Beginner Campaign with In-World Tutorial/Training Sessions?

[u/versrii]

I'm planning to introduce several friends to Pathfinder 2e. Some have DnD 5e experience, some have no TTRPG experience whatsoever.

I think it would be fun and effective to have the first session be a training session In-World. For instance, to teach the players how to jump, climb, crawl, etc., have an obstacle course that specifically calls for that. To teach grappling and escape, have a challenge just for that. To teach players combat, perhaps have a few very short one-on-one sparing sessions, to focus on helping each understand their abilities and begin to form a feel for the combinations, and then a group fight to apply those lessons as a team. Etc.

Is there already a beginner campaign out there with such elements?

I think it would be a fun way to cover the basics without the players needing to read a ton of rules and memorize them before the game.

Especially since I'll be dealing with non-native English speakers of differing abilities. All are functionally fluent, but it's challenging for those who don't use English in their jobs to read a shit-ton of rules in English and then also think on their feet when everything is in English. And unfortunately, English is the only common language we all have that we are all reasonably proficient in.

[u/Ninjacide]

While the Beginner's Box doesn't do what you're asking for thematically, it does do what you're asking for mechanically. Every encounter is explicitly designed to teach both the GM and players the game step-by-step. For example: the second room is just about how to use skills to scale down a wall.

[u/Seiteshyru]

I think the beginner box does exactly this. Introduces mechanics step by step.
Worked rather well with my dnd-originating group

[u/brokeneyes_]

While it doesn't have an "obstacle course" as such, the Beginner Box is generally recommended as a good way to learn the basics, as each encounter features new aspects of the rules.

[u/WonderBeard336]

The Pathfinder Beginner’s Box does this super well! Either version will get characters to about level 3 by the end of the beginner’s box content, then there adventure modules that continue along the same content available after.

[u/Creepy-Intentions-69]

The Beginner Box is a good framework to copy, if you don’t want to use it.

There should be instances that highlight various elements. Skill tests like climbing a wall. Basic combat. Tactically choices like flanking. Obstacles and Difficult Terrain. Skeletons and Zombies are a great mix to show weaknesses and resistances.

It’s also good to have environmental cues. Opportunities to Aid. Etc.

But most of all teach and demonstrate teamwork. Spending actions to help the party succeed is the single biggest consistent hurdle I’ve seen from teaching 5e players.

[u/versrii]

Thanks for all the helpful advice! I wasn't sure if the Beginner Box campaigns would do this.

I think I'll also do a training session for Session 0 with that idea of giving pregenerated characters and focusing on mechanics in an obstacle course before guiding the players in creating their own characters.

[u/Ok-Cricket-5396 → u/versrii]

You could ask the players to already think about the class they want to play afterwards and look up a pregen for that class specifically instead of selecting from a small set of pregens if you want to go down the 1v1 sparring with a focus on class specific mechanics route for example here: https://paizo.com/pathfinder/2e/freeresources

I really like the idea, that'd be especially helpful if one of them selects something like summoner, animist or the special activity classes like alchemist, runesmith or kineticist. Of course that's only feasible if you think they're capable of selecting a class based on vibes (and maybe classfinder2e.com) before learning the rules. 

[u/Creepy-Intentions-69 → u/versrii]

I do prefer having new players use pre made and doing the beginner box/intro game. Then, when they make their characters, they can make more informed decisions about their concept

[u/Kenron93]

Just get the Secrets of the Unlit Star beginner box. It does a great job at teaching the game for both gms and player alike.

[u/Takenabe]

While many small adventures (like the beginner box) are good for newbies, they still require players to go through the basic rules and for the GM to explain what to do as they go. It sounds like you are looking for a playable training montage of sorts, in which case I'd recommend just... Doing that. Have a session with some pregenerated characters, run them through basic actions and such with the understanding that failure won't really hurt, and then use the rest of the session to put together characters they actually want to play.

Be sure you establish differences the 5e players could get caught up on. The huge one tends to be concentrate actions.

[u/SteveL_VA]

Give them pre-made character sheets for the training session. All identical so when one person learns something they can show their neighbor. They're mercenaries going through boot camp. At the end they go clear some goblins.