N is for Newbies

[over the course of the month of April, my plan was to post a topic for each letter of the alphabet, sequentially, every day of the week except Sunday. While I was unable to complete the project on time, I find I still have things to say. Our topic in question is Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: how to approach it, how to run it, how to enjoy a system that deserves to be played NOW, nearly 50 years after its inception. Consider this a 'crash course' in the subject]

N is for Newbies...which is to say "new players." We love new players.

Once upon a time, it felt like the hardest thing just to find people who were interested in playing D&D...any kind of D&D. For the most part, that barrier no longer exists. Oh, it might not be possible for me to sling together six people at the drop of a hat for a game this weekend, BUT if you live in a community of most any size and have a ready means of reaching out to people (using, for example, the internet), and so long as you're willing to exercise a little patience, a committed DM can attract a table of enthusiasts in fairly short order. The phrase if you build it they will come has never been truer than at this moment in time.

I'm sure there are those who laugh at that whole paragraph...for multiple reasons. However, I assure you it's true, including about this being the "hardest bit" for me at one time. I have always been bad at marketing and (especially) self-promotion (I still am)...and in pre-internet days I was even worse. That I had any reputation at all in my local community says more about my weird-ness (mm..."unique-ness") than any talent for sales (I failed at all types of "sales opportunities" in my youth; I'm just not that kind of person).

And yet, somehow, I always seemed to be able to end up DMing or GMing games, even during the "lean years" of the 1990s. I have said it before and will say it again: players are easy to come by. People LOVE to play games. Their main barrier is having to do any kind of WORK including LEARNING STUFF.   I often (half-)joke that players are lazy as hell, but the truth is that the vast majority of us prefer things to be EASY...especially in a world that is so often difficult. It's why we tend to continue in the same job or vocation for years (often shaped by what our parents did or taught us), or why we persist in being the same religion or political persuasion with which we were raised, or enjoy the same hobbies and pastimes we have since we were kids. Learning new things takes time and effort, and the old adage about "teaching an old dog new tricks" is LESS about our ability to learn as we get older, and far more about our resistance to GIVE UP what comes so easy to us after years (or decades) of experience. Even after letting my vocal chops get rusty the last twenty-ish years, I can still mimic Geoff Tate on Revolution Calling or belt out Man In The Box note-for-note...but I can't play three chords on a guitar with any proficiency, or play anything more complex than "one-two-three-a-leary" on the piano (hell, I can't even play chopsticks). It's just "too hard"...and I have too many other things occupying my attention.

Here's the other great realization I've come to over the last couple decades: one of the main "turn-offs" for potential players was telling them D&D is a "hard" game...that it is a "hard game to learn." Because people, especially OLDER people (and by "older" I mean adults) generally don't have the time or inclination to learn new, hard things. Not unless it means more money in their bank account. This is why you don't see people picking up the guitar or a new sport or changing their religion or switching their vocation to something drastically different from what they've been doing. Unless they have had some crisis in their lives, something that's upended their world view. A brush with their own mortality (either a cancer scare or seeing a loved one die), for instance. Maybe a divorce or some sort of serious disillusionment with their profession or the proverbial "midlife crisis." Barring something of that nature, most people tend to "keep on keeping on" unless you're talking about small, not inconvenient, mostly "fun" modifications to their lifestyle.

The easiest way to get people to play D&D is to explain to them how EASY it is. 

And it IS easy...from the player's side. And if you're a longtime DM (like myself) who has a ton of extra dice and a spare PHB to occasionally loan out, the barrier to entry is even easier. Most of the stigma attached to D&D of being "too nerdy" or "satanic" has fallen away over the last 20 years. If you tell people it's a fun, easy game with zero barrier to entry (because YOU, the DM, will be providing the dice, books, adventure, and know-how), you'd be surprised at just how many people you'll find willing to give it a try. Assuming, of course, that you don't present yourself as someone too weird, nerdy, or satanic for a particular individual's taste.

And new players are GREAT because they come to the game without preconceived notions. I prefer kids under 16 or older adults (folks in their 40s+) who've never played because they're far less likely to have been influenced by what they've read or (more likely) watched on the internet. This is where you'll be able to cultivate real enthusiasm for the game because you can find people who enjoy fantasy and adventure and games, but who have NOT learned that D&D is about "telling stories" or that D&D requires performance ("acting in character") or substantial "creative collaboration" (writing backstories, working with other "performers"/players). These misconceptions are HARD THINGS for most people because most people have no background or experience in acting or story telling or creative collaboration. And...as I wrote above...people are NOT attracted to things that are hard (unless there is some money in it for them).  To cultivate such people as potential players, you have to first disabuse them of these notions...which is not (usually) an easy ask. Once people have an idea in their head, they are reluctant to let go of it without being presented with evidence (i.e. getting them to sit down and actually play). If it is a friend of yours, they might be willing to do so (if only to humor you, or on a 'one-off' basis)...but for a stranger or acquaintance with whom you have little or no connection? 

That's tough.

Still, it's possible. And I've found that if you can get people in the door (or, rather, at the table) and run a solid game of D&D for them, you'll find many of them will be "hooked" by the experience in the same way YOU once were (the standard origin story for vocational DMs). More often than not, you'll find you have a willing and able player whose main barrier to play is the one all enthusiasts face (including myself): time and priorities.  

[I love D&D immensely. I love my children more. Consequently, I don't play D&D as much as I'd like]

On the other hand having to introduce modern day D&D players to the joys of AD&D can be a rougher slog specifically because of the preconceived notions and baked-in expectations they've already experienced (and, for many, have learned to love). Not to be too harsh, but many of these folks might be a "lost cause," unless they've somehow become disenchanted with the current brand. And that's OK...as I said, there are still plenty of fish (er, players) in the sea. 

Only slightly easier...and in some ways more tricky...are the people who come to the game inexperienced but completely "bought in" to the idea of D&D as a performative art. These folks are enthusiastic about the game precisely because they want the experience of "playing pretend" and "collaborative story creation;" their enthusiasm for the fantasy adventure premise makes them happy and willing participants...participants who lack the shyness and inhibition a DM initially finds in many new players. However, their expectations of game play can be quickly dashed...possibly with severe disappointment...the first time their 'Original Character' dies ignominiously in some filthy subterranean cave or tomb.  For AD&D players, the struggle to overcome challenges (to survive and thrive in hostile fantasy world) brings immense satisfaction, and the experience of doing it with other players brings great joy and forges bonds of camaraderie.  But for the story-minded player, the experience of AD&D play does not always (nor often) synch up with the expectation of evolving a meaningful narrative. Creating a "meaningful narrative" is not the objective of AD&D play, and players who come to the table hoping for this outcome are unlikely to find what they seek.

Disabusing them of this notion is very much a matter of giving them the same explanation as you give ANY newbie...and hoping they can grok it. I give pretty much the same spiel to anyone who sits down at my table to play AD&D for the first time; it goes something like this:

"AD&D is a game of fantasy adventure. Each of you players will create [or "play" if running pre-gens, such as at a convention] a character with which you'll explore the imaginary world. I will be taking the part of the Dungeon Master; it is my job to referee the game and describe the imaginary world you are exploring via your character. Your characters are "adventurers:" people that go to dangerous places and face dangerous threats and monsters that the average person are unwilling or unable to face. You do this in hopes of obtaining fortune and fame; this is your job, it is how you get paid.  If you're successful at your job (meaning you survive dangers and find treasure) you will get better at your job...meaning you'll become more skilled, able to face GREATER danger in hopes of finding GREATER reward.  

"Your choice of character will determine what skills you bring to your adventuring party; each of you will contribute to the group's success. Working together, cooperating with each other, will give you your best chance of surviving and thriving. The fantasy world has many dangers and there are many ways for your character to die; however, even if your character dies, you can always make a new character."

That's about all the explanation I ever give as an introduction to new players of any stripe. When invariably asked the rules of the game, I explain that the mechanics will be explained (by me) as they come up in play; however, for the completely inexperienced newbie I always provide an overview of the following concepts:

• Class and "race" (species)
• Level (and experience points)
• Hit points
• Armor class
• Attack/damage rolls
• Saving throws

Ability scores are explained during the character creation process (or, if using pre-generated characters, explained in the process of pointing out what is on the character sheet).  The economy of the game (gold pieces, etc.) is usually described as the player purchases their character's equipment.

It is not unusual that a newbie player will want to play a spell-casting character, and I do not discourage this (in other words, I never force a new player to play a 'plain Jane fighter'). When they voice this desire, I give them an overview of AD&D spell-casting including the limitations inherent in the Vancian magic system. This explanation by itself discourages most newbies from taking on the role of a magic-user (or even a cleric!) but before they become too crestfallen I usually suggest a multi-class character...a fighter/magic-user, for example...as a means of dipping their toe while still playing a fairly durable character. Similarly, I only bother explaining the thief skills (and the thief's limitations) if a player expresses an interest in playing such a character...and explaining that multi-class fighter/thieves are also a more durable option for a first-time player.

In the end, it doesn't matter all that much the kind of character the newbie plays because, in practice, that first character usually dies before the end of the first adventure session even with the aid of experienced players helping them. New players often underestimate threats they've never encountered and overestimate the 'staying power' of their characters. And this is FINE...the new player is learning the rules and limits of the game, and it is good for them to discover that A) death happens and is a real risk in the game, and B) it is NOT the 'end of the world' (as they can quickly create a replacement PC).  Besides which, a player will OFTEN discover...after that initial foray or two into the AD&D world...that the character they were using was not to their liking; that they would prefer to play a dwarf or a ranger or whatever. It is the rare player who falls in love with the first type of character that introduces them to the world of D&D.

What DOES matter, far more than the player's character, is the experience provided to the player by the DM running the game. The DM must have compassion for the new player which (for me) does not mean "going easy" on the player; rather, it means being patient and willing to explain (in simple, non-condescending fashion) the rules and systems of the game as they come up in play. It means reining in experienced players (who might have limited patience for the newbie) reminding them that they were once beginners, too. Having compassion means understanding that the experience of AD&D...and perhaps the experience of playing an RPG at all...is a NEW one to the player, and they cannot be expected to know even things that seem "elementary" in nature.

What ALSO matters is that the player gets a real taste of what AD&D is. Advanced D&D play is about more than just going down into a hole and fighting orcs...and, yet, this is still a basic building block of the game's premise. The newbie player must experience what it IS to be an adventurer in a fantasy world. As such, they will be served best by being given a "dungeon" (i.e. an adventure site) to explore that has real threats along with adequate rewards (in terms of treasure) so that they can learn the rudiments of the game...concepts like surprise and initiative, procedures like searching for secret doors and wandering monster encounters, as well as the tracking of resources (torches, hit points, arrows, spells, etc.). These things should be central to game play, right from the beginning, so that the new player can begin to grasp and internalize the game's mechanism and play loop.  By the end of the session, the player (either with their first PC or their quickly rolled substitute) should be receiving a share of the party's experience points so that they can see feel and understand the incentive structure of the game.

Finally, it is important for the longtime DM to realize that for a TRUE newbie, one who has never played an RPG, in can be EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to even conceptualize the idea of a gaming experience played entirely in the imagination. Building an experience in the new player's mind, describing in detail the sights, sounds, and smells of the dungeon goes a long way towards instilling this "idea" of Dungeons & Dragons. The DM's narrative description of the environment is what "sets the mood" for the player...far more than any music, battlemap, or illustration. Once the action starts (combat, usually) description matters LESS...describing how blows are struck and pain and suffering is inflicted is far less engrossing than simply watching one's dwindling supply of hit points and panic at the thought of (character) death. But in the lead up to the action, the DM's descriptions build tension and atmosphere that set the stage for cathartic release in mechanical procedure...do not underestimate how this tension-frenzy dynamic functions!  

And if there's a chest of gold coins on the other side of the bloody conflict...so much the better.

Yes, we love newbies. They bring new blood to our game: new energy, new enthusiasm. We can vicariously experience their fresh perspective and we can re-experience the same amazement and horror of dangers and challenges that astound their unvarnished nerves. The other day, I got to watch as my players experienced the mighty beholder, a monster I hadn't included in an adventure since I was 12 or 13 years old. What a rush! It ended in a TPK (bruh) but it gave my players a fantastic experience that they can reminisce about for years to come. For the newbie, ANY encounter, run properly, can result in the same legendary memories. It's what can turn the curious novice into a passionate practitioner. 

The more of those, the merrier.