Help Corrupting...er...Converting New Players

[joca4christ]

Okay. Here's the situation. My parent's went away for a weeks vacation
(Sorry) I am getting together a group of friends to play board games. They like board games, namely Risk and the like. We'll be getting together once or twice a month.

What I'd love to do, is get these guys to travel the down the Dark Side learn to like, and play, RPGs.

What board games out there that are affordable could I suggest and/purchase, that would start getting them warmed up to the idea of roleplaying?

[Zubrowka74]

The SRD for both D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder are free, as in "free beer".

[Zubrowka74]

And there's a free fun module, We Be Goblins, aqvailable on the Paizo website.

[joca4christ]

I have several books on pdf that I could share. And have Shackled City campaign in book form, as well as a couple of campaign ideas. So the issue isn't how do I get my potential players free stuff to get them interested. It's "How do I get people who have never played/never showed an inclination to play to want to play a RPG?"

[Story]

See if you can get them hooked on OrderOfTheStick first.

[Deaxsa]

Arkham Horror may be what you are looking for. has rpg elements, including some basic character statistics. It's based on the cthulu mythos too, so if they are familiar with that it should make the game even easier.

[Deadline]

The two D&D boardgames might be good to try as well. They use mechanics more similar to 4th edition, but can be a great way to introduce those aspects.

Alternatively, the Tales of Arabian Nights boardgame has some roleplay (well, choose your own adventure) aspects to it, and can be quite fun.

[joca4christ]

The two D&D boardgames might be good to try as well. They use mechanics more similar to 4th edition, but can be a great way to introduce those aspects.

Alternatively, the Tales of Arabian Nights boardgame has some roleplay (well, choose your own adventure) aspects to it, and can be quite fun.

I'm pretty sure one of my game players has the Arabian Nights game. We started to play it one night, but he hadn't had a chance to really read up on it. I kind of thought it would be a great intro to RP. I'll have to suggest we play it, feel out the gang, and see if they like the storytelling aspect. To me, this is very much what RPGs are about.

Thanks!

[joca4christ]

See if you can get them hooked on OrderOfTheStick first.

:smallbiggrin:

That may be possible too.

[joca4christ]

Arkham Horror may be what you are looking for. has rpg elements, including some basic character statistics. It's based on the cthulu mythos too, so if they are familiar with that it should make the game even easier.

That's an interesting suggestion. Have to feel them out before suggesting a horror module.

But thank you!

[Kelb_Panthera]

Do your friends have vivid imaginations?

Me and a good friend of mine would sometimes act out little improvised skits whenever we saw something that would get our imaginations going on TV or the like. Things like how we'd handle that situation in an action movie or doing voice-overs for the namless baddies in a video game that the one of us was playing.

All I had to do to get him to give it a fair chance was point out to him that he basically already did it, just without rules.

[Sheogoroth]

I had a similar problem getting one of my friends to play.
The problem seemed to be introducing them to the idea that tabletop rpgs are more freeing than video games, where they will be pre-disposed to seeing them as more restrictive.
I introduced him to this show. I like it because I think it shows how to be an rpg beginner, which just the idea of starting the thing up is, honestly, a pretty confusing venture. It's also hilarious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cdgxy5L6TBs