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weenie
2012-06-13, 06:13 AM
There is this friend of mine that never played pnp roleplaying games, but he seems like he could really get into them if he ever tried one out. He plays computer RPGs all the time, reads fantasy literature etc, but unfortunately he is a bit stubborn and doesn't like trying new things :smallannoyed:

That's why I'm looking for ways to get him into roleplaying without him realising it or at least to introduce him to roleplaying a bit further so he gets a beter grasp of what it really looks like and maybe decides to try it out.

So far I have tried the direct approach and getting him to play Munchkin, unsuccessfully. I may retry getting him to play Munchkin, but some other approach could also be useful. Any ideas?

some guy
2012-06-13, 06:53 AM
Do you have any shared friend who play rpg's? Because I wouldn't push beyond "Hey, I think you might really like it, just give a shout if you feel up for it.", but having other people who are enthousiastic about might speed up the process of him trying it.

Craft (Cheese)
2012-06-13, 07:24 AM
Because I wouldn't push beyond "Hey, I think you might really like it, just give a shout if you feel up for it."

This. Generally, the pushier you are with getting people to try something, the harder they'll push back and not want to do it. This is especially true if you keep doing the pushing all at once, like with "Please come play this with us!" "No thanks." "Please please please come play with us I'll be your best friend foreverrrrrrrrrrr~"

The best way to get them interested is to do it subtly. Instead of directly pestering them with requests to play, start talking about your experiences with the game with them by sharing fun stories and memories (same way you'd talk about a road trip you went on but they didn't or something).

When you can, bring up the game when it ties to something they're already interested in: Just today I had a game design discussion (with a non-PnP-er) was about the origin and reasons behind damage rolls in video games, so I talked about how combat works in D&D and their role in producing uncertainty in combat. Just be careful not to do this too obviously or too incessantly. Make it a natural part of the conversation.

It'll take a few weeks/months of this (assuming you don't do it with them already), but if that doesn't get them genuinely interested then nothing will.



Also, there's one thing in particular that really draws me toward a game/game system, and maybe it'll work for him too: When I see that it uses either a unique new mechanic, or a new, really elegant method of implementing an old mechanic. I'm always eager to learn new things from games that do this, even when it's not done very well.

An example: Yesterday I read about the Warhammer: Invasion card game. Never heard of it before then, and I've no idea how good of a game it is, but I'd really like to try it because of its unique method of resource acquisition.

Each Unit has a number of Power Symbols, and you can play a Unit into either the Battlefield, the Kingdom, or the Quest zone. Power symbols take a different role depending on what zone you deploy the units to: On the Battlefield, they represent how much damage they can do when attacking. In the Kingdom, they represent how many Resources they earn you per turn. In the Quest zone, they represent how many cards you get to draw each turn.

I find this fascinating because effects that manipulate Power Symbols usually work regardless of what zone a unit is in, so such effects inherently have real choice with regard to what zone you decide to use them with. My first intuition would have been to give each unit separate stats that represent each thing they provide depending on zone, then bloat the game with lots of effects that manipulate each stat individually. The way WH:I does it is just so much simpler.

valadil
2012-06-13, 08:19 AM
This. Generally, the pushier you are with getting people to try something, the harder they'll push back and not want to do it. This is especially true if you keep doing the pushing all at once, like with "Please come play this with us!" "No thanks." "Please please please come play with us I'll be your best friend foreverrrrrrrrrrr~"


Yup. I love RPGs. Been playing them for almost 20 years. But even as a veteran, when I'm coerced into a game I'm not really interested in, I end up miserable. I know full well that being miserable in that case is circumstantial. Your friend doesn't. He may simply take the bad experience and assume all RPGs are like that. Forcing him will do more harm than good.

That aside, geeky board games seem like a good start. I also like the idea of getting other friends into RPGs. If his 5 best friends disappear every weekend while he plays video games, eventually he'll wonder where his friends are. Finally, you might want to consider letting him attend the game as a spectator rather than a player. Let him see what it's like without actually committing to the game. I did this for a friend who was going through some anxiety issues and found gaming too stressful. It was a great way to remove the stress without taking away his chance to socialize.

Rorrik
2012-06-13, 09:01 AM
There is this friend of mine that [...] doesn't like trying new things.

My brother is like this, which is why he doesn't like RPGs, he likes the fact you can get a video game down pat and doesn't like having to come up with a new plan on the fly. So if this attitude is so deeply ingrained in him as in my brother, he likely won't like it.

That said, if you've got the organizational clout to do it I'd suggest finding a day off or a weekend in which none of your friends have anything planned to do and organize a one-shot for them. In fact, I keep a one-shot or two prepped constantly because you never know when you're going to be stuck at a family reunion or some such with 7 hours of badly planned down time when you can break out the dice(or i-pod dice roller app) and entertain everyone for a 5 hour dungeon crawl.

Final suggestion, don't take things too seriously on his first run. Keep it casual and up the ante as he's willing.

TheThan
2012-06-13, 01:08 PM
Well if he’s already into fantasy literature and video games etc. Then simply start retelling tails of high adventure you've had with your dnd group. Tell about kicking in the door and slaughtering the villains, and rescuing the damsels in distress etc. Get him interested in the story aspect of the hobby and maybe he’ll get interested. Don’t just say “You should try this man; I think you’ll enjoy it”.

Blackknife
2012-06-13, 04:42 PM
Don't try and get him to play Munchkin. While Munchkin is all kinds of hilarious fun, it isn't something I would have a first-timer sit through. I also wouldn't try and throw it in subtly either. The advice given about not being pushy, and recounting some of the epic stories is sound. I would handle this like I handle nearly everything else, the "cutting the knot" method. Instead of subtle, go for overt.

Talk to your group about swapping the game night to a different day (yes, I understand just how hard that can be sometimes) to a night when your friend will be hanging out at your house, and if the game doesn't take place at your house normally, ask your group for a change of venue. If possible do this without telling your group the real reason until after the fact. The more people you let in on a plan, the more likely it is to fail. This way, even if your friend doesn't directly participate, he has a chance to sit in and see what it is like first hand.

If he is interested, good work, if not, no harm done. I have actually used this trick before with great success. Sometimes just having people watch is more than enough to get them interested. People are social animals and they want to be involved with what "the group" is doing, especially if said group is having lots of fun.

Libertad
2012-06-13, 05:13 PM
Don't push him into it; let him come to you.

Certain RPGs are more newbie-friendly. I personally haven't tried it out, but I've heard a lot of good things about Mouse Guard and it's learning curve.

If you're into 3.X Dungeons & Dragons, you can introduce him with the Pathfinder Beginner Box. I don't own it, but I've heard new and old players alike praise it.

Also, fantasy literature is pretty broad. What kind of stories does he like?

Driderman
2012-06-14, 05:00 AM
Play board games that have roleplaying aspects. NOT Munchkin, Munchkin is for people who already know all the clichés and tropes of roleplaying games, for a non-gamer I suspect Munchkin would make no sense at all and quite possibly be rather boring.
Play strategy games that include diplomacy, A Game of Thrones or Junta for example, or play games that include a storytelling element, like A Touch of Evil or Fortune & Glory, both from Flying Frog Productions. Or maybe play games with a technical aspect similiar to RPGs, like Warhammer and other tabletop wargames.

Playing games like this with him, with your other roleplaying friends, is probably the best way to introduce him to the medium without scaring him off.
Alternately, play multiplayer computer RPGs with him and RP when doing so :)

Blackknife
2012-06-14, 06:19 AM
Or maybe play games with a technical aspect similiar to RPGs, like Warhammer and other tabletop wargames.:)

One of my personal favorites for this is Mech Warrior. Expensive though. If you know someone that has a decent-sized collection you can have a pretty good game or two.

Blackknife
2012-06-14, 06:20 AM
Or maybe play games with a technical aspect similiar to RPGs, like Warhammer and other tabletop wargames.:)

One of my personal favorites for this is Mech Warrior. Expensive though. If you know someone that has a decent-sized collection you can have a pretty good game or two.

some guy
2012-06-14, 06:25 AM
Play board games that have roleplaying aspects. NOT Munchkin, Munchkin is for people who already know all the clichés and tropes of roleplaying games, for a non-gamer I suspect Munchkin would make no sense at all and quite possibly be rather boring.
Play strategy games that include diplomacy, A Game of Thrones or Junta for example, or play games that include a storytelling element, like A Touch of Evil or Fortune & Glory, both from Flying Frog Productions. Or maybe play games with a technical aspect similiar to RPGs, like Warhammer and other tabletop wargames.

Playing games like this with him, with your other roleplaying friends, is probably the best way to introduce him to the medium without scaring him off.
Alternately, play multiplayer computer RPGs with him and RP when doing so :)

I got a lot of people to try (and like) rpg's through Werewolves of Miller's Hollow, it's similar to Mafia.

One group of people tries to kill the other group but the people of the one group (werewolves) pose as the other group (villagers). During the night the werewolves kill one villager and during the day, the villagers try to lynch a werewolf while the werewolves try to act inconspicuous and shift suspicion onto a villager.

Mind you, if this friend isn't into tabletop games and isn't into trying new things, he might also not want to try this.

Siegel
2012-06-14, 07:44 AM
Certain RPGs are more newbie-friendly. I personally haven't tried it out, but I've heard a lot of good things about Mouse Guard and it's learning curve.


That is a good recomendation. It brought two new people to the hobby in my group and is really easy to pick up if you drop your DnD preconceptions of how an RPG should work/run.

newBlazingAngel
2012-06-19, 10:07 PM
My method was to appeal to interest. Almost all my players were brought in because I showed them something that I like. Our druid was fascinated by my dice which I carry on my person. Our cleric was interested because of the funny stories I told from this very forum. Our sorcerer is a huge pervert so I told him a story about a 'bra of holding' again from this forum. Find something he likes and work RPG's into it.

JoshuaZ
2012-06-19, 10:12 PM
There's been some pretty good advice already. One particularly sneaky thing you can do since he already has an interest in fantasy is to start a new campaign that requires some worldbuilding. Talk to him in the context just of throwing ideas out for worldbuiding and see what he thinks, and incorporate suggestions as you do so. Pretty soon, if things go he'll want to play in the world that he helped construct.