Re: Introducing Glorantha to kids

From: Joerg Baumgartner <joe_at_toppoint.de>
Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2000 15:32:00 +0000


David Dunham

>>do kids have any magic prior to formal initiation?

> No, which is why it's a bad idea for them to play kids. Kids identify
> with adult heroes.

Not necessarily so - I've watched them consume quite fantasy- or even heroquest-like adventures where kid protagonists and their magical devices or allies do all the heroism.

In other words - take a look at a digimon episode, and put that into the scenario template.

Take something like Harry Potter and transfer it to Glorantha.

> How would you have liked gaming if you had to play
> a student when you first started in gymnasium or college?

Well, when I started roleplaying all the systems available to me offered me only to play the know nothing can nothing 1st level dnd character.

> Let them play Conan or Xena or a horse princess or something.

I've seen 14-year-olds play Conan, and that's what I want to avoid. While a bad tempered 14-year-old braggart probably would do a good character study in Harrek, that's somewhat disruptive to roleplaying...

> I have run a Hero Wars game for a 12-year-old (or possibly he was 13
> then). He ran a normal character. [...]
> As I recall, he got himself in trouble by not
> considering that his actions might have consequences, but I've had
> adult players with much the same problem.

That's what is to be expected, true.

> I'd give the kids opportunities to roll dice, and wouldn't worry too
> much about the exact rules (easier to do with Hero Wars than say
> RuneQuest). And treat them as equal (if inexperienced) members of the
> group.

Done that with 15-year-olds, and it worked. Still, this is a lot younger.

> It would probably help if you had at least one experienced
> RPGer around. (If everyone is a newcomer I might have them pick
> between pregenerated characters instead.)

I find that character desing is a moderated activity anyway, and the more influence a player feels to have had in an inevitable outcome, the better the identification.

> Oh, and try to keep it short enough that they don't lose interest --
> kids have shorter attention spans if things aren't interesting.

Thanks, that's probably a key rule.

And thanks to everybody else who answered.

Joerg


End of The Glorantha Digest V8 #174


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