A fun way to introduce kids to Table Top Role Playing
Like most people, I got into RPGs in my youth. This makes perfect sense, because RPGs take time, and that what youth have the most of. That’s also why some of us play less, if at all, as adults: we lack the time. Now that I have children, I would love for them to enjoy role playing the way I did. But my youth and their youth are quite different. Thus, I struggle to find the right way to introduce my kids to role playing games. That’s why I am very excited to introduce you to Little Game Master.
Bless These Dice recently attended PAX Unplugged 2023. We caught up with Randall Hampton, author of “The Little Game Master” children’s book. Randall and team recently launched a Kickstater for The Little Game Masters TTRPG. You can read more about these products below, or check out the interview on our YouTube page
Not your father’s TTRPG
Little Game Masters is a fun and intuitive way to get children ages 5 and up introduced to, and excited about, table top role playing games. Read that again! No, that is not a typo; it is for ages 5 and up. That should immediately inform you that this game system is not the same D20 system that you cut your teeth on. In fact, that is the beauty of the Little Game Masters system.
Children seem to start everything earlier now than when we were their age. In many ways, that’s not necessarily a good thing. However, role playing games can provide children another outlet for wholesome creativity, while encouraging reading and mathematics. The problem is that standard D20 systems are well beyond early childhood reading level. The official WotC Dungeons and Dragons boxed set is appropriate for ages 12+. It quickly becomes apparent that this opportunity can’t be capitalized on without a bridge experience. That’s where The Little Game Masters comes in.
Grandfather, tell me a story
The Little Game Masters began as a storybook, “The Little Game Master.” Randall Hampton wrote the book. He describes the book as “a book about five friends who, when confronted with boredom, are drawn into the world of table top role playing games.” The book can be a good vehicle to explain why a bunch of adults sit around a table rolling dice a few hours a week. Also, if you don’t currently have the time to play with friends, but wish your kids would spend their time more productively, the book is a great way for you to introduce a child to the concept of TTRPGs.
The student becomes the (game) master
The Little Game Masters ruleset builds on the context and interest instilled by the book, by giving kids a world to play in, in a way they can understand.
LGM functions as a slimmed down d20 system that kids can jump right into. They offer 12 pre-generated characters, governed by 3 “Attributes” called Muscle, Wits, and Pizzazz. Each character has 4 combat actions to choose from. If your child is not quite ready to read the stats sheets, fear not: there are illustrations that they can reference to decide which action to choose. The LGM team offers these character cards printed on laminated card-stock, appropriate for wet or dry erase marker.
In addition, Randall and his team will be releasing an adventure entitled “The Frozen Tower” to provide a setting to play in. Many well known names in the community collaborated on the chapters of the module. Each chapter is meant to be a session that can be played in an hour or less.
Final Thoughts
The Little Game Masters was designed in a purposeful way to maximize accessibility for younger kids, to match their intellect and unlock their creativity. Moreover, it provides parents a fantastic opportunity to introduce youngsters to the magic of role playing, and to play along with them. I highly encourage you to check out these products at https://www.randallhamptonart.com/little-game-masters.
