ESL Adventure Game: Introductory Class Plan

Photo by Dmitry Vechorko on Unsplash

Procedure:

I. Warm-up and Introduction (10-15 minutes)

1. Greetings and Icebreaker: Start with a simple greeting activity. For example, have students introduce themselves and share their favorite animal (connecting to "The Wilder" character).
   

2. What is an RPG? Introduce the concept of a role-playing game. Explain that it's a collaborative storytelling game where players create characters and make choices that affect the story. Use simple language and examples. "Imagine you are a brave knight in a magical world!"
   

3. Key Vocabulary Introduction: Introduce core RPG terms using visuals and simple definitions. Write the words on the board and provide examples.
   

• Adventure: A journey with exciting events. "We are going on an adventure!"

• Character: A person in a story. "I will play the character of a strong warrior."

• Stats (Statistics): Numbers that describe a character's abilities. "My character has high strength."

• Abilities: Special skills a character has. "My character can cast spells."

• Equipment: Items a character uses. "My character has a sword and shield."

• Dice: Small cubes with numbers used in games. "We roll two dice."

• Roll: To throw dice. "I roll the dice to see if I succeed."

• GM (Game Master): The person who leads the game and tells the story. "The GM will tell us what happens."

• Health: How strong a character is. "My character has 10 health points."

• Mana: Magical energy used for spells. "My character has 7 mana."

II. Whole Class Practice (20-25 minutes)

1. 2d6 System Explanation: Explain the 2d6 system using visuals. Show how two dice are rolled and the numbers are added together. Practice rolling dice as a class and calculating the total.
   

2. Success/Partial Success/Failure: Explain the different outcomes based on the dice roll. Use simple scenarios and role-play examples.
   

• Fail (6 or lower): "You try to open the door, but it's locked! You fail."

• Partial Success (7-9): "You partially succeed. You open the door a little, but it's still stuck. The GM might ask you to make a deal: 'You can open it if you give me half your gold.'"

• Success (10-12): "You successfully open the door!"

• Critical Success (13+): "You critically succeed! You not only open the door, but you also find a hidden key!"

3. Character Introduction: Introduce the four character types (Stalwart Defender, Silver-Tongued Rogue, Frosty Sorcerer, Wilder) using the provided images. Briefly describe each character's stats, abilities, and equipment. Focus on pronunciation and comprehension. Ask simple questions: "What is the Defender good at?" "What kind of magic does the Sorcerer use?"
   

III. Small Group Practice (30-40 minutes)

1. Character Selection: Divide the class into groups of 4 and have each student choose a character. Help students understand their chosen character's strengths and weaknesses.
   

2. Scenario Practice: Provide each group with a simple scenario (e.g., "You are in a dark forest. You hear a strange noise."). Ask them to discuss “in character” how they would solve this scenario as a group. Then,  guide the students in selecting actions/abilities and using the 2d6 system. Encourage them to use English to describe their actions and communicate with each other.

• Each group will have a chance for each character to take a single roll to see if their chosen action is a success and if they, as a group, can overcome the scenario. 

• The teacher acts as a facilitator, helping with vocabulary and grammar.
  

3. Example Encounter: Provide examples of useful phrases for gameplay: (If turn order is needed, have the students roll 2d6 with no bonuses to determine who goes first.)
   

• GM (Teacher): "You were walking through the ruins of the old city when one of the statues comes to life! I takes a surprise attack against the Wilder.”

• Stalwart Defender: "I will use “protect an ally” to save the Wilder… I got a 10! That's a success!" 

• Wilder: “I will heal the Stalward Defender and send my wolf to attack the statue… I got an 8. That’s a partial success. Can I spend an extra mana to heal the full amount?”

• GM (Teacher): “Yes, you may. Your wolf will also have partial success. Your wolf will do half damage.”

• Silver Tongued Rogue: “I sneak behind the statue to attack it. I will do extra damage because of my sneak attack… I got a 13! That’s a critical success!”

• GM (Teacher):“Do you want to double your damage?”

• Silver Tonged Rogue: “Yes!”

• Frosty Sorcerer: “I will turn the ground beneath the statue's feet into sheer ice…Oh no! I got a 6! That’s a failure!”

• GM (Teacher):“You lose control of your magic turning the entire floor to sheer ice under everyone's feet! However, as you all slip and slide around, the heavily damaged statue loses its balance and falls, shattering on the icy floor!” 

• Success Rating: Partial Success, they took down the statue but have now created a new problem for themselves.