Hope me RPG with my kid!
August 29, 2019 8:47 AM Subscribe
Seeking suggestions on casual, creative role-playing games I can play with my 10 year old.
Background: I am a long-time video gamer, sci-fi/fantasy reader, and well-acquainted with the tropes and ideas of traditional D&D role-playing....but I have never actually done any role-playing gaming.
A few weeks ago I introduced to my 10 year old daughter to Amazing Tales and we've had fun making simple, goofy character sheets and telling random adventure stories. No number crunching, just roll a die and see if your idea succeeds or fails.
She's interested in stepping it up from here, but I don't know where to go next. While some rules, structure, and guidelines are fine, we're more focused on making casual, creative fun than hardcore rules and number crunching. We usually can only play for 30 mins at a stretch. Also, I am a terrible DM, so pre-existing adventures would be fun too.
A friend recommended FATE, but it seems like there are a bajillionty other RPG systems and modules out there and I can't make sense of what'd be good for us. There's usually only 2 playing (or 3 if mom joins.) Willing to spend $20-30 on a guide if that matters.
Background: I am a long-time video gamer, sci-fi/fantasy reader, and well-acquainted with the tropes and ideas of traditional D&D role-playing....but I have never actually done any role-playing gaming.
A few weeks ago I introduced to my 10 year old daughter to Amazing Tales and we've had fun making simple, goofy character sheets and telling random adventure stories. No number crunching, just roll a die and see if your idea succeeds or fails.
She's interested in stepping it up from here, but I don't know where to go next. While some rules, structure, and guidelines are fine, we're more focused on making casual, creative fun than hardcore rules and number crunching. We usually can only play for 30 mins at a stretch. Also, I am a terrible DM, so pre-existing adventures would be fun too.
A friend recommended FATE, but it seems like there are a bajillionty other RPG systems and modules out there and I can't make sense of what'd be good for us. There's usually only 2 playing (or 3 if mom joins.) Willing to spend $20-30 on a guide if that matters.
There are swarms of games that have free starter guides, so you should be able to experiment a bit before spending money on a full book/set of books that may not turn out to work well for you.
FATE is terrific, but its entire approach is very different from most RPGs. One of its advantages is the huge collection of free PDFs for the core rulebook and many expansions, including some adventures. There are also several "World of Adventure" game modules at DriveThruRPG that are "pay what you want" for the PDFs. Fate Accelerated also has resources; it's quicker to get started than Fate, but I've been told it isn't good for long-term campaigns.
If you like post-apoc settings, Apocalypse World is great. If you don't, the designer made the rule system free to use and adapt, so there are games in many genres that say "Powered by the Apocalypse" (PbtA) or Apocalypse World Engine; the system is simple and focused on narrative activity rather than number-crunching. Dungeon World is the D&D-ish version.
The key thing about Apoc World: Each character is an archetype, and there is only one in the game. If you are "the Driver," you are the only driver. If you are "the Barbarian," you are the only one. Each player brings different skills and resources to the game; there's never any problem with "how do we tell these two wizards apart?"
My daughter remembers Fuzzy Heroes being one of her favorites - it's an RPG where you play with "figurines" that are real-life toys, on a battlefield/setting like "the kitchen table" or "the top of the bed."
Cat: A Little Game about Little Heroes is about housecats protecting people from monsters.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 9:15 AM on August 29, 2019
FATE is terrific, but its entire approach is very different from most RPGs. One of its advantages is the huge collection of free PDFs for the core rulebook and many expansions, including some adventures. There are also several "World of Adventure" game modules at DriveThruRPG that are "pay what you want" for the PDFs. Fate Accelerated also has resources; it's quicker to get started than Fate, but I've been told it isn't good for long-term campaigns.
If you like post-apoc settings, Apocalypse World is great. If you don't, the designer made the rule system free to use and adapt, so there are games in many genres that say "Powered by the Apocalypse" (PbtA) or Apocalypse World Engine; the system is simple and focused on narrative activity rather than number-crunching. Dungeon World is the D&D-ish version.
The key thing about Apoc World: Each character is an archetype, and there is only one in the game. If you are "the Driver," you are the only driver. If you are "the Barbarian," you are the only one. Each player brings different skills and resources to the game; there's never any problem with "how do we tell these two wizards apart?"
My daughter remembers Fuzzy Heroes being one of her favorites - it's an RPG where you play with "figurines" that are real-life toys, on a battlefield/setting like "the kitchen table" or "the top of the bed."
Cat: A Little Game about Little Heroes is about housecats protecting people from monsters.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 9:15 AM on August 29, 2019
I found some free Tunnels and Trolls solo adventures to be great for this, like Goblin Lake.
There are more free T&T solos that would be a good follow on.
It's solo, but I helped my son by acting as DM.
posted by jclarkin at 9:20 AM on August 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
There are more free T&T solos that would be a good follow on.
It's solo, but I helped my son by acting as DM.
posted by jclarkin at 9:20 AM on August 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
I'm a fan of Third Eye Games' PIP System for lightweight, RPGs for young tabletop gamers. There are tons of good adventure seeds to build into a quick 30 min adventure and the system is structured without getting in your way. It also doesn't have any system mastery elements (like D&D). The generic system is good if you're okay doing a little lifting, but if any of the standalone games using the system appeal to you or your daughter I would recommend you go with them. There are enough ideas in them to keep you busy for quite some time.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 9:23 AM on August 29, 2019
posted by forbiddencabinet at 9:23 AM on August 29, 2019
At this point I usually suggest FFG's Star Wars RPG, if the GM and players are SciFi fans (and more so if they're specifically Space Opera/Star Wars fans).
If you'll pardon the lightly-edited copypasta from the last time I did this:
"The benefit of the Star Wars RPG, in my experience (I've been running a game for a couple of years, now) is that it's a huge cultural touchstone that many people already understand the setting for. The story and character archetypes are also well-known.
FFG's Star Wars line has three flavours, which all use the same basic ruleset: Edge of the Empire, which is about smugglers, crime lords, the underworld, and living, as the name suggests, in the shadows between legal and outright criminal activity. Age of Rebellion is firmly set in the Galactic Civil War: the evil Empire vs the good-guy Rebel Alliance. Finally, Force and Destiny explores the Force and the Jedi (The Force is present in the other two lines, but it's quite limited). They're all notionally set in the same time frame (think original movie trilogy) but easily adaptable to match e.g. The Clone Wars or Rebels cartoons, if that's a better reference frame.
Each of the three Star Wars lines has a Beginner Game, designed to ease you into the system (both as a player and as a Game Master, or GM), and includes basic rules, pre-generated characters, maps, counters, a story to run through (which can then be extended with a free pdf download from the Fantasy Flight Games website), and most importantly - a set of the special Dice that the game uses (an iOS/Android App is also available for about $6US, as are free web-based rollers). "
(There's also a fourth beginner game that was themed with and released around The Force Awakens, which does all the same things but is neutral with respect to the three setting-lines)
The time limitation is probably the biggest obstacle - each beginner box story would take around 3-4 hours gameplay, but the FFG website then has free pdf downloads of follow-on adventures for each of the boxes that should be good for an additional 4-5 sessions of equal length.
The beginner games are approx. $23-28 on Amazon, but are widely available - you might find them cheaper elsewhere.
posted by Nice Guy Mike at 10:03 AM on August 29, 2019
If you'll pardon the lightly-edited copypasta from the last time I did this:
"The benefit of the Star Wars RPG, in my experience (I've been running a game for a couple of years, now) is that it's a huge cultural touchstone that many people already understand the setting for. The story and character archetypes are also well-known.
FFG's Star Wars line has three flavours, which all use the same basic ruleset: Edge of the Empire, which is about smugglers, crime lords, the underworld, and living, as the name suggests, in the shadows between legal and outright criminal activity. Age of Rebellion is firmly set in the Galactic Civil War: the evil Empire vs the good-guy Rebel Alliance. Finally, Force and Destiny explores the Force and the Jedi (The Force is present in the other two lines, but it's quite limited). They're all notionally set in the same time frame (think original movie trilogy) but easily adaptable to match e.g. The Clone Wars or Rebels cartoons, if that's a better reference frame.
Each of the three Star Wars lines has a Beginner Game, designed to ease you into the system (both as a player and as a Game Master, or GM), and includes basic rules, pre-generated characters, maps, counters, a story to run through (which can then be extended with a free pdf download from the Fantasy Flight Games website), and most importantly - a set of the special Dice that the game uses (an iOS/Android App is also available for about $6US, as are free web-based rollers). "
(There's also a fourth beginner game that was themed with and released around The Force Awakens, which does all the same things but is neutral with respect to the three setting-lines)
The time limitation is probably the biggest obstacle - each beginner box story would take around 3-4 hours gameplay, but the FFG website then has free pdf downloads of follow-on adventures for each of the boxes that should be good for an additional 4-5 sessions of equal length.
The beginner games are approx. $23-28 on Amazon, but are widely available - you might find them cheaper elsewhere.
posted by Nice Guy Mike at 10:03 AM on August 29, 2019
Apocalypse World is indeed really great, but I dunno if it's for ten-year olds, or for the OP's ten-year-old.
posted by Sauce Trough at 11:39 AM on August 29, 2019
posted by Sauce Trough at 11:39 AM on August 29, 2019
My ten year old and his mates have amazing fun with Goblin Quest. Slightly cheaper electronic copy here. It's the epitome of creative and casual - every adventure writes itself in the most hysterical way possible.
posted by some little punk in a rocket at 5:37 PM on August 29, 2019
posted by some little punk in a rocket at 5:37 PM on August 29, 2019
Fantasy Flight's Star Wars RPG is indeed super amazing if you love Star Wars. But the adventures do typically take a lot longer than 30 minutes.
My 6yo daughter is currently playing My Little Pony: Tails of Equestria with one of her parents GMing (usually her dad). It's very lightweight rules and number crunching wise, while still feeling like a full tabletop experience with character sheets, dice, a bestiary you can flip through idly imagining new adventures, etc. If yours happens to also love MLP:FIM, I think it's a good intro to the wide world of tabletop RPGs.
posted by potrzebie at 10:41 PM on August 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
My 6yo daughter is currently playing My Little Pony: Tails of Equestria with one of her parents GMing (usually her dad). It's very lightweight rules and number crunching wise, while still feeling like a full tabletop experience with character sheets, dice, a bestiary you can flip through idly imagining new adventures, etc. If yours happens to also love MLP:FIM, I think it's a good intro to the wide world of tabletop RPGs.
posted by potrzebie at 10:41 PM on August 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
This one might be a little tougher to play with just two people, but It's Not My Fault is a lot of fun! It's a "one-shot-in-a-box" deck of cards where you can quickly generate a character and a scenario, and then each player character explains why it's not THEIR fault they're in this sticky situation, it's [player to the left's] fault because [reasons]. Improvised hijinx ensue.
It uses Fate Accelerated rules, so it's pretty quick and easy to pick up and can be a lot of fun with the right group--I actually ran this at Gen Con a few years ago, and it seemed like a hit! There's a lot of possible combos with the core pack, but if it starts feeling a bit stale, there's also an expansion pack.
posted by helloimjennsco at 6:33 AM on August 30, 2019
It uses Fate Accelerated rules, so it's pretty quick and easy to pick up and can be a lot of fun with the right group--I actually ran this at Gen Con a few years ago, and it seemed like a hit! There's a lot of possible combos with the core pack, but if it starts feeling a bit stale, there's also an expansion pack.
posted by helloimjennsco at 6:33 AM on August 30, 2019
I'll just note that I play regular old D&D with my seven-year-old. We don't sweat the rules much but we have him add his numbers to his rolls to practice math. He plays a robot (warforged) from the Minecraft dimension and has so far picked fights with two snakes and a centipede.
posted by Scattercat at 12:08 AM on August 31, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Scattercat at 12:08 AM on August 31, 2019 [1 favorite]
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posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:57 AM on August 29, 2019