I am thinking of running a game for a friends son and his friend. He is 13 she is 14? I've known him for years and been quite good friends with the family for 6 or 7 years.
I figure I will have the 2 kids over after supper to play while my wife and his mother Macrome (I guess the 70s are back again). My house is a better place to play.
I haven't run a game for teenagers since I was a teenager. Any suggestions? Tips? I figure D&D 5th. I know the system and its common enough that its worth their time to learn it.
Running 5e seems a good idea.
Ideally I think 3+ players is best, but 2 is workable. Do start them at 1st level; I'd say run a home town + newbie dungeon setup and keep the threats fightable by 2 PCs.
D&D 5th is actually perfect for kids. It's a bit too complex but it's well padded and less frustrating than any other D&D edition I can think of. Really, Fighting Fantasy is pretty good for kids too. Simple game with tough characters who don't die at a drop of a hat. I can never quite figure out why kids who grow up on video games have such a hard time accepting character death.
If 5E is your choice and you are very familiar with it, then that is the right way to go. For myself, I'd use something simpler like the Star Wars Introductory Adventure Game or Labyrinth Lord because I don't want the rules to spook them away due to their complexity. Otherwise, just use common sense. You'll do fine. Let us know how it goes.
Running what you know is a good idea.
If you are worried that two characters is not going to be enough let them recruit a few NPCs with promises of a share of the treasure. They may not think of doing this on their own, not everybody does.
Have fun with it. I run a game for kids at the local public library. Some times they make me want to tear my hair out, but other times they are great. And some of the creative ideas kids come up with...
When I play with kids I try to let their creativity run a bit more, and lean on the rules a bit less. I usually run OD&D, which has pretty loose rules anyway, but I find that kids have cool ideas but get discouraged if they feel like they can never act upon them because a rule gets in the way. I'm not suggesting that they be allowed to do anything they like, but just that some degree of leniency be allowed.
A stripped down 5e makes sense as that's what their peers would be playing. No point in teaching them an older rules set they are unlikely to find other kids playing.
Quote from: Headless;1000880I haven't run a game for teenagers since I was a teenager. Any suggestions? Tips? I figure D&D 5th. I know the system and its common enough that its worth their time to learn it.
Don't expect them to get it right away, if they've not played a tabletop RPG before. Find out what computer/web/mobile/etc. games they've played (if any) and liked, as well as what fantasy books/movies they know, too (if any). That'll help you to tailor the game to their tastes and preferences (as well as your own, of course). I'd even go so far as to let them pick from a palette of options that you're willing and happy to run.
Don't underestimate them: they can probably deal with a lot more complexity and rules than you think they can. Millions of kids cut their teeth on AD&D 1e in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and my own children have been playing 1e for years now (and they're just 13 and 9 years old).
It's definitely worthwhile at the start of your current session to give them some feedback on what they could have done differently/better in the previous session: it helps to recap the session, and also gives them some input on how to do better during the current one.
Some table rules are probably a good idea too: no use of mobile devices during the game (even as a dice app)---too much chance to be distracted; everyone gets a chance to be heard/to talk; etc.
Quote from: DavetheLost;1000885Running what you know is a good idea.
Agreed, as long as it's something that is interesting to them and to you.
Allan.
Quote from: DavetheLost;1000885Running what you know is a good idea.
If you are worried that two characters is not going to be enough let them recruit a few NPCs with promises of a share of the treasure. They may not think of doing this on their own, not everybody does.
Have fun with it. I run a game for kids at the local public library. Some times they make me want to tear my hair out, but other times they are great. And some of the creative ideas kids come up with...
I'm generally a fan of using hirelings in D&D, but I would hold off on it during someone's first ever session. Let them get a handle on playing their own character first. Then make them available in a session or two.
Quote from: David Johansen;1000883D&D 5th is actually perfect for kids. It's a bit too complex but it's well padded and less frustrating than any other D&D edition I can think of. Really, Fighting Fantasy is pretty good for kids too. Simple game with tough characters who don't die at a drop of a hat. I can never quite figure out why kids who grow up on video games have such a hard time accepting character death.
Plenty of kids in the early '80s would lose their shit over character death, and there was no shortage of cheaty character with suspicious stats and experience and magic items they earned playing with some other GM that nobody has met. And those were kids that grew up on video game back when they were actually hard, without infinite lives and the game constantly giving you tutorial tips if you take more than ten seconds to figure something out.
It really depends on what they're into. If they're looking for a "D&D experience ," then run that. Most kids I talk to due to having kids of my own seem to be more geared towards Star Wars and Iron Man/Batman/Spider-Man stuff these days. If the kids you're talking about like that stuff, I'd use WEG Star Wars since they can learn it in five minutes or TSR Marvel Super Heroes for the same reason, both are incredibly intuitive and easy to understand and require almost no understanding of underlying rules, which would be reasons I'd be wary of trying any D&D. But again, what have they expressed interest in?
Qags or FAST would be good for kids.
5e is a good choice. If they like fantasy, you might be surprised with how quickly they pick it up. I would have one or two NPCs to help, but not save the day. You can use the game as a way to help them learn how to better plan and solve problems. I would try to keep things moving, especially after characters are created or assigned.
I would start them at first level. 5e has pretty fast progression anyway. Good luck.
People always say "run rules-light games for kids". Except I don't think that's good advice at all if you're talking about any kid whose age is in the double-digits.
These days, I can't be assed to learn complicated new rules systems; if I'm honest with myself, that's probably part of the appeal to me of the OSR at my age, that I already know the basic rules when I get into an OSR game.
But I think back to when I was 11-16 or so, I ADORED complex rules systems. I devoured that shit. A lot of kids love the challenge of mastering rules complexities. I remember I found very rules-light stuff positively boring until around the time I discovered Amber.
I have long suspected that rules preferences relate to one's work. I remember a Dragon review back when Rolemaster Standard System came out that suggested that it was the kind of game accountants would play, but I think he had it backwards. I've got a very dull and menial job and I enjoy complex games because they stimulate my poor numb brain and in my experience it's the lawyers and accountants who can't bear complexity in their entertainment. There's a reason games like GURPS get accused of being too much like homework.
I've come across the most lateral-thought solutions in my games when gaming with teens. It's awesome. Let their creativity flow and it will be a great experience.
Especially when it comes to non-violent solutions to problems.
Of course, if they're teens, run Amber/Lords-of-Olympus for them and teach them some valuable life lessons.