Greetings all,
I'm about to start a game and the players our group has selected for our ''Date Night D&D'' campaign are some friends of ours, we approached them with the concept and they seem game, but there are some problems.
The guy has done some LARPS with me in the past and is generally very at ease in awkward situations, being a car salesman, so I'm not that worried about him roleplaying or deciding actions as he's very impulsive, which is fun. I am however worried about him understanding the rules, as numbers and rules systems arent his thing.
The girl has no experience in games, no experience in video games, no experience in LARPing, and hasn't watched any of the fantasy staples (the hobbit, LOTR, Game of thrones). She does like Improv and she's very game for the campaign, but she's afraid she won't understand what is going on, and explaining to her even the basis of how the game works (You have to describe your actions to a narrator who will then determine how the world reacts to them) has proved challenging.
I'd hate for crunch to get in the way of what could be a memorable game, so I'm looking for advice from experienced DM's who have gone through the same thing.
I offered them to create a personality concept and a character concept only and that I would handle the crunch of leveling up and such, they would only have to look at their character sheets and tiny action cards in order to tell me what they do. I'd even make a cheat sheet for them with illustrations as to where the info is on the character sheet.
Since asking someone to create a concept out of infinite possibilities is a daunting prospect, I offered them some suggestions of concepts I had thought up that would fit my story and they seemed to like them.
The guys is going to be a tiefling swashbuckler with a nasty reputation for leaving no opponent unmaimed, I imagine him as a mix of Fernand de Mondego, count of Morcef, from the count of Monte Cristo and Darkstar from a song of ice and fire.
The girl is going to be a red dragon that was killed by narissia (kingmaker BBEG) as a way to gain an alliance with a powerful Blue dragon that was her ennemy. She then woke up having been reincarnated in a feeble human body and is pissed, not knowing who did the did. (concept would be a sorcerer with draconic bloodline and dragon disciple levels, keeping it in line with what she would generally associate a dragon with: Spewing fire and clawing the shit out of anything in her way)
I'd ask them general personality questions, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how to make these characters truly theirs, so that they dont feel left out or stupid playing this game. Or worse, feeling like they are only puppets or placeholders in my campaign.
I'm having a hard time transfering my somwhat analitical and cartesian knowledge of RPG's and pathfinder into a more graspable whole.
I know this is a very vague request, I'd really love some outsider input, whatever it is.
Thanks to all who post.
You could run a one-shot just for the two of them before the campaign starts. That would let you work out some of the mechanical kinks, and if there is anything they don't like about the character build, you could still have time to alter it before it becomes "canonical".
The guy
The girl
Be sure you ask her before the game starts if she has any problems being referred to with a diminutive, child-like noun.
She may or may not, but it's polite to ask before addressing her that way in public
I have a few suggestions based on what you presented:
(1) Have them make characters themselves. It's great that they've got concepts; sit down with them and help them fill out the character sheet. You can point them at the appropriate templates, etc., but go through each of the categories with them.
This accomplishes several things: It invests the players in the character, it explains the rules to them ahead of time, and it gives them familiarity with the character sheet. If you hand them a character sheet and say "this is what you wanted," it doesn't resonate the same way and leads to a lot of fumbling at the table when asked to make a check or roll.
(2) Play a simple session to introduce the characters. Many of the Free RPG Day adventures Paizo puts out are good for these - short, simple, and introducing basic concepts.
(3) Let them make changes to the character once they've played an adventure. Once they understand the game, they'll want to adjust now that their expectations have changed. This makes the next session less frustrating and helps them learn new parts of the game. At some point, of course, changes become permanent, but after the first session isn't the time for that.
(4) Send them some podcasts or examples of play (two of my players got into the hobby because of Glass Cannon).
Good luck! And good work bringing new people into the fold.
First issue I see is that apparently you are giving them moderately high level characters to start off with, unless you are talking about where they will actually go, rather than where they are starting at. If they are starting at a point when they already have prestige classes, they are more likely to be overwhelmed by the options available.
One thing I would suggest, is that you and the other players be patient and be willing to let their turns take a little longer. Take time to explain what their options are, and why the numbers work the way they do. After a bit, they will probably catch on just fine, but at first it takes time.
Along those lines, don't 'build' their whole character progression out. When it comes time to level you should certainly give them guideline and give them as much advise as they want, certainly they probably won't want to sort through the hundreds of feats, for example, but let them make their choices. Your sorcerer player might find out that magic is more interesting then clawing things, and not want to go the DD route by the time that comes up.
Assigning each a partner who is an experienced player who can help them with rules, understanding the mechanics of what is going on, and helping them prepare for their turn could be useful.
For 'getting into character' as well as letting the other players get a glimpse of the personality of characters I like to do mini-character quizzes for each player before each session. It is more improv than anything stat related, but each character gets one or two pretty quick questions about something from their past (which they can just make up the answer to on the spot.) Something like "What was your first date like" or "What was an experience you had as a child that shaped how you feel about religion" or just about anything. The idea is that these are sort of stories, experienced that the characters share in all those times that we don't play out, the hours sitting in camp, or travelling or whatever. I find even very experienced players get into character a lot better when you do that, and it can be especially helpful for novices.
It wouldn't be a bad idea to point them at one of the game podcasts, even listening to a few minutes of a game in action is probably better than an hour of trying to explain 'what is roleplaying'.
Mystic-Snowfang, Tinalles, and Willi have good suggestions. Pathfinder was my first tabletop RPG, so I started out with the little Adventure Paths with the premade characters to learn the system. Do that with them ahead of time and go through a couple of games. Since they only take about an hour, you should be able to do 2 or 3, and have them use different characters each time. That way they get a feel for the different classes and can figure out the rules.
I usually call them by their first names or nicknames, but you are right I should have went with him and her, apologies if I offended.
I like the idea of making them fill out their character sheets on their own. I can guide them towards choices that fit with the concept they have in their heads, like I did with my wife. I'm just worried that they might get scared of the numbers I guess :P
I like the idea of running a mini game. I think what I'll do is before we game I'll have supper over at their place and we'll make their characters together and then play a mini session one on one with each of them (him first, then her, that way she can ask questions while he's doing it and vice versa).
I'll definitely nudge them towards easy character concepts, and then offer options so that they can be on par with the more experienced players (Like if she goes sorcerer and gets draconic bloodline, I can tell her that blood havoc is a thing that exists)
@Mystic snowfang: You're right I hadn't thought of Disney I know she watches that! I'm just wondering which movie to go with at this point... I guess fern gully for feys? I wonder if she saw ''how to train your dragon''....
@tinalles: I will look those up they look like fun party games. i had played one a while back where you played a bear or something. I think it was called honeycon? And as an intro to RPG you really can't do better! Thanks! Also thanks for the rest of your post it was really helpful.
Now I'm just wondering what kind of questions best shape your personality.
Maybe something like:
What does your character want most of all?
What are your character's hobbies?
Is your character married, or was he married? If not, is he in a romantic relationship?
Does your character have family?
Tell me one thing your character hates most of all.
Any suggestions for other questions?
What are your character's hobbies?
This is a great idea. Consider the Background Skills alternate rule (standard at my table). I've had plenty of new players glom onto their character's hobby as a way to interact with the world.
Great minds think alike! I too use it in every game!
I'm really curious what kinds of hobby a dragon would have though 0_0
Great minds think alike! I too use it in every game!
I'm really curious what kinds of hobby a dragon would have though 0_0
Burninating the countryside?
I think you meant: Profession (Burninator) :P
...If she hasn't watched any fantasy movies or tv shows...then obviously the reasonable thing to do would be to try and encourage her to watch it, maybe share your Netflix account and start recommending her LOTR, GOT, etc...Maybe also send them some clips from YouTube.
After they've seen a couple of movies and episodes, walk them through a GM's story writing methods, and introduce them to "The Rule of Three."
Guide the two players as you write down 3 role playing events, i.e. a tavern scene, a traveling merchant, and the town drunk. And ask them how would they link those three events together.
Next, give them 3 combat scenes, i.e. a swamp beast, a cyclops, and a vampire sorcerer. Now tell them how they would link those events together, maybe also tie them in with your previous 3 role playing events.
And lastly, give them a reward event, and ask what kind of reward they would find based on those events?
Maybe the traveling merchant left behind a clue that led to the vampire sorcerer's secret tower, that has the "Ring of Invisibility", to pay homage to the LOTR movies they saw, so they can feel cool using it.
And then try running this game with them, with some alterations of your own to surprise them, so they don't expect every action. This gives the new player's an incentive to try and understand how they would want to role play their characters within those scenes. And gives them something memorable to think about.