Now that I’ve decided to do this, I hit my first stumbling block pretty hard. How do I find people to game with? From what I understand…that’s pretty important. Some advice I received was that it’s important to know that when you start off, you may want to find an established group that one or more of your friends are a part of, because you may not be experienced enough/good enough to run games by yourself.
Yeah. Well…That’s pretty apparent right? But…how? I started thinking of each of my friends and wondering if this was something that might appeal to them. I have lots of friends that are nerdy, but I just don’t know if they’re that level of nerd yet. It makes me feel kind of bad for them actually. So I make a few calls. I get a few odd silences and I can almost hear one person eyes light up until they realized I was talking about something a little different than their first thought. I swiftly explained that I meant roleplaying with dice and decided this was the wrong approach.
I began making a list of other clues to find gamers. I decided it was like a treasure hunt.
Books on bookshelves, when I look at their bookshelves were there game books? They might be gamers, or maybe they used to be. Was there a lot of fantasy? That could mean they’d be interested.
I thought about my theater friends, the ones who love to be someone else for the span of a play. Hmmmm. That might work.
I cataloged my friends needed a break. I thought of my friends with toddlers, preschoolers, teenagers, limited budgets and those who never get out. Yes, they could use an adventure they didn’t have to clean up after.
Well. I think I know enough people after all. I went to facebook and made a post. Right away I had a friend who’s husband has been doing this for a while message me. She’s willing to give it a shot and he’s pretty laid back and said he’d help if we wanted. I asked friends to ask friends.
My daughter asked at the comic book/game store. They didn’t know any groups, but they do know gamers. They said they’d ask around. She happily came home and told me that the guy working there had a copy of Ingenium. Nice. We always like to hear stories like that!
If you are lucky enough to live in an area or close to an area where there are conventions, go to one. Be prepared for there to be some very serious gamers and people who take this more seriously than you. Be respectful of that, and expect to hear about their 17th level Paladin. Look impressed, smile politely, nod and go find someone a little more at your commitment level for now.
If you go to college or high school, there is the option of gaming clubs on campus.
Libraries are filled with people who love adventure. Look for posters or consider putting up your own “looking for group” ad on their board. Obviously, whenever meeting people you don’t know, be safe. Make sure you are meeting somewhere publicly and that people know where you are. Take your cell phone and if you are uncomfortable, leave.
There are websites and internet groups specifically geared for this. Again, safety first.
Once you find a group, Ask questions to see if it’s the right kind of group for you. If you’re going to go out and save the world, and the group is made up of a Necromancer, an Ogre and a Minotaur, you may be joining the wrong group.