RPG a Day 2022 – Who would you like to introduce to RPGs?

My initial thought was … no one. I already introduced Dungeons & Dragons to my kids, and frankly, it feels like everyone my age who wants to be playing role-playing games is playing role-playing games. Except, as I dig into that thought a little more, I realized I’ve got options (if not time).

  • RPG Dinner Party: Back in college, we played a fantastic game of Call of Cthulhu in which we all dressed up as our 1920s characters, using clothes purchased at the local thrift store. The group was a mix of long-time gamers and newbies (including my wife, whom I don’t think has played an RPG since). It was great fun and could be an excellent way to get our significant others to the table.
  • Gaming With Kids, Part II: My son has a number of friends who want to play Dungeons & Dragons but no one wants to Dungeon Master. Getting back behind the screen – with a specific focus on teaching them how to run their own games AND sowing why it’s great to DM – would help them kickstart their own campaigns. Meanwhile, my college age daughter has talked about playing an RPG with her friends for years, but never got around to it. We could make that happen.
  • Drop-in Game Night: Restarting real-world gaming has been difficult in the waning days of the pandemic. So I got to thinking … what about a drop-in game night? Do something like a Westmarks campaign, where the group is based out of a particular city or town. Invite people to sign-up for the Friday that they’d like to play, and if we hit critical mass, we run a game. Each session is short and self-contained, so you can easily rotate players in and out. It’d provide a way to invite RPG-curious folks to play without them need to commit to an ongoing campaign. And the beer-and-pretzels style game night would keep things light and easy.

Of these, Drop-in Game Night seems like the easiest to organize and sustain. I could easily run Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition and use canned adventures from the myriad sourcebooks on my shelf. That would keep prep-time low, which is important given my ongoing volunteer responsibilities.

%d bloggers like this: