatures to scale, Barbie would make a pretty sweet colossus....
Okay this isn't the debate I wanted, but please leave me in the deep denile that I'm in in this regards.
Thanks for the suggestions on where to look. All good ideas an far eaiser, though the reward thing is still an issue for the kids story lines/games.
A Game of Thrones uses d20?Not the new Green Ronin version but a couple of years ago Sword & Sorcery and Guardians of Order put out a d20 book.
Ah. Didn't know that. I'll have to look it up.
I would just stick with the NPC Classes, they cover the bases well enough without nerfing the players too badly.
Halls of the Minotaur by Goodman Games has a pretty good system in place for running a zero level adventure.
The biggest part of it that I liked was that they give you simple weapons to start that are even further dumbed down to become peasant weapons. The only weapon I can remember was the Pitchfork(1d6) which was just a Trident(1d8) with the next lower die for damage. Mostly farming/trade skill tools.
I would just stick with the NPC Classes, they cover the bases well enough without nerfing the players too badly.
Halls of the Minotaur by Goodman Games has a pretty good system in place for running a zero level adventure.
The biggest part of it that I liked was that they give you simple weapons to start that are even further dumbed down to become peasant weapons. The only weapon I can remember was the Pitchfork(1d6) which was just a Trident(1d8) with the next lower die for damage. Mostly farming/trade skill tools.
I don't think I got that one, I have to look at my libary again, I seem to remember getting DCC 35 during the massive sale last year, but not 35A, unless they were part of a bundle. In any case its not available any more even in PDF format right?