The Role Playing Public Radio Forums
General Category => RPGs => : Kemlin Dragos August 06, 2012, 08:24:18 AM
-
In a few months, at our annual guys getaway weekend, I have a chance to run a game for my two best friends. One of them has only played in three sessions of 4E D&D (that I ran), and the other has never played any Pen and Paper RPG. The one that has played D&D loved it, but the one that hasn't has no interest at all in playing D&D, but I have been able to talk him into playing another type of game.
So I am turning to you, RPPR Crew and Listeners. I am looking for a suggestion for a fun, easy to learn game that will hook my two best friends. I'm up for running anything.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
-
Something using the FATE system (Legends of Anglerre for example) would not only be easy to run, but very easy to learn; the primary mechanics are very straightforward and simple to grasp.
If you want to stick to d20 systems, Mutants and Masterminds (Superheroes, huzzah!) is, once you get past CharGen (which is a bit of a bear), pretty straightforward in terms of play.
-
If they like horror at all, Call of Cthulhu is dead simple, and the starter rules are available for free download on the Chaosium site. It comes with a starter adventure, The Haunting, which is a simple little investigation into a haunted house.
-
I wouldn't recommend D&D 4th ed as a starting RPG at all, there are way too many combat rules, and even veteran gamers get lost in between so many powers.
I agree with Call of Cthulhu, it is very easy to pick-up and understand. The problem is that it requires an experienced GM since horror and investigation games are harder to run.
Savage Worlds could also be an alternative if you're looking for a game more oriented towards action rather than horror.
-
I would say that it depends on the people you are running the game for. Sounds like they are your good friends. That being said, I would sit down and ask them what they think would be cool. They may surprise you.
-Dean
-
You people like CoC way too much.
-
All Flesh Must Be Eaten is pretty easy to run as long as the GM understands the rules - it's also dead simple to run a "make yourself as a PC and then try to survive the zombie apocalypse" kind of game
Wushu and Risus are the easiest games out there and fun.
-
Ah man, can't believe I forgot Wushu. Clockworkjoe is totally right, it's very easy.
-
Old School Hack is also a good choice. Rules are really simple, both for creating characters and coming up with the game on the fly when it inevitably goes flying off the rails.
-
Thanks for all the suggestions. I have the CoC 6th Edition book, and had thought seriously about running "The Haunting" for them, but I really like writing my own scenarios.
I took your advice and asked them, and they both said they thought a Superheroes game could be fun. They are both college educated guys with a pretty deep videogame and comic background, and one is a professional actor, so RP comes naturally to him. So, if I did go that route, which system would you say is the best for beginners, Wild Talents, Godlike, or Mutants and Masterminds?
Once again, thanks for all the great suggestions. I had never even heard of FATE, so I'm going to research it tonight.
-
I'm not familiar with Wild Talents or Godlike, so I can't answer that.
Mutants and Masterminds is pretty simple if you're already familiar with the d20 system; I know you said one of your players knew D&D 4.0, and Char-Gen aside, D&D is much harder to play than M&M2e.
The one issue with M&M2e is that it's character creation involves a good deal of math and planning, and for new players, that could very well prove overwhelming. It does come with a lot of pre-made character archetypes already written up in the book (and you can easily find some online), which your players could of course repurpose for their own needs.
Combat and damage are pretty simple; if you want to hit someone with a targeted attack, you roll your attack bonus for that attack, and compare the number to their defense; if you roll higher, you hit, if you roll lower, you miss.
Area attacks always 'hit' - but they allow reflex saves for half (or no) damage. Perception ranged attacks always hit no matter what, so be real judicious about allowing these.
-
I would say Wild Talents and Mutants and Masterminds are roughly the same in terms of learning it from scratch - WT is more frontloaded than M&M but both systems are fairly complex.
The best way to introduce totally new players is to give them pregens or make their characters for them - i.e. they tell you what they want and then you build them and explain it to them. Way easier than trying to get totally new people to generate powers.
-
I would say Wild Talents and Mutants and Masterminds are roughly the same in terms of learning it from scratch - WT is more frontloaded than M&M but both systems are fairly complex.
The best way to introduce totally new players is to give them pregens or make their characters for them - i.e. they tell you what they want and then you build them and explain it to them. Way easier than trying to get totally new people to generate powers.
I definitely agree with this; let them use their pregens or build/help them build their own stuff for a bit, if/when they get comfortable with stuff, then let them go all out and make whatever they want.
-
For a one/two-shot just hand out pre-gens seems like the easiest way. Too bad Better Angels isn't out yet.
You people like CoC way too much.
Or not enough?
-
You people like CoC way too much.
What do you mean, 'you people'? ;D
-
You people like CoC way too much.
What do you mean, 'you people'? ;D
He means the posthumans that inhabit this board. Don't worry. Just fork yourself into another body.
-
Dread. If they have ever played Jenga, then they have already mastered 90% of the game.
-
Monsters and Other Childish things has a pretty low barrier and serves as a good intro to ORE.
And Wushu is good for getting people to learn roleplaying as a skill, more descriptive, creative.
My go to is CoC, super simple core mechanic and most people that I rope into roleplaying understand horror tropes and some are fans of HPL. Very few in my circle like super heroes or wizards and fairy bullshit. I might try Cthulhu dark for a more beer and pretzels game though.
But the choice between ORE and D20 for noobs, gosh I'd choose neither and just abstract to Wushu for an intro to the hobby. And then if they're committed explore the other systems.
-
Well I have found the FFG 40k games to be rather easy and I personally love the rogue trader character gen chat. But im a 40k Fan boy.
-
Thanks for all your suggestions! I think I have decided on Call of Cthulhu, I was going to try Wild Talents, but since this will be a one shot, the character creation seemed a little too much.
I've even got the beginnings of an idea for a story. It will be based on the now defunct Heritage USA theme park in Fort Mill, SC. I've been multiple times and is seriously one of the creepiest places on earth, I'm working through all the plot hooks and character relationships now, and I will post more once I have a definitive outline done.
Here's a link to the Wiki page for it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritage_USA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritage_USA)
-
I've used the PDQ system (http://www.atomicsockmonkey.com/freebies/di/pdq-core.pdf) (core behind Ninja Burger (http://www.ninjaburger.com/rpg/)) and Spirit of the Century (http://www.evilhat.com/home/spirit-of-the-century-2/) (sans feats which I found a bit too fiddly) to teach RPG noobs. I used pregens for both and tried to keep the rules explanation as short as possible and then set up the scenario to ease them into more and more advanced rules (aka skill checks before straight up combat).
My general tips:
- Make pregens
- Dumb down the system a bit if necessary. Keep things simple and streamlined
- Make rules summary handout
-
You people like CoC way too much.
What do you mean, 'you people'? ;D
What do YOU mean: you people?
Had to go there XD
-
You people like CoC way too much.
What do you mean, 'you people'? ;D
What do YOU mean: you people?
Had to go there XD
Thank you, I've been waiting a month and a half for someone to acknowledge that joke. ;D
Call of Cthulhu, divorced from the overt Lovecraftian themes, is a terrific way to introduce people to the hobby. You're in a horror movie - what do you do? Get the adrenaline pumping, get people involved, they'll dig it. Just roll these two little dice, I've colorcoded them for tens and ones already, roll under this number and you succeed, roll above bad things will happen. Freaky shit happens? People die? You get to go crazy and backstab your buddies to survive or for kicks.
My players have dug it. I ran it for some family who like the Ancient Astronauts theories on the history channel, and ran them through an Indiana Jones-esque Mayan tomb with great success. Aliens and mummies they got, they didn't need to know they let Yig out to have fun.