How to Teach an RPG in no Time at all

A lot of role-playing systems teach players how to play the game, but they require a lot of reading. Not everyone is going to buy the book, and even those who do may either skim the how to play section or arrive at the first game session still unsure of themselves. As the game master, you’ll be doing your players and yourself a favor by making sure you not only know how the game works but also how to simply teach the rules to your players in a short period of time. So here are a few tips to smooth out the process so your players can jump in with, if not confidence, at least an idea of what they can and should do.

Step one: Familiarize your players with the character sheet. Start with the basics. In Pathfinder, this will be the list of attributes at the top of the page. Dungeons and Dragons will be the ability scores and bonuses. Walk them through their various character statistics, including health, armor, movement, and the skills they can perform.

Step two: Practice non-combat actions, like trying to perform a skill. Give each player at the table a chance to perform an action, like trying to sneak or convince an NPC to give up their seat in a cafe. Try to narrate it so they get used to the storytelling part of roleplaying. Set the scene and tell them to roll the appropriate die/dice (i.e., 20-sided die in Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder, a set of four FATE dice in the FATE systems, two to five six-sided dice in the Forged in the Dark systems, etc.). After they roll, narrate the scene, the action they could take leading up to the “skill check,” the result (success, failure, etc.), and then the consequences of the result. Don’t forget to let them know how and why they may get bonuses or penalties to their rolls, as well!

Step three: Explain combat. This will differ from system to system. If there is a turn order (initiative), talk them through that process. Next, allow the players to make an attack against an enemy. This will likely include instructing them to roll the appropriate die/dice, similar to a skill check, that may be followed by a damage roll, though some systems calculate damage based on how effective the attack roll is compared to the defender’s armor stats. Allow combat to progress for a few rounds until the players either defeat, or are defeated by, the enemy. A victory gives them a chance to celebrate, even if it doesn’t influence the game or the story, and defeat allows them a zero-consequence opportunity to learn about any potential “taken out” or “death” mechanics. Some games allow players to send their characters into retirement, but some do have higher stakes. As a side note, it’s worth explaining the potential consequences of combat in case players aren’t comfortable facing character death. In any case, walk the players through the potential ways to avoid death when it is near so they’re prepared for the possibility.

Step four: Set a narrative scene that will introduce them to your game’s world. This is an opportunity for them to get into character, interact with non-player characters, and engage with the setting. This will be either at the end of Session 0 or the beginning of Session 1, and from here your game should start to flow into the actual campaign. Alternatively, this process could take up the first bit of a one-shot adventure at a convention or church game night (though it should ideally take less than 30 minutes).

As the game master, part of your job is to facilitate the players’ storytelling while adjudicating rules. Even if they’re veteran players, your group may not always remember the rules. By walking them through their character sheet and giving them a chance to practice, you build a foundation that they can come back to if they forget the more complicated rules of even the most simplistic system. Or, at the very least, it gives them a starting point to ask educated questions about what they can or should do on their turn.