This weekend I ran a DCC RPG game for two fourth graders and one dad. As mentioned on G+, my original thought was to not kill any of the PCs. Instead, at 0 HP they'd fall unconscious. Later, they'd be recovered by their comrades, and continue on.
After all, I wanted them to have "fun" right? I'm trying to create life-long gamers, here.
Well meaning, but very, VERY ass-backwards.
Fortunately the players' actions forced my hand:
- Beset by a veritable tide of bristling black spiders, Zero the Dwarf leaped into their midst. The tide washed over him, the rest of the PCs bolted, and Zero was never seen again.
- Parlaying with brigands atop a cliff, Zero Mk II decided to break off negotiations with a magic missile cast at melee range. Zero lost initiative and the brigands charged, pitching Zero to his rocky doom some 50' below.
- Deep beneath the brigand's ruined tower, Jazee the Slave opted to take a stand against a horde of oncoming brigands, with predictable results.
Each time, the group took a five minute break and had a slice of pizza while I helped the player roll up a new character. (By the end of the session, he could do it solo.)
The same player lost three characters during our session. Not once did his interest flag. The deaths weren't arbitrary or due to DM fiat – the player made his own decisions and they went poorly. As a result, he grew more focused and (slowly) more cautious with each new PC.
But what if, per my original plan, he had only blacked out, to be revived by his companions at the end of the scene?
What a boring, trivial game – utterly devoid of player agency, consequence, or reward – that would have been.
Instead, death was the great motivator. Remove death and what would we have had? Why even act at all? The results would all be the same.
So, yeah. Thank you Zero, Zero Mk II, Jazee, and finally, Golgoth*. Lesson learned.
Want to convert kids into lifelong gamers? Kill them (rather, let them die) early and often.
//H
(*Even his names got better.)
5 comments:
Awesome. That's something you can't get from video games.
P.S. More posts/stories like this, please. :)
Kam! Great to see you. Hope you and yours are well.
//H
that's kewl i still do the unconscious thing with my 5 year old but 4th graders should be able to handle it. Also good to see he learned from it as well and got more
cautious
Are you tired of being human, having talented brain turning to a vampire in a good posture in ten minutes, Do you want to have power and influence over others, To be ch arming and desirable, To have wealth, health, without delaying in a good human posture and becoming an immortal? If yes, these your chance. It's a world of vampire where life get easier,We have made so many persons vampires and have turned them rich, You will assured long life and prosperity, You shall be made to be very sensitive to mental alertness, Stronger and also very fast, You will not be restricted to walking at night only even at the very middle of broad day light you will be made to walk, This is an opportunity to have the human vampire virus to perform in a good posture. If you are interested contact us on Vampirelord7878@gmail.com
Wanna RITE summorr for
eternity Upstairs, miss gorgeous?
Follow us to the Great Beyond.
Otherwise, playing D&D, you
might get conformed into thinking
El Diablo's a swell guy - you
couldnt be further from the Truth:
aint2coolNhellfire.
Make Your Choice -SAW
I'll be praying for you 24/7.
-GBY
Post a Comment