Adventure for kids

[Lofar]

Hi!

I think I vaguely remember somebody posting an adventure (idea) for a TOR session with Kids as Gamers. I'm planning to do a session with my nephew (9 years) and am looking for some good material.
Thanks!

Jens

[zedturtle]

I remember a LM asking about tweaking a Hobbit character for his daughter to play, but's not quite what you're looking for, I imagine.

I think most of (at least) the introductory adventures can be run for kids. You might have to abstract the system a bit more for them (but as I always say, it boils down to 'roll these dice and tell me what you get, especially if it's a funny symbol instead of a number') and prompt them for certain things (Trait invocations for sure).

You might want to tamp down the threat level, but I think the level of violence in the Hobbit is not going to shock any nine-year-old. Just don't get into any details about what defeating goblins or trolls means exactly and have evil men (and even Evil Men) surrender instead of fighting to the death.

[farinal]

Less combat and more social interactions would be more suited I think.

[Falenthal]

I think that "Of Leaves and Stewed Hobbit", from Tales of the Wilderland, can be fun enough to play with kids. There's only the battle at the ringfort, which can be solved without much gory detail. And allow the kids to play riddles with the goblins during the feast, or to outwit them in any way, to save the Hobbit.

Other adventures can also be tweaked, like "Don't leave the path!". I imagine the bandits at the beginning just running away at the first notion of being Awed, or even Inspired.
During the travel I'd give a lot of importance to finding imaginative ways of crossing the Mirkwood river, and then present the spiders capture of Belgor (was that his name?). I wouldn't play the spiders as a combat, but as a kind of horror tale where the heroes manage to sneak under the noses of the creatures, asleep in their webs (fake the rolls if needed...) and manage to outrun them as the whole nest wakes up when they have nearly escaped unnoticed.
Avoid the Thing in the Pit and give them a rest with elves as they manage to get out of the gloomy forest. Let them enjoy supper and songs sitting in the green grass of the valleys, beholding the silver line of the Anduin as it reflects the moonlight as if thousands of fireflights were swimming in it.

[Angelalex242]

Depends on how you describe Shadow.

I think the kid version would be calling it 'great sadness.' 'Imagine if your pet dog got really hurt. The feeling you'd have then...is what a shadow point is like.'

[tomfish]

If you have Hobbit Tales you can try running a fully improvised adventure, I found Hobbit Tales cards quite inspiring especially when playing with children

(a bit more details in my post in the relevant thread)
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4107&p=37384#p37384

Also try The Theft of the Moon from zedturtle, worked very well with my kids and does not involve ugly monsters or things that may be too harsh for them to deal with.

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2325