Magical Kitties Encourage New-GM Parents

GMing can be intimidating. I was reminded of this when a friend of mine sent me this email: "I received my copy of Magical Kitties Save the Day... it’s pretty sweet. I never played any RPGs before so I am like, a little overwhelmed at the prospect of being GM for the games here at home."

I know how she feels. When I started GMing, it wasn't until I was in my late 20s. I'd been a gamer since high school, but I was seriously intimidated by GMing. Part of that was because the RPG systems I was playing with were really complicated, and the books were these giant reference tomes.

We tried to do the opposite with Magical Kitties, making it super easy for new players/GMs to jump into. So the comic book at the top of the box teaches kids the basics of play right away. And the big 4-page sample of play at the beginning of the rulebook helps the GM to get a feel for the rules. We split the Hometowns out into separate books, too, so the Rulebook could be a much slimmer, easily digestible book. And we have a 20-min demo available on our website, even, which is a great place to start. Or you can try one of the pre-written adventures at the back of the Hometown books.

Plus, the great thing about Magical Kitties is that the rules are so simple it makes GMing easy. In fact, the first time you play you really only need to know the rules from pages 24 to 33... just 10 pages! And those are all summarized on the inside back cover for quick reference during play. The rules your players need are all on the back of their character sheets, too.

So, easy rules make for easy GMing, but it's really up to the players to tell you how the story goes in Magical Kitties, anyway. As the GM you just set up the scenario, and they say what they want to do. It's kind of like telling a bedtime story for your kiddos, but letting them decide what happens in it. Plus any time I get stuck, like when I'm trying to come up with creative Complications, I just turn it around and ask the kids what they think should happen next. Then, if what they want to do isn't just some super easy thing, I use the dice to find out if they manage it or not. And in Magical Kitties, the GM doesn't even roll any dice... the players do! You just tell them how difficult the thing is, which is their target number for the roll.

My 8yo has run Magical Kitties, with a little bit of help from me to stay on topic. And my 11yos did just fine on their own. It's entirely GM-able by pretty much anyone, and a whole lot of fun, besides. Just remember, it's okay to make mistakes. After all, having fun with your kids is more important than doing it "right." So stop pussyfooting around and give Magical Kitties a try! :)

-Michelle Nephew, Magical Kitties Publisher