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Welcome to Episode 17 of ‘What Is Roleplay?!
This episode we are joined by Aviv Or and Eran Aviram to discuss teaching games
- Aviv & Eran’s work ‘The Crystal Heart’ and how it uniquely teaches readers to roleplay, specifically to play the Savage Worlds RPG
- Their use of narrative to explain how to play, based on the assumption that the reader has no prior knowledge
- The time and effort they have put in to developing the ability to teach games through the graphic medium, such as the use of humour, and colour (to indicate who’s turn it is)
- The importance of aesthetics and atmosphere when teaching someone a game – open the rulebook on a fun page with graphics, use colour dice, create a comfortable environment. Know your audience – what will this person enjoy, what will draw them into the game?
- Pick the right game – something that is colourful and well set out will help you learn the game and teach it to others
- Set up a specific scenario for your new players, so they have a basic understanding & something to work with: ‘Let’s play a fantasy adventure where we will be rescuing a princess from a fearsome dragon’. Then as you explain the rules they will be able to refer back to the scenario
- Being a good player means taking part in the shared social contract – agreeing as a group what your desired outcome is and then not doing things that negatively impact on that agreed outcome.
- FUN! There are so many different forms of fun, make sure the game is fun for the new player. Do no harm
- Rolling Dice – Make sure the first roll is nice and basic. Let the player understand what happens after the roll. Let them succeed. Explain how the dice effect the game and the outcome. Check Episode 1 for more info on dice
- Staggered rule introduction – clearly and concisely communicating the rules of play, but in a slow and methodical approach. Instead of spending 30mins to an hour explaining all the rules, just introduce them as needed. For example the concept of advantage or disadvantage doesn’t need to be unpacked until it’s relevant to encounter at hand
- View the rulebooks as encyclopaedia rather than manuals that must be memorised
- Do not take away agency from the player – do not make the games rule system something that they have to fight against. Don’t disempower them by withholding the rules or rolling the dice for them.
- In our actual play Eran walks Chris and Aviv through a game of City of Mist, teaching them about the system, dice rolling, tags and status mechanics. Will they overcome the powers of darkness and the mysterious chanting monks?
Links to things we discussed:
Games:
- Crystal Heart Comic & RPG
- City of Mist
- Savage Worlds
- Up To Four Players
- NOVA
- Pathfinder 2
- Mausritter
- Dragonbane
- Dungeons & Dragons
- Fiasco
- Lancer
- BUY Crystal Heart here
- BUY Eran’s games here
Books, Authors, Publishers etc:
- Dragon Meet
- Fantasy Flight Games
- World Anvil Worldbuilding Podcast by Eran Aviram
- Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
More about Aviv
- Bluesky – @avivor.bsky.social
- Website – avivor.com
- Up to Four Players – uptofourplayers.com
More about Eran
- Blue Sky – @nnesk.bsky.social
- Website – EranAviram.me
- Ready To Roll Comics – uptofourplayers.com/comics/
- Up to Four Players Dischord – discord.com/invite/V6UVvKR
More about Us
- CM Lowry on Twitter – @cmlowryauthor
- CM Lowry’s website – All About Chris
- Website – beyondcataclysm.co.uk
- Bluesky – @beyondcataclysm.bsky.social
- Patreon – Patreon.com/beyondcataclysm
With music generously provided by:
Powerplant & Imploders.