Watching Folks Find Gaming Is Awesome

Every Wednesday, I run D&D Fifth Edition at a gaming cafe for a lively group of regular players. Many of these players were completely new to RPGs when they first joined the game. Part of my job is helping these new players learn the rules and try to show them a good time.

One of my players made the jump about a year ago to running his own campaign for a home group. When he was setting his game up, he came to me for advice on running his first games. I gave him what tips I could, but I must say that it's been very interesting seeing him discover things on his own.

When his group was getting too confused by "theater of the mind" combats, he got a gridded map and character tokens. He struggled with how to show his players that their character's actions towards NPCs had consequences. He learned how to improvise and handle unexpected player choices.

I've tried to keep abreast of how his home game is going. He's clearly having fun, and he's embracing the hobby. I know he's been watching actual play shows on Twitch and YouTube. He's starting making references and handouts not only for his game but for mine as well.

Watching his progress and that of my other newer players has been amazing. Bringing new people into the hobby is one of the best things I can do with my time as a gamer and game designer, and I hope to get the opportunity to do it for years to come.

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