Rufus Scott

TTRPGs with Kids – Masks of Mini Beasts

The last few weeks I’ve been handing out thoughts and advice on playing Table Top Games with students, family and young friends. This week, I’d like to show you what I’ve made for my groups in the past.

I write a series called Fables & Fantasies, and the first in the series is called Masks of Mini Beasts.

TTRPGs with Kids – Rewarding Play

Young players can be the best players at your table. Whether you’re hosting a game for a group of students, one or more young family friends or your own kids, you’ll witness some great moments.

Young people have a way of seeing through problems in a way grown ups don’t. They are far more likely to think outside the box instead of trying to work out what ability is best to solve the problem or what rule they need to play on to win. They are not usually the best at the Role-Playing part – specifically doing what their character would do rather than what they would do – but they excel at coming up with awesome ideas for what their characters can do in the moment.

So what do we do to reward the awesomeness?

Dungeon 23 – Week 10

Beginning the third layer of my dungeon, I wondered whether the people living here should be evil. I’ve had two layers where you can be friends with those living there, but it’s a challenge… and whether or not it’s worth it is debateable.

I pulled back on having the next group be monstrous, because I wanted them to cooperate with those above. They have their own quirks, dangerous if treated the wrong way, but there’s common sense in them.

In the end, that has led to the general feel of this layer. It’s a world of two halves. In the north, the scientist crew lives in ordered, gleaming, clean rooms, dedicated to keeping the otherworldly growths constantly spewing from the overgrown laboratories in the south.

Edgar – Greatest Disney BBEG?

Well I hardly think we need look any further. Clearly we have found the most ultimate villain Disney has to offer. Who better to inspire the Big Bad for our TTRPG!

….

Alright, let’s get this over with.

TTRPGs with Kids – Mischief Abound

Not matter what Table Top Role-Playing Game you are a part of, chaos is always just around the corner. One joke, one poor roll, one mischievous player can send the narrative off the rails. Depending on the group you’re with, the errant tangents and loss of thread might be what makes the experience all the more special. Eventually though, too much chaos can begin to chip away at the fun for the whole table.

When young people play Roleplaying Games like D&D, Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu, etc all the behaviour you can expect at the table with adults can appear in extremes. Students of mine have often been the best sort of players I have run games for, but they can also be the most challenging.

We must be careful with the “your fun is wrong” sort of mentality, but we can all be at fault of poor gaming from time-to-time, and its especially true for young players with less experience.

You were the best thing that day

A little sentimentality for your Saturday afternoon:

At some point in your life, you were the best thing to happen to someone that day.

They may have had an incredible day, and you were the person that elevated it. They may have had an awful day, and then you did something that broke through.

It may have been deliberate or you may not have realised it at the time. Something monumental you sacrifice, or a small gesture that resonated.

Whether you ever really knew it, or not, someone somewhere once said: I’m glad they were there.

Dungeon 23 – Week 9

Boss battles are not necessary for a good adventure, but they sure can ensure a great one. Having a big enemy every not and then to contend with raises the stakes, and also boosts the feeling that you are making great progress.

Layer one of my megadungeon doesn’t really have a major boss. The leader of the Principles is slightly stronger, but not by a great margin. The leader of the Tungsten Line is very much Boss material.

So far in this dungeon, negotiating with the clans within can prove fruitful. Whilst the rest of the Tungsten Line are semi-rational creatures, ‘The Tungsten Supervisor’ is not going to let any unauthorised personnel wander ‘his domain’. When the party have to contend with this strange creature, the rest of the clan will be more than happy to look the other way; they aren’t fans of their Supervisor either…

Queen of Hearts – Greatest Disney BBEG?

Alice in Wonderland has had quite the cultural impact. Dozens of movies, games and other stories are either directly inspired by this tale, or overtly live in it’s ideas and imagery. No other story is quoted or referenced as a short hand for “this story is going to be quirky”.

However, very little is made of the Queen. Alice is named or quoted, lots of stories throw in a white rabbit, so many characters emulate the cocky, spirit-guide, Cheshire Cat model, but the Queen of Hearts (or characters like her) are few and far between.

The journey Alice goes on is more fascinating than her destination.

Which is not a good start for the Queen of Heart’s chances as The Ultimate Disney Big Bad Evil Guy.

A Guard Watches a Gate

Night approached relentlessly. The sun had slipped behind the walls of Valderin and the silhouette of the city was imbued with a soft amber glow. Yet soon, that light would be snuffed out, and darkness would take hold.

Paledos stood amongst the Legionnaires on the Southern Redoubt. From this defence, the City Guard could protect the farm folk outside the city walls, and provide an early warning from assault . As the guards on the stone wall looked out across the horizon to the east and south, Paledos admired the city behind them. His prey. His plaything.

Dungeon 23 – Week 8

Let’s make some robots!

I’ve not made too many creatures for my Megadungeon yet, because I haven’t landed on what game I want to run it in yet. I default to 5th Edition D&D, but I’ve also been introduced to Old School Essentials recently, and in the recent issues with WOTC, I’ve been giving Pathfinder the side-eye.

Having said that, building monsters is fun. To me anyway, and I’ve been looking at the robotic, colour-coded ‘Sentries’ in my notes and wondering what they would look like.