“For his birthday, he wanted a C21. Instead, I offered him a d20! A what instead of a what? The C21 is a relatively inexpensive smartphone popular with teenagers. A d20 is a 20-sided die, emblematic of role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. The author of the bon mot is a 49-year-old mother, Bérengère. This d20, she offered it to her son, Cléo, for his 14th birthday. A way of telling him: ok, let’s go, we start role-playing. ” We ” ? Yes, like Cléo and Bérengère, more and more parents and children are getting into role-playing together, which has come back into vogue at the same time as fantasy in recent years. Publishers support the movement by publishing initiation kits for their games, more accessible formulas, with simplified and attractive rules. Whether it’s the initiation box of Dungeons & Dragons, Dragons of Storm Islandthe incomparable Forgotten Chronicles declined in different universes, or dozens of others as recently a role-playing game in the universe The legendaries…
“When I was a teenager, my brother played role-playing games with his friends and it always intrigued me, attracted me, says Bérengère. But I felt that as a girl I would not be welcome, so I forgot. When I heard Cléo screwing up in front of videos ofcurrent play, of the show Role’n’Play, these repressed memories came to the surface. »
Role-playing (video) games
Like Cléo, thousands of young role-playing fans follow these parts filmed and broadcast, sometimes live, on different social networks. Halfway between improvisational theater and a board game, these videos are also the symbol of a world that has opened up to the virtual. With confinement, millions of players around the world have chosen to satisfy their passion through online games, made possible by different platforms.
The success of his program Role’n Play encouraged the publisher Black Book released a dedicated role-playing game, and its essential Initiation Kit… It must be said that Black Book is the expert in formats aimed at young players thanks to his game, Forgotten Chronicleswhose success has even led hypermarket chains to place it on their shelves…
Leo, 11 years old, very young MJ (master of the game) of Dungeons & Dragons must therefore Forgotten Chronicles to have been able to attract three players to his table among his friends. “Some had played it, others had just heard of it. In any case, it has become a bit of a fashion to do fake role-playing in the schoolyard, to invent characters. When I wanted to make a real one, everyone already knew a little. Lisa, 8, is “done” Forgotten Chronicles, when she had just entered CE1… “I did the whole campaign with two girlfriends and two boyfriends. It was my father who made us play. At recess, we talked all the time about that, about our adventures, the other students were jealous of not understanding. And in January, after Christmas, they had all asked for it as a gift, it became the big fashion. Everyone was talking about his character. »
Dungeons & darons
Leo and Lisa have in common to have been accompanied in their first role-playing steps by their dads. Whether Forgotten Chronicles is thoughtful and attractive enough to be played by children on their own, Bruno, 46, wanted to play with Lisa. “I have a 16-year-old son who I put off role-playing by pushing him too hard. It’s my passion, my universe and I wanted him to know that but I wasn’t smart. With Lisa, I wanted to take it easy, for it to be really something between her and her friends. But to start the machine, I had to be there. »
Guillaume also played some parts of Warhammer with Leo before leaving him (almost) to fend for himself. “I just wanted to give him what I didn’t have at his age: financial and logistical support, and referrals. I threw it in Dungeons & Dragons with the initiation kit which saves time on character creation and offers a nice first quest. But above all, it’s a game that has depth, a whole universe, a solid game system. That way, if he likes it and wants to continue, he will have material. Lots of material…”
The masters of youth
Through the numerous testimonies collected by 20 minutes according to a previous article on role-playing games, many parents use this practice to maintain a complicit relationship with their children. To the point of being “mastered” by his son? “Cléo wanted to be the master of the game at all costs and I was fine with that,” says Bérengère. He read all the rules, he designed his campaign, he recruited the other players. Only teenagers… But I felt immediately at ease. It was agreed that I only stay for a few games anyway. He made my character leave in a very beautiful, very elegant way, without killing him. I almost cried, it was a beautiful moment between us. »
Bruno also decided that the rest of his daughter’s adventure would happen without him. “Now she has everything, the books, the dice, the cultural background that her mother and I give her. And I’m here if she needs advice. But that’s all. There she wants to play Cats! The masquerade, a game where you play spy cats. She prefers investigation to adventures with elves and goblins… I gave it to her and read it too. I hope she will tell me about their parts. »
Roll Parental Pride
Bérengère is also delighted to have been able to understand her son’s universe a little better through the parts of Role’n Play they shared: “I was amazed at the place of humor in these parts. We laugh a lot even if there is sometimes tension. I imagined role-playing as something very serious, very intense. Now I feel armed to convince my friends to play. Maybe at Dungeons & Dragonsbecause they saw it in Stranger Things… »
Guillaume also hopes to follow in Leo’s footsteps and set up a role-playing table on his side. “I attended their game, it was a mess. And at one point, Léo began to improvise and there, silence fell. It was a great moment. Leo came out of the script, and explains how he got back on his feet: “The players were attacked by a manticore but they tried to tame it. And it actually made sense that it would work, even though I hadn’t planned it. Now they are friends with a manticore. » Guillaume sneers: « It’s nonsense! But it still makes you want to be friends with a manticore?
