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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 14th, 2023

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  • I used o play with the kids I teach, ages 9-11. We would play one page 1d6 systems made for one shots by Grant Howitt. https://gshowitt.itch.io/ . The games are always excellent and very simple, they are ideal for 1st time dms. You can graduate to more concept stuff like roll for shoes, we are champion or everyone is john

    Starting from age 12-13 you could go for a PbtA game.
    at that age, if they are interested, even a d20 can work.

    If you are worried about levels of violence go for wander home. Masks hits home for teens, as does monster hearts, because they specifically talk about coming of age and stuff

    Also, I am incapable of posting anything without recommending 13th Age so here goes: choose this as the first d20 system. It is similar enough to dnd to feel like another edition of it, but with way less fiddly rules and great improve based narrative tools that excellently tie in players into world building and decision making at the story level. It is, imo, strictly better than the other two d20 games you mentioned, because it is more stroy driven and less war game-y. Also very short and engaging combat!

    It’s a PbtA players dnd and I love it.



  • Tabletop Role playing Games are games set in a conversation.
    you and your friends talk, telling a story and in doing so, observing the rules et of the chosen game.

    This is different from just collaborative storytelling because, when it is doubtful wether an action might succeed, you roll dice to decide. When to roll dice will be part of your chosen set of rules.

    Dnd and many other traditional TTRPGs divide roles: one person is a Narrator (dungeon master) while each other person plays one of the protagonists (player characters). There are also games that swap role of Narrator, let you play all by yourself without one or any other constellation. Dnd is a classic game with a Narrator.

    Now, if you and your friends decide to play, you will need reference to the rules. With help of these, you can craft the player characters, and the Narrator can think of a compelling story to drop these characters into. You then talk about the fictional situation and then the players controlling the protagonists decide how their characters react to the situations the narrator lays out. When something is easily done, ie opening an unlocked door, you just say that you do it. If something is hard and success is dubious, like rappelling over a ravine, you might be called to roll a dice. While playing dnd, this will typically be a 20 sided dice, and you will typically add some modifiers based on your character.
    your result will then tell you wether that action succeeded or failed. This changes the narrative, so you take some time to describe what happens and then move on with your conversation-story.