Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Dark Wizard 03-29-08, 02:22 AM	I'm looking to introduce a few friends to tabletop rpgs. They've never played anything before. Bringing my D&D core rules is not an option. I also wouldn't want to have them spend a few hours each looking through the PHB. I'm wondering if there are any quick start rules available, either for D&D or any D&D like system. I looked around and know official 4E quick start rules will not be widely available until Keep on the Shadowfell comes out a couple of weeks before the actual 4E Core Rules. Quick start demos of 4E would have been useful. This is something I need to be able to get my hands on within the next few days, so .pdf type booklets would be ideal. I recall WotC used to have fast play rules available (that's how I got started), but I can't find them even after some google-work.
Dark Wizard 03-29-08, 11:18 PM	Bump, along with reproduction of original, long-exposition post, because what is a question without a long-winded reason for asking it. Terse. There's something of an emerging tradition developing between a friend and a few college buddies where we stay at his house for a weekend to attend a con amongst other things, which may or may not involve late night games of Smash Bros. leading to early morning discussions about Star Wars, and sometimes copious amounts of certain beverages (sometimes all at the same time). This year there might be a new activity. He expressed an interest in playing D&D. He's never tried it before, but given the hype and news surrounding the game these last few months he wants to take the dive into iconic gaming culture. Everyone is up for it, but almost no one has tried it either. As the only person who actually plays D&D, I'm going to try to DM a game for them. The problem is, I'll be getting there by train and I don't want to bring my core rule books with me. Also, since we'll be spending much of our time at the con (and Smash Bros and horribly geeky conversations), I don't want to have to go through lots of exposition and explanation on the rules and what not. So I'm wondering what alternatives exist? Are there still fast play D&D rules around, possibly with pre-generated characters and a quick mini-adventure I can jump start from. I remember the first time I played D&D was through demo rules printed from the site back during the twilight of 2e. Those were perhaps amongst the best games I had. I'm hoping to repeated something of that here. Anyone know if demos of 4E will be made available at cons?
Morholdt 03-29-08, 11:51 PM	I've started games twice now with groups that were completely made up of neophytes. I've found you don't really need starter rules. Just make/find a simple introductory adventure and premake characters, allowing them to choose. Make the characters interesting flavour-wise but keep the options simple and use feats spells that do something they can see (ie. magic missile over sleep, since no player wants their first spell to fizzle) If the players have simple character sheets, you can start them with that and teach them as you go. Be sure to start with some combat as most new players find that an interesting way to get into the feel, then introduce some kind of mystery to solve right away after so they get drawn into the roleplay. Make sure he adventure is a short one with a satisfying ending. Once you've done that and they're hooked, you can teach them character creation. From personal experience, it's a bad idea to do the typical 'you all arrive in town and meet at a tavern' style intro with new players, as they may have no experience role-playing and nothing is more soul-crushing than an awkward and stilted opening when theplayers have no idea what to do. :) There's my take on it from someone who's been through the process a few times.
Dark Wizard 03-30-08, 01:22 AM	Thanks for the suggestions Morholdt. The tips you gave went a long way to clear up anything that left me scratching my head trying to figure out. This will be the first time I start up a game with entirely new-to-the-game players (aside from when I first started, then we were all new so we just did our best). After skimming the starters for other systems (and my own memories of my first game) I gathered that pre-gen characters are ideal, ones that give the new players a good feel for the game but without overloading them with options and details. I like your point about using a high impact opening followed by an emerging plot over a more free-form tavern-meet. It will no doubt will prove to be the more effective method.
Meldread 03-30-08, 04:23 AM	Morholdt's advice is really good. Personally, though, I prefer to introduce people via character creation because it creates some sense of connection to the world and their characters. They become more than just numbers and stats on paper. However, if you're going for, "Here are the basics of combat and other rules." I'd do the pre-generation of characters. Maybe make them second or third level and throw easy monsters at them so they can get their feet wet without having to go through a character death. As for introducing the characters into the game world, you can just start them off in some type of dungeon. Think of it similar to how Baulder's Gate II started out. Everyone has been captured by slavers / evil mage. Goal? Band together, fight your way out, and kill the slavers / evil mage. Since you aren't taking your rulebooks with you, if you need a reference just remember that the 3.5 d20 System Reference Document can be found online. Check here (http://www.d20srd.org/index.htm). You can also use Google.
Khaelieth 03-30-08, 11:00 AM	Btw, 4th ed's being printed now. Anyone have matches?