Greetings gamers from all systems, places and timelines!
The phrase “all good things must come to an end” feels extremely relevant as we enter the final chapters of both of our Journey to Ragnarok and Dragonlance campaigns. But there is often little time to celebrate these grand conclusions as the question of what’s next will be shortly knocking at our doors. One of these new chapters will include myself running a campaign for at least two players who have never played a tabletop RPG before. Which is great, because bringing new players on board is how the game itself will continue to grow and prosper. However, after several campaigns of playing with very experienced players, I will have to change gears in both my game style and presentation. With this said I wanted to share some of my plans to introduce new players to our table with 5 tips which will hopefully become the start of something wonderful for all of those involved, including for all your new players too!
1. The Basics of the Basics
The first time we sit down for Session Zero it will be a little different. Obviously, we want to cover the basics of what type of game everyone is looking for and what type of character they want to run. But just as importantly, we need to cover the real fundamentals of the game such as which dice to use, what are hit points and then follow it up with a Q&A portion at the end. One which will be very open and with the assurance given that there are no dumb questions.
This is, ironically, the simple part because the real trick will be to explain how a host of these game mechanics work without completely overloading the new player. And this has no bearing on their intelligence as some players will pick things up faster than others and even still may have some difficulty with maintaining it between games. This will come with time and providing a cheat sheet ready that the players can take home and look over will help. Finally, encourage and leave the door open for questions before session one so that no one gets too lost before things even begin.
2. Character Creation Guidance
This could go a couple of different ways. If this won’t be received as too overwhelming then explain that they are welcome to draw character inspiration from literally anywhere. Or if they have a bit of a flair for writing, they could draw on one of their works to incorporate into your game. However, what is just as likely is they will have absolutely no idea where to go with this. And if that is the response you get, it’s completely ok. One of the mistakes I have made in the past is trying to get a player to come up with a backstory, goals, hopes, and dreams when, in reality, they are just along for the ride.
DM Thorin said that “I’m not nearly as interested in your backstory as I am with what you are doing now.” While backstories can be an important element of the game, the character’s personality can develop overtime in other ways over the course of the game anyway. Once the campaign setting is nailed down, offer the player some classes and or generic backgrounds which might be good fits and provide you with some opportunities for story hooks later down the road.
3. Run a Test Game
Before launching into a three book saga, perhaps the new players would be better served with something less grandiose.
Try running a game, which could be in up to two parts, that is a self contained story all by itself. Remember, everyone will not only be scrambling with the terms and rules, but also how to roleplay as well.
This is where the fine line comes in between the dreaded binary debate over “Sandbox vs. Railroad.” You don’t want to introduce anything too straightforward, where they are being railroaded every moment of the game, while at the same time don’t drop them in an open world sandbox scenario and ask them what they want to do either.
While one of the game’s greatest selling points is that, yes, you can do anything, treat this session like the safety is still on. To which you should gently suggest to the new player without the use of an Insight check that, “No, your 1st level rogue shouldn’t try and rob/murder the first shop keeper in town they come across.” Likewise, consider some special rules for death, and if the party loses an engagement, allow them the opportunity to retreat.
4. Guidance in the Game
As stated earlier, the first session for a new player could potentially be a real juggling act. So in the beginning allow them to focus on what they want to do and then, as the DM, determine what they need to roll to accomplish this as needed (this is kind of always the same for players of all experience levels!)
This will require some heavier lifting for you, but they will eventually get the hang of it. To which, if they fail or succeed with the results they roll, explain why every time to help the process along. Such as when they succeed on a skill check, fail a save or score a critical hit. Then, at the end of the session, consider opening the floor up for a few minutes to determine if anyone was confused on anything which you might have not realized, such as why that one group of enemies got the drop on them, or why they can’t use their hit dice to recover hit points in the middle of combat, etc.
5. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel
This works in two different ways. The first being, for new players, you may want to place them in a setting which they find at least somewhat relatable. A new player might struggle to visualize that she is a half-elven Bard adventurer, who is in a medieval tavern which is run by three halflings in a magical kingdom.
Instead they might like something still fantastic, but gritty, like the Seven Kingdoms from Game of Thrones. Or maybe they would be perfectly happy to drive right into a very High Sorcery-style of game with cities filled with bazaars which sell magical goods that also have flying airships. Just consider the bigger the world, the more bandwidth it will require on your part – which could take away from the time needed providing guidance to your new players.
For you as the DM it would also make sense for you to run something for your new group which you are already familiar with yourself. This will allow you to run the game with less prep time and research, which will help offset the extra work you will be doing in game while everyone is still learning. Bonus reward in that you already know a lot of the shenanigans that will start to take place in certain encounters!
Final Thoughts
This may be unpopular opinion, but a completely new player to TTRPGs might want to consider a martial character during their first go at it. In this way, they aren’t trying to manage their spell slots and pick new spells when they have no idea what’s good. But that’s up to them as the entire game is built on the foundation that your choices matter and this applies even during character creation.
Finally, while it may be tempting to dazzle everyone with the deep lore which you have at your fingertips, or how you excel at weaving complex plot threads, unfortunately, both might be perceived as confusing until everyone gets a good handle with the fundamentals of the game. So, until then, keep these treasures in your back pocket to be shared when everyone will be ready to enjoy them.
Got a Question?
3 Wise DMs mission is to help DMs with problems that you can’t find answers to in the rulebooks. If you’ve got a question or a problem, visit the website and enter it in the “What’s Your Problem” field. Or reach out to us at 3wisedms@gmail.com.
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