Getting People to Play D&D

[Hessmn212]

A few months back I bought a players handbook for D&D, read it, and thought it would be really cool if me and my friends played together. I asked one of my friends to be DM and he said no, simply because its to nerdy. I tried bargaining with him and he wouldn't budge. So, I've been reluctant to ask any of my other friends.

How can I get them to play. Any tips or facts that I could use to try and get them to play.

 

[zHellas]

I dunno... Though if you are interested, I gots me a D&D forum up online if you'd like to play.

Hopefully you do, 'cause we need a Tank and a Cleric.

 

[Miumaru]

Show them the lightning bolt guy and say "That could be us oneday" Sounds counter intuitive, but you never know. I say try to find other people interested. Might make new friends that way. or invite me. I know I want to play.

 

[arsenicCatnip]

I dunno... Though if you are interested, I gots me a D&D forum up online if you'd like to play.

Hopefully you do, 'cause we need a Tank and a Cleric.

Idk about him but I'm interested in playing Cleric. PM me?

 

[thethingthatlurks]

Unless they are already at least a bit nerdy, the only way to get people to play D&D is by holding a gun to their head...
Try playing online, or see if any local comic shops host games

 

[annoyinglizardvoice]

Have you played before? If not you might want to start gaming with someone who has a bit more experience.
Try looking online for a local rpg group.

 

[Plurralbles]

... Make hagning out with you kickass fun and then when they respect you and can't have fun without you, offer thema fifth and get gaming!

 

[Georgie_Leech]

I have no idea. I'm facing a similar problem, so I'm going to be following this thread with interest.

 

[SlowShootinPete]

A few months back I bought a players handbook for D&D, read it, and thought it would be really cool if me and my friends played together. I asked one of my friends to be DM and he said no, simply because its to nerdy. I tried bargaining with him and he wouldn't budge. So, I've been reluctant to ask any of my other friends.

How can I get them to play. Any tips or facts that I could use to try and get them to play.

Tell them they're being snobs. Who cares if it's "nerdy". It's not like a person is completely defined by that one hobby they have.

If they like video games or board games, roleplaying might be fun. They won't know until they try.

 

[swolf]

Um, the problem for me was that all the stats and everything else involved seemed really complicated and convoluted. Also, doesn't the DM just make stuff up as you go along? I like to play board games but one that would have an ending with a winner(s) and a loser(s). I don't really hear about that in D&D.

OT: Also, things like this video may not be helping matters any: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyxnEKTjhj0

Still makes me laugh.

 

[dariuskyne]

Get nerd friends. It's a nerd game.

does that mean i need weeaboo friends to watch anime?
or rednecks because i watch racing?

or geeks because i play video games?


thank you for the lessening of your further stereotype comments.

 

[Revenant02]

Have them check out the Penny Arcade episodes of the Wizards of the Coast podcast, the first is dated 5/30/08 in iTunes. They're pretty funny and also give a good sense of what a DnD session is like as well as touching on some of the mechanics. I used said podcasts as a recruitment tool when I was getting my group together and it worked well.

Edit: If you want to play and you don't know anybody that's already played you'll probably need to take the dive and DM, you can download a copy of H1: Keep on the Shadowfell from the official site and run that for your friends, only investment would be the dice, though the adventure the players in the podcast go through is the an early version of H1, so the two plans might not be compatible...

Also, too nerdy? I hope your friend's still in his teens, otherwise he's a bit old to be worried about the Invisible Culture Police.

 

[Georgie_Leech]

Get nerd friends. It's a nerd game.

does that mean i need weeaboo friends to watch anime?
or rednecks because i watch racing?

or geeks because i play video games?


thank you for the lessening of your further stereotype comments.

Spoiler: This guy is offended by you talking about nerd like it's an insult:

 

[Wildrow12]

A few months back I bought a players handbook for D&D, read it, and thought it would be really cool if me and my friends played together. I asked one of my friends to be DM and he said no, simply because its to nerdy. I tried bargaining with him and he wouldn't budge. So, I've been reluctant to ask any of my other friends.

How can I get them to play. Any tips or facts that I could use to try and get them to play.

Ok champ, you've come to the right place. This is a common problem with RPG groups: namely finding people who would be willing to fling fireballs and piledrive orcs with you.

Now there are several options available:

1. Become the DM yourself, and get some of your closest friends together for a pick-up game. Single adventure. No long intro story. Just get them acclimated to the game. Give 'em a taste.

2. Go to www.meetup.com and search for roleplaying groups in your area. Also keep an open mind. A nearby group may not be playing Dungeons and Dragons, but may give you a chance to try out a new game. Heck, you may even make some new friends!

3. Find a local comic or hobby shop. They tend to host pick-up games just so gamers can meet each other.

Good luck!

 

[SlowShootinPete]

Also, doesn't the DM just make stuff up as you go along? I like to play board games but one that would have an ending with a winner(s) and a loser(s). I don't really hear about that in D&D.

OT: Also, things like this video may not be helping matters any: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyxnEKTjhj0

Still makes me laugh.

Sort of. Some GMs do improvise a lot, while others plan their stories out beforehand. A good GM adapts the situation around the players, so that the challenges aren't just arbitrary.

Roleplaying is like storytelling with rules, so you get to use your imagination and stuff but there will always be an element of unpredictability. The object isn't so much to win as it is to imagine yourself being your character and going on adventures and doing awesome things. Rolling dice and succeeding at things is still awesome, though.

 

[tetron]

A few months back I bought a players handbook for D&D, read it, and thought it would be really cool if me and my friends played together. I asked one of my friends to be DM and he said no, simply because its to nerdy. I tried bargaining with him and he wouldn't budge. So, I've been reluctant to ask any of my other friends.

How can I get them to play. Any tips or facts that I could use to try and get them to play.

I would highly recommend studying the game and DMing it for your friends instead of asking them to do it. A lot of people don't realize just how little there is to playing a game of DnD(making the characters is the hardest thing you'll ever really do). So I'd say go over the handbook, get your friends interested(bribe them with pizza if need be), and set aside a night to play. Make up a little story or something beforehand for them to play through.

All DnD really is is a video game without the visuals(I could apply the d20 system to pretty much every video game I've ever played). DnD doesn't always have to be about roleplaying and leveling, if you think it'd be funner to have them make some high level characters and rampage through some towns or something then do so, eventually they may want to make lower level characters in order to actually have the experience of leveling up to be badass and you'll have yourself dedicated campaign players.

 

[Blueruler182]

Get nerd friends. It's a nerd game.

does that mean i need weeaboo friends to watch anime?
or rednecks because i watch racing?

or geeks because i play video games?


thank you for the lessening of your further stereotype comments.

Wow. Someone's insecure if nerd still strikes a chord. Stereotypes exist because generally people who fit those stereotypes do the things in question. I didn't say only nerds play the game, I said it's a nerd game. And, generally speaking, getting nerds to play video games and watch anime would probably work better than going up to every other type of perfectly VALID stereotype there is. D&D is no different, and the fact that NERDS generally play it, myself included, and the fact that it's generally associated with NERDS makes it a nerd game. You might have noticed the use of generally there. That doesn't mean I'm not calling you a nerd, mostly because I believe you must have one hell of an insecurity if that gets to you, but I am saying that you're overreacting to a simple and innocent response. So I'm going to do so as well.

And I wasn't the only one to suggest that he gets another group of "more interested" people to play.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Since you read the core rules, I think you should DM. That's just me though...I would kill for a game of D&D >.<

I don't have the core-rules though...I have a D&D wannabe called Dark Fantasy of Sundrah and the core rules for the Star Wars RPG. I used to play 7th Sea and, Traveler. I played D&D online a bit but would really like to play with actual people...

 

[dariuskyne]

Get nerd friends. It's a nerd game.

does that mean i need weeaboo friends to watch anime?
or rednecks because i watch racing?

or geeks because i play video games?


thank you for the lessening of your further stereotype comments.

Wow. Someone's insecure if nerd still strikes a chord. Stereotypes exist because generally people who fit those stereotypes do the things in question. I didn't say only nerds play the game, I said it's a nerd game. And, generally speaking, getting nerds to play video games and watch anime would probably work better than going up to every other type of perfectly VALID stereotype there is. D&D is no different, and the fact that NERDS generally play it, myself included, and the fact that it's generally associated with NERDS makes it a nerd game. You might have noticed the use of generally there. That doesn't mean I'm not calling you a nerd, mostly because I believe you must have one hell of an insecurity if that gets to you, but I am saying that you're overreacting to a simple and innocent response. So I'm going to do so as well.

And I wasn't the only one to suggest that he gets another group of "more interested" people to play.

no i just feel it's unjust and inappropriate to do such. labelling something at "belonging to a set group of people" makes it harder (as is the case for the person who wrote this thread) for people to get others interested, they won't give it a chance just because it's a "nerd game" i just feel it's wrong, and ignorant, and continuing the trend (Especially by those who play it) only makes it more so. i do apologize at the antagonistic tone of my post(s) however. i dislike labelling, always have.

 

[Blueruler182]

Get nerd friends. It's a nerd game.

does that mean i need weeaboo friends to watch anime?
or rednecks because i watch racing?

or geeks because i play video games?


thank you for the lessening of your further stereotype comments.

Wow. Someone's insecure if nerd still strikes a chord. Stereotypes exist because generally people who fit those stereotypes do the things in question. I didn't say only nerds play the game, I said it's a nerd game. And, generally speaking, getting nerds to play video games and watch anime would probably work better than going up to every other type of perfectly VALID stereotype there is. D&D is no different, and the fact that NERDS generally play it, myself included, and the fact that it's generally associated with NERDS makes it a nerd game. You might have noticed the use of generally there. That doesn't mean I'm not calling you a nerd, mostly because I believe you must have one hell of an insecurity if that gets to you, but I am saying that you're overreacting to a simple and innocent response. So I'm going to do so as well.

And I wasn't the only one to suggest that he gets another group of "more interested" people to play.

no i just feel it's unjust and inappropriate to do such. labelling something at "belonging to a set group of people" makes it harder (as is the case for the person who wrote this thread) for people to get others interested, they won't give it a chance just because it's a "nerd game" i just feel it's wrong, and ignorant, and continuing the trend (Especially by those who play it) only makes it more so. i do apologize at the antagonistic tone of my post(s) however. i dislike labelling, always have.

Oh, okay. I apologize for the aggressive retort. I see what you mean now.

I do think integrating labeling into general use but in a less aggressive way would be good though. Pipe dream that may be. It might work though. Comics were considered pretty nerdy, now the movies have come out and comics are at an all time high. They're still considered nerdy, but more people like 'em, and I haven't been hassled for them in years.