New Beginnings

On July 27th at 12:01pm, my life changed forever. My Daughter: Simoné Alexandra Merritt was born. I have been a writer and a game master for many years, and I still don't have the words to explain just how amazing that moment was. I mention her, in this context, because I plan on sharing my love of gaming with her, and it serves as a good segway into today's topic: New Players.

As a DM, I have always considered it my responsibility to share my love of gaming with new players. Introducing new players to the hobby can be a pleasure and a privlege, but it is not always without its problems. To make the process as easy as possible it is best to remember a few important pieces of advice.

1) Remember that RPGs are complicated. Even though it only takes you a few seconds thought to determine the modifiers for attacking a prone enemy from hiding when you have the high ground, you should not expect all new players to pick up on the game's mechanics so easily. I recommend slowly introducing the rules to new players, preferably in easy to understand chunks to give them the time to acclimate themselves to the system. Start with the basic rules, then focus on any specific rules the player needs to run their class. From there, I would slowly add the remaining rules to give the new player time to add them to their knowledge base.

2) Fantasy does not mean the same to eveyone. Do not expect the new players to have the same understanding of conceptual things as you do. When you say 'elf' they may be thinking 'keebler', or worse yet, may think "Twilight" when you say "Vampire." It will help to make the player's onboarding easier if you take some time to explain how these things are in your game. It leads to less confusion in the long run.

3) Let them participate. I have seen a number of DMs run games for new players, and on the new players turn, the GM tells them what to do, what dice to roll and what happens without any real imput from the player. While this was helpful in showing the new player the mechanics of the game, the true magic of Roleplaying is becoming involved in the game and bringing the characters to life. This cannot happen if the players are not allowed to contribute.

4) RPGs are not for everyone. Some people find them boring, or don't understand them. Some people just lack the social graces to work well in the group dynamics that RPGs call for. The important thing here is for the DM to try to present the game to the new player as best he can, but be willing to recognize when it isn't working out and pull the plug if needed. While it is wonderful to bring in a new player, pushing a game on someone that doesn't like it just wastes everyone's time. And you don't want to be the guy who brings in the new player that reeks and acts like a jerk to everyone. It is not appropriate to lose current players, to bring a new one into the hobby.

5) Be a Gaming Ambassador. I believe that a player reflects on their first DM. It is the responsibility of that DM to help the player get off on the right foot, and to give them an understanding not only of that DMs specific game, but of the hobby as a whole. Take time to let the player know that not all DMs run things like you do, and point out specifically whenever you use a house rule. That way, if the new player continues playing with other groups, or even goes to a convention, they will not have the wrong preconceptions and expect everyone to run things like you do. Help them understand general gamer etiquette, so that they can be prepared to go out into the world of RPGs and not make a fool of themselves.

New players can be a breath of fresh air to a campaign, and should be sought out and fostered whenever possible. So I challenge all the gamers out there to invite new players into the hobby. At worst, you spend a potentially confusing evening with a friend, and at best you light the spark of love for a wonderful hobby, in a brand new gamer.