One of the best things about games is that you get to hang out with your friends and have a good time. But what if your friends don’t think they like the game you want to play? This is pretty common with Role Playing Games – RPG for short – since the stereotype of a Dungeons and Dragons player is pretty grim, all Cheetos and Mountain Dew.
There are a few good ways to introduce them into the world of RPGs. First, if you already play board games with friends, games like Risk, Arkham Horror or Settlers, then the strategy aspects of RPGs might already hold enough appeal. A good gateway game might be D&D Miniatures. It’s a two-player strategy game that has elements of chess, Risk and Magic the Gathering. An added bonus is that in RPGs, you usually use Dungeons and Dragons miniatures as “board” pieces. The minis are inexpensive and very detailed making them easy and fun to use in your game.
If your friends are writers or read fantasy novels, books like “Lord of the Rings”, “Game of Thrones” or Robert Jordan’s “Wheel of Time” series, then a game like D&D will allow them to “live” within a world not unlike what they’ve experienced in the novels. I often describe RPGs as being shared storytelling. That aspect should appeal to your fantasy loving friends.
Finally, if your friends enjoy video games then RPG Games will give them a nice change of pace from sitting in a darkened room holding a controller. The mechanics of RPGs are similar as in video games, but you have to do the math yourself. As in video games, your character has stats and health points and particular skills. For example, playing a game like Fallout3 is not so different from playing D&D.
First impressions matter, so if you’re setting up a little D&D adventure to introduce your friends to the game, make sure you take the time to plan it out. RPGs are so much better with props. D&D props like a torn piece of paper with writing on it or a small bag filled with “gold” coins will really bring the story home. Before you know it, you and your friends will be having a blast.