Getting Back Into The Game

[Thriondel Half-Elven]

I have been out of the game for almost three years now. I moved about 1,000 miles from my old gaming group and am just now getting back into roleplaying.

We decided to buy the 4th ed. books with my "logical" thinking being. . . "Well out of all of us I have the most experience, which is almost nothing. and one of us has never played. So maybe we should get 4th ed. and we can all start over and learn it together."

We bought them and over the next couple days we worked on making the players character. A task that almost had me pulling my hair (similar to when i first started 3rd ed.) We ended up returning the books. Again, based upon my "logic" . . . "Well I like alot of what was in 3rd ed. better. More class options, familiar races, skills, feats, etc. It might be easier to "teach" it since i have a basic grasp on the game." Maybe i was just more comfortable and familiar with 3rd ed.

But enough with the ranting. . . I'm back in 3rd ed. and i'm staying.

So my question is. . . Where is a good place to restart? one of my players is 100% new to roleplaying and needs a "jumpstart" to his imagination. he wants to play, he loves fantasy and sci-fi but can't seem in get into roleplaying. How do i get him more interested? How do i get his imagination going?

[Skunkape]

You could try some one on one play to get him involved at the basic level and allow him to integrate better with learning the game. You know, no embarrassment with not knowing the game.

Another thing you can do is to have everyone get together to work out characters and make them all from the same town/village. Then give them some kind of starting mission, for instance, the leader of the town/village goes to their respective masters and requires a group of new recruits to do some kind of job for him/her. That way, all of the characters know each other and have a reason to all be working together from the start.

If I think of anything else, I'll post it.

Oh, and from what I've seen about 4e, I'm going back to Basic Role Playing, which is the system that RuneQuest and Call of Cthulhu use.

[mrken]

For a new player, make him the center of the universe, and his actions can save it from imploding. Actually maybe something a little less spectacular might also work.

Find out what stuff have interested him the most in his reading and viewing past. Then use that information to spark your creativity. Write your plot line for the next few adventures to run along the same type of adventures he was first interested. Once his character has been fun you are then free to write what you think would be fun keeping in mind what he and others enjoy.

[MortonStromgal]

So my question is. . . Where is a good place to restart? one of my players is 100% new to roleplaying and needs a "jumpstart" to his imagination. he wants to play, he loves fantasy and sci-fi but can't seem in get into roleplaying. How do i get him more interested? How do i get his imagination going?

Has he done any acting? The easiest thing to do is sit down at the table just you and him and throw ideas and see what sticks for background, dont worry about the stats. After you have come up with the background and concept build the character as close as you can and tweek the background where needed.

[DMMike]

Find out what stuff have interested him the most in his reading and viewing past. Then use that information to spark your creativity. Write your plot line for the next few adventures to run along the same type of adventures he was first interested. Once his character has been fun you are then free to write what you think would be fun keeping in mind what he and others enjoy.

mrken's on it. Play off what a new player likes about fantasy. Also, someone's first character, if they're bashful about roleplaying, should be themselves. In other words, don't even worry about the Role playing until they can do the Roll playing.

Start at first level, which gives you the least amount of character options to worry about. Don't use any challenging or overwhelming encounters - too dangerous. I like the idea of an in-game training session (lots of video games do this): the PCs meet some sort of trainer, and must prove their mettle with non-lethal weapons and against dummies before they can get into the wetwork.

Starting plot - this is a good chance to introduce a rule that needs practicing/learning. A PC's half-brother got drunk and belligerent and walked off with a shopkeeper's key ring. So killing the antagonist is not allowed, and you can solve it with diplomacy, non-lethal attacks, or stealth.

[Thriondel Half-Elven]

thanks guys. i will see what he likes and do some practice stuff with him. now that i think about it. . it might be that he is nervous about not knowing the system. i'll let you know how it goes

[tesral]

This looks to be an appropraite place for this.

Garry's First Rule of Fantasy
-- All RPG is fantasy, even if it is not. Of course it's fantasy, if it was real you would be living it, not playing it in a game.

-- Do not change reality more than necessary to make your Universe work. Real world physics are you friend, you do not need to explain gravity weather or generally how the world functions. So don't complicate things that do not require complication. Adding super science or magic is complication enough.

Write to your audience.
-- Know your players. Ask what they like and what they want to see in the game. Vital, ASK. Don't assume, poll the players, inquire and check things out. Their role in the game is as important as yours.

The Rule of Yes.
-- Unless there is a compelling reason to say no, say yes. Playing a game with Dr. No isn't any fun. Players want to have fun and to do things. There is a time and place for obstacles, learn and know that time and place. Trying to find a royal blue shirt or spell components in the market is not that time.

-- A roll is not required for everything, even if a roll is required. Use judgment in applying the dice. Dice are random, random isn't vital even if the rules say it is.

Keep encounters open ended.
-- An encounter with one solution is bad. I do not write encounters with a solution in mind. I present the problem, and let the players tell me how it will be solved. Remember they are creative too. Use that.

-- Frustrated players are bad. Look back to the Rule of Yes. If your players cannot solve something because you wrote in a single solution they didn't think of, they get frustrated. This makes the GM look bad.

-- Use any reasonable solution, be open to solutions you didn't think of. As above, rule of yes and keep and open minds. You have one brain, your players have one each. Use the brains around you to improve the game.

BE FLEXIBLE.
-- Don't script. Players will do the unpredictable. And that is that. You want north they go south. You have the old gypsy with the legend they visit everyone but.

-- When that happens, punt. If an encounter is important, it can be fit in elsewhere. Only you know how the scenario is assembled. No one will smite you if you shuffle the parts. If the Vicar has the legend and not the Gypsy you don't loose GMing points.

Most Important, have fun. The game is played for fun. If everyone is having fun, you are a successful GM.

[nijineko]

hallelujah, brother! testify!

i'm especially an espouser of the rule of yes. virtually all my games are built around this idea. after all, the players are playing a game to relax and/or escape from normal life for a bit. they want fun, they want diversion, they want to be successful! i find that i can give them what they think they want, and still make it challenging. =D

[Thriondel Half-Elven]

This looks to be an appropraite place for this.

Garry's First Rule of Fantasy
-- All RPG is fantasy, even if it is not. Of course it's fantasy, if it was real you would be living it, not playing it in a game.

-- Do not change reality more than necessary to make your Universe work. Real world physics are you friend, you do not need to explain gravity weather or generally how the world functions. So don't complicate things that do not require complication. Adding super science or magic is complication enough.

Write to your audience.
-- Know your players. Ask what they like and what they want to see in the game. Vital, ASK. Don't assume, poll the players, inquire and check things out. Their role in the game is as important as yours.

The Rule of Yes.
-- Unless there is a compelling reason to say no, say yes. Playing a game with Dr. No isn't any fun. Players want to have fun and to do things. There is a time and place for obstacles, learn and know that time and place. Trying to find a royal blue shirt or spell components in the market is not that time.

-- A roll is not required for everything, even if a roll is required. Use judgment in applying the dice. Dice are random, random isn't vital even if the rules say it is.

Keep encounters open ended.
-- An encounter with one solution is bad. I do not write encounters with a solution in mind. I present the problem, and let the players tell me how it will be solved. Remember they are creative too. Use that.

-- Frustrated players are bad. Look back to the Rule of Yes. If your players cannot solve something because you wrote in a single solution they didn't think of, they get frustrated. This makes the GM look bad.

-- Use any reasonable solution, be open to solutions you didn't think of. As above, rule of yes and keep and open minds. You have one brain, your players have one each. Use the brains around you to improve the game.

BE FLEXIBLE.
-- Don't script. Players will do the unpredictable. And that is that. You want north they go south. You have the old gypsy with the legend they visit everyone but.

-- When that happens, punt. If an encounter is important, it can be fit in elsewhere. Only you know how the scenario is assembled. No one will smite you if you shuffle the parts. If the Vicar has the legend and not the Gypsy you don't loose GMing points.

Most Important, have fun. The game is played for fun. If everyone is having fun, you are a successful GM.

that seems pretty good. i especially like this:
"Keep encounters open ended.
-- An encounter with one solution is bad. I do not write encounters with a solution in mind. I present the problem, and let the players tell me how it will be solved. Remember they are creative too. Use that."

I have always wrote out all the possible solutions that i could think of that they could do and they almost always think of something else and go with that