TRPGs for kids

[ImNotTrevor]

Yo. I'm working on a few projects and for one of them I want to see how much Kids can follow a tabletop RPG without getting seriously bored.

Anyone have a system they'd recommend for 7-10 year olds? I would be running it, and it's primarily to see if they would even be interested in the concept. So as simple as possible would be best. And yes, I am considering RISUS.

Any others I should look into?

[JNAProductions]

I've never played Toon. But that being said... Toon?

[AMFV]

It depends on your kids to be honest. My first was MERP (which in retrospect may not have been the best choice). There are a lot of games that have simplified stuff for kiddies. What sort of things are your kids into? What sort of shows do they watch?

[LibraryOgre]

As others have said, it depends on the kids.

Third Eye Games has one called Mermaid Adventures that Eloy wrote to play with his kids.

Troll Lord, of Castles and Crusades fame, also has Harvesters, somewhat in the vein of Brian Jacques Redwall books.

I have played Castles and Crusades with kids as young as 8. Once they get the basic idea ("Roll a d20, and get as high as possible."), they get into the game, and enjoy telling the story.

[ImNotTrevor]

It depends on your kids to be honest. My first was MERP (which in retrospect may not have been the best choice). There are a lot of games that have simplified stuff for kiddies. What sort of things are your kids into? What sort of shows do they watch?

The kids are into a pretty wide variety of disparate things, but they all have wild imaginations and enjoy imagination-based play or I wouldn't even attempt this experiment.

As for what is on the table:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Jurassic World
MLP
I have one neice who is morbid enough that I see her one day being a necromancer, absolutely. She's 7. Also the MLP fan.
I have weird neices and nephews.

Of course, stories about princesses and knights and dragons are also much enjoyed, and general kids stuff is usually a hit.

I'll start looking into the suggestions I have already. Thanks to everyone who has offered an idea!

[JNAProductions]

Isn't there a Pathinder derivative all about Ponies? Check that out. (And pre-gen characters, because otherwise it'll be confusing as heck.)

[AMFV]

The kids are into a pretty wide variety of disparate things, but they all have wild imaginations and enjoy imagination-based play or I wouldn't even attempt this experiment.

As for what is on the table:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Jurassic World
MLP
I have one neice who is morbid enough that I see her one day being a necromancer, absolutely. She's 7. Also the MLP fan.
I have weird neices and nephews.

Of course, stories about princesses and knights and dragons are also much enjoyed, and general kids stuff is usually a hit.

I'll start looking into the suggestions I have already. Thanks to everyone who has offered an idea!

Blue Rose is fairly good for that (I personally loathe the setting, but it is fairly kid friendly). There's an MLP game, as people have said. Palladium made both a Jurrasicy one and a TMNT game if I recall, but those are Palladium and may have a rough learning curve (they may also be completely out of print, since it I haven't looked at them in several years).

You might also try something universal... Like Mutants and Masterminds or GURPS, so that way you can combine fantasy worlds. Kids tend to be huge fans of mashups, and with a universal system you could theoretically work in multiple things they're into.

[LibraryOgre]

Palladium made both a Jurrasicy one and a TMNT game if I recall, but those are Palladium and may have a rough learning curve (they may also be completely out of print, since it I haven't looked at them in several years).

Palladium had the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles license ages ago, putting out Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness, in a couple different revisions. That went on to form the core of their non-licensed game After the Bomb, which was originally a post-apocalyptic setting for TMNT. They also had Transdimensional Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which included rules for mutant dinosaurs and the like.

Both the TMNT books are out of print, the license long gone. After the Bomb might still be available some places... note that, if you're looking for the full RPG, you want the one with the greyish cover of an elephant throwing a giant robot, not the orangish-reddish cover of a man in armor shooting a mutant bird... the orange-red one is the supplement to TMNT, not a stand-alone game.

And, as with AMFV, I wouldn't heavily suggest them. While they have some good ideas and can be played light, character creation is a little intensive and that can turn folks off.

[Frozen_Feet]

Finland has Astraterra and Myrskyn Sankarit. The latter is available in English as Age of the Tempest. They're both targeted specifically to kids and beginning players. I don't know a whole lot of Astraterra (it's sort of a dreamy sci-fi game) but I've heard good things about it. Age of Tempest is a pretty simple d20 game in a basic fantasy setting, spiritually similar to BECMI.

[Knaight]

I've successfully run a few Fudge games for kids, mostly because it's my go to system and works well in general. If you want something D&Dish, try Warrior Rogue and Mage.

[AMFV]

I've successfully run a few Fudge games for kids, mostly because it's my go to system and works well in general. If you want something D&Dish, try Warrior Rogue and Mage.

I still say a universal system would be best since kids love mashups. But if you are set on a D&D thing I second the vote for something retrocloney.

[ImNotTrevor]

I could do that, yeah. I just don't want character creation to take too long. Kids + tasks that require long periods of concentration = (usually) a bad time.

But I may try FUDGE or FATE accelerated. Also thinking of just brewing something fast and easy. But I'll keep looking.

[AMFV]

I could do that, yeah. I just don't want character creation to take too long. Kids + tasks that require long periods of concentration = (usually) a bad time.

But I may try FUDGE or FATE accelerated. Also thinking of just brewing something fast and easy. But I'll keep looking.

One good option for kids is to pre-build characters. The character creation is pretty involved, and kids aren't likely to be picky enough that it'll matter too much (again depending on your kids). If I'm playing with younger folks that tends to be my strategy.

[wumpus]

Does anybody have a link to teddy bear heroes (created on this site). I wouldn't use it for 7-10, but it jumped to mind.

The one thing I thought it needed was to make the PCs [a specific child's] teddy bear (change to whatever said child is bonded to), and let them control other toys [belonging to "their" child] as NPCs. This lets the teddy bear have pretty much all the available powers without overshadowing other players.

[Knaight]

I still say a universal system would be best since kids love mashups. But if you are set on a D&D thing I second the vote for something retrocloney.

I don't disagree, and there's a reason I went with Fudge for that. It's universal, it's rules light, and I've successfully used it for the sorts of bizarre off the wall stuff that even GURPS struggles with.

[nyjastul69]

You might want to check out Mouse Guard.

[Socratov]

I heard good things about Dread. it work by roleplay, making choices and jenga. The time it was on table top it was really fun and engaging.

[Airk]

I heard good things about Dread. it work by roleplay, making choices and jenga. The time it was on table top it was really fun and engaging.

Apparently, the creator of Dread also did Dread House which is a relative, but designed for kids?

[dps]

I could do that, yeah. I just don't want character creation to take too long. Kids + tasks that require long periods of concentration = (usually) a bad time.

Go with 1st edition DnD. Roll 3D6 six times in order for your traits. Doesn't get much simpler.

[dramatic flare]

Having done so, successfully, I could recommend Paranoia. Specifically, "zap" paranoia where it's all anout screwing your buddy over and not about the intrigue.
"Okay. None of you are the same team. You're your own team. Steal the realfood cookies from the cookie jar. don't get caught."

[Aik]

Shadows: http://mozai.com/writing/not_mine/shadows.html
Super simple, but a really good system that helps the story build on itself. If you can, try and make sure there are at least three players so that token bidding wars happen.

[ImNotTrevor]

Shadows is absolutely fascinating and I think I will try it, definitely.

[Yuki Akuma]

Witch Girl Adventures is meant to be for kids.

Kids probably won't even notice how ****ed up the default setting is!

[8BitNinja]

I say just use an older version of D&D like AD&D and simplify terms

for example, when you encounter a kobold, call him a lizard man, I know there is already that, but they will understand more

For the classes Cleric, Monk, Ranger, and Paladin, change the names to something they will understand such as Priest, Black Belt or Karate Master, Hunter, and Knight

Make your own campaign, something like, "go save Princess Sara from the evil wizard Generic Badguy for King Steve and Queen Jane, and fight his army of monsters while your at it, but while you prepare to leave, left hand man Gary tells you that Rodney the coffee stain told him that only a magical holy sword can kill him"

So their quest begins

Also, keep human enemies to a minimum, killing a slime is fun, but they may not want to end the life of a bandit, even if he is evil

[AMFV]

I say just use an older version of D&D like AD&D and simplify terms

for example, when you encounter a kobold, call him a lizard man, I know there is already that, but they will understand more

Point of Order, in older editions of D&D Kobolds are dog men, not lizard men.

[8BitNinja]

Point of Order, in older editions of D&D Kobolds are dog men, not lizard men.

I'm sorry, I have not read the older monster manuals

[Vichaous]

I found that First Fable is pretty simple, and I believe free in DriveThrough as a bundle. I can't link yet, but just google First Fable and look for the bundle in DTRPG. Might be worth checking out as it's designed for kids in that age range.

[JAL_1138]

Moldvay Basic (B/X) or Red Box Mentzer Basic (BECMI). The all-time classics for "first TRPG."

Or heck, 5e. I've seen a few 8-12 year-olds do pretty well with it in Adventurers' League.

[YossarianLives]

Also, keep human enemies to a minimum, killing a slime is fun, but they may not want to end the life of a bandit, even if he is evil

This shouldn't be necessary. Most kids have no qualms about killing people. Give most kids a 'sword' and tell them they can do whatever they want and watch them go on a murderous spree. Kids can be scary, I think it's a result of not yet fully understanding what a human life is really worth.

[8BitNinja]

This shouldn't be necessary. Most kids have no qualms about killing people. Give most kids a 'sword' and tell them they can do whatever they want and watch them go on a murderous spree. Kids can be scary, I think it's a result of not yet fully understanding what a human life is really worth.

Well then, just ignore that last note