Indroducing my kids to D&D - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Indroducing my kids to D&D

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
neilwato
May 12, 2010 1:57:48
Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some experienced insight from those of you who have involved your kids in D&D. I have an 11 year old and 9 year old and they've been begging me for years to play D&D. I'm taking a week off of work soon and I thought I would surprise them with an adventure we can play in the evenings during that week. I'll be running 4e just so I can learn it! I've played every other version of D&D extensivley, but I want to learn the new system in a slightly more forgiving environment

I saw the Heros of Hesiod adventure posted on the main D&D site. I will probably start with that, but I wondered if there were any other adventures out there that were particularly suited to kids.

Also, any suggestions on best practices to implement or pitfalls to avoid would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Neil
#2
etarnon
May 12, 2010 2:20:53 simple plots. A B B A, and perhaps C A B A B C, not A B C B D C D A.

LOTS of description. Don't let treasure get into a mine vs. his thing. Make it easy to divide, and most of the time make sense for them.

We routinely had parents and their pre-teen children playing on our neverwinter nights server, in large groups of up to 8 or 10, moderated by 1 to 3 DMs, and they had a blast.

Keep combats simple. Personally I would not go with D&D 4e at first, too many powers, and abilities.
I'd recommend 2e, 3.5, or Tunnels & Trolls or something.

Let them get the RP down.

Be wary of themse of murder, extreme violence, and stuff that is inherently dark.

Best of luck.
#3
paulstrait
May 12, 2010 3:49:44 I think 4E could work, if you started them at level 1. Cut the HP in half for the monsters so you don't have long drawn out battles. Don't advance them too quickly -- don't let them advance until they clearly have mastered the powers they already have. Make sure the older kid has the more complicated class.

You'll have to decide if you want to emphasize the tactical miniatures game or the role playing game, but they are probably too young for you to strongly emphasize both.
#4
neilwato
May 12, 2010 10:25:44 Wonderful suggestions! Thank you very much. Please feel free to keep them coming. I don't mean to make anyone do my work for me, but I appreciate insights that other's might have.

-Neil
#5
MWSAber
May 13, 2010 15:25:18 Keep it straight forward (not a lot of puzzles that the cannot solve via a skill challenge). Be Descriptive and use movie/TV references to what is happening. Use Sound Effects! Use the Flavor Text from their powers (even the At Wills) at least once per encounter.

Be prepared!

Be Prepared!

Offer advise to keep things moving.

Youy may find that the younger one is paying better attention. My 9 yr old seems to understand what is going on more than the 15 yr old.

Let one of them run the Dungeon
#6
meegz
May 14, 2010 8:45:00 I think you'll be very surprised and impressed with the attentiveness to detail that younger kids bring into D&D. Best example, my original DM was DM'ing for his and his girlfriends kids one weekend (ages 10-13), their first instance of actually playing (they were around it growing up, obviously, but hadn't ever played). He's doing his DM thing, describing their surroundings, as they were setting up an ambush for something or another. It took about an hour for them to setup their ambush (something that would take our group 20 minutes, tops) simply because they got into so much detail, and asked very specific questions about EVERYTHING. It made me realize how much myself and my group has just taken for granted certain things when we play (that perfect tree to stick an archer in, and the game trail that makes it so much quieter to move through the woods with...stuff like that...)
#7
grythome
May 15, 2010 19:27:38 I'm looking forward to introducing my boys (10 and 9) to D&D via the Heroes of Hesiod adventure as well. I think they may have more fun using the mini's (I've picked up a fair range of them on ebay) than with the roleplaying, but I'm fine with that to begin with. Once they have the rules figured out and are comfortable with playing, they can either start roleplaying more, or not (as long as they are having fun, I'm okay either way).

I run a campaign for (grown-ups) other friends of mine, and it might be interesting/amusing to have a few cameo appearances, or at least references to activities the other group has done. I figure that also makes an easy tie-in if a year or two down the road, the kids want to 'drop in' on the grown up game once in a while.

Kharybdis, Hobgoblin bard
Running an Eberron-based campaign called 'Giants in the Earth'
#8
DerelictDroid
May 15, 2010 21:58:47 I understand why you want to run 4e...but for all its attempts at simplicity, it actually feels more complicated in my opinion. If you stick with 4e, I'd sort of do a soft interview with the kids to find out what archtype they want to play. Does one want to play a blasting wizard? If so, what does that mean really in 4e? There's the staff wizard, the orb wizard, and want wizard -- while the wand wizard might be the obvious choice, is it the best for actually blasting critters? A sorcerer might actually represent in game what the child wants to play in his imagination. The same could be said for the archtype of fighter -- which has a slightly diminished connotation within 4e as seen in its context as Defender. The child might think that fighter is what he wants to play, when in fact it might be a striker class dealing much more dice in damage.

Point being popular associations with words like wizard and fighter aren't necessarily born out within the 4e game.
#9
wizarddog
May 17, 2010 9:09:17 If you invest in the cards for their powers, you will find they will pick up the game very quickly. 4e, with the use of power cards, is very tactile, and will enhance their learning of the game.

I personally believe 3.5 would be more complicated with all the skills, vatican spells, and combat choices that are not listed on the character sheet. Playing a 4e wizard is somewhat easier than playing a 3.5 wizard. As far as confusing a 4e fighter with a 3.5 fighter, I'm sure the players will not mind having a PC that doesn't get killed so easily with the trade off of damage dice. New players tend to not be aware of the fragility of their characters until it is too late.
#10
makeshiftwings
May 17, 2010 23:53:02
I understand why you want to run 4e...but for all its attempts at simplicity, it actually feels more complicated in my opinion. If you stick with 4e, I'd sort of do a soft interview with the kids to find out what archtype they want to play. Does one want to play a blasting wizard? If so, what does that mean really in 4e? There's the staff wizard, the orb wizard, and want wizard -- while the wand wizard might be the obvious choice, is it the best for actually blasting critters? A sorcerer might actually represent in game what the child wants to play in his imagination. The same could be said for the archtype of fighter -- which has a slightly diminished connotation within 4e as seen in its context as Defender. The child might think that fighter is what he wants to play, when in fact it might be a striker class dealing much more dice in damage.

Point being popular associations with words like wizard and fighter aren't necessarily born out within the 4e game.

I wouldn't worry that much about that. A younger kid most likely isn't going to notice or care that their wizard or fighter is doing slightly subpar damage compared to a striker. And if the kid is mathematically skilled enough to know and care that their DPS is 4 points lower than it could be, then they're smart enough to create their own character.
#11
DerelictDroid
May 21, 2010 13:23:20
I understand why you want to run 4e...but for all its attempts at simplicity, it actually feels more complicated in my opinion. If you stick with 4e, I'd sort of do a soft interview with the kids to find out what archtype they want to play. Does one want to play a blasting wizard? If so, what does that mean really in 4e? There's the staff wizard, the orb wizard, and want wizard -- while the wand wizard might be the obvious choice, is it the best for actually blasting critters? A sorcerer might actually represent in game what the child wants to play in his imagination. The same could be said for the archtype of fighter -- which has a slightly diminished connotation within 4e as seen in its context as Defender. The child might think that fighter is what he wants to play, when in fact it might be a striker class dealing much more dice in damage.

Point being popular associations with words like wizard and fighter aren't necessarily born out within the 4e game.

I wouldn't worry that much about that. A younger kid most likely isn't going to notice or care that their wizard or fighter is doing slightly subpar damage compared to a striker. And if the kid is mathematically skilled enough to know and care that their DPS is 4 points lower than it could be, then they're smart enough to create their own character.

I'm not speaking of video game/PnP archtypes of fantasy classes, but of acrhtypes that infuse the popular imagination. They are different. The Defender very much plays DIFFERENTLY than a Striker--regardless of the child's ability to crunch numbers. It is that difference that one needs to be aware of. I'm in favor of getting the child as excited as possible in the game, and that means matching their imagined role as closely to the one that does it best in 4e.

#12
strand0
May 21, 2010 19:20:25
www.examiner.com/examiner/x-6911-RPG-Exa...

W.J. Walton recently posted an

article from his blog on the CAR-PGa Google group about the latest innovation from Wizards of the Coast, a version of Dungeons & Dragons for kids. Monster Slayers: The Heroes of Hesiod requires no previous knowledge of Dungeons & Dragons, and everything necessary to play is included, aside from a few dice, pencils, and other players. Play time can be as little as fifteen minutes or as long as an hour, depending on how many monsters are encountered.
#13
DerelictDroid
May 25, 2010 4:46:50

www.examiner.com/examiner/x-6911-RPG-Exa...

W.J. Walton recently posted an

article from his blog on the CAR-PGa Google group about the latest innovation from Wizards of the Coast, a version of Dungeons & Dragons for kids. Monster Slayers: The Heroes of Hesiod requires no previous knowledge of Dungeons & Dragons, and everything necessary to play is included, aside from a few dice, pencils, and other players. Play time can be as little as fifteen minutes or as long as an hour, depending on how many monsters are encountered.

I read that adventure, and it severely underestimates the creativity and intelligence of children in my opinion, and may be condescending. One could use the monsters and the pre-gen characters' stats, but loose the set-up and context. Create an actual adventure where the children can explore. And don't make it about children doing adult things. This is where George Lucas got it soooo wrong in Star Wars Ep1-3 (and so right in Ep4-6). Create adultish/adolescent characters doing adult things for the children to play/experience (of course keep it rated PG and not overly complicate).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 neilwato May 12, 2010 1:57:48	Hi everyone, I'm looking for some experienced insight from those of you who have involved your kids in D&D. I have an 11 year old and 9 year old and they've been begging me for years to play D&D. I'm taking a week off of work soon and I thought I would surprise them with an adventure we can play in the evenings during that week. I'll be running 4e just so I can learn it! I've played every other version of D&D extensivley, but I want to learn the new system in a slightly more forgiving environment I saw the Heros of Hesiod adventure posted on the main D&D site. I will probably start with that, but I wondered if there were any other adventures out there that were particularly suited to kids. Also, any suggestions on best practices to implement or pitfalls to avoid would be appreciated. Thanks! Neil
#2 etarnon May 12, 2010 2:20:53	simple plots. A B B A, and perhaps C A B A B C, not A B C B D C D A. LOTS of description. Don't let treasure get into a mine vs. his thing. Make it easy to divide, and most of the time make sense for them. We routinely had parents and their pre-teen children playing on our neverwinter nights server, in large groups of up to 8 or 10, moderated by 1 to 3 DMs, and they had a blast. Keep combats simple. Personally I would not go with D&D 4e at first, too many powers, and abilities. I'd recommend 2e, 3.5, or Tunnels & Trolls or something. Let them get the RP down. Be wary of themse of murder, extreme violence, and stuff that is inherently dark. Best of luck.
#3 paulstrait May 12, 2010 3:49:44	I think 4E could work, if you started them at level 1. Cut the HP in half for the monsters so you don't have long drawn out battles. Don't advance them too quickly -- don't let them advance until they clearly have mastered the powers they already have. Make sure the older kid has the more complicated class. You'll have to decide if you want to emphasize the tactical miniatures game or the role playing game, but they are probably too young for you to strongly emphasize both.
#4 neilwato May 12, 2010 10:25:44	Wonderful suggestions! Thank you very much. Please feel free to keep them coming. I don't mean to make anyone do my work for me, but I appreciate insights that other's might have. -Neil
#5 MWSAber May 13, 2010 15:25:18	Keep it straight forward (not a lot of puzzles that the cannot solve via a skill challenge). Be Descriptive and use movie/TV references to what is happening. Use Sound Effects! Use the Flavor Text from their powers (even the At Wills) at least once per encounter. Be prepared! Be Prepared! Offer advise to keep things moving. Youy may find that the younger one is paying better attention. My 9 yr old seems to understand what is going on more than the 15 yr old. Let one of them run the Dungeon
#6 meegz May 14, 2010 8:45:00	I think you'll be very surprised and impressed with the attentiveness to detail that younger kids bring into D&D. Best example, my original DM was DM'ing for his and his girlfriends kids one weekend (ages 10-13), their first instance of actually playing (they were around it growing up, obviously, but hadn't ever played). He's doing his DM thing, describing their surroundings, as they were setting up an ambush for something or another. It took about an hour for them to setup their ambush (something that would take our group 20 minutes, tops) simply because they got into so much detail, and asked very specific questions about EVERYTHING. It made me realize how much myself and my group has just taken for granted certain things when we play (that perfect tree to stick an archer in, and the game trail that makes it so much quieter to move through the woods with...stuff like that...)
#7 grythome May 15, 2010 19:27:38	I'm looking forward to introducing my boys (10 and 9) to D&D via the Heroes of Hesiod adventure as well. I think they may have more fun using the mini's (I've picked up a fair range of them on ebay) than with the roleplaying, but I'm fine with that to begin with. Once they have the rules figured out and are comfortable with playing, they can either start roleplaying more, or not (as long as they are having fun, I'm okay either way). I run a campaign for (grown-ups) other friends of mine, and it might be interesting/amusing to have a few cameo appearances, or at least references to activities the other group has done. I figure that also makes an easy tie-in if a year or two down the road, the kids want to 'drop in' on the grown up game once in a while. Kharybdis, Hobgoblin bard Running an Eberron-based campaign called 'Giants in the Earth'
#8 DerelictDroid May 15, 2010 21:58:47	I understand why you want to run 4e...but for all its attempts at simplicity, it actually feels more complicated in my opinion. If you stick with 4e, I'd sort of do a soft interview with the kids to find out what archtype they want to play. Does one want to play a blasting wizard? If so, what does that mean really in 4e? There's the staff wizard, the orb wizard, and want wizard -- while the wand wizard might be the obvious choice, is it the best for actually blasting critters? A sorcerer might actually represent in game what the child wants to play in his imagination. The same could be said for the archtype of fighter -- which has a slightly diminished connotation within 4e as seen in its context as Defender. The child might think that fighter is what he wants to play, when in fact it might be a striker class dealing much more dice in damage. Point being popular associations with words like wizard and fighter aren't necessarily born out within the 4e game.
#9 wizarddog May 17, 2010 9:09:17	If you invest in the cards for their powers, you will find they will pick up the game very quickly. 4e, with the use of power cards, is very tactile, and will enhance their learning of the game. I personally believe 3.5 would be more complicated with all the skills, vatican spells, and combat choices that are not listed on the character sheet. Playing a 4e wizard is somewhat easier than playing a 3.5 wizard. As far as confusing a 4e fighter with a 3.5 fighter, I'm sure the players will not mind having a PC that doesn't get killed so easily with the trade off of damage dice. New players tend to not be aware of the fragility of their characters until it is too late.
#10 makeshiftwings May 17, 2010 23:53:02	I understand why you want to run 4e...but for all its attempts at simplicity, it actually feels more complicated in my opinion. If you stick with 4e, I'd sort of do a soft interview with the kids to find out what archtype they want to play. Does one want to play a blasting wizard? If so, what does that mean really in 4e? There's the staff wizard, the orb wizard, and want wizard -- while the wand wizard might be the obvious choice, is it the best for actually blasting critters? A sorcerer might actually represent in game what the child wants to play in his imagination. The same could be said for the archtype of fighter -- which has a slightly diminished connotation within 4e as seen in its context as Defender. The child might think that fighter is what he wants to play, when in fact it might be a striker class dealing much more dice in damage. Point being popular associations with words like wizard and fighter aren't necessarily born out within the 4e game. I wouldn't worry that much about that. A younger kid most likely isn't going to notice or care that their wizard or fighter is doing slightly subpar damage compared to a striker. And if the kid is mathematically skilled enough to know and care that their DPS is 4 points lower than it could be, then they're smart enough to create their own character.
#11 DerelictDroid May 21, 2010 13:23:20	I understand why you want to run 4e...but for all its attempts at simplicity, it actually feels more complicated in my opinion. If you stick with 4e, I'd sort of do a soft interview with the kids to find out what archtype they want to play. Does one want to play a blasting wizard? If so, what does that mean really in 4e? There's the staff wizard, the orb wizard, and want wizard -- while the wand wizard might be the obvious choice, is it the best for actually blasting critters? A sorcerer might actually represent in game what the child wants to play in his imagination. The same could be said for the archtype of fighter -- which has a slightly diminished connotation within 4e as seen in its context as Defender. The child might think that fighter is what he wants to play, when in fact it might be a striker class dealing much more dice in damage. Point being popular associations with words like wizard and fighter aren't necessarily born out within the 4e game. I wouldn't worry that much about that. A younger kid most likely isn't going to notice or care that their wizard or fighter is doing slightly subpar damage compared to a striker. And if the kid is mathematically skilled enough to know and care that their DPS is 4 points lower than it could be, then they're smart enough to create their own character. I'm not speaking of video game/PnP archtypes of fantasy classes, but of acrhtypes that infuse the popular imagination. They are different. The Defender very much plays DIFFERENTLY than a Striker--regardless of the child's ability to crunch numbers. It is that difference that one needs to be aware of. I'm in favor of getting the child as excited as possible in the game, and that means matching their imagined role as closely to the one that does it best in 4e.
#12 strand0 May 21, 2010 19:20:25	www.examiner.com/examiner/x-6911-RPG-Exa... W.J. Walton recently posted an article from his blog on the CAR-PGa Google group about the latest innovation from Wizards of the Coast, a version of Dungeons & Dragons for kids. Monster Slayers: The Heroes of Hesiod requires no previous knowledge of Dungeons & Dragons, and everything necessary to play is included, aside from a few dice, pencils, and other players. Play time can be as little as fifteen minutes or as long as an hour, depending on how many monsters are encountered.
#13 DerelictDroid May 25, 2010 4:46:50	www.examiner.com/examiner/x-6911-RPG-Exa... W.J. Walton recently posted an article from his blog on the CAR-PGa Google group about the latest innovation from Wizards of the Coast, a version of Dungeons & Dragons for kids. Monster Slayers: The Heroes of Hesiod requires no previous knowledge of Dungeons & Dragons, and everything necessary to play is included, aside from a few dice, pencils, and other players. Play time can be as little as fifteen minutes or as long as an hour, depending on how many monsters are encountered. I read that adventure, and it severely underestimates the creativity and intelligence of children in my opinion, and may be condescending. One could use the monsters and the pre-gen characters' stats, but loose the set-up and context. Create an actual adventure where the children can explore. And don't make it about children doing adult things. This is where George Lucas got it soooo wrong in Star Wars Ep1-3 (and so right in Ep4-6). Create adultish/adolescent characters doing adult things for the children to play/experience (of course keep it rated PG and not overly complicate).