Finding a new tabletop RPG group to join can be difficult, and it can be easiest to start a new group among your friends. Assuming, of course, you can find a group of four or five others, there are several things you have to consider.
NOTE: This is intended for those who will host the meetings, which is often the game master/dungeon master (GM/DM).
One important one is location. There needs to be a place everyone can reach. Often the game master can simply host at their house, but sometimes that is inconvenient. Talk with the members of the group to decide if your house is a good location. If not, many larger towns have tabletop game shops with tables set up for people to meet. This is often nice as people can buy dice, or rulebooks, if they need too.
While deciding the location, deciding the time is also important. Saturday nights are often ideal, and having a weekly or biweekly schedule is usually best, as it keeps it fresh in the players minds. Fours hours is a good play time, though two works as well (especially in a weekly schedule). Occasional meetings of longer amounts of time are okay as well. It is very important to talk with members of your group about this, and to plan ahead of time. It is easier to cancel something than to plan it, and things come up. You pretty much always want at least four people playing, so if you would end up with less than that, it's probably a good idea to cancel.
Another very important thing is food. As you will likely be meeting at night, you probably want to eat something, or at the very least have something to drink. Beer and pizza is great for older people (or so I hear) with soda and pizza being the counterpart for minors. It it's past dinner time, than chips and drinks are great. Occasionally you could even role-play them into the game (give the players drinks, mark which people drink, and later say that those who drank got drugged).
As for actually playing the game, you will want a big table, large enough to lay out charts and other important information, and for everyone to sit around. A dinner table usually works, but larger tables are even better. A large square is better than a rectangle of the same area because it keeps people closer together, and easier to communicate. I use a pool table with a hardwood cover I place on.
Finally, its very important that the game master has the required materials, and a plan for what to do. There is nothing worse than a game master screwing up a pre-written campaign by not reading first. Also, if you write your own campaigns, prepare the things you will need beforehand, mark the pages of the monster manual you need and so on.
Basically, prepare, and everyone will have fun. Trust me, I've done it before.
NOTE: This is intended for those who will host the meetings, which is often the game master/dungeon master (GM/DM).
One important one is location. There needs to be a place everyone can reach. Often the game master can simply host at their house, but sometimes that is inconvenient. Talk with the members of the group to decide if your house is a good location. If not, many larger towns have tabletop game shops with tables set up for people to meet. This is often nice as people can buy dice, or rulebooks, if they need too.
While deciding the location, deciding the time is also important. Saturday nights are often ideal, and having a weekly or biweekly schedule is usually best, as it keeps it fresh in the players minds. Fours hours is a good play time, though two works as well (especially in a weekly schedule). Occasional meetings of longer amounts of time are okay as well. It is very important to talk with members of your group about this, and to plan ahead of time. It is easier to cancel something than to plan it, and things come up. You pretty much always want at least four people playing, so if you would end up with less than that, it's probably a good idea to cancel.
Another very important thing is food. As you will likely be meeting at night, you probably want to eat something, or at the very least have something to drink. Beer and pizza is great for older people (or so I hear) with soda and pizza being the counterpart for minors. It it's past dinner time, than chips and drinks are great. Occasionally you could even role-play them into the game (give the players drinks, mark which people drink, and later say that those who drank got drugged).
As for actually playing the game, you will want a big table, large enough to lay out charts and other important information, and for everyone to sit around. A dinner table usually works, but larger tables are even better. A large square is better than a rectangle of the same area because it keeps people closer together, and easier to communicate. I use a pool table with a hardwood cover I place on.
Finally, its very important that the game master has the required materials, and a plan for what to do. There is nothing worse than a game master screwing up a pre-written campaign by not reading first. Also, if you write your own campaigns, prepare the things you will need beforehand, mark the pages of the monster manual you need and so on.
Basically, prepare, and everyone will have fun. Trust me, I've done it before.
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