orange and red tabletop RPG dice - TTRPGkids

Tips and Tricks: For when kids want to go “villain mode” in your tabletop RPG

So, you’ve picked a non-combat game, you have a nice exploration plot planned, you start the first session, and, as you come to a town, your kid casts fireball and wants to BURN IT DOWN!

What do you do?

I’ve been asked similar questions a few times, either on social media or via email, and I wanted to share my personal experience in running games with my kid to help you get some ideas for how to deal with kids wanting to go villain mode.

TTRPGkids tips and tricks for running a 1-1 TTRPG session

Tips and tricks for running 1-1 tabletop RPG and D&D games with kids

Running a 1-1 game does come with its own challenges, but it also comes with some cool new elements and perspectives for your game.  I’ve run tabletop RPGs for a group of seven players and I’ve run them for just one player – here are some of the differences I’ve seen and tips for how to handle them!
TTRPG item card for a queen's crown - held up on a stand made from Ti'Tains

Tips and tricks: Using item cards in your tabletop RPGs!

One of the main issues I run into when playing either with my kid or my regular tabletop RPG groups is keeping track of and using our items.  We all LOVE to get loot or stash away health potions for a rainy day, but, when they’re written on the character sheet along with everything else, they can get kind of lost or hard to track.  Also, you may have the name of the item written down… but then you gotta look up details in the book when you do remember to use it, and that can slow the game down.  To help, here’s some loot card ideas that you can use to assist with both tracking items and making items easier to use!
green and blue tabletop RPG dice

Tips and tricks for pacing tabletop RPGs for kids

I’ve gotten a few questions about how pacing tabletop RPGs for kids is different than pacing a tabletop RPG for adults, and the answer is actually a bit complicated since it depends significantly on your kid (there’s a big difference between pacing a game for a 4 year old, a 9 year old, or a 15 year old).  Despite this range and variation though, there are common techniques that can apply to any age range AND there’s some easy ways to reframe them so they can more easily apply to kids!
TTRPGkids - tabletop RPGs for kids, multicolored dice picture

6 tips and tricks to run smooth tabletop RPG encounters for kids!

When running a tabletop RPG encounter for any age group, there can be a lot to juggle – spell lists, initiative order, multiple rolls, etc.  In games with kids, the difficulty for managing all this can be ramped up a bit due to increased excitement, mechanics, usability, and attention span.  To help with all this, here’s some tips and tricks that I’ve learned to help you and your young players enjoy your game encounters and have a good time!

Making a tabletop RPG for your particular kid: a quick start step by step guide!

Taking the leap into creating your own story and mechanics for a game with your kids can be a little daunting – there’s a lot to consider!  To help break things down, I created a one-page guide that walks you through each step of the process in a clear and concise way so you have a solid foundation for making some awesome games for your particular kid!