Quick Start to The Fantasy Trip
 

I just wrote this up and I'm looking for constructive suggestions to help introduce new players to the game.

https://www.hcobb.com/tft/TFT_Quick_Start.html

Re: Quick Start to The Fantasy Trip
 

Without going through it in detail, your general process for introduction looks good. However, it is the path of going it alone. That path is probably the first path to recommend. Most of us became acquainted with TFT in a similar manner. Running new players through the Death tests is also good training for a GM.

Since I'm close to bringing a local group together, I may come up with a GM guided introduction. I tend to dive right into character generation with talents followed by some arena combat to highlight the combat resolution process and give them some EXP and/or money. I then start moving them into the Death tests or other scenarios of preference by the players. Once they decide if they like it or not, I try to promote multiple characters being generated by each player. At first, the goal is to give them a party of 4 that they can hone as a team in the arena or run through the Death tests. After that, if they are interested in doing so, creating even more characters so that they can have an array from which to choose for whatever mission comes their way.

Most of my potential new players are Warhammer 40K players. So, I can see that once I introduce them to how individual characters are generated and developed, they will be interested in creating small Armies for larger scale combat. However, they will have the option for the small party size adventures too.

In fact, in order to get them into the TFT camp, I may have to learn some general Warhammer 40K rules so that I can facilitate some of their playing. It;s amazing the deals that we have to make to bring new TFT players into the fold. None of them have heard of TFT until I mentioned it to them. They had heard of GURPS which I explained to them was the original TFT 2.0 until Legacy TFT (2.0) came out. Being the forerunner to GURPS by the same game creator seems to be what sparkled their interest.

Re: Quick Start to The Fantasy Trip
 

That's a great idea, Henry.

My first impression is that it is long--more than 1,200 words. If there is any way to pare that down to its essentials, I recommend doing so.

In this section:

Online resources

I maintain a playlist of TFT videos on Youtube
You can check for online games on the TFT Discord server
SJ Games has a database of local gamers and an offical offical forum for TFT

it might be worthwhile saying something more about what they might find in the online groups--maybe something along the lines of:

TFT players have created some enthusiastic group online groups on Facebook, Discord, and the Steve Jackson Games TFT forum. Join them to share bits of your adventures, find a group to play with, look for rules clarifications, and more.

It might be good to not bury that at the end, too, so that closer to the top the reader discovers that there is a friendly player base out there eager to welcome them into the fold.

Re: Quick Start to The Fantasy Trip
 

Hi Henry,
From your web page you wrote, "At this point you are ready to send one wizard and three talentless fighters through Death Test 2."

I understand talentless fighters in DeathTest as it predates the original ITL, but DT2 does use talents. Charisma, Animal Handler, Engineer & Crossbow talents are mentioned in it. Maybe others. And this is true of both the original DT2 as well as the legacy DT2.

So, why not let them have talents?

Re: Quick Start to The Fantasy Trip
 

I'm tempted to restructure the contents as:

1. Basic combat
2. Advanced combat
3. The first adventure
4. Basic spellcasting
5. The second adventure
6. Combat talents
7. The third adventure
8. The full game

Re: Quick Start to The Fantasy Trip
 

Combat Talents wouldn't be part of Advanced Combat?

Re: Quick Start to The Fantasy Trip
 

Advanced combat would be the more complex parts of Melee like HTH

Re: Quick Start to The Fantasy Trip
 

Very cool Henry. After reading the link, and then looking at the restructure topics, I like the restructured version better. It flows nicer.

Re: Quick Start to The Fantasy Trip
 

My process is to generate the newbie characters first, go immediately into arena combat with an NPC or manageable foe, such as a Wolf, Goblin, basic Orc, etc. And use the Melee experience rules for arena or "to the death" scenarios to build up the character enough for Deathtest, or a short adventure. After that,
If they survive, a few more arena combats/death duels, then off to something like "Orb Quest", "Security Station", "Death Test 2", or an adventure of the like. Maybe some of the newer stuff, or the " Land Beyond The Mountains" modules, SWITCHING to the advanced ITL experience at that point, which is around 36 or 37 pt. Characters. This way it keeps people (and myself) engaged and invested more.