Hey all,
I recently started a new campaign that I’m running for my wife and three kids. This is the first time I’ve run this game, and mostly their first story-based RPG.
The first session went fairly well, but my weak spot was definitely my lack of pre-planned locations. I was definitely prepared to improvise wherever they wanted to go, but they don’t really have enough experience/genre-immersion to figure out where they wanted to go.
How do you guys pick locations, and how many do you generally have? Do your players improvise locations well, or do you have to guide them in their investigations?
Watch TV shows (csi etc), I ran a one shot with my wife and kids and it ran like one of those investigative TV shows (going to police station, morgue etc.) As the back stories to the characters Gave them authority to do that kind of stuff in official capacity. It was a hit n miss. Kids loved it, wife didn’t take to the collaborative storytelling part. If there was any flaw is that the players have “more knowledge” than the GM about certain legal/medical processes, whatever is decided be consistent
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You can always have the monster drive the location-the players have to go to that site to kill it! I generally write up notes like my starters on locations, you may want to take a look https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B7cav44145d9NEU5NE55U1d0RHc&usp=sharinghttps://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B7cav44145d9NEU5NE55U1d0RHc&usp=sharing
In this situation I think you will have to do some guiding. You said this is mostly their first story-based RPG experience, so that means you’ll have to give them clear signs about where to go. At least at first.
Have bystanders (police officers, witnesses, medical officials, etc.) clearly suggest places for the PCs to go. If necessary, have an NPC tag along with the group and offer suggestions when they seem stuck.
As you said, your players don have enough experience to figure out where they want to go, so help them along a bit. They’ll start taking the initiative on their own eventually. 🙂