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3 years ago ::
Aug 05, 2010 - 10:11AM
#1
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Heya! I'm looking for some... advice, clues, uhmmm... ideas! that other DMs have found, learned, or used when they decided to run a game for (their) kids.
Like some of the other DMs out there, I have *years* of DMing experience. I started in 1980, really got into a "good" game in 1984, and played seriously from 1987-2005. I live in a college town, played daily, weekly, at a 100+ member game club, with friends, at conventions. I've run RPGA at many cons, run plenty of my own material, too.
I learned a lot, was in high demand everywhere, forgot more than many DMs ever learn, and then... stopped playing. Burned out. Can you imagine? lol
One thing that I remember is that I always learned something from other DMs.
My *new* situation is that I'm now going to DM a game for my son and his buddy. I ran a single game session last year (with 3.5) that was... less than satisfying. They were OK, but didn't know how to play! Meaning, they had to be pushed, prompted, and had no idea what they wanted.
When I didn't run again, my son wasn't disappointed, but his buddy was, a little. But I've got the bug again and picked up 4th ed as I see some potential in all of us being a little new, and I think that the designers did a good job tapping some of the action of video games and bringing them to the table-top.
I've never been Mom and the DM before, and I was wondering: What do other parents wish they'd knew or found became a surprising priority when playing with the kids?
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3 years ago ::
Aug 05, 2010 - 6:44PM
#2
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Date Joined:
Jun 23, 2010
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I just started running adventures for my kids a little over a month ago, and we're having a blast. To make it work, I've had to kind of let go of all the things I've learned over the years and try to recapture that original "anything's possible" attitude that marked my early years.
What I realized is that as I got older, I tried to make the game more realistic, and tried to adhere more strictly to the rules. But that's not how I started out playing. In fact, the first person who taught me the game turned out to be illiterate and didn't know the first thing about how to play. He was making everything up as we went along. Just imagine defeating 100 demogorgons in some random room of the third level of some dungeon with your party of 12 characters, and you get the idea of how far off base we were. Then I read the blue book and got us back on track, but still, it was years before I got around to saying enough is enough and nobody is riding around on a pegasus at 2nd level! And yet...somehow we enjoyed every minute of it.
So now my own kids are unusually powerful 2nd level characters, walking around dungeons with a talking skull, a gem of true seeing (which in my campaign is an eyeball that has to be kept in saline solution), and a magic guitar that lets the bard shoot out spells if he beats a performance skill check (higher rolls needed for more powerful spells). Their ability scores are above average to say the least, and who cares? They're not playing in tourneys. I haven't brought out the pegasi yet, and won't unless I have to, but I'm not above allowing things in the kids' game that wouldn't happen in a million years in my adult games.
My point is, with kids, my advice is that you should take your cue from what they want from their adventures, and make it happen, even if it unbalances the game or stretches the rules. They don't care about RAW, and they don't particularly care about realism. Think like a kid: go for the gross out angle, with slimey creatures and wizards who "toot" stinking cloud spells. Listen to them as they play to understand what it is they're trying to get out of it, and then provide it to them.
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3 years ago ::
Aug 23, 2010 - 3:35PM
#3
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Date Joined:
Jun 14, 2008
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4e is a lot more forgiving...
I play AD&D with a friend and his 3 ADD sons (11, 9, 7). They are right into it, and have no trouble understanding what is going on. There is no need for you to change systems, but 4e is easier for kids. Of course the first thing I noticed was that everyone was a multiclassed with rogue... The first thing I said is that we needed more hard crunchy fighters and less of these soft squishy things.
Anyways, its best if there is another experienced player present. I find that with my son, having another older player along makes a big difference. Kids learn this with good role modeling and learn to think tactically to meet challenges.
When I play with my friend's kids, I find that they really take their Qs from me and listen to what I say. (They bought armour the next time they were in town.) Without experience they really have no idea about what kind of peril they are in, or what a good choice to make is. (The day I wasn't able to make it, the party decided to camp in the boss's room... it was a TPK.)
Listen to what Gurmek there says. My daughter wants story... my son just wants to kill things. You do need to adapt to their needs.
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