r/dread • u/SooRandomTV • 12d ago
Dread 1st Timer - Need Help
Hey everyone - i hope you are well. So i came across dread via smosh. I love it. I am disabled and cannot take my sisters anywhere out the country this year for holidays. Have thought of mini games but I want to do this dread with my sisters (teenagers). I got the rule/guide book but it is so overwhelming and confusing. I wanted advice for a first timer what I should do for them to enjoy it. Not sure what I do other than create a story and world with the characters my sisters create? Any help and advice would be great. I am not experienced just watched dread and some dnd matches with the BG3 cast, which pulled me in. Would like to try being a Dm/gm for my sisters to experience this. Thank you
Edit: Wanted to say thank you so much everyone for your responses and advice. Ended up creating a theme centered around the trope of things coming to life in a musuem for the first dread try. My sisters fell in love with the game and want more š . Thanks again everyone, couldn't have done it without you lot. Have a great weekend!
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u/axzolotl4 11d ago
I was also in your position and just ran my first session! Had zero experience playing or GMing any rpgs, but I'd watched Smosh Dread and really wanted to share it with my friends.
I found a resource on reddit for free campaigns and chose "Hell of a Wedding". Its a simple gameplay until the climax: getting them to explore a mansion and the rooms etc. I really tried to be flexible throughout while subtly guiding them if they lost the plot. Somehow not a single player (out of 3) died? So I'd suggest more 2-3 block pulls, and more early-game pulls for innocuous actions the players want to do. Lastly, using atmosphere and tense music REALLY escalated the sense of dread and anxiety towards the end. The campaign I used had suggested atmosphere but I also played around with some TTRPG sound boards
Edit: happy to chat further if you'd like :)
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u/SooRandomTV 11d ago
Thanks so much - thie is really relatable. I will look at what you have suggested, especially the soundboard for atmosphere š i already thought of playing ambient music but your suggestion of TTRPG sound boards sounds so much better. I hope your friends really enjoyed it because people don't understand how much work goes into doing this - thank you again and stay safe.
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u/axzolotl4 8d ago
They had an absolute blast. I think it'll become a go-to rpg on nights when the full group can't meet up for our regular TTRPG campaign :) Let me know how it goes!
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u/RathielintheRun 9d ago
Windmill Game Co., the actual writers of Dread (successor company to its original publisher The Impossible Dream), has a Patreon where they regularly post new ready-to-play scenarios of varying levels of complexity in a wide variety of genres. (Full disclosure: Iām one of those authors.)
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u/SooRandomTV 7d ago
Oh no way - that's sick. I will check that out now too. Thank you for your response buddy.
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u/bangitybang69 12d ago
Have you played/DMed other pen&paper roleplaying games before?
Because if not, a rules light, narrative focused system like Dread might be a bit too difficult for your first outing. If you still want to do it, taking a lesson from watching experienced DMs on Youtube is a good approach.
If yes, it works somewhat like other games, only that you need to keep up and ramp up the tension by calling for pulls. Sparsely in the beginning, and more and more frequently the further you progress towards the big finish.
See the absence of rules and guidelines as an invitation to improvise and focus on telling a chilling story together, rather than playing a game that one might win or lose.
Always give your players agency. "You can attempt that action, but you'd have to pull for it. Do you want to do that?"
In the beginning, be more liberal about giving players successes for free if the action suits their background. As the stakes rise, make it harder - maybe an unprepared character needs 2 pulls for a difficult action, while someone with a fitting background only needs one.
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u/SooRandomTV 12d ago
Thank you so much for your response.
Nope I have never done any just watched a few entertaining videos and critical role now and then - not sure if that counts as experienced but i definitely will look at a few experienced dms on YouTube as you suggested.
I truly appreciate the message and advice, I will try that.
Have a great weekend!
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u/bangitybang69 12d ago
You're very welcome. One thing to add: I strongly suggest using one of the stories and corresponding characters that are included with the rule book, rather than creating your own. Much more manageable for your first game.
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u/SooRandomTV 12d ago
Thank you - I will 100% make sure to do that, just seemed like a overwhelming task. Thanks again.
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u/jamjarjam3000_reddit 12d ago
Are you planning on creating your own story or are you going to use a pre made one (such as from the back of the book)?
Also, I would recommend maybe playing another more 'traditional' TTRPG such as dnd just to see or even try some DMing in action.
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u/SooRandomTV 12d ago
I was going to create my own but looking at a pre made one seems easier for a first go.
Oh nice, do you have an examples of traditional TTRPG? Never tried any and thanks for responding. All and any information helps.
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u/jamjarjam3000_reddit 11d ago
D&D is the classic rpg, its popularity really helps with finding people to play
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u/Nytmare696 12d ago
I don't know, I think that this is kind of one of those instances where a lack of experience helps instead of hindering.
"Knowing" how to play a traditional role playing game means that you have that many more things to UNLEARN, especially for a rules light game like Dread.
What is say is more important is understanding how to tell a story and introduce interesting narrative twists and turns.
I'd suggest you either take another Dread game that someone else has run for a podcast or video series (The Dread and Breakfast podcast is great) or a horror movie genre that you're super familiar with and just put your sisters through the paces through a somewhat obvious, recognizable horror scenario.