It is part of their after-school program. So in February I am running 2 sessions of two-weeks each of D&D. Totally introductory, 1st level. I am even going to buy dice for the kids.
My plan was to run D&D 4e out of the new Red Box. But this weekend I also picked up the new Pathfinder boxed set. It is really, really nice.
The two are comparable on every level to be honest. Figures or tokens for characters and monsters, maps, player's books, DM's books, a starting adventure. Nice sturdy box and dice.
But now I find myself in the situation of which one to run?
Both have their merits and I know I could both justice and my audience justice with either.
I was talking to my friend Greg who runs a Pathfinder game with my son and his own kids. He suggested run both, D&D4 one session and Pathfinder the next.
I think that is a great idea to be honest. Though it is twice the work for me.
I would run the same adventure for 1st levels. So I might have to make something up.
Here is what I am looking for:
- Appropriate for new players
- Plenty of chances for everyone to be a hero
- Should include teamwork
- I'd like them fight a dragon, even a small one, at the end
I guess the Pathfinder adventure is the box is close to that, but I have not checked it out in detail yet. If so doing a 4e conversion will be easy.
Now before anyone says "Why aren't you play XXXX game?", simple, these are the ones I have chosen. These are the ones that have the mainstream appeal and the kids will be able to then later go to the store and get them. I am trying to entice the next generation of players and to do that I need to be able to steer them to product they can play on their own in their own groups.
I'll keep you all posted on what is going on with this.
8 comments:
Damn! I wish somebody did that when I was in primary school. Some guy i knew did run some 40k, but I would have preferred d&d.
I was really disappointed by the 4E Red Box. Maybe because I expected the awesomeness of the Original Red Box, but in general I found it just "meh". Now the Pathfinder Box just blew me away.
I own both, but chose to run the Pathfinder Beginner Box at our Library's National Game Day last month. Since the players were my 2 kids & a friend & his 2 kids, we're trying to develop it into a campaign. While I find the Pathfinder Beginner Box superior (love the presentation & character sheets), I think 4E's Character Builder is better than Hero Builder & for younger players that could be a huge benefit.
I am not that big a fan of either game but I think Pathfinder is the better choice.
The Pathfinder Starter Box is a complete game. Kids can play up to level 5 without the need of buying a follow-up book.
Try that with 4e Red Box!
What is your target age group? What materials do you plan to prepare - not adventures, but flyers, posters, leaflets, etc (to find players)?
Was it difficult to get a school official's approval?
They are going to be 4th to 6th graders, so 9 to 12.
I am providing dice, characters, paper, pencils and rule sheets to help them.
The rules will be more important to me than them, since I am going to using a method to teach the rules as the situations come up.
I am not going to say "you have an 18 STR with +4 in these skills..." I am going to say "You have an 18 Strength, that means you are strong, really strong. Not Superman strong, but certainly Batman strong. So you need to protect the weaker characters."
Oh, I would like them to level up to second level by the end of it all.
Hi Tim, thanks for the answers.
Yes, I read that you won't be playing a campaign with them. My remark about PF being a full game was more aimed at the fact that you are some kind of "ambassador" when you show them a game. Whatever you present to them, you are having an impact on what they may buy for themselves afterwards.
As an "ambassador" I would feel bad if I endorsed a product that they would soon have to replace with more product in order to make full use of the thing.
I'd rather recommend something that is complete.
GK,
That is a very good point. Well I guess the proof is in the playing. Let's see how it all goes. I am enjoying the thought of running both.
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