Introducing a New Player: Provide a Simple Tailored Objective

The object of any game is to have fun, and your new player needs a moment of that all to themselves. You’ve already taken the time to get to know the player, what kind of character they want to play, and given them an overview of the rules. Now it’s time to get the game going, but how do you hook them in and make them want more? One simple option is to give them a personal win–a chance to shine in their first session.

The Butt Kicker: For this player, it’s a simple matter of setting up a bar fight, extra monster, or purse snatcher who needs his head bashed in. Have the character get the drop on them in a fight or lower their defenses to make them easy to hit and voila! When the final blow is being dealt, let the new player dictate what happens to the enemy. This allows them to feel that they are a part of the action and gets the creative juices flowing.
The Talker: Give the talker a chance to show off his bargaining skills or talk the local law enforcement into letting someone off the hook. In a modern setting let them talk their way into a local night club or past a security guard into an office complex. When talking for the NPC, first play up his reluctance to give the player what he wants, and then emphasize his change of attitude, giving your new player a strong sense of success.
The Planner: This can be the easiest to pull off, because the planner wants to make this a success, but the most difficult if the player is still shy. Just give the planner a challenge to think through. Try not to get bogged down on the mechanics of getting it done. Have them talk through the entire plan, and then offer them help by telling them how easiest to do it within the confines of the game’s mechanics. Suggest ways to utilize other players so everyone can get involved. However, don’t let the other players grab the spotlight away and steal the new players thunder.

Coming up with this little moment will let the new player walk away from their first game feeling good about what happened. Even if they later run across a challenge they had trouble with they’ll still be able to look back with fondness.

What’s the best trick you’ve used to let a new player shine? What didn’t go over so well?

http://d20machine.blogspot.com/ Kyle Ferrin

This is so true. Every now and then I’ll play d20Modern with my sisters, and it’s hilarious.

They aren’t butt kickers, talkers, or planners. They’re more like frantic, cautious, play-it-safers. I have to be a persuasive story teller just to get them to do something besides “let’s just leave the time machine alone” or “maybe they’re nice assassins.”

Whatever works!

http://www.apathygames.com Tyson J. Hayes

@Kyle Ferrin – Maybe their nice assassins? lol. “Maybe if we show them pictures of kittens they’ll stop trying to kills us?” “Great idea!”

What kind of tricks do you use to get them to engage in the objective that you’ve crafted for them? I personally haven’t played with many players of that mind set but I would definitely love some tricks if I do.

http://d20machine.blogspot.com Kyle Ferrin

This is so true. Every now and then I’ll play d20Modern with my sisters, and it’s hilarious.

They aren’t butt kickers, talkers, or planners. They’re more like frantic, cautious, play-it-safers. I have to be a persuasive story teller just to get them to do something besides “let’s just leave the time machine alone” or “maybe they’re nice assassins.”

Whatever works!

http://www.apathygames.com/ Paul Meerscheidt

Give them some time sensitive objectives, hold them to a timeline, and let them fail.
Nothing like failure because you sat there doing nothing to get you moving the next time.
http://www.apathygames.com Paul Meerscheidt

Give them some time sensitive objectives, hold them to a timeline, and let them fail.
Nothing like failure because you sat there doing nothing to get you moving the next time.
Hillary Crenshaw

It’s especially intimidating when Paul starts counting the seconds left in a round and I know I only have until the count of six to act. I think it helps when the GM emphasizes that the NPCs are waiting for the PCs to respond. If I had a gold piece for every time my party has been described as standing around looking ominous due to PC indecisiveness, I wouldn’t have any more student loans.
Hillary Crenshaw

It’s especially intimidating when Paul starts counting the seconds left in a round and I know I only have until the count of six to act. I think it helps when the GM emphasizes that the NPCs are waiting for the PCs to respond. If I had a gold piece for every time my party has been described as standing around looking ominous due to PC indecisiveness, I wouldn’t have any more student loans.
http://www.apathygames.com Tyson J. Hayes

@Hillary – Paul has a way of being intimidating just on his own. And if you manage to cash in on that gold piece thing I want a cut.
http://www.apathygames.com Tyson J. Hayes

@Hillary – Paul has a way of being intimidating just on his own. And if you manage to cash in on that gold piece thing I want a cut.
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http://spyderzt.blogspot.com/ Spyder Z

The biggest thing I've noticed between new players and the seasoned lot, is character action. A new player tends not to realize that they're capable of doing whatever it is that they want, and older players are so used to it that their characters can effectively operate without too much Storyteller involvement. So for a new player I talk to them about who their character is before the game. That way, during the game I can pointedly ask them how their character is reacting to the action in such a way that it “Leads” them on.

“So you're standing off to the side? Wait, you mean that Railfoof, notorious treasure hunter, is just watching while they start poking through the wagon?”

or I step them through the process, basing my guiding on their character concept,

“She looks over at you, smiling in such a way that you know there's more to her story than she's told you, almost as if she's daring you to question her on it.” (And if they don't take the lead) “You're a High Priestess of the Chubabra. She's in your church mocking you with an obviously doctored story. How do you respond to her? You know that the king sent her, but you're in charge in this building.” (And if they still give an “I don't know”.) “You could ask her what more there is to the story, and let her know that you don't appreciate her games.”

In both cases the goal is to get their characters doing the things they built their characters to do. Typically as the game move forward, they begin to realize that all the need to do is tell me what they want their character to do, and I'll tell them whether or not it's possible (A lot of new players take that a step too far, and begin “I grab a low hanging tree branch and hit the were-bunny with it”. I let them know that that's what they are attempting, and that the die will tell us both how successful they are. If there's even a tree branch close enough. ;P”). By the end of the session they tend to have a decent “Grasp” of how things work, and they are happy that the character they built “Works”. ;P
http://spyderzt.blogspot.com/ Spyder Z

The biggest thing I've noticed between new players and the seasoned lot, is character action. A new player tends not to realize that they're capable of doing whatever it is that they want, and older players are so used to it that their characters can effectively operate without too much Storyteller involvement. So for a new player I talk to them about who their character is before the game. That way, during the game I can pointedly ask them how their character is reacting to the action in such a way that it “Leads” them on.

“So you're standing off to the side? Wait, you mean that Railfoof, notorious treasure hunter, is just watching while they start poking through the wagon?”

or I step them through the process, basing my guiding on their character concept,

“She looks over at you, smiling in such a way that you know there's more to her story than she's told you, almost as if she's daring you to question her on it.” (And if they don't take the lead) “You're a High Priestess of the Chubabra. She's in your church mocking you with an obviously doctored story. How do you respond to her? You know that the king sent her, but you're in charge in this building.” (And if they still give an “I don't know”.) “You could ask her what more there is to the story, and let her know that you don't appreciate her games.”

In both cases the goal is to get their characters doing the things they built their characters to do. Typically as the game move forward, they begin to realize that all the need to do is tell me what they want their character to do, and I'll tell them whether or not it's possible (A lot of new players take that a step too far, and begin “I grab a low hanging tree branch and hit the were-bunny with it”. I let them know that that's what they are attempting, and that the die will tell us both how successful they are. If there's even a tree branch close enough. ;P”). By the end of the session they tend to have a decent “Grasp” of how things work, and they are happy that the character they built “Works”. ;P