Day 20 of RPG a Day 2025, the prompt is Enter, and all I could think of was this.
“Enter freely of your own will and leave some of the happiness you bring.” Dracula
That quote, from the movie Bram Stoker’s Dracula, paraphrasing the line from the book, is ominous in its original context, but I want to twist it around and read it literally. Let’s give it a positive spin and explore ways to welcome new players into our hobby, encouraging them to contribute and bring happiness to our games, both in particular and in general.
As an admin in two very active groups on Facebook, the public group Puerto Rico Role Players, and the private group Dungeons and Dragons Puerto Rico (Follow the link for the specific group, there are a few with similar names, and you must agree to the group rules before your request can be approved. But I digress!) every week there are people interested in playing, new folk who want to learn to play the game, or people who know how to play and want to find a group.
Thankfully, there are local FLGS where people can play in Puerto Rico, the ones that I know of being Titan Games, both in Caguas and Río Piedras, Star Games in Moca, and Yahtzyyy TCG, Games & Collectibles in Mayaguez. There are more hobby shops in Puerto Rico. If you want to see a list of local stores, visit the Roleplayers de Borikén Discord and see the complete list.
So, what can we do to help new players enter our hobby?
First of all, be welcoming, and share your love and knowledge of the hobby with people interested in learning. Be willing to run games for new players and invite them to play with your group.
Be patient. The growth in popularity of tabletop role-playing games has created interest in many people who might not have discovered the hobby in the past. These new players will have questions, and younger players may have different cultural references than you. Listen, embrace them, and support their interests.
Be supportive. New fans of RPG games may play differently than you; be accommodating and recognize that we all play in different ways. Encourage them and help those interested in becoming Game Masters.
Embrace diversity; everyone is welcome in our hobby. We may not all have the same experiences, so let’s celebrate those who think and act differently. The things we can’t support are intolerance, gatekeeping, and hate.
All are welcome, and they all bring their own experiences and ideas that will enrich our hobby. Let’s do our part to encourage new players to join the tribe!
What do you think we can do to welcome those interested in learning to play? Any additional suggestions? Any specific ideas? I’d love to read your thoughts on the topic; feel free to share them here in the comments or tag me wherever you do. If you choose to join in the conversation, don’t forget to include the #RPGaDay2025 hashtag so the community can find your contribution.
