Some of the replies to this got me thinking:
Pick up and play is the future of RPGs.
Prep is a hold-over from the bad old days.— Phil (@thedicemechanic) October 24, 2018
I run a D&D group, five of the players are completely new, one has played in the previous campaign I ran (Phandelver). They’re enjoying it but find some things too noodly. Skill check vs saving throw vs attacks, proficiency and when/what you add it to, what skills are tied to which abilities… They like succeeding, and as they get to grips they like being good at stuff, but without fail there’ll be sessions where someone has no idea how to do things (which one do I roll again?)
I’ve been thinking for a while now that the next game I run will be something simpler. Dungeon World, or maybe even Knave. In fact, I ran tonight and on the drive home listened to Board With Life’s Halloween special where they’re playing Knave:
Be sure to join us as we explore The Cursed Chateau for our Halloween game this year using Knave from @benjamilt for the system. https://t.co/j944OUzKeK pic.twitter.com/3EikZAYFAg
— Board with Life (@ImBoardWithLife) October 25, 2018
Could you start a 5e game with Level 1 with characters essentially being like Knave characters, then introduce the extra bits as folks level up/get the hang of it? Or would folks not feel special enough? Does that gut too many class abilities/features?
I will ponder.