Running a Game for Beginners

[EnderChant]

Hey all, I'm hopefully going to be running a DnD 3.5 game for a group of friends who've never played tabletop games before (although they're all fans of other RPGs and the fantasy genre in general.)

I was wondering if anyone had some advice for designing a game for brand-new players. My dad got me started on 2e when I was but a wee lad, so I don't remember what my first game was like very well.

I've got two possible campaigns in mind as well; input on which (if either) would be better for beginners would be much appreciated!

Game one would revolve around a messenger service which the PCs are contracted by to run deliveries up and down cities on a major river; they would have a superior to whom they were responsible and who would give the players jobs.

Game two would be an Odyssey-inspired journey home: the PCs start shipwrecked off-the-map, and have to explore and navigate the strange cities and wilds between their shipwreck and their home.

Thanks!
E

[Manateee]

The second sounds more interesting. I'd do that.

If you're using 3e, I'd recommend setting aside the first session to just walk them through character creation. It can take a long time with new players and sometimes needs quite a bit of one-on-one with somebody who knows how the game works.

While you work with one, you could see if the others can work out a bit of a history with each others' characters - that could help smooth them into the 'players are a team' metagame assumption that D&D runs on.

After character creation, it can help to make some 3x5 cards with rundowns of trained animal/animal companion stats, spell rundowns, summoned monster stats... the kinds of things that will involve a lot of book-diving and slow things down later. Your first priority is probably going to be keeping things moving along at a fun and poppy pace.


And these probably should go without saying, but I've seen groups go the other way, so I'll say them anyway:

Keep things simple. Just introduce the core rulebooks at first. There's no need to give new players more option paralysis than they need. Everything will be fresh to them, no matter how sick you are of playing an unmodified/PrCed Monk or whatever.

Don't worry too much about making a balanced party or avoiding weak classes/reining in strong classes at first. I've seen those overstressed on the internet, then pushed into groups where it only serves to complicate things, and either stymie characters the new players want or to confuse them with skin changes and unwritten rules.

Come prepared. Have the monster stats that you plan on using, have some basic plans for how things are going to go, have the materials that you want to use to represent the battlefields, have dice for players to roll. Bringing some nicely printed character sheets can be a nice touch.

Good luck!

[EnderChant]

Thanks! I'm hoping to get a first session in on Friday if possible, before my friends' (and my) semesters get filled with coursework.

I've already been able to get one of the players, my roommate, started on designing a concept, so that should help things a little. One of the other players has played in several of my campaigns a few years ago, so hopefully he remembers the rules!

[00dlez]

Short Version: Especially for new players, keep combat a little more basic, but more frequent, and make sure that there is always something memorable from each scene (but JUST one thing).

Long Version:
With combat, it doesn't have to be anything flashy or mechanics heavy to be interesting to newer players, they typically are content to swing their swords, roll some dice, and have a good time. A bar fight or an orc ambush are likely to be just as cool to them as a show down with the dracolich.

This isn't to say that you can have roleplaying segments as well, but I would keep them brief and switch between encounters and roleplaying scenes often, to keep the game fresh and moving.

To keep it from being too bland with my newer players, I do a little pre-planning and figure out ONE element in each scene to make "cool" or memorable. It will keep new players engaged and excited but not distract them too much from the mechanics side of things.

It could be something like a strange accent (voiced by the DM) of an NPC, a lengthy and nice description the trophies and old weapons lining a tavern wall, or even a battlefield hazard like a burning field to add some spice to an otherwise basic encounter.

[Libertad]

Due to the wealth of options for character generation, I'd recommend making pre-generated characters and give players the type of character sheets they want to play.

Make them in line with standard "adventuring party," like a Fighter, Rogue, Cleric, Wizard; maybe a Barbarian or Sorcerer as Fighter/Wizard alternatives for a new group.

Or you can go halfway if they want to make their own characters. This is where photocopying spare can come in handy so the rest of the group doesn't have to wait until one guy's done with the rulebook.

Go easy. There's nothing that sucks more than gearing up for your first game, only to have the character fall unconscious/die and be useless for hours. There's no shame in fudging a roll in such circumstances. Strive for a positive first impression of the game.

[Trasilor]

I would also suggest talking to your players to see what type of game they are looking for. Usually people don't have fun when their expectations are completly different then reality.

Before my first session, I sit down with my players before character creation and get them to agree on type of game they are looking to play (mystery, smashy-smash, etc) and then they make characters together.

With a newbie group, I would recommend doing that as well as pre-generate a few character archtypes.

Finally, I would point people to online resources (http://www.srd.org) as that will help with some of the basics of the game if you are short on books.

Have fun, and keep us posted on how things progress.

:smallbiggrin:

[Calanon]

I hope nobody minds but I also have a question pertaining to beginner players

Alright so I met this girl... long story short she wants to play D&D with my group and she said she wanted to be a rogue which i completely respected but she tells me she wants to be able to do everything, I recommended Factotum but she LOVES the sneak attack features of Rogue... Idk what to do... I her first game will be featuring a lot of undead and I don't want her to feel useless during her first game :smallfrown: The point is that i need something i can throw at a beginner rogue that won't completely mess with my story with my current players... It probably helps to know the heroes are raiding a Necromancer's hide out

OT: I tried the whole Odyssey thing with my players for the first time and it worked out pretty well... Granted they all died but i told them that was to be expected because i wanted it to be a horror game...

[Manateee]

Alright so I met this girl... long story short she wants to play D&D with my group and she said she wanted to be a rogue which i completely respected but she tells me she wants to be able to do everything, I recommended Factotum but she LOVES the sneak attack features of Rogue... Idk what to do...
...
Let her play a rogue?

Or let her play a rogue with either Penetrating Strike or Dragonfire strike?

Or let her play a rogue and let sneak attack affect undead?

Or I guess you could try doing something one or both of you thinks is unfun. But that'd be crazy.

[00dlez]

Alright so I met this girl... long story short she wants to play D&D with my group and she said she wanted to be a rogue which i completely respected but she tells me she wants to be able to do everything, I recommended Factotum but she LOVES the sneak attack features of Rogue... Idk what to do... I her first game will be featuring a lot of undead and I don't want her to feel useless during her first game :smallfrown: The point is that i need something i can throw at a beginner rogue that won't completely mess with my story with my current players... It probably helps to know the heroes are raiding a Necromancer's hide out

Mix in some human (or other race) cultists or death clerics for her to death stab

[Ernir]

Don't be afraid of pulling out cliches. It's not "really, another goblin lair?" for the new players, it's "hahaha, I'm actually killing goblins by rolling these weird dice!".


Short Version: Especially for new players, keep combat a little more basic, but more frequent, and make sure that there is always something memorable from each scene (but JUST one thing).
I agree with this.

Due to the wealth of options for character generation, I'd recommend making pre-generated characters and give players the type of character sheets they want to play.
I do not agree with this. I think going through chargen is an important part of making your players bond with their characters. Only skip it if you are dealing with people with an unusually short attention span, I'd say.

[Wookie-ranger]

I am in a very similar situation right now. teaching someone eager to learn how to play the game.
we have had 2 sessions already both were a lot of fun. The first one we used the 'D&D Basic Game'. it has pregenerated characters (fighter, sorcerer, cleric, rogue; the same ones from the PH) and a nice little adventure where everyone can contribute.
it was all really there where 3 people total, so each person could play 2 characters.
the second one was a one-on-one session and it went equally well.
now she understands how the basics go, what is action economy, what is a save, how to cast a spell,...
for the next session we made an actual character sheet and i let her tweek "Lidda" a little bit; like rolling her own stats, choosing different equipment. technically we are already at Level 2. but i will will go into that after the next session.

a few things that i changed are:
-no encumberment; "you can carry as much loot as you want but within reason and don't try to swim without propping your pack first." if that is too much, just give them each a bag of holding.
-no alignment restrictions: well, sort of; paladin should still be LG, but with enough RP you can justify alot.
-let them be powerful; dont let them one-shot every monster, but give them encounters that they dont need to run away from.

also: new players need guidance, but don't like being railroaded. give them a choice of what to do. you should show them the way, but don't try to push them along the road.

PS: if you have any ideas, keep them coming. i would also like to know how your first session will go.

[some guy]

I do not agree with this. I think going through chargen is an important part of making your players bond with their characters. Only skip it if you are dealing with people with an unusually short attention span, I'd say.

Chargen is an important part of pc/player bonding. However for a lot of players it is terribly boring, especially for some new players. I would recommend a single session try with pre-made characters. After that, when everyone had a bit of feel for the game, let them make the characters themselves but with a lot of guidance.
For the first try, however, the earlier you let your players be in the actual game*, the less bored they will be.

Also, explain things in steps. Don't explain everything in one go from the start, but one particular rule comes up, explain it.


*Making characters is some sort of meta-game. A lot of fun for very much players but for starting players it may be a bog of information.

[hex0]

-let them be powerful; dont let them one-shot every monster, but give them encounters that they dont need to run away from.

HIGH point buy. Rolling for stats can cause jealously and frustration for beginners.

[some guy]

HIGH point buy. Rolling for stats can cause jealously and frustration for beginners.

Eh. Depends on the players. I like rolling for new players because it's faster. Faster is good.

[elvengunner69]

Keep it simple and fun - I have 2 groups one I DM which is newbies (one used to play 2nd Edition years ago) and they are having fun. One is a Barbarian, one is a Rogue, one is a Sorc and one is a Scout (who is a newbie but got into more 'advanced' characters faster than the others). Oh and a Druid!

I'm using a world I created and mixing in some modules that I kind of adapt to said world. It's been lots of fun and a good group. They like to roleplay so combat is kind of lite but I try and make some dramatic ones and all had to make some sort of back story that I weave into the story.

I think that can help and get long term buy in to the game for newbies if they feel there characters have some sort of part to play. Goes a bit beyond rolling dice and slashing things with you sword (nothing wrong with either of course!).

[Slipperychicken]

...
Let her play a rogue?

Or let her play a rogue with either Penetrating Strike or Dragonfire strike?

Or let her play a rogue and let sneak attack affect undead?

Or I guess you could try doing something one or both of you thinks is unfun. But that'd be crazy.

Play a factotum, switch out two inspiration-powers (the sneak attack one and... Cunning Surge, perhaps?) for regular old SA damage. Maybe reduce the IP if she's spamming FoI anyway.

[Calanon]

...
Let her play a rogue?

Or let her play a rogue with either Penetrating Strike or Dragonfire strike?

Or let her play a rogue and let sneak attack affect undead?

Or I guess you could try doing something one or both of you thinks is unfun. But that'd be crazy.

I made insane Undeath worshiping cultist attack instead and I restated the bbeg to be an unoptimized piece of crap... (On a side note I want to play a True Necromancer for my next game...)



Mix in some human (or other race) cultists or death clerics for her to death stab

I used your idea :smallbiggrin:

[Ravens_cry]

I would ask, what do they want to be when they pick a class. ANd I mean literally pick a class, a selection of iconic, pre-genned characters is, in my opinion, a great way to start.
When they start play, introduce a basic situation and ask what they want to do. Then explain, as simply as possible, how to do that. Engage them while doing so each step of the way. Adjudicate on the fly if they want to do something not explicitly covered by the rules. Give evocative, punchy descriptions and, and I know this is very hard, avoid jargon like the plague until things are more comfortable. It's so easy to slip into it without even intending to, but it is very confusing for beginners. They don't know what a d20 is, or BAB, or modifier, or class skills verses none-class skills and neither did you.
Be patient, be forgiving, let Rule of Fun and KISS* rule the day.
Remember, we were all newbies once.
*Keep it Simple, Silly

[EnderChant]

Thanks for the advice, all! Unfortunately, due to logistics, the game hasn't really gotten off the ground yet, and I suspect it probably won't pick up this semester, if ever. Which leaves me hankering for some gaming (though as a third-year pre-med, I don't have much free time :smallannoyed:)

We managed to meet once, and everyone made characters (which the players seemed to enjoy, though it was a bit tedious at some points.)

In retrospect, if I ever have the chance to introduce people to the game, I'll probably follow Libertad's advice and whip up some generic character sheets that detail stats, but leave character details open (name, alignment, appearance etc.) If I had more time, I'd like to try a modular pre-made character generation, with base stats for several different classes, and then separate sheets with racial modifiers and bonuses and pre-made inventories. The players could mix and match items, class/stats and race to have some sense of control without having to start completely from scratch.