So, I have two sons, ages 9 and 10, whose abstract thinking skills aren't completely developed yet. They saw me playing D&D 4E with my friends, and wanted to do roleplaying.

I figured since they have active imaginations, and didn't want to overload them with lots of rules, so I tried the Dresden Files RPG, a bit dumbed down, but figured the Fate system with powerful narrative ability might be fun for them.

Nope, they kept asking about when we would pull out the maps. Turns out they kinda viewed roleplaying the way they saw us playing as a kind of board game.

Well, I started thinking about this game. I've played it - for one session. I liked it. I wondered if it might be easier for them to understand and play then D&D 4E, while still keeping that, uh, board-gamey feel they get from playing D&D 4E, hehe!

While still introducing to them over time about what roleplaying is really about, as their abstract thinking skills develop.

So, what do you think? Good or bad idea?

I think warhammer may be a little too mature for them, BUT you could always create your own scenarios and tone down the mature content

I use the TALISMAN rules in the Warhammer world. d6 plus strength or craft is pretty dang easy to figuer out. Then kids can focus on the ROLE PLAYING.

jh

(ps if you want me to post my version of the rule set, let me know)

My son was 10 or 11 when he started playing WFRP with us. He picked up the rules at least as quickly as the older players. I've had to tone down the odd encounter to take into account his age, but nothing that would actually change the game. I think it probably is a bit easier than 4e in that all the info you need is right in front of you, even though the system is more complex. The abstract ranges/movement thing is the opposite of D&D and I imagine that would be a taste/personal thing whether one is easier to get than the other. If they want that boardgamey feel you get from grid maps then WFRP won't do it. If they want that feel you get from, say, MtG then that might be more like WFRP, at least superficially.

Emirikol said:

Dude, did you read his post? He already tried a more freeform game and the kids were bored. They don't want to focus on the ROLE PLAYING they want some structure and to play with the cool figures and stuff. Give them what they want.

This game would work fine, but so would D&D. Kids are smarter than most people give them credit for and probably wouldn't have much trouble with either system. Of course you know your kids best and you can tailor the content to suit them. If they don't understand a rule, just cut it.

My point is that I'm not trying to teach kids "rules." IMO, that creates a cubicle-mentality. Roleplaying and to think outside the box is the order of the day. I think had I started with the WFRP rules giant as a kid, I'd have been bored to tears and have degenerated into an MMO recluse by now.

..and btw, ignoring most of your condescention, Talisman is a board game. Did YOU read his post? Please try to be a little nicer on these forums as it's a small group and we all try to get along better than RPG.net or D&D's autism-world forums.

jh

The problem is that you're projecting your desires and beliefs about roleplaying on to this guy's kids. It's cool that you think you would be bored with WFRP if you were a kid but it's pretty obvious they want to move little toys around and roll some cool looking dice, just like my friends' sons do. There's nothing wrong with that. He already tried a simple, outside the box game and they didn't like it. They saw dad playing D&D and they want to play like that. If a child wants to play football, would you give him a baseball because you have an opinion about football?

As for me being condescending, sorry you feel that way. In the past you have made of posts that could be considered inflammatory about D&D4e and it's attendant playstyle both here and on some other sites I read, You seem really hung up on the rules vs. roleplaying false dichotomy. Both of your posts in this thread have been about it. Do you really think bringing that baggage into a thread about helping some other person's children is helpful? Are you fostering a friendly community by doing so? You're even using inflammatory language in your response to me. "...degenerated into an MMO recluse..." Take a look in the mirror, pal.

monkeylite said:

Hm. So, sounds like a maybe. They have a lot of pokemon and Yugioh cards, but they've never played either one, they just like the pictures and cartoons, heh. So, they like playing rpgs as a board game, and they might like to play rpgs as a card game, heh.

Hm, maybe Descent or Runequest or Dungeonquest or something, hehe!

It's all good

Here's our rules i mentioned: dl.dropbox.com/u/167876/WFRP%20for%20Children.docx