As the name suggests, I am fairly new to the RPG community, and certainly to the role of GM.

Back in the day I threw a few dice for some early edition D&D weekend games with friends...but that was a long long time ago...(sorry couldn't resist - kind of like seeing a big red button)

I have 2 kids (12 and 10) who enjoy games, and really like star wars...I am running into dad burnout on Munchkin, monopoly, and yahtzee...And need to do somthing before I just don't feel like playing games...that would be a tragedy. I like those games but individually they are tedious after awhile. However, after giving it some thought, those are great underpinnings for a basic RPG.

I wanted to expand to something that can scale up/down for depth and complexity based on whether they are enjoying it. Looked at a lot of the mech RPG's and felt that to get started you needed to be a more "hardened gamer"...which we are not....yet (Hopefully that admission does not exclude me from future posts). And I wanted something more age appropriate without limiting the fun factor. (Not looking for a "chutes and ladders" RPG...Nor am I looking to explain why they need to let an orc bleed out because they chose to be an evil person...)

So all that for question 1-2 - Does this game fit the bill for the level of experience I have just described? And can it grow into complexity - or is there a lot of required RPG knowledge that will overwhelm young players with needing too much up-front before getting started?

Question 2 - Will the following make sense for a start after running through the first campaign (I have not received the game yet (4 days away still), so have limited understanding of many of the posts, based on having read 0 rules, (and only understanding there are some colored dice that create good/bad outcomes...haha)

My thoughts after reading many of the forums was to end the first adventure pre-ship acquistion...or just have an owner (NPC? controlled by me) say "not so fast as he dangled the hangar bay access card for them to see. It sounds like if I am very unsure of what they will do, I may need to help guide until I do know where they want to take it....so to not limit future options..I Was considering this character to be a newly hired Imperial Spy on the run for a bothched first mission on whatever current planet they are on. (I see many posts on obligation...so I might consider explaining this concept to them early on to understand the NPC motivation factors--so it isn't "DAD!! - You just messed up our plans!!

Based on personality are there charcters for them that fit the following personality types:

A young girl who may just want to acquire a robot (second session material idea) who will do the shooting for her due to her adversion to violence? ( She is more of the "mess with me - you mess with him" -politico type of personality). She is compassionate until pushed, and finds no joy in harming others - so will need to flesh out some challenging political objectives for her to reach for (such as the planet's people suffer under a war lords influence, and she can start a grass roots effort for saving a couple, to perhaps governing the village under the guise of having "joined the warlord "...Maybe the NPC can facilitate such a meeting/scenario??

She will be paired with a brother (might make that real in the game as well) who know doubt will want to be some type of bounty hunter, renegade, jedi, robot bent on the acquisition of the "coolest" weapons/ships/wealth/accolades... and will spare no enemy the chance to report back to their leader...So I am not worried about him..and think that dynamic will work well, as I can formulate the required symbiotic relationship they will need to get through missions. If I am reading the Obligation posts well...I can have my daughter's be a strong desire to assist the local populace (maybe she was taken from her parents for similar reasons...that would give her some type of bonus to assist in some more fighting if the final outcome was based on helping to work off that obligation. My son's can be in the opposite as maybe his family (including sis) suffered because he escaped the situation and they were punished. He needs to win back her favor, and can be rewarded accordingly...

Need suggestions on how "awarding the work off of obligation is done within the game".

The last aspect is, school will be out soon. So to not anger the MOM...I am looking to incorporate (without making it the center focus) school work. So need some ideas on if these make sense and would love a bunch more!! (presenting the concept to my wife will help if I have a list of functional relevance to the game) They will be going into 7th and 5th.

- Need to solve math equations to use the old nav system on the ship. New places have new types of equations - old places just change the numbers in an old equation (makes sense since they wont land and take off in exactly the same place...least that is how I plan to sell it..haha)

- Unlocking a dorr may require the passcodes "which they overHEARD earlier and now needs to be typed in...will they even know they are taking a spelling test through a bunker maze to get to the captives?"

- New cities, villages, planets will have adopted cultures eerily similar to modern day cultures and will require some basic knowledge to navigate the ways of the "ROEMAN Empire", or "Rebel SYYRIAANE factions"

- Acquiring new items, and using certain skills will not just be an uptick on a sheet of paper. Once acquired, they will need to write how that point would equate in real life in regards to career, required education, and basic fundamental understanding of that field on an "enhanced player sheet" by my design. (For ex. If you are a pilot and go up a skill level, I would need as the GM to see some "documentation" and hear a brief on aerodynamics before being able to use that acquired skill.)

- Money needs to be accounted for, and they will have reoccuring bills... (ship maintenance, storage unit fees, TAXES, and I may work in a limited insurance policy option for any "unforeseen" circumstances. The plan is to not allow all of these to be shared. That way they can experiment with risk/reward/loss seperately in controlled environment without straying too far from the rules...

Will these kill the game play?? Do I need to go back to the drawing board?

Also any advice on dice situations in regards to failed attempts at the "scholastic based" encounters would be helpful. Such as a failed math equation on the ground just means you may end up somewhere else..what type of die would be used...

Vice being in the middle of an asteroid field and needing to get exactly where you want to go...

Sorry for the long post-- just really working it out as I go, and hoping to foster a lot of discussion with ideas and concepts of the game that I may be off on. I know, read the rules first right...but hey...I am a Newbie and found that the best way to learn is to ask and share.

Hope you read and reply! Looking forward to cracking the game open and see how they take to it. And I am open to any critique, as I humbly resign to admitting I have no idea of what it takes to be a GM! And need to know if I am even reading the forums right...

Thanks!

I've been running Star Wars role-playing games for my kids since about 2008 or so. I have 8 kids, 6 of whom play on a regular basis. They now are 7, 9, 11, 14, 16 and 18 years of age. We've played everything from 1st edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons to Star Wars Edge of the Empire. I started them on the RCR version then migrated to Saga and now we play a mix of Saga, Edge and West End Games (D6) depending on our collective mood. It has been nothing but greatness and the times wherein we've invited their five best friends and their best friends' father to play, it has been astronomically great. We've played for a good number of years and yet they and their friends still clamor for more and more.

For my particular thoughts on running games for your kids from a dad GM perspective, I invite you to listen to my guest appearance on Garrett Crowe's Threat Detected actual play podcast wherein we discuss this very topic. The episode was entitled 'Destiny Point - I Killed Your Brother!'

@AngelicDoctor - I will certainly watch...before asking you more direct questions to ensure they are not covered in the video.

Thanks!

This is a great idea, though I'm not an experienced GM either but you've compelled me to post! If I was a young child, I probably would have enjoyed my first taste of RP with FFG's rendition of Star Wars. I've found it very easy to learn, at first the strange coloured dice without 'numbers' like other tabletop RPs are daunting (I actually got discouraged before I sucked it up and tried it out), it becomes quite intuitive once you get used to it.

It's also very engaging as the dice help tell the story too. For example, you may succeed but gain advantages/threats accordingly, you can work together to explain how something happened.

For example say the politico character succeeded in convincing an NPC to give them some information, however she also rolled some threat. Perhaps one of the NPCs aides saw the exchange and went to warn some crime boss?

Or say the bounty hunter failed in landing shots with his blaster, with advantages to go with it. You can ask him how that gives them an advantage too. Maybe nudge it along with some suggestions if they are stuck ( for example the blaster shot took out the lights instead making it harder for enemies to find them; mechanically that might mean enemies get a setback dice when attacking or looking for them?).

Anyway what I'm trying to say is, unlike other RPGs this game does encourage interactivity between the players and the GM rather than solely relying on numbers and stats. So it is by far a more entertaining entry to the genre and even encourages imagination and story telling

Now, you can get the Beginner Box which provides some pre-made characters (though nothing stops you from helping them make their own!) and an easy to get into beginner adventure. This adventure also slowly introduces both the GM and players to different concepts and applications for the dice too. Once you finish that adventure you are pretty much free to go wherever you like in terms of the story you are crafting - or you can download the free follow-up from the website which continues the storyline started in the beginner adventure. Either method is a great introduction to the game and will help both player and GM learn and get into things.

Personality type and characters

Absolutely, there are character classes that emphasise that Bounty Hunter/gunslinger archetype. There are also character classes that emphasise non-combat, there is actually a Colonist career for Politicos! You can absolutely make both of those concepts in the game.

Your idea of combining 'school work' with certain aspects of the game is clever and I think could be a fun way to make sure they practice their school work!

You can reward them if they succeed in some math equations they can gain some boost dice on their roll (increasing their chance of success). Or if they don't do them properly then get soem setback dice.

Just as long as they aren't too time consuming as I could imagine that would slow down the gameplay too much if they were!

You can definitely work with the game rules to work out some monetary systems as a house rule too.

@AngelicDoctor - I will certainly watch...before asking you more direct questions to ensure they are not covered in the video.

Thanks!

Please feel free to send me a PM, my friend, and we can discuss further or just post here in this thread. I've no issue going over old territory. With respect to working in academics, I home school my kids and you can believe that we integrate our gaming in with the education program and our discipline. For the latter, it has proven very effective to reward role-playing for those who live up to our expectations both academically and through their successful completion of chores. You know...kind of like 'no pass, no play' for the individual or individuals who do not live up to the expectations. Due to their love of playing the games and spending time with their dad in this way, the reward of RPGs has been a fantastic motivator even more so than rewarding them with video game time.

This is a great idea, though I'm not an experienced GM either but you've compelled me to post!

Thank you so much for the details on letting me know I am not too far off the mark on how the game functions (at a high level). It did sound like many of the forums were basically saying the GM needs to be pretty good a improv'ing ideas. Great suggestion on the dice too (setbacks and advantages based on outcome).

And I agree entirely with not stopping gameplay so my son can figure out the surface of a star destroyer, only to have the next problem say now you need to compute the volume of the Hutts frog jar...hahaha

Those longer and harder problems can be more for in between sessions to gain access to a new ship, or have ready for the end of a story arc. (Man I have a acquired a bunch of new terms..).

I was leaning more towards basic knowledge for in-game play- so maybe the nav computer for the ship is a clear sheet of graph paper (made to look cool on a small dry-erase board) - and my youngest may need to plot some X/Y coordinates (and the older can work on determing the slope) - that way they are both engaged on the same problem, have the same vested interest in getting it right - but are working at their grade level. And then use the dice to determine consequence for right/wrong as you suggested.

Thanks for the encouragement...made me just get excited about the idea...!

@AngelicDoctor - I will certainly watch...before asking you more direct questions to ensure they are not covered in the video.

Thanks!

we integrate our gaming in with the education program and our discipline.

That is certainly what I am looking to do. They have a lot of things going on this summer - but want a way to not have down days squandered on the Ipads, when we can spend it engaged together. And I can include my wife, with coming up with educational concepts she would like to see them get through this summer...

Can't wait for the beginner game to arrive. I timed it to arrive while I am on business travel. They will have to stare and wonder Wednesday-Friday until I get home Friday night to pump them up for a Saturday game. And what a great way to spend time flying across the country - plot lining and adding depth to future games..

If you are interested, you can read my kids' Star Wars adventure logs HERE and HERE . The former is our Saga Edition campaign and the latter is for our D6 campaign. That reminds me...I need to start one for our Edge campaign...

Do let us know how you go when you get through the first game!

Do let us know how you go when you get through the first game!

I certainly will!

I am interested to see what they take away from it. I am going to go through the first one step by step to learn it. Maybe add content as we go to allow for transition into our own course...

Based on everything I am seeing and reading though - it doesn't sound like I need to get too complex too fast.

And I like the XP being on session. That seems like the kind of thing that if one is away doing something and the other wants a to play a bit....I can just develop side plots for a quick 30 minute game designed for their character...and just hand out an item or two, and a few Xp's. That way they are not getting too seperated level wise...and the next time they play together may find out the other one has "some skeletons in the closet" deal with without their prior knowledge...may have made things better or worse depending on the outcome of a quick-play.

That being said - how are items handled (is there a list with properties and costs..etc?)

Do let us know how you go when you get through the first game!

Seconded!

pardon this, but this just made me grow ovaries and they just exploded. seriously, this is one of the coolest things i've seen in a long time. This makes me want to have children

pardon this, but this just made me grow ovaries and they just exploded. seriously, this is one of the coolest things i've seen in a long time. This makes me want to have children

HAHAHA - it is nice to have kids that enjoy games...!

Just have to hope they latch on to a totally different type of game....

That being said - how are items handled (is there a list with properties and costs..etc?)

Not sure about the beginner book (don't own it myself) but in the core book there are descriptions and stats gear, weapons, armour in one chapter. There are also vehicles and starships! There will also be a chapter on adversaries to help you design foes quicker!

I think the beginner book probably has the same but not as comprehensive? Anyone that owns it can correct me please !

That being said - how are items handled (is there a list with properties and costs..etc?)

the core book there are descriptions and stats gear, weapons, armour in one chapter. There are also vehicles and starships! There will also be a chapter on adversaries to help you design foes quicker!

That is good to know - That will save time...and are the items rolled for, or just acquired via GM decision based on what would be realistic?

Everyone is really helping me flesh this out nicely!

Not sure about the beginner book (don't own it myself) but in the core book there are descriptions and stats gear, weapons, armour in one chapter. There are also vehicles and starships! There will also be a chapter on adversaries to help you design foes quicker!!

Correct, but there's been lots of stuff added through the various books that have come out since the core rule book, and even the core rule book doesn't have all that stuff in one place.

However, over on the "Compiled Resources List" thread (at http://community.fantasyflightgames.com/index.php?/topic/85616-compiled-resources-list/) , they have some PDFs that have been put together that I believe list all known equipment, etc.... Pay particular attention to stuff that has been put together by members like Gribble, Kainrath, Jegergryte, and Bastion Kain. There's lots of good blogs and other sites listed there, too.

In particular, Gribble has an awesome twelve-page reference sheet (at http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9077657/SW-EotE-Reference-Sheets.pdf ) that lists way more stuff than you ever wanted to know about EotE.

That is good to know - That will save time...and are the items rolled for, or just acquired via GM decision based on what would be realistic?

Kainrath has a great Loot Table at https://app.box.com/s/o4jl4sb3na0d0bpukp88

To answer your first question, your kids sound to be the right age to start playing. If they are interested in Star Wars, then this is the perfect game for them. My group of 30 somethings does have a 10 year old son playing with us. So, I know that the age won't be an issue. He loves the combat but at times has trouble following along with the action or Role Playing. He's fine when we nudge him along, but it takes some nudging for him to be active with the Role playing at times. (Which might not be an issue when the party is all kids.) For it to be a success, there might be a bit of hand holding. Helping them with dice pools or giving suggestions for what their characters might want to do. Adventures might need to be more "on the rails" as it were, but that's something to be determined by how the kids react to actually playing. I'd say give the beginner game a go, see how it does, then report back on all the fun you have and what the future might hold for the game.

As mentioned above, there are a lot of great resources on this site. Things might get a little heated when the discussion comes down to "what does Star Wars mean to me" and how people interpret the universe, but all in all it's a good group on here. We're more than happy to help people figure out the rules or come up with adventure suggestions. Just post away with any questions and someone will surely help out.

I've been roleplaying with my son for several years, it's been a lot of fun. (He's all grown up and in the Air Force now, but still talks about a campaign he's designing for me.) I have another friend who plays very simple games (homemade rules) with his 5yo and 9yo kids. So your kids are definitely not too young. If they like SW at all they'll take to this like seals to water.

That is good to know - That will save time...and are the items rolled for, or just acquired via GM decision based on what would be realistic?

Kainrath has a great Loot Table at https://app.box.com/s/o4jl4sb3na0d0bpukp88

Terrific!! Thanks a lot!! Save me quite a bit of time there...

To answer your first question, your kids sound to be the right age to start playing. If they are interested in Star Wars, then this is the perfect game for them. My group of 30 somethings does have a 10 year old son playing with us. So, I know that the age won't be an issue. He loves the combat but at times has trouble following along with the action or Role Playing. He's fine when we nudge him along, but it takes some nudging for him to be active with the Role playing at times. (Which might not be an issue when the party is all kids.) For it to be a success, there might be a bit of hand holding. Helping them with dice pools or giving suggestions for what their characters might want to do. Adventures might need to be more "on the rails" as it were, but that's something to be determined by how the kids react to actually playing. I'd say give the beginner game a go, see how it does, then report back on all the fun you have and what the future might hold for the game.

As mentioned above, there are a lot of great resources on this site. Things might get a little heated when the discussion comes down to "what does Star Wars mean to me" and how people interpret the universe, but all in all it's a good group on here. We're more than happy to help people figure out the rules or come up with adventure suggestions. Just post away with any questions and someone will surely help out.

Excellent suggestions! - I will be sure to never challenge those concepts...I have seen some debates. I never knew the correct pronunciation of a planet could mean so much...haha

I think I may be getting more excited for the first few games than the kids will be at this point...

Going to go and check out the resource pages now...that have been suggested.

It took me all day to finally get the thread's title. I was thinking 'Do Dad's' as in gadgets and widgets not 'Are father's good GMs?' I'm all betterer now.......

RPGs are a fantastic tool for teaching and reinforcing morality. It's important to develop a relationship with kids where they both value and enjoy spending time with you but also accept authority, and being a GM is a great path to help with that.

Two words: Beginner Game

Two words: Beginner Game

I am playing through the AoR Beginner Game with my 3.5-year-old son. We've been playing now for 3 (short) sessions. He tells me what he wants to do in the scene, I tell him what dice to roll, he rolls the dice and counts the symbols, and right now he's learning how Threat and Failure cancel Advantage and Success. I am currently doing most of the explaining and story-telling, but he understands failure and success, and is very engaged in the story. His inclination was to run away from danger until I told him he had a blaster rifle, at which point he said "I want to go 'tsew-tsew!' and blast them!"

I say this to show that, no matter how old a gamer is, you can engage them at their level by knowing what they're capable of and then giving them a leg-up to get to the next level. So if some part of the game is too complex, just take care of that part in the background until your players are ready to deal with it. With my son I have to strip it way down because he can't really read much yet, which is obviously a huge limiting factor But just engage your kids with the appropriate amount of rules. Give them pre-gens they would enjoy playing, show them how to build and resolve dice pools, and then introduce new mechanics as the game progresses, possibly over a number of sessions.