Take the box on a BSA camping trip?

[shadow_of_doom]

So my Boy Scout troop has a campout every month and i thought it might be cool to bring the beginner box on a campout and let a few people play it while I DM. At the campouts we'll usually run no-material RPGs which pretty much turn into a weird puzzle, and it gets really effed up when one of the younger kids tries to DM(i dont mean like 5th grade young, i mean any kids who joined the troop after me). I think that we might be able to run the entire adventure in one campout considering my two friends made characters and beat it in about two 2.5-hour sessions. I mentioned it to a friend in the troop and he thought it was an amazing idea. One kid in my troop is a well-seasoned RPG player and another is a slightly seasoned DM so if they're present the game should be able to run smoothly. This would be great since the other players need to learn a proper RPG, plus the lack of a tavern prevents them from banging every chick in sight. I think that at least one of the players would be competent, but i know one or two will probably have to be dragged through the dungeon.

I would like to know several things.

1.should i bring BB on a campout.

2.If so how many should play(i was thinking 3-5 not counting myself).

3.Should i use pregens or not.

4.Should i use the downloadable extras or not since i'm not sure if i want varying characters or quickly made ones

5.Should i do the downloadable mine adventure

6.Should i quickly make another adventure when they finish the first.

[Cpt_kirstov]

I started 2nde edition during BSA summer camp. I would say the BB would be fine, as long as it isn't supposed to rain. I would say use the pregens (that way you don't have worse issues with those who know the game outpowering the newbies.) if you include the download content, you have 5 pregens stats, I would say that would be your Max, but saw don't include the downloaded pregen unless needed. I would say prep the BB and the download scenario, in my experience once one group gets into it during a campout, another group decides it looks cool and wants to try it. In the same vien, you might even want to have the slightly seasoned GM prep the BB scenario in case this happens.

[Koren n'Rhys]

We've run the black fang adventure from the box and the mine adventure. By "we", I mean my daughter (13/DM) and two of her friends (also 13), plus me and one other adult friend.

For your campout, I'd stick to the pregens. As noted by Cpt Kirstov, you can add the Barbarian and have five players.

The black fang adventure ran fine as is. The mine was really short. They give your a section to expand yourself (beyond the chasm) and I'd recommend you work up something for that area to make sure you don't run out of things to do.

[Helaman]

I'd also pack a card game or two.

Citadels allows for up to 8 players and is compact enough.

Poo is just fun and fits the mindset of a young teen and you can have 7-10 if you want to stretch the deck.

Travellers version of settlers is a TINY board that packs well too and would be ok in a damp tent with minimal care.

[HangarFlying]

Assuming your troop was alot like mine, in that we went camping every month, if the scout-players will be consistent, there is no reason why you couldn't have them create their own characters and then run new adventures for each campout.

[Stubs McKenzie]

If your boy scout troop was anything like mine, i would stick to a single weekend to begin and end. Month to month it was very difficult to determine just how much free time you will have.... sometimes 10 hour days of risk were easy to achieve, other times nary an hour was squeaked out between survival training, boating, etc, or people going to the hospital :P

Sounds like a great idea :)

[Avalier]

First I would like to say this sounds like to say this sounds like a WONDERFUL idea. So...

1. Its worth a try. If it goes well maybe you can spend sometime prepping the boys for a more in depth campaign time permitting of course.

2. Thats a tough one. You don't want to have to exclude anyone because you have to many players. Try to incorporate as many as want to play, however if there get to be to many try a dry run with at most 6 players (preferably seasoned players mostly) and let everyone watch to get an idea of how it works. Obviously the short mine adventure would work great for this. Then you can see if one of the other boys wants to try their hand at DMing (yea I know this sounds like a bad idea, but the boys should be learning leadership skills and this is a great way to help build some of those skills). If you have to many who want to play also you could try having your slightly seasoned DM take a crack at running a side game to help incorporate everyone.

3. I would use the pregens, but perhaps use the ones in the box also as a template to create a few extras just in case you need more to save on time trying to create them at the campout.

4. Take the extras just in case. Be Prepared after all right?

5. Depends on how much interest you have for players vs. ho wmany are not sure and want to watch first.

6. Why not? If you do I would maybe try to get one of the boys who is interested in DMing a game to do it with your guidance so if your group does expand you can Be Prepared. Also would help if you have more boys than one group can handle so more can be involved if they want to.

Hope this helps. And again, FANTASTIC IDEA!!! If I ever get the chance to be a leader in one of our Boy Scout troops again I will have to try to remember this and maybe use it myself.

[Matthew Morris]

Considering I learned to play Euchre at Church Camp* I think it's a wonderful idea.

*

Spoiler:

We also played Trivial Pursuit. I will never forget when the question was "How does the Vatican signify they have elected a new Pope? One girl (we were all teenagers) says, completely sincere. "They shoot the old one?" Did I mention it was Lutheran Memorial Camp?

[Whiskey Jack]

If you can, water-proof as much as you can. If you are lacking a picnic table or other such surface to play on, a frisbee flipped upside could be a makeshift dice tray.

I second Citadels as a nice card game for a large group. Cards are a lot easier to deal with when camping. As a former Scout, I am happy to see you trying to make this an option for your Scouts.

EDIT- Oh, and I suggest picking up "We Be Goblins!" as it is a hoot.

[Kexle]

I just have to say that I rolled up my first character at a BSA campout (3d6 in order, got a 15 dex, so I was a thief - been playing them ever since).

Played a few more times at camp, but it rather rapidly became an inside thing with my fellow scouts and made us a pretty tight group of friends.

Just finished playing an online session with a group of my old high school friends an hour ago, now scattered about the country - google hangouts are awesome - three of us are eagle scouts.

Roll dice, enjoy the outdoors, make lasting friends.

[CyderGnome]

shadow_of_doom wrote:

I would like to know several things.

1.should i bring BB on a campout.
2.If so how many should play(i was thinking 3-5 not counting myself).
3.Should i use pregens or not.
4.Should i use the downloadable extras or not since i'm not sure if i want varying characters or quickly made ones

5.Should i do the downloadable mine adventure

6.Should i quickly make another adventure when they finish the first.

The BB sounds perfect... I would recommend pre-gens with the math already done on them for the first time or two you play with a new group... and always try to have a filler encounter or two ready in case they finish sooner than you figured.

All that said, remember to get out of your tents... RPGs actually got banned on most campouts in my troop after our scoutmasters stumbled upon one game of Battletech too many. All things in moderation.

[Michael Brock]

That's how I got started backin 1977! At Cub Scout camp, I got my first taste of D&D. In the early 80s at Camp Woodruff for week long Boy Sout camp, we played just about every night inside our tents over the next 3 years. I highly recommend taking it on your Scouting camping trips.

[Sir_Wulf]

I ran my first game at boy scout camp, too! In July 1977, I ran my friend Mark Lisee through a series of D&D adventures, improvising the rules that we didn't know (or didn't understand). Other scouts dropped by to fill out the roster of adventurers, but it hadn't yet occurred to me to limit the seemingly-endless supply of hirelings they recruited as cannon fodder...

PC: "Well met, good fellow! you're just the sort of stout yeoman we seek to aid us in our adventures!"

NPC: "What happened to the last five?"

PC: "Umm...."

[Huppolitan]

It is amusing to think of BSA roleplaying . . . people sitting in tents near a campfire roleplaying people sitting in tents near a campfire. The difference is that the in-game nighttime encounter is more likely to be kobolds than loud inebriates from a neighboring RV park.

[darth_borehd]

Most likely, the kids will love it, but beware of religious weirdo parents. This is the same organization that is known to be unfriendly towards LGBTs and atheists.

[vgmaster831]

It's fun, but beware. I'm my troop's guide and I got in trouble for running a game with the young ones. Now we do it in secret, very cloak and dagger and such.

[arioreo]

Really, you all think this a good idea?

Maybe it's because I'm in Europe (and I assume you aren't) though if one of my 'leaders' would bring something like that to a campout, I'm not sure it would it out alive and I'm not sure it would catch on. There is just a to large difference between what we did on normal activities and sit down and play an rpg.

Something I could see that could work is organising a games evening (forinstance when people have exams and don't have time to spend a whole day) and brining the beginner box as one of the games you propose. This way, you know people expect this. Those who really don't want to do this, will probably not show up (atleast, that's my experience).
Your public will be much more suited for what you hope to achieve.

[MisterSlanky]

Another great game when you're dealing with limited gaming suppliesis "Everyone is John". This requires very little effort and can be a real hoot with the right crowd.

[shadow_of_doom]

darth_borehd wrote:

Most likely, the kids will love it, but beware of religious weirdo parents. This is the same organization that is known to be unfriendly towards LGBTs and atheists.

I like that post, even though i'm a christian, i just hate some people who are over-religious. There's this one kid at my school who is a douche, he is a baptist, and he denies being like westborough baptist church. That's a lie, he makes fun of gay people, hates non-protestants and hates me and my friends 'cause we're bronies.

Anyways i'm not bringing this on the next campout cuz it's a one-night campout where we're going is a zoo which means zero free time. However the august campout (which happens before my B-day, so i might do an interseting side-quest involving making a cake) is at a lake (with plenty of dry space) where they let us do anything we want, but they encourage getting the fishing merit badge which i have. I know some people who joined the troop when i did so we're kinda close. One of my friends has played it so i probably won't let him play. But i know several people who can play rpgs well enough. so i figured how i will deal with my questions.

1. ill bring it

2. 4-6 ppl will play

3. Pregens if people dont meet with me to make characters or for people who join in late

4. I wont bring the internet resources

5. No mine adventure... Yet

6. ill probably do the cake sidequest which ill need help with making which ill put in a new thread.

[Exocrat]

If your troop is anything like mine was, the BB will end up buried/burned/peed on/some combination, and anyone who tried to play it will be mocked endlessly and wake up with fish parts in their sleeping bag.

Ah, old times.

[Don Walker]

Exocrat wrote:

If your troop is anything like mine was, the BB will end up buried/burned/peed on/some combination, and anyone who tried to play it will be mocked endlessly and wake up with fish parts in their sleeping bag.

Ah, old times.

Now-a-days parents make a big deal about bullying and hazing. Still, if the troop is more jock focused than nerd focused, he may have a problem.

[shadow_of_doom]

Nah, my troop plays rpgs non-stop on campouts(with no materials), and everyone has an orgasm when someone brings so much as a d20.