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One sacred book says: "When the moon turns red and the Ravenath's wife wants to play his first Pathfinder RPG ever, the world will come to an end".
Well, that day has come. Tomorrow night (friday, Mar 4 2011), my wife and I will have our first attempt of a Pathfinder RPG game. She has never play an rpg before, and I don't want to waste this opportunity, because this kind of planetary conjunction only takes place each 4-5 hundreds of years.
So... Do you know any module or scenario easy to play, with social interaction and without a lot of combat to use in this extremely rare event? Do you have any tips about how to make this work and how to make my wife wanting more Pathfinder and not to divorce me?
Thanks for your answers and your time.
If you are adept at working on the fly, do it as it comes.
Keep the system references to a minimum and let her Role-Play it.
If she wants to play a rogue, have her interact with the guild.
If she wants to be a cleric, have her interact with the church.
Go with what she would be interested in. :) Does she want to play as hero, or (non-class reference) rogue?
Most of all, no matter how it works out, tell her thank you for giving it a shot :)
Enjoy!
GNOME
you are searching a module without a lot of combat ...
that's going to be hard. Kingmaker has probably too much strategic interaction.
I would recommend homebrewing a small campaign.
Who else is playing?
My recommendation is: Don't make it all about her. If other people want fights, include fights. That way if she wants to take the passive side, give it to her, and the other people can play as usual.
Aside from that, you can include details that she would like. Perhaps some children got kidnapped, or just threatened.
My personal tip for any woman-player: Make an female-villain. I don't know why, but women like to kill women somehow. The personal motivator for 2 women I had in my campaign was the revenge for their enslavement.
However don't go into very personal details, like personal fears, because else it might feel like public humiliation.
After the game, if she thinks it's not her style, don't push. My current girlfriend once joined me, and she slept trough 90%. It's not everybodies taste, accept it :)
Anyhow, good luck, I guess you'll need it and this:
*hands over a tower shield +3*
My personal tip for any woman-player: Make an female-villain. I don't know why, but women like to kill women somehow. The personal motivator for 2 women I had in my campaign was the revenge for their enslavement.
My personal tip for any person: don't make blanket statements about what women players tend to like or not. Women really run the gamut--I should say, PLAYERS run the gamut of what they like to do. And with all due respect, 2 people you know does not constitute an adequate sample. (Personally, my favorite enemies are non gendered demons. I doubt this has much to do with my gender.) And telling an unsatisfied woman, "But I did it because I thought you ladies LIKE this stuff" usually results in Very Bad Things regardless of the particular situation it refers to. :)
To the OP: Ask HER what she would like to see. What kind of villains/stories does she find engaging? It doesn't have to be specific, but if she says, "I want to fight an evil overlord" or "I want revenge on my wicked fairy godmother" or "I want to fight a dragon" or "I want to overcome the oppressive regime" or "I want to assassinate the king" then that gives you an idea of how to shape your tale.
It's a generally good idea to gauge from your players what they're looking for in an adventure. I once tried very hard to push my players through an intrigue-full urban campaign before I realized all they were looking for was a good dungeon crawl. It's not that the players should "beat" the GM or that the GM shouldn't get to tell their story, but the story will not go well if it doesn't fall well within the interests and capabilities of the player. (I still got to use my story, I just approached it from a different angle.)
I don't have a specific module in mind, but that said.... SINCE you ARE looking for something roleplaying heavy (I assume at the request of your player), I WOULD suggest an urban adventure. It's a lot easier to have an intrigue and high roleplay oriented in an urban environment. If you can't find a module, I would look for writeups of a well designed city and look at adventure hooks written for it and get your ideas from that. The 3.5 book Cityscape if you can find it has both a good city as well as great ideas and hooks for urban adventures. I'm also sure there's other great resources out there for Golarion cities, and 3pp pubs as well (the word "Freeport" has popped into my head and while I have not read it, I have heard good things about... something to do with that. Might be 3.5 though).
Hangman´s noose is a very good module. It has a part of investigation and very few combats. What´s more, there are combats or situations that characters should avoid until the end or they´ll fail.
I played it with people that had never played rpgs in a birthday party and all of them enjoyed it.
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My personal tip for any woman-player: Make an female-villain. I don't know why, but women like to kill women somehow. The personal motivator for 2 women I had in my campaign was the revenge for their enslavement.
My personal tip for any person: don't make blanket statements about what women players tend to like or not. Women really run the gamut--I should say, PLAYERS run the gamut of what they like to do. And with all due respect, 2 people you know does not constitute an adequate sample. (Personally, my favorite enemies are non gendered demons. I doubt this has much to do with my gender.) And telling an unsatisfied woman, "But I did it because I thought you ladies LIKE this stuff" usually results in Very Bad Things regardless of the particular situation it refers to. :)
To the OP: Ask HER what she would like to see.
+1
I would strongly suggest against a module. I think something tailored specifically towards her interests is more likely to hook her. I agree that you should ask her directly what she would be interested in. If she is not very forthcoming, what novels does she like…what t.v. shows and movies does she like?
I also second a sort of wall between her and the mechanics. Unless she likes that sort of minutia, all those rules can be intimidating and off putting. Engage her imagination first, and if she gets into it, she will likely look into the rules herself.
Firstly: Grats on getting the wife in on the best hobby ever :)
Secondly: I'd search for "new player" threads.. there've been quite afew threads started by folks who are teaching brand-new to RPG type folks and they have some really solid advice in them.
-S
Ravenloft*, play Ravenloft*. It has everything.
2 cents.
PS: Convert the 1e version the rest are sort of naff in comparison.
+100
Convert any of the grand conjuntion modules!
those just Rock!
One sacred book says: "When the moon turns red and the Ravenath's wife wants to play his first Pathfinder RPG ever, the world will come to an end".
Well, that day has come. Tomorrow night (friday, Mar 4 2011), my wife and I will have our first attempt of a Pathfinder RPG game. She has never play an rpg before, and I don't want to waste this opportunity, because this kind of planetary conjunction only takes place each 4-5 hundreds of years.
So... Do you know any module or scenario easy to play, with social interaction and without a lot of combat to use in this extremely rare event? Do you have any tips about how to make this work and how to make my wife wanting more Pathfinder and not to divorce me?
Thanks for your answers and your time.
You to? My wife just decided the other day that she wanted to try it. Her nudge was my buddy's GF was going to try it with him and my wife didn't want to be left out.
I will be GMing a game of 4 total noobs, two of them who are only playing to spend time with their men. :D
Ravenath: I'm lighting a candle for you, man. Don't blow it! (But no pressure...)
Don't fall into the trap of giving your wife a support class to play. I've seen this mistake repeated again and again with a new female player. The group hands her the support class because she's the woman and as we all know women are naturally inclined to tracking complex spell, religious, and alignment systems why channeling holy energy to turn or dominate the undead--all with no prior experience.
Make sure she gets a simple class with a simple build so that she can learn the basics and still feel like she's contributing.
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Who is the GM? A good GM who gives her a good first great impression is very useful.
In this regard also a warning. Husbands or better halfs might come with some disadvantage here. My wife games with me 12years now. Only after we have been to a CON last year she told me 'You aren't that bad as a GM after all'.
I don't think she fully accepted me as GM until then. Look out if you have this feeling and in this case you might rather play with her some first games as GM.
In regard to adventures - I would take a PFS scenario. In my mind they have the big advantage that they are short. Four hours and you have finished something. Or six hours spread across two evenings.
Also the faction mission add some role-play or at least something to do. She doesn't has to become a PFS member - but I feel the scenarios are a good way to start.
Good luck
Thod
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Not sure if this will help but the first few women I played with (it was their first RPG) were at first tentative, but as the game progressed ... their characters grew more violent and bloodthirsty.
They remain till today, some of my bloodiest players I've ever had the pleasure of running a game for :D
I agree somewhat that they should have slightly simplified roles explained for the classes (and yes ... some fell to the 'support' classes like the healbot cleric). But as the game progressed, Ms Healbot forgot to heal and decided hitting everything in the name of her deity was significantly more fun. Ms Ranger found stabbing things in the face fun and the rogue ... delighted in overkill. # women and a whole score of bloody rivers filled in their wake.
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It is probably too late to give advice...but I agree don't run anything like a module...run something simple and with alot of freedom.
I don't think you should build a wall between the new player and the mechanics per se...but make the mechanics seem friendly and explain stuff.
Also...very important DON'T KILL HER(her character that is...though you probably shouldn't kill her either). Do more than what you would do to keep any other player' character alive.
Also...does this mean the world ends on Friday night? Before, during or after the game? mmm...I think I'll go get really drunk and find some women of a generous nature tonight. ;)
I think I'll go get really drunk and find some women of a generous nature tonight. ;)
Charlie? Is that you?
I think I'll go get really drunk and find some women of a generous nature tonight. ;)Charlie? Is that you?
It's the tiger blood talking.
I think I'll go get really drunk and find some women of a generous nature tonight. ;)Charlie? Is that you?
Don't get the reference...
Roll up a fighter with her. It was my first class and a good starting class in general. Do most of the number crunching yourself, but make sure she figures out the fluff and decides her own race and weapon style.
If you've got your heart set on a module, Carnival of Tears looks like it would be fun. I would totally play it.
Ignore people's generalization about what female gamers supposedly like. We all have variable tastes, the same as male gamers.
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Ignore people's generalization about what female gamers supposedly like. We all have variable tastes, the same as male gamers.
I've said this before, but Into the Haunted Forest is a good starter module. It has a good mix of light combat, lots of roleplaying, a simple mystery, room for lots of different skills, and a chance to even talk your way out of more than one combat encounter if the team is so inclined. It really supports the ROLE PLAYING aspects of PF and is a lot of fun.
I'd also suggest using props if she is into that sort of thing:
Gamemastery Item Cards
Her own set of dice
Figures/counters
Maps
Character cards
Make it fun without being too hokey (I wouldn't dress up like characters unless she wants to...and yes, I have had players who always dressed in character).
This is my advice regardless of the gender. A lot of the PF props really help a new player visualize the game and the world.
So how did it go?
my suggestion is anything out of sandpoint. (including carnival of tears)
I would likewise suggest fighter, although if playing solo, maybe barbarian or ranger as they are a bit tougher in some respects and have more than one thing to fall back on (and barbs can run away faster!)
I myself started my wife on D0 and the kobold king stuff to follow.
Never played carnival of tears but it would be a great kick off to a campaign.
My personal advice: Don't kick her azz.
No matter how bad the dice rolls, no matter how much she taunts and badmouths the 5th level fighter in the bar, no matter how badly she can't assess she is just totally outgunned. Don't do it.
I made that mistake with an old girlfriend and she never wanted to play again. Oops.
I'd play solo or maybe with your DM PC in the first session. Or with 1-2 players max. It'll give you the opportunity to teach without her feeling guilty about ruining the session for everyone else. It will also give her the opportunity to actually play, unlike being in a game with 5-6 players.
Some other people had some good suggestions: Ask what she wants, give her a fun and simple class. All good advice imo.
Wonderful tips!
But... finally we didn't play. We received some guest in our home, so we just said "Maybe next time." ^_^
So that is why the world did not end...
Well lets us know what happens when and if you do get to play.
Don't get the reference...I think I'll go get really drunk and find some women of a generous nature tonight. ;)Charlie? Is that you?