Thanks in advance for any help / tips / advice you can give.
i played a couple of short campaigns in the summer holidays of my youth and have fond memories of it.
i bought LMoP with the intention of playing with a few friends, but it never happened and the game collected dust for a few years.
So, one afternoon the kids were bored and I thought this was a great way of spending quality time with them.
at first, everything was great.. everyone was having fun. They were starting to develop characters, brought in fun props (battered, second hand, pewter tankards and zero alcohol beer for the tavern for example) and so on.
but the last few times we’ve played.. it feels like they are getting bored. The story hasn’t progressed much and the combat seems to have got repetitive for them.
worse, one of my girls has become very attached to her player and was upset because she didn’t want her character to get hurt (no-one in the party has died, but it was close once or twice).
anyone have any experience of being players back to the game? We were all enjoying it and I’d love for it to continue.
(FYI, we usually play for a day about twice a month.
If they don’t want to play, I don’t push it and campaign has been running for about 6-8 months)
I am running Storm King's Thunder for my wife and two kids. Both of my kids really do like D&D, they had a blast putting characters together and the games we have played went really well. However, they're kids, they want to play video games, go outside with their friends, and a hundred other things, so I do the same as you and wait for them to prompt playing.
Your girl's dismay at being hurt is natural, what I would suggest there is to make parallels to movies, books, and other media where the heroine gets injured but still comes out on top. If you can help her equate injury to building strength/character then it'll soften the blow when injuries do happen. You can also use those situations to example reasons to run, negotiate, or surrender if needed.
The repetitive nature of the game is difficult at first but it can be mitigated with a little creativity. First and foremost, get used to using descriptive terms and use them generously. Turn "You swing at the goblin and it takes 8 damage" into something that they can visualize and feel powerful, "You swing your sword in a high arc, coming down with an amazing slash. You watch as the goblin's eyes open wide from the fear of the attack. Your blow does 8 damage". That kind of narrative trick will really help capture the imagination and keep them immersed in the game. Use that kind of narrative tool often, and invite the kids to describe what they're doing as well, they'll have fun coming up with their heroic deeds.
Finally, really push that they're the stars of the show, be heavy handed about it. Make them the center of attention as much as you can, let them drive as it were. You may be running something as simple as LMoP but you can still turn it into "The adventure of my kids in Phandelver". Read ahead, get comfortable with the material, and see about making it less about telling the story from the book, and more the story of how your kids did all this epic stuff. Once they get a bit more comfortable with the game you can start to push the rest of the world into the game and have them be the heroes in a world that moves even if they aren't.
It sounds like your kids enjoy the role playing elements. Perhaps take a few cues from YA fantasy novels then. Ask your kids what kinds of backstories they want for their characters. What does their character want? Does your character have hobbies? Where did your character get ___________, (that thing that defines them). Incorporate those elements into the narrative in meaningful ways. Be more descriptive of small details that your children would care about based on their own hobbies. Do they enjoy spending time with small animals? Do they like being scared? Do they like puzzles? Weave elements of what they enjoy out of the game into the NPCs in town. This makes your non-combat characters meaningful as well. Maybe introduce some plot elements that might tie in with the kinds of difficulties that your kids can identify with at school. You can use the game world as a way to help them risk failure in a fantasy setting that they would be too afraid of in the real world. This might help them stay both more engaged during the game and more interested in coming back to it.
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Thanks in advance for any help / tips / advice you can give.
i played a couple of short campaigns in the summer holidays of my youth and have fond memories of it.
i bought LMoP with the intention of playing with a few friends, but it never happened and the game collected dust for a few years.
So, one afternoon the kids were bored and I thought this was a great way of spending quality time with them.
at first, everything was great.. everyone was having fun. They were starting to develop characters, brought in fun props (battered, second hand, pewter tankards and zero alcohol beer for the tavern for example) and so on.
but the last few times we’ve played.. it feels like they are getting bored. The story hasn’t progressed much and the combat seems to have got repetitive for them.
worse, one of my girls has become very attached to her player and was upset because she didn’t want her character to get hurt (no-one in the party has died, but it was close once or twice).
anyone have any experience of being players back to the game? We were all enjoying it and I’d love for it to continue.
(FYI, we usually play for a day about twice a month.
If they don’t want to play, I don’t push it and campaign has been running for about 6-8 months)
thanks agin for any help!
I am running Storm King's Thunder for my wife and two kids. Both of my kids really do like D&D, they had a blast putting characters together and the games we have played went really well. However, they're kids, they want to play video games, go outside with their friends, and a hundred other things, so I do the same as you and wait for them to prompt playing.
Your girl's dismay at being hurt is natural, what I would suggest there is to make parallels to movies, books, and other media where the heroine gets injured but still comes out on top. If you can help her equate injury to building strength/character then it'll soften the blow when injuries do happen. You can also use those situations to example reasons to run, negotiate, or surrender if needed.
The repetitive nature of the game is difficult at first but it can be mitigated with a little creativity. First and foremost, get used to using descriptive terms and use them generously. Turn "You swing at the goblin and it takes 8 damage" into something that they can visualize and feel powerful, "You swing your sword in a high arc, coming down with an amazing slash. You watch as the goblin's eyes open wide from the fear of the attack. Your blow does 8 damage". That kind of narrative trick will really help capture the imagination and keep them immersed in the game. Use that kind of narrative tool often, and invite the kids to describe what they're doing as well, they'll have fun coming up with their heroic deeds.
Finally, really push that they're the stars of the show, be heavy handed about it. Make them the center of attention as much as you can, let them drive as it were. You may be running something as simple as LMoP but you can still turn it into "The adventure of my kids in Phandelver". Read ahead, get comfortable with the material, and see about making it less about telling the story from the book, and more the story of how your kids did all this epic stuff. Once they get a bit more comfortable with the game you can start to push the rest of the world into the game and have them be the heroes in a world that moves even if they aren't.
It sounds like your kids enjoy the role playing elements. Perhaps take a few cues from YA fantasy novels then. Ask your kids what kinds of backstories they want for their characters. What does their character want? Does your character have hobbies? Where did your character get ___________, (that thing that defines them). Incorporate those elements into the narrative in meaningful ways. Be more descriptive of small details that your children would care about based on their own hobbies. Do they enjoy spending time with small animals? Do they like being scared? Do they like puzzles? Weave elements of what they enjoy out of the game into the NPCs in town. This makes your non-combat characters meaningful as well. Maybe introduce some plot elements that might tie in with the kinds of difficulties that your kids can identify with at school. You can use the game world as a way to help them risk failure in a fantasy setting that they would be too afraid of in the real world. This might help them stay both more engaged during the game and more interested in coming back to it.