Lvl 1 Tips: Running RPGs for Kids
Tips for running RPG games with kids
There are many things you can do to set the stage for a smooth running adventure with young players. It’s important to make things as easy and understandable as possible, as these players will be new and or very inexperienced when it comes to things like rolling up characters, knowing the dice, and understanding just how to roleplay.
RPGame Preparation
Choose a simple one-shot at first. Make sure that during the adventure, there is a nice balance of combat, puzzle solving, and opportunities for roleplaying individual skills. And make sure to have exciting treasures for a successful victory. Have fun descriptions of the rooms you can give, and make sure you can paint the picture of each scene in the players’ minds.
Kid-specific RPGs
While Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder have kid oriented source books like the Young Adventurers Collection, and several youth-themed adventures, there are others designed for kids specifically. Some include Animal Adventures, Amazing Tails, No Thank you Evil, and Hero Kids, to name a few.
Pregenerated Characters
Prep your game by having all pre-generated characters made up and ready. Let the players choose which character they will play. If needed, highlight certain parts of the character sheet that they will need to refer to often.
Dice and RPG Accessories
Make sure everyone has a set of dice to use and lay them out with a card that shows what the different dice are. Dice trays come in handy for those not used to rolling dice on the table. They should also have a notepad for keeping track of hit points and game notes. Also, make sure there are plenty of pencils and erasers.
Establish Table Rules
Setting boundaries and expectations at the start of the game is important. Kids want to feel free, but also need boundaries to know how far they can go. Establish this at the beginning in a positive way, explaining how everyone can have more fun sticking to the table rules.
Rules can include the following:
Respect the Game Master and other players at all times.
No name calling or foul language.
No disrupting other players’ turns.
No arguing with the Game Master.
Listen when the Game Master speaks.
Work as a team.
Offer Options
Part of the fun of roleplaying is how the players choose to act out their scenarios. This is typically easy for experienced players, but for new players, roleplaying a character and choosing what they will or can do may be daunting for both GM and player.
For kids, it’s often helpful to offer them only a few options on what they can do. They may not know what to say or the details of what their character is capable of, so just offer them up to 3 choices and let them make a decision from those.
Give Inspiration for outstanding gameplay
Kids, like everyone else, enjoy being rewarded. Make sure to offer some sort of inspiration for good gameplay, smart ideas, helping other players, or anything that will keep them motivated. Inspiration can be a fun token or coin, which they will appreciate and can be used in game for an extra roll or benefit.
Passing the torch
Running games for kids can be extremely rewarding for parents or experienced Game Masters. The enthusiasm and wonder kids have for the game that we as adults sometimes forget about, is inspiring. It can be a challenge to wrangle a group of younglings, but if done with the right amount of care, guidance, and excitement, it can be the start of a lifelong hobby for them. Just like it was for us.