LL/AEC Demo Kit

[Eldrad]

Okay just downloaded and took a look at the Dyson Delve Geomorphs and they far exceed my expectations! 18 freaking pages! Yeow!


Wow! Let's start making some 1-100 monster and treasure listings.

HAPPY EASTER EVERYBODY!

[Blood axe]

18 pages and 100+ encounters is a "demo" ??!! Id hate to see the real, full-size thing.....

But seriously, maybe a demo should be smaller.

[Mark]

18 pages and 100+ encounters is a "demo" ??!! Id hate to see the real, full-size thing.....

But seriously, maybe a demo should be smaller.

I agree. If I were going to demo a game to someone new, I'd use something light and quick that could be run in 2-3 hours. A fair amount of time would be spent explaining mechanics and terminology. Keeping it quick and simple with an adventure hook, the adventure, and the subsequent reward would give people new to the game a complete life cycle introduction.

[Aplus]

The Lost Tomb of Jarmun-Riis from page 58 of the 2009 one-page dungeon contest is currently the leading contender for my demo game. It needs some tweaks to be certain, but the overall setup seems to be a good candidate for a 4-hr delve.

[Eldrad]

That would be a good one a one page dungeon!
So anybody want to start posting 20 first level characters?

[finarvyn]

18 pages and 100+ encounters is a "demo" ??!! Id hate to see the real, full-size thing.....

But seriously, maybe a demo should be smaller.

I agree. If I were going to demo a game to someone new, I'd use something light and quick that could be run in 2-3 hours.

I agree that an LL demo should be short and sweet. I would think that some simple rules, basic pregens and a quick adventure would work out just fine.

To me, the big question is whether you are going to assume that the user has any RPG experience at all. I think I'd aim the rules at a player who has seen 3E or 4E and wants to roll back to the early days. Otherwise you get stuck in "what is a RPG" mode.

Just my two coppers.

[skullsplitter]

I think a one page dungeon is the right way to go as I know time is at a premium for me with two of my own kids! 2-3 hours is about right also, as I know that where I would be doing a demo it gets very noisy with the 40k and Magic folks. I'd make the plot simple: go in and kill everything in sight! Well why not? That's how most of my friends and I played it, and to be honest it's just fun, good, old fashioned mayhem at it's finest! As far as pregenerated characters go make them capable of doing cool things. A wizard should be able to chuck a fireball! I'd have 2 of each class/race for a total of 14, with a couple extra fighters foor good measure. Not sure if I'd let the caracters have magic items though. I would definately use minis and floorplans to play out the adventure, even if I had to make them myself. (HINT make PDF tiles for the dungeon) I would also show the gamers where the store has the game for sale, and the info about the free rules online.

I think a different approach for new gamers, and particularly young gamers, is in order. I think a session on creating a character, and playing the starter dungeon in the rules would be a good way to go. A follow up adventure might get them involved with the surrounding world like the Larm module.

[Blood axe]

Im not sure about a Wizard starting with Fireball. A new player will be use to that power. That has to be earned- unless you always start at Level 5.

[connivingsumo]

Im not sure about a Wizard starting with Fireball. A new player will be use to that power. That has to be earned- unless you always start at Level 5.

I agree w/BA here; however, you could start the new wizard w/x-# of fireball scrolls? It could be enough # of them to last them until they get the spell, if they're frugal with their use? So, basically, use them w/o regard = no fireball when you need them, or use them frugally and have a surplus when the wizard becomes the appropriate level?

Just my two copper.

[Eldrad]

The geomorphs could be used for as short or as long of an into game as you need. The 100 encounters are akin to the monsters and treasures assortment from back in the day. Both combined could make an always random but easy to play demo.
BUT
A single one page demo would be fine as well.
MAYBE
Make the geomorph and the 100 random encounters a secondary demo kit.