DnD can be overwhelming for young ones. These tips can ease the transition.
-
Shorter games
Let’s face it: long gaming sessions are tough even for adults. For shorter attention spans, shorter games are best. Start small – 45 minutes to an hour is plenty.
See how it goes and how into it they are. If they’re into it, they’ll let you know! If they’re not, they will too. If they start fidgeting or losing focus, pack it up for the night. Kids have a different sense of time and get bored easily. Games are supposed to be fun! No need to force it. Smaller doses are just what the doctor ordered.
-
Use a kid-friendly system
The DnD system is too complex for really young kids, no matter how mature they are.
Make it easier for them: they tell you what they want to do, and you handle the rest.
Keep maintenance as low as possible: Make preset characters and print out the character sheets for them to choose. Martial classes are the most straight-forward (Fighter, Barbarian, Monk, Rogue). 5e Weapons can be overwhelming too. Keep it to swords, crossbows, axes, and other common fare. Simple is best!
Also use a Dungeon without many branching paths. Kids can get overwhelmed or distracted with too much choice. Clear, defined goals are great too. Get the treasure! Save the princess!
Consider using the “Take10 rule” too. If a character is not in danger or distracted, you can use an automatic roll of 10 for the Ability Check. These rules speed up the game for routine checks…and impatient minds.
-
Think outloud
Kids are quicker than you think! If you do the math out loud, they will start to catch on. Also repeat their ideas back to them, but within the logic of the game and with kid-friendly language.
“Ok, so you try to break down the door. The door is level 5. Your Strength modifier is +3. That means you need to roll at least a 3 to beat it.”
Do the same during battle. Narrate movement and actions so they understand that each square is 5 feet, you get one Action and one Bonus Action during a turn, the characters take their turns according to their initiative roll, and so on.
Do this every time, or at least as much as possible! The repetition will get the rules of the game into their heads. Pretty soon they will be correcting you!
-
Heed the “rule of cool”
The “rule of cool” can roughly be defined as: if it makes the game more exciting, let it happen!
Some kids want to be in combat every 5 minutes, while some rather not be in combat at all. If your kid says “and then a zombie comes out of nowhere!”…let it happen! If your kid says “And then I found a magic flute!”…let it happen!
Don’t worry if this wouldn’t normally be allowed. You are trying to get them invested in the roleplaying experience.
Also consider the so-called “Yes, and” rule of DMing. Agree with all your players’ suggestions. Let them try crazy ideas.
“Can I jump off this tower into a bush?”
“Yes, and you have to roll at least a 10 to land safely.”
Very outlandish ideas are difficult to do, which you can make clear. It helps establish the rules of the game. If your kid wants to fly away on the back of a dragon, explain that it will take some very lucky rolls to be able to do so. This helps set up expectations and consequences without flatly rejecting ideas, which can be deflating.
-
Funny voices
This might seem like a no-brainer, but kids love funny voices! Kids love pretending and being weird…and they love it even more when you pretend along with them! Getting into character can show your kids what DnD is really all about: role playing!
Don’t be afraid to be super goofy: Play all the NPCs to the best of your ability. Focus on character types they understand: The magical fairy, the village idiot, the evil wizard. Pretty soon they will start interacting with NPCs on their own…just don’t forget to react with the appropriate voice!
