One shots for new players

[Eric Provost]

Heh.  Don't know why I didn't think to just ask permission right away.  Thanks Vincent.

If you follow the link to my Designs in my signature, then through to my DitV page you'll see it there.

-Eric

[lumpley]

Hey, that's a good-looking sheet.

Thank you!

-Vincent

[coffeestain]

Eric,

That sheet rocks, thanks!

Regards,
Daniel

[Graham W]

Daniel,

I played Dogs for the first time at a convention in August. I hadn't played any of the weird games that these Forge people play before. The GM, Steve, took us through character creation and the town "Fort Lemon" in slightly over three hours. It didn't feel rushed.

(I'd let Steve tell you this himself, but I think he's ill at the moment, so you get my second-hand version instead).

There were four players. Character creation was quick: definitely less than an hour. Steve started by reading instructions and getting us to write things on our character sheets: "OK, choose a name. OK? Now choose a background. You can have Well Rounded, Complicated Community" etc etc.

Then we went through the traits and Accomplishments. Throughout this, people wandered off to get drinks or go to the loo and came back. In other words, the 15 minutes that it usually takes people to settle down was used doing character creation.

Steve didn't explain rules in advance. He didn't give us much background, either, except to say it was set in the Wild West and we were going round delivering God's judgement. The Accomplishments were used to explain the rules, although he also caused a conflict early in the game, just to make sure we all got the point.

(As an aside, I actually think the rules are much easier to explain if you play them through in the game. If I try and define exactly how to Raise, it's difficult. But if we play through a conflict, we'll quickly get the hang of how to Raise and See, even without being consciously aware of all the rules).

Hope that's of some use.

Graham

[coffeestain]

Graham,

Wow, 3 hours total?!  How long would you say the actual character creation/accomplishments took?  An hour?

Apparently, I just need to be more forceful and less hands-off.

Regards,
Daniel

[Graham W]

Wow, 3 hours total?!  How long would you say the actual character creation/accomplishments took?  An hour?

Slightly over three hours. I can't really remember. I know we started just after 10 and we were having lunch by 1:30. And, yes, I'm fairly sure we were through with the character creation within the hour.

Apparently, I just need to be more forceful and less hands-off.

Honestly, I think Vincent's suggestions would get you through character creation in that hour. That phrase "Write that down" is great. What do you want your character to be like? Write that down. What else? Write that down too. It's not so much being forceful as keeping things moving.

Not that I know much, of course, I've only played the game three times. But it sounds right to me.

Graham