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I don't have any kids myself though I have played the game with kids at various ages.
The youngest I have played the game with was 11. Went ok though her attention span began to waver at the end. (It was also at a party which didn't help the attention span thing. Lots of distractions).
I don't think 16 and 13 will be difficult at all. My advice: explain the rules as you go along and allow for take-backs. Roleplaying the cahracter you are playing goes a long way into gaining immersion too. =)
Edited to add the first line.
DM Mathpro - complexity should not be an issue - as long as their is interest. My assumption is that you have successfully introduced them to games in the past - if so as long as they have a basic interest in the game you should be able to be successful in getting them to play - having said that - being forced to work together - won't necessarily mend fences. As a step-father this could certainly be a powerful tool - however this will need to be done in conjunction with a lot of other tools - wholly unrelated to Pathfinder. What are the social rules of the game you construct around the game? Can you consistently (yet tactfully since they are teens) praise them when they are working together both during the game and outside of the game. If there are other factors that may impact their ability to focus - then that too would need to be taken into account. I hope that's helpful - I will admit that I work with kids and teens as part of my profession - so I could say more - and I'm not sure how much of that would be directly useful at this moment. The last thing I will say is if you go in with confidence and excitement in their abilities to have fun and work together vs. worrying about whether or not they can - it may well make all the difference. By the by, your concern and attempt to engage them says a lot about who you are - You are an AWESOME DAD (step-dad is a title - WHO YOU ARE BEING is a dad.)
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I introduced this to my 16 year old and his friend, they love the game (such that they actually pull it out to continue lots of times when I'd really rather sleep).
The following were the things that I did consciously to try and up the interest for them. And I should add, before I start, that we play lots and lots of different kinds of games, so the complexity was not a deal for us at all, so I can't imagine it would be any different for you, but mine also already had interest in playing games, if you're trying to overcome that, I would suggest starting with something a little simpler.
1) Have them read the character descriptions to decide who they want to play. My son's friend developed a much stronger attachment to Amiri after reading her blurb from the card (and, later, from the NPC Codex).
2) Consciously include them in planning. In my experience, co-op games frequently devolve into one player attempting to tell everyone else what to do. It was easier for me to throw suggestions out and let them come up with the answers.
3) Describe, describe, describe. Originally I was afraid of spoiling much of anything, eventually I realized that the more I told them, the more they liked it. The game itself is devoid of a lot of description. It kicks it up a bit if you explain the monsters a bit, describe the NPCs and their roles (like who Ameiko is, etc). And I would kind of describe what just happened when we finished off a chapter or two (as well as I could, I've never actually played Runelords, though I have a rough idea of most of the things that happen).
Good luck!
My 14 year old daughter loves the game. She role-plays her character.
I really had no problem teaching her the game.
She does play Pathfinder RPG and we do play board/card games a few times a month.
Math pro... Feel free to pm me. Be Magic in the World is my mission statement and I love having opportunities to be in communication with people who are clearly doing the same thing.
P.S. Do or do not. There is no try. You are being a father to them. They may have loyalty binds ... Great name for a spell... That prevent them from fully recognizing or saying it... However you are being a real dad. You are doing your best to be a guide and mentor. A friend and yet also create opportunities for their growth. Likely you also have rules and structure. You view them as full human beings as evidenced by your concern in how to engage them in creating a positive relationship with each other. Yeah. Yoda knew what he was talking about. Do or do not. There is no trying. You are doing. In any case yes PM me.
My 15 (nearly 16) year old daughter and I have been playing for a couple of months now. We play two characters each. The "roleplay" is light, but definitely part of the fun.
Its given us some great quality time together. We do play other board games and RPGs (including D&D 4e) but that is shared with other people. This gives us a chance to have some one-on-one time. We are both really enjoying it. I think I am looking forward to Skull & Shackles more than she is, because she is not so keen on giving up the characters that she has been building.
She and I also play in a group with a couple of friends, but it is moving at a much slower pace. I'm actually thinking of seeing if she would be interested in Organized Play if something gets moving on that front in our area. If not, we will certainly run the OP scenarios at home.