Today was a delight! At the D&D Club a whole crowd of students turned up – maybe 15 or more, way more than I could offer to run a game for. My colleague is off ill, so I was stuck.

I mentioned that, after the upcoming half-term holiday (the next two weeks), I would need to see some of the players in the group step up to run games as Game Masters. I pointed out that we have a D&D Starter Set, a D&D Essentials Kit, and two Pathfinder Beginner Boxes available – all that is needed is for someone to take those products home, read and learn, then come back and run games.

The students were amazing! Four students stepped up immediately. Between them, they divided up the boxed sets. I was thinking they would perhaps need me to run something for them tonight… but no.

Three students grabbed some players – two or three each – opened up the products and started playing. Right there – reading a little ahead and then running a scene. Pausing to read another scene, then running it. And so on.

The fourth student, being already a bit more experienced, just drew themselves a quick map and then started running an adventure off the top of their head. Amazing.

As the session progressed, the feedback about the products was positive. Interestingly, the Pathfinder Beginner Box – coming as it does with a lay-out dungeon map and the pawns – drew lots of attention and the students using it started to exclaim how it was definitely more fun to play that D&D had been.

What about me? I didn’t have to run anything tonight. I answered the odd rules query but was otherwise able to watch and learn from the students.

Here’s my tip: give a small group of teenagers who are curious about “playing D&D” one of the many beginner’s box sets. Then get out of the way. They will have fun.

Game on!