Fantasy small scale for kids

[dadlamassu]

sometimes I play wargames with my daughter (she is 9)

some of the things I do (hope you can take some ideas):

• Use home made rules, with simple mechanisms using few dice roles and almost no modifiers
• use a grid table or just simple measuring sticks
• I write the rules with her (nothing fancy, just a couple of tables for reference)
• each unit has only a couple of options for it's activation - run, move&shoot and shoot - each option has different effects on game terms
• Use scenery, but keep it simple
• don't use too many units at the same time - moving my units to create no more than 2 threats to her force
• ask her feedback for new rules addition, new unit types to add or actions to perform and try to add them to the game in the simplest way possible
• define scenario objectives and try to keep each game short
• It's not a problem to create unbalanced scenarios (but always game them from both sides in a single session - first I play the bad guys then she plays the bad guys)
• give some information about the background or history of the game setting
• use painted minis
• make scenario and paint minis with her

This is what I have done to get our grandchildren to play.  To the list above I would add
Make use of any favourite toys or books/films in the scenarios

We started with "Thomas the Tank Engine" and some favourite toys with minimalrules to ensure the "baddies" were defeated.
http://www.morvalearth.co.uk/Games_with_Grandad/01%20Sodor/01%20Sodor%20invaded.htm



Now they play - "The Hobbit", "Lord of the Rings Strategy Game", "Bolt Action" and Zombie games using our modified Akulas Rules

[Daeothar]

The first game I played with my little girl was Hero Quest as well, so I'm going to have to second tin shed gamer on that one. it's the perfect gateway game.

It's you, as the game master, against the kid(s), so they work together, rather than against eachother. Plus; you can moderate accordingly. So if they're having a hard time, ease up on them, and if they're bored, crank up the difficulty by adding more monsters, or putting down bigger baddies. You can even really clamp down on those players who are not team-players (i.e. picking up treasure another player just killed a monster for, not sharing loot, etc).

I've also shortened quests by, for instance, adding a secret door somewhere, because otherwise it would take way too long for her (look for telltale signs that attention spans are dropping, and DM accordingly).

We've since then also played Space Hulk (scary!), and Lionheart; a simple boardgame that can be found for very cheap (€7,50 in my case, all miniatures still on the sprue). It is, in essence, an amalgam of chess and miniature wargames.

Those rules are very simple, there are two sizable armies (silver and gold), which are roughly 28mm sized, and can be painted too!

I also have a copy of Super Dungeon Explore, which has certainly caught her fancy. She just loves the artwork (chibby fantasy) on the box, and I should really paint them up for us to use them in play.

The game itself is an attempt to re-create the feel of 8-bit adventure computer games from back in the day, and not really suited as an introductory game. But the minis themselves can be used in virtually any game of course.

And if you want a 'proper' wargame, why not look at either Saga (as you're invested in historicals already), or Lion/Dragon Rampant?

[Machinegunkelly]

Hi.

I had a thread going when I introduced my daughter into wargaming. We actually used the very old and totally free Fantasy Warriors. My inspiration came from Jevenkahs and her familys gaming site. I hope this gives you some inspiration.

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=55961.0

MGK

[macmod]

Thank you all for your suggestions I am going to taint their souls over the Christmas period 😈

[emosbur]

A couple of years ago I played with my children using Matakishi's DUNGEONEER and playmobil figures. Playmobil are great because you can customize the figures.

Edited:

I found these pics in my phone.

[beefcake]

That previous post reminds me about the fighting fantasy RPGs, dungeoneer. That could be a good game if you get the old book and use any miniatures you want with it. I might just bring it out for with my son these holidays.

[Ghost]

With children I would play Open Combat, from Second Thunder. Rules are simple, you create your own profiles of fighters, there's a PDF version and you can use any kind of miniature.

[Sir_Theo]

That previous post reminds me about the fighting fantasy RPGs, dungeoneer. That could be a good game if you get the old book and use any miniatures you want with it. I might just bring it out for with my son these holidays.

I loved that game. I bought the reprinted collection a few years ago.

[macmod]

Cheers folks I’ve gone for a song of heroes and blades!

[boneio]

Look forward to hearing how you get on. I've played a few turns of several GW games with my kids, I just super simplify the rules on the fly. After all the point for them isn't really how the game works, it's getting to roll dice with daddy and use his tiny monsters as we call them 

Mine are 2 and 4 though so not really capable of most rulesets. They do recognise numbers and can count so the basics of rolling and moving are fine. We turned speed freeks into a simple race for example, roll to see how far you go sort of thing.

To add to the suggestions there are things like Four Against Darkness. As a paper based cooperative dungeon crawl with mostly random elements on a d6, it's simple enough to have a go with. At young ages they don't need figures as their imaginations are running riot anyway and mine understand what skeletons and ghosts are!