So I have thrown dice only once. It was D&D 4E. I was quite lost, but thankfully the group was very gracious with hand-holding.
When I DM games I'm hoping to avoid a bunch of nit-picky rules and numbers to remember only in certain scenarios, or when I can make a type of move/spell/attack, and why or why not. To me that distracts from the game of telling a story, killing baddies, and overall just having fun.
The thing I try to keep in mind is that there are potentially a 9 and 10 year that will be sitting at the table with us. It has to be simple enough for kids to grasp, or they won't enjoy it. The story and the course of decisions need to be what they're focused on, not "Can I do this? Is it against the rules?" The DM videos I've watched say a DM should always be prepared to say "YES!" And if the answer is "No", you need a simple explanation why not. You can't bully and/or restrict your players because....guess what....they won't stand for it. Imagine how much fun it is to DM at an empty table.
The point I'm getting to is that my various editions of D&D sourcebooks are rough reference only. I can say "You're fighting this." Show the players the creature, maybe a brief description of its attacks (maybe weaknesses too if I'm feeling generous), and how many HP (hit points) it will take to bring it down. That's it. Now FIGHT! Or as one Robert Muldoon put it "Work her back! Shoot her...SHOOT HER!!"
There a really bare bones pen and paper RPG called Castles & Crusades. I have that player handbook and even at 1/3 the thickness of a D&D player handbook, it seems like too much to have to remember.
So I am doing this: Standard fantasy races (Gnomes and Halflings are the same thing and bear little, if any, resemblance to Hobbits). 6 player classes: warrior, mage, ranger, priest/cleric, rogue, bard. That's it. The standard 6 D&D attributes will be there. I'm still working out the "simplified" skills that players begin with (based on race and class) and can level up with XP.
Does that sound simple? Or am I struggling to make the numbers work and re-inventing the wheel?
Don't worry about the rules - something like D&D 3rd/4th quickly becomes second nature. Most of it is fairly logical once you remember the basics... and if you can't find a specific rule quickly... just make a snap decision and keep rolling (no pun intended). "This is how we'll handle it today," and if the matter is important enough, look it up after the game session.
ReplyDeleteThe rules are different from normal games because it's a coop game and there is no real winner - the group either had fun or it didn't. If a rule stands in the way of providing that fun, change it.