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Fenryr
2013-12-04, 09:48 PM
Yo for hi! Pardon any mistake in mah Engl1zh mad skillz.

I'm here to ask about the title. He's 13 and he's interested in D&D 'cause he saw my figures and a Big Bang Theory episode where the characters play a campaign.

I've been playing D&D/PF for a couple of years (5 or so). 'm 26 (the rest of the party are around 22 and 28). My brother is 13. We're not very close due the age difference and we do not share taste in video games (he's fond of Halo and other shooters, I rather play Breath of Fire or any Zelda).

My goal is to bond with him. We clash quite often and we are not very united. My other goal is to give him an opportunity I never had: play D&D as soon as possible. I haven't asked the party because I wanna know if it's a good idea or I should wait for a couple of years. I haven't told him to avoid illusions.

Let's assume he's allowed to join: My first problem is that we must avoid mature themes (gore, sex, complex moral decisions). Beyond that any other precautions I should take?

Let's assume he's not allowed to join due the age. I will wait one or two years. Is 15 years better to join a D&D game?

Thanks in advance.

LibraryOgre
2013-12-04, 09:57 PM
By all means, play D&D with your brother. If your group doesn't want him (and I can understand wanting to leave a 13 year old out of the grown-up table), get some of his friends to play D&D. Make pregens, be willing to bang out the game hard and fast, and you'll probably have a player for life.

Ozfer
2013-12-04, 09:58 PM
Well...

It honestly depends on what you are currently playing at the moment, and if it would mesh well with his age (Like you said, there would be censoring issues). Otherwise, I thing it might work. 15 is absolutely fine, so no worries there. In the end, it comes down to your groups tolerance of him and how mature he is. Good luck :).

Mark Halls idea is great: Not only would you enrich your brothers life, but his friends too! Ulterior Motive: you would be the cool uncle. Except your the brother.

Mr Beer
2013-12-04, 10:03 PM
I wouldn't initially involve your existing group in this laudable goal of bonding with a younger sibling that you often clash with. Run some solo games first.

LibraryOgre
2013-12-04, 10:05 PM
One thing to learn: 13 year old games are a heck of a lot different than the games of a 26 year old. If you've got a gaggle of 13 year olds playing D&D, expect a LOT of stupid in the name of funny.

MonochromeTiger
2013-12-04, 10:06 PM
that's..kind of a complex issue, first thing I'd say is that if his idea of D&D came from "big bang theory" it's not all that accurate (in that they just sit around saying what will happen, no rolls involved, no real consideration of character building or class/character abilities, no stats listed) and that if he's really interested there are some numbers involved.

second is age, yes if you include him at a young age there are certain things you'd want to be careful about. some of the ones you listed such as sex and complex moral issues are clearly not kid friendly so you're right there, gore on the other hand is more situational and it's not that unheard of for younger kids to be see more blood and gore in television than parents or siblings might think.

on the waiting till he's older point, you'd have to be careful to avoid telling him "not till he's older" or something else that comes across as condescending. kids are people, they take offense when they're looked down on.

in my opinion try to get him involved in something simple to start off, help him out if he's stuck at character creation and make sure he understands it won't be what he saw on TV. tell your group to reign in some of their more "mature" (HA maturity, funny) stuff on the sessions he's involved in or perhaps give him a solo campaign with a DMPC or 2 as his group.

there is a worst case scenario for both options, the first is that he gets to play but doesn't like it, the second is he doesn't get to play and is upset about being excluded, I wish you luck in avoiding either.

The_Tentacle
2013-12-04, 10:43 PM
My initial reaction is to go ahead with it, as long as the rest of the group is fine with that. If they aren't, you probably don't want them playing with him anyways. I myself was 13 when I started playing, though this was with some friends my own age.

Alternatively, if you have the spare time, it would probably be best to start him off with kids his own age, as that will keep him more comfortable as well as not slow down your normal group with a new player.

But no matter what you do, don't say no. 13 is plenty old enough for D&D, and you don't want to scare him off of the game.

RPGaddict28
2013-12-04, 10:50 PM
Might as well go for it, my brother invited me at 12 to play DnD with him, and that was a big part of my life.

Airk
2013-12-04, 11:24 PM
I'd suggest talking to him about it first. Make sure he actually understands what he's getting into and that you're on the same page about how the game works.

Then, yeah, solo adventure before subjecting your group to the awkwardness.

Kane0
2013-12-04, 11:26 PM
Yes, yes you should.

Let him do his thing, and keep doing yours. Make a few compromises if you have to, focus on both of you having fun.

Rule 1 of bonding: You can't force it or make it a goal to achieve. Bonding happens as a side effect of other things.

Findpathfencer
2013-12-04, 11:26 PM
Role playing is a great game to learn how to deal with people and makes you grow up..well a little at leased .But he must know at leased a little of the game to play it.Age 13 is the age where you really start to grow up.But starting to grow up is the Key word there but if it worked and he liked you he will turn into some one probably better then without role playing a

And how do you do this by being really really nice and respectful to him and the others party members must do the same too. just talk him though it and not being mean and being respectful and nice don't make him buy everything and no being mean make dnd sound awesome say something like unlike videos games you can do ANYTHING and being awesome characters and stuff.And don't make him some complex class like wizard do somthing like fighter BUT if he dous want to be something like a monk or other cool class let him play it.buy or gift him him the core book and maybe even some cool extra book with it like the monster Manuel or something cool to make his character more cooler and maybe a little bit more powerful


Remember the kid is probably smarter then you think and try not to kill him off maybe throw him a bone like giving him a cool sword but not like make the monster not kill him or something stupid like that. Make your friends not swear or other bad things like that but I'm betting there really nice people and they will probably be nice and help him they probably like the idea of a new player.The big thing is just doing it the game is fun make it fun for him.


You can allow intro dos him to other geeky thing like anime=trigun, cowboy beat bop,detective Conan and comics...but a lot of them are dark but he is growing up=knights of the dinner table it's really funny ands its making fun of role playing type stuff,v for vendetta,the walking dead,watchmen,WE3,swampthing note most of them dark and you give them to him later when you grows up a little but give you knights of the dinner table comic its really funny and not dark
And books=[the many awsome fantisy books]
And shows like doctor who,star track
And movies=[too many to put on a list here]
And music=[im not a music expert]
And sports=FENCING IS AWSOME
And board games=[now we ar just getting silly]..Key to the kingdom


Be nice,Good luck, godspeed, live long and prosper and good night

veti
2013-12-04, 11:39 PM
My brother introduced me to D&D in a one-off solo adventure when I was 13, and I was hooked - I immediately introduced it to my school, and became DM by default. (This was - a considerable time ago, when it was still a pretty obscure hobby.)

He didn't try to introduce me to any group of his own, and I think that was a good call on his part (even if it had been logistically feasible, I don't think I'd have appreciated it the same way).

So I suggest you try him on a solo session, then offer to GM for a group of his friends if he can get volunteers together. Do a few sessions (using pregenned settings/modules - don't waste too much of your own time on this, 'cuz it will be wasted). After 2 or 3 sessions, the group should have got the general idea, and at least one of them will be champing at the bit to DM for themselves. So at that point you hand the whole shebang over to them - print out the SRD (or give them copies of rulebooks, if you're feeling generous), point them at your favourite shops and websites, and wish them luck.

Follow up with your brother every so often, ask how it's going. But don't be pushy and don't comment on their play style - it's not your group any more at that point, and 13 year olds will, as mentioned above, do a lot of teh stupidz. That's fine, if they stick with the hobby they'll grow out of that phase.

If your brother shows unexpected maturity (complaining about shallowness and silliness of campaign), then you might start to rethink inviting him to join your adult group. But that would be an unexpected outcome, and the earliest I'd even think about it would be at least six months into this process.

Enjoy.

Honest Tiefling
2013-12-04, 11:48 PM
I'd hold off on inviting him to the big guy's table--A lot of people don't want to deal with kids. A lot just plain suck at it.

Like other people, I strongly advise running a solo game to get his feet wet. He can freely make mistakes and learn the system. Given his age, he might not react well to older guys being way ahead of him, through that also depends on your relationship with him.

From my own experiences, even if you are close to a sibling doesn't mean you play well at the table. I think if you focus on him in a solo game, you'd be able to work out compromises before dragging him to the table with the others.

My question is, how likely are his parents to object to such things? Some parent's don't care, while others are more...Controlling. I also assume brotherly bonding is much more difficult if it causes friction with your parents, and oh, maybe you shouldn't be dragging your brother to more R-rated games without some warning for them?

You should DEFINITELY introduce him, as it can be hard at that age to find groups and it could be really fun for him, as well as bonding time for the both of you.

The Dark Fiddler
2013-12-04, 11:49 PM
If you're really worried about his age, I can tell you that my friends and I started around the same age as him... wow that long ago? ...and we're still playing. We're all well-adjusted human beings, for the most part... at the very least the D&D didn't make us worse. :smalltongue:

Findpathfencer
2013-12-04, 11:53 PM
My brother introduced me to D&D in a one-off solo adventure when I was 13, and I was hooked - I immediately introduced it to my school, and became DM by default. (This was - a considerable time ago, when it was still a pretty obscure hobby.)



So I suggest you try him on a solo session, then offer to GM for a group of his friends if he can get volunteers together. Do a few sessions (using pregenned settings/modules - don't waste too much of your own time on this, 'cuz it will be wasted). After 2 or 3 sessions, the group should have got the general idea, and at least one of them will be champing at the bit to DM for themselves. So at that point you hand the whole shebang over to them - print out the SRD (or give them copies of rulebooks, if you're feeling generous), point them at your favourite shops and websites, and wish them luck.



I don't think there will be people that want to play dnd with him. I mean i think those days are sadly gone and for what ever resin doing a solo adventure sounds boring but though him into a campaign with a bunch of adults he don't know is not best idea.counting on him making his own group is not the most wises action but it might happen.i tried to start a group in my school but partly with bad luck it never happened

But really what do I know it might work...maybe

BWR
2013-12-05, 01:15 AM
13 is not too young to start playing. That's when I started. But as others have pointed out, the games a 13 year old finds fun are probably not the same as those a 26 year old finds find fun. Bringing him into your current group and expecting him to fit in will likely end up with him bored and/or the others annoyed, especially if you exppect to run the same sort of stories as before.
You know the people involved better than we, I'm only speaking from extrapolation of personal experience, so I may be wrong.

If finding people his own age to play iwth is difficult, you can make a compromise: tell your current group that you want to introduce your brother to the game and ask if they're cool with playing something else than your current game for a couple of sessions. Have everyone roll up something crappy for a hack&slash plot-light game to get him in.

Knaight
2013-12-05, 02:35 AM
13 is more than old enough to play D&D. I was younger than that when I started, and this was as the old one in the group (I usually GMed for a group of my younger brother's friends, who were largely 9-11 at the time). You'll want to take some caution if adding him to the existing group, but it might not be an issue at all if everyone involved is generally good with kids. Your brother getting a group of his friends together might work better, however.

Waker
2013-12-05, 02:42 AM
Go for it. I remember one of my friend years ago had his 5 or 6 year-old son playing D&D for the first time with a group of late teens/early twenties and the kid did fine (He was the DM, mid-thirties at the time). Age is far less important than personality. If your players and brother are somewhat accommodating, then you'll be fine. If any of them are jerks, it won't matter how old they are.

Rhynn
2013-12-05, 02:44 AM
He's 13

Basically everyone I play with started at around the same age: 10. That was old enough, in most cases, to pick up a RPG book and start playing it without even being shown how.

So sure!


My first problem is that we must avoid mature themes (gore, sex, complex moral decisions).

Man, I understand why, but you know 13-year-olds are all about gore etc., right? :smallbiggrin: Also, by that age, I was reading Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion books, which aren't exactly morally simplistic.


One thing to learn: 13 year old games are a heck of a lot different than the games of a 26 year old. If you've got a gaggle of 13 year olds playing D&D, expect a LOT of stupid in the name of funny.

This is very true, though. I don't really consider any game I ran/participated in before age ~18 or so good, but endless fun was had. (Also a fair deal of property damage was wreaked.) Whatever solution you end up with, teenagers will probably need regular breaks (every 2 hours or so) to stop from climbing up the walls.

You'll have to judge whether an "integrated" group is the right solution or not. I've read plenty of old grognards' stories about how being allowed into somebody's big brother's game was a very important part of the whole experience - being treated as "grown-up" within the context of the game, and wanting to live up to that.

By age 13, we're not talking about a "kid," really, we're talking about a teen who probably has a pretty strong urge to be seen as an adult already.

Spore
2013-12-05, 07:50 AM
Let's assume he's allowed to join: My first problem is that we must avoid mature themes (gore, sex, complex moral decisions). Beyond that any other precautions I should take?


Why? Just tone it down and hint at it through indirect speech. He is 13, so you won't play out an orgy in front of him but he is 13, not 7. He can take moral decisions, he can do ... stuff.


Let's assume he's not allowed to join due the age. I will wait one or two years. Is 15 years better to join a D&D game?

Maybe better maybe even worse. There is a thing called Puberty. To some it almost does nothing, to some they become quite annoying little pricks. Assuming your entry post, he hasn't hit puberty yet and is quite naive you could try it.

Tell him he is able to come up with a character concept. You could maybe both work on it. Don't immediately shout if he wants to play "Captain America" or "Hulk" or something. Just find a way to explain an hommage to the original in your game. After all, most D&D classes are archetypes for superheroes and similar.

And please: I like when people say 'No!' and don't sugar coat a problem but if you are inviting him and his first character idea is a bit odd, do not shout: NO! but explain why the idea needs work and how he can improve it or work it so that it fits your campaign.

The major problem at hand wouldn't be you or your brother: It would be the other players. If we would get a minor on our group I would like the be asked beforehand. Personally I'd accept it but won't tune down my raunchyness. If my character wants to have sex with an NPC they still would. I wouldn't play it out publicly but strongly hint at it. My character doesn't change just because the player behind character x is a kid.

Asgardian
2013-12-05, 08:21 AM
Before you take it to the group,run him through a solo adventure. That way he gets to learn rules and find out if he even likes it before introducing him into the group dynamic

In addition, you get an opportunity to learn what sort of player HE is. Can he focus on the game or is he easily distracted? does he interrupt purring any narrative? etc...

SethoMarkus
2013-12-05, 08:52 AM
I'd suggest talking it over with your regular group first. Ask them how they feel about letting your brother sit in on and watch one of their sessions, maybe play an NPC or cohort so he isn't just sitting there (something that doesn't really require any dice rolls except for a d20 once in a while- the point isn't to teach him the rules yet, but to expose him to real D&D).

Show him what D&D is really like. As it was pointed out above, the D&D session in Big Bang Theory is fairly different from how an actual game is played. If the group isn't alright with your brother sitting in on a session, maybe show some other D&D themed movies like The Gamers to get a better picture of how a real session goes (though this isn't perfect either).


Second, once your brother knows whether or not he wants to continue playing, don't integrate him in with your normal group. Start a small group or solo adventure with him. If he has friends that are interested, get them together for a quick one-shot with pre-gen characters. Focus on the basics of gameplay, mostly combat and non-social skills (such as Open Lock, Spot, etc). Slowly build up these basics until the group is able to run an entire combat with minimal assistance. Once they get to this point, then start introducing character generation.

Maybe, if you're able to do this in a fairly timely manner, and if there aren't any friends his age that are interested in playing, you can integrate him into your existing group, but that really relies on the personalities and playstyles of everyone involved. I've met players in their early teens who were focused on roleplay and were very mature players, and I've met veteran players in their late 30's that still played hack-and-slash and made juvenile jokes that you'd expect to hear from a 13 year old. Neither of these are better or worse than the other, but oftentimes age and playstyle aren't related at all.


Finally, don't give up. If D&D doesn't seem to be up your brother's alley, there are plenty of other P&P RPGs out there that you can try with him. Don't get discouraged just because this isn't an interest shared in common, but don't try to force it on him either.


Anyway, that's my 2cp. Good luck, I hope everything works out for you and your brother!

Gorfnod
2013-12-05, 09:02 AM
By all means, play D&D with your brother. If your group doesn't want him (and I can understand wanting to leave a 13 year old out of the grown-up table), get some of his friends to play D&D. Make pregens, be willing to bang out the game hard and fast, and you'll probably have a player for life.

This.

My first D&D game was at the age of 12 when a friend invited me to play a game that his dad wanted to run. His dad had been playing since chainmail and first edition and was just trying to find a good way to bond with his son. We grabbed another friend and hours later we were hooked. Our early games were very rules light and very rule of cool but we fell in love. Sixteen years later I am still playing D&D (well technically PF) and that same friend is still one of my players.

Joe the Rat
2013-12-05, 09:35 AM
Should you invite him play? Yes. I started my daughter at 10. I started at 9. They're only too young to learn when the dice represent a choking hazard.

Should you invite him play with the big kids? It depends on how well he'd fit in with the rest of the table. Talk with the people you play with and find out if they'd be alright with it. Have him observe and see if it still looks fun.
If not, see if he can pull a group of friends together. Heck, if you have the time, see about setting up a short game with the old farts and the newbies - That way you have several people to help show them how to play without putting too much focus on the "new kid". It might be refreshing for everyone to play Young and Dumb for a while.

On Maturity: "Wait until you are older" is the worst thing to tell a 13 year old. "We play a more adult/mature game" will only make him want to join more. So long as you aren't exposing him to things he hasn't already seen/heard (FPS player? Violence and Gore are the least likely to shock him. Sexy time? Isn't that your duty as an older sibling to introduce him to the seamier side of life?:smallwink:), there shouldn't be any problems. Complex morality? That's a good thing for a teenager - tough questions make for better thinkers, or at the worst he'll be extra-pretentious.

Driderman
2013-12-05, 10:03 AM
Do a solo-adventure first and keep in mind that you're teaching him how to play D&D/RPGs in general, but you're not there to teach him to play them like you want to. I can imagine that can be a difficult thing to distinguish, as an older brother :smallamused:

I wouldn't necessarily DM for a group of his age, though, unless that's actually something you'd enjoy. Rather, once you've taught him the basics, invite him for some one-shots or minor campaigns with your gaming group. From my own experience, playing with older players can do a lot for a teen gamer's maturity, and it's my general impression that roleplaying games do wonders for transcending typical age boundaries.

Also, 13 years old? There's a good chance (You'd probably know better than me) that he's already played hardcore games like Call of Duty, Battlefield and Grand Theft Auto, and knows how to search the internet for freaky porn, so mature themes shouldn't really be a major issue, although DM discretion is of course advised.

The Dark Fiddler
2013-12-05, 10:26 AM
I don't think there will be people that want to play dnd with him. I mean i think those days are sadly gone...

You'd be surprised. Like I said earlier, I started when I was about 13. The only reason I got to play in real life was because I asked two guys I was sitting with at lunch if they'd ever heard of "this Dungeons and Dragons thing". One thing led to another and suddenly it's me and five other people interested, all of us heading into our Freshman year of high school.

This was... oh, the summer of 2008? Kids haven't changed THAT much since then. I lucked out and found people who already knew about D&D and wanted to try, but I'm sure OP's brother would be able to find friends who at the very least are intrigued by the idea of a game where you don't have to stick to what's been programmed.

Amaril
2013-12-05, 11:30 AM
You'd be surprised. Like I said earlier, I started when I was about 13. The only reason I got to play in real life was because I asked two guys I was sitting with at lunch if they'd ever heard of "this Dungeons and Dragons thing". One thing led to another and suddenly it's me and five other people interested, all of us heading into our Freshman year of high school.

This was... oh, the summer of 2008? Kids haven't changed THAT much since then. I lucked out and found people who already knew about D&D and wanted to try, but I'm sure OP's brother would be able to find friends who at the very least are intrigued by the idea of a game where you don't have to stick to what's been programmed.

I'm 17, and in the past few years I've never had any trouble finding people my age who were interested in D&D. Mind you, depending on how your brother likes to play, he may not enjoy playing with other 13-year-olds (I certainly didn't), but it should be easy enough for him to find friends who are willing to give the game a try if you decide to go that route.

GungHo
2013-12-05, 11:59 AM
You might want to get to know him a little better (I realize you're brothers, but that doesn't mean you know each other, so to speak) before you make too many decisions as to what he is and isn't mature enough for or what he will and won't like. Some folks will surprise you with their (im)maturity and their (in)tolerance, especially with something complex like roleplaying. I'm not saying to throw him in the deep end and see if he drowns... but at least let him get his feet wet with a few things before you close any doors for him.

FabulousFizban
2013-12-05, 01:56 PM
yessssssss, bring him down the dark path! No but seriously, this would be a great way to bond with your brother. I wouldn't have him play in your current group, have him get some of his friends or people closer to his age, then maybe one of your experienced players who is willing to mind the (age) gap and run a few games for them.

This way he can experience the game, bond with you, see how an experienced player plays, hang out with people his own age, and not have to deal with a bunch of drunken 20 somethings. Other people play drunk d&d, it's not just me... right?

Edit: Also, while it is fine to help him, it is important that HE make his 1st character. Spend some time in the first session creating characters (I strongly suggest he stick with the core classes to start as the base classes are a complicated pain. Yes alchemist is cool, no he will not have the slightest ****ing idea how it works).

EQUALLY important is that you actually PLAY during that 1st session, and that they get a mix of the possible experiences: combat, RP, & puzzles. Keep it fun and light. I recommend starting at level 3. It isn't too difficult to build, and it gives new players some options to play with so their characters really feel personal. Level 1 is boring, even if it is your 1st time.

Frozen_Feet
2013-12-05, 02:28 PM
D&D, at its core, is a wargame with minis. It's not like he hasn't been doing something similar with legos or computers for years now. The "game" part is going to be easy.

It's the "roleplaying" part that's gonna take some work. Some people here have warned against including too "mature" stuff. Reality check: he's a teenage boy, he'll attempt something edgy for gits and shiggles just to see if it'll get under your skin. One moment, you're trying to watch your language because "children" are around, next moment his character is anally violating someone. It's pretty much a rule that first-timers of any age bracket will sink to wanton lunacy and rampaging for a while.

I expect murder-hoboism to be strong in this one.

tensai_oni
2013-12-05, 04:48 PM
I suggest running dungeon exploration/monster bash games. When you're 13, that's what is generally fun for you. Complex moral choices and politics are boring.

Rather than inviting him to your regular sessions, make a seperate game for him and any of your friends who want to tag along knowing what the game will be about.


Why? Just tone it down and hint at it through indirect speech. He is 13, so you won't play out an orgy in front of him but he is 13, not 7. He can take moral decisions, he can do ... stuff.


I second this.

MonochromeTiger
2013-12-05, 04:54 PM
I suggest running dungeon exploration/monster bash games. When you're 13, that's what is generally fun for you. Complex moral choices and politics are boring.

arguable, personal taste comes into play there, I was reading political intrigues and dramas by 7.

Honest Tiefling
2013-12-05, 04:57 PM
I suggest running dungeon exploration/monster bash games. When you're 13, that's what is generally fun for you. Complex moral choices and politics are boring.

I disagree and I think that this is doing the youngster a disservice to assume what he wants purely due to his age. I am certain a lot of us got into DnD around this age and I can say from experience that a monster bash wasn't what I ended up liking, nor wanting at the time. See what he wants and how he plays before making assumptions.

tensai_oni
2013-12-05, 05:12 PM
arguable, personal taste comes into play there, I was reading political intrigues and dramas by 7.

I was generalizing, which is why I said "generally".


I disagree and I think that this is doing the youngster a disservice to assume what he wants purely due to his age. I am certain a lot of us got into DnD around this age and I can say from experience that a monster bash wasn't what I ended up liking, nor wanting at the time. See what he wants and how he plays before making assumptions.

Still, that's the best way to introduce someone to tabletop RPG because that's the most "mainstream" thing to enjoy DnD and similar games. Also OP's younger brother likes Halo and other shooters so it's safe to assume he will enjoy a scenario where you fight a lot of bad guys.

Honest Tiefling
2013-12-05, 05:20 PM
Even so, he could be interested in table top games because they are something different from his shooters. Assuming could quickly create a really boring game that could have been easily solved with about five minutes of discussion.

tensai_oni
2013-12-05, 05:52 PM
I think it's safer to assume that he will like stuff that is similar to games he already plays and likes, than stuff that is different.

If you ask a first time player what they want from a game, you'll most likely hear "I just want to play". It doesn't matter if they're 13 or 25. And that's correct more often than not. They want to roll the dice, to create a character, to select cool powers or weapons - and have a chance to use them. By having a game with a lot of combat and dungeoneering, you create that chance.

Fenryr
2013-12-05, 10:04 PM
Thanks for all the ideas, replies and personal experiences. I will run two or three solo games to see if he's really interested.

Thanks again.

Driderman
2013-12-06, 04:36 AM
Since you mentioned him getting the idea of playing D&D from BBT where they don't actually use the system, maybe focus on the roleplaying aspects first and the combat/mechanics second. Arguably, D&D isn't the best system for this, but it's doable.
Also, combat balancing can be tricky in solo-adventures so I'd probably focus more on roleplaying, puzzles and other non-combat challenges, with a sprinkling of combat scenes that aren't story-ending if he loses them due to poor tactics or being silly :smallsmile:

Morph Bark
2013-12-06, 04:43 AM
Thanks for all the ideas, replies and personal experiences. I will run two or three solo games to see if he's really interested.

Thanks again.

If he appears to be interested after the first, but uncertain, it might be because he has no other players to interact with, so if that happens you might want to get him in on the game, or ask him if any of his friends might like to join that he knows.

Also, don't be too harsh on him at first, and don't start on new campaigns too quickly. When I first started, my brother, who was 13 then, was a regular player in the group, but he quit because our first two campaigns were pretty short--plus he died in the second one at the end and nearly got executed in the first because I misunderstood something he wanted to try. He came back years later for a single session, but hasn't shown any interest since.

My 10-year-old brother at the time also joined in for the first two sessions, but though he was very enthusiastic about it, I was too inexperienced as a DM to handle it and he of course played in a way I didn't like. As you are already experienced as a DM, you should be able to play into what he likes and wants out of the game. Take note that he may well be very enthusiastic about the game, but he might desire a very different style of play than the rest of your party.

Kalmageddon
2013-12-06, 06:35 AM
I think it depends on how mature you think your brother is.
I played a campaign with a 14 years old in my gaming group and we never had any problems, he was pretty cool.

On a side note I really don't see why you would need to censor anything. I don't know about you, but when I was 13 years old I was reading Spawn comic books, playing all kinds of violent video games and making dirty sex jokes with my friends all the time. Yeah I might have been naive about some of these things in practice, but honestly... What would have bothered me in a D&D campaign back then and what would bother me now are pretty much the same things. I wouldn't sign for a pornographic campaign and I would get bored at mindless dungeon crawling, that was true back then as it is now.

So I think you know better then any of us what your brother can or can't handle.

ElenionAncalima
2013-12-06, 08:45 AM
I don't think being 13 is an issue, as long as your content is appropriate.

However, I agree with those suggesting that you run a solo game with him first. Being a totally new player in an experienced group is intimidating enough without being a decade younger than most of the players. Also, you mention that the two of you aren't super close, so he wouldn't even have the fact that he knows you well as a crutch...and thats not even mentioning the fact that it could be frustrating for your players.

If you run a solo game it will give him a chance to get aquainted with the rules and see if the game is something he is interested in (Big Bang Theory doesn't give the most accurate representation of the game). It will also give you the chance to sense if his play style is going to be mature enough to not annoy your group. Finally it will give you both bonding time, so that if he enters the group he has at least one person he can socialize with.

NickChaisson
2013-12-07, 12:36 AM
Yes, invite with him and bond with him.

When me and my wife babysat our neighbors kids I invited them to play D&D with us. I also bonded with my brother over D&D. Here are a few things I learned along the way.

1. He will probably be new to the entire concept of role playing games. Most people who play games are used to their being rules and limits on the actions they can do. The vast freedom of literally being able to do anything can stun them. He may take a little time getting used to being able to just do stuff by saying it.

2. You should probably get a small group of people together with the express intention of teaching your younger brother how to play. Explain to them that this will be an easy adventure, no power gaming and no min maxing.

3. This one was fine with me, it might not be fine with you. Its your brother so its really your call. Me and my friends play with adultish themes. When the younger people played, we didnt really stop. We limited our selves, no sex happened and the swearing was cut back. But we still killed stuff, stole stuff and did the normal stuff we would do. I always went with the "If anything starts to make you uncomfortable, let us know. This a game, its meant to be fun. you dont have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable" As long as hes ok with whats going on there shouldnt be an issue as far as content. Kids have access to lots of adult content anyway. Censoring stuff might make him feel left out or a burden as well.

4. Don't be upset if he does not like the game, if this is not his thing but you want to bond with him, take this opportunity to do so. you could always say something like "You tried my game anything you want me to play with you?"

Hopefully this helps you, I wish you the best of luck with this! Finding a new player and bonding with family is a very rewarding experience. Remember: Have fun, its just a game ^_^

Shardok
2013-12-07, 03:47 PM
Yes. That is all.

Knaight
2013-12-09, 01:19 PM
I'm actually going to come down against a solo game. It's a completely different experience than with a group, and as such is a pretty terrible way to even tell if someone would be interested in D&D. I'd also say that it is an inferior experience for most people, so there's a good possibility that a solo game would drive your brother away even though he would have liked a group game.