So next monday im gonna introduce the game to a set of new players. I just bought the basic startpack last week that has the lost mines of phandalin. I wanna keep character creation simple so i dont confuse them and was wondering if limiting them to choosing between 5 classes was a good idea.(fighter,ranger,rouge,paladin,cleric) After looking through the classes i thought these were the most straight foward and easiest to get into. Im on my lunch break at work rn and wont see any replies for a while but id really appreciate the help. Thx
I'd go with the standard "Fighter, Rogue, Cleric, Wizard, X (maybe Bard or Ranger)" selection if you are going to limit them. If you are more experienced in the game than they are, maybe try out making a few simple pre-generated characters for them to try first?
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"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
If you're going to limit them, that's perfectly fine, however I would suggest tossing in Wizard since it is a classic fantasy role that people recognize. Sure it's got a lot of book work, but that kind of thing is also part of the game.
That said, the pre-gen characters in the starter box are pretty well put together and provide information on the back for how to level them up. This will take a lot of the weight off of just jumping in and getting the hang of playing and learning what characters can do what. The pre-gens also have built in story hooks, on the back, which will help the players "get in character" for the game. This will give you, as the DM, a bit more play on how the world can interact with the characters, and help you prompt them when necessary.
Thx for the advice the reason for me not using the pre gens in the box is that i dont want them to get stuck playing a race they dont like but ill add wizards for sure. Its a 4 man party so hopefully theyll like it and not feel to over whelmed. And since its the first session im not to worried about them being super tied into the story ill probably work on that futher down the line.
Have them roll and assign their stats ahead of the session, and think about what class and race appeals to them. If they're completely new to D&D, you might need to handhold them a little bit. Ask what sort of character appeals to them? Do they want to be a spellcaster or do they want to play a thief etc.
When I started a game with new players earlier in the year, I recommended what classes and races would match what the player wanted. So, when my wife said "I want to be a short-tempered dwarf who fights with a battleaxe", I said she might enjoy playing as either a fighter or a barbarian. She opted for a fighter and her character is playing out really well.
Thinking about racial bonuses and class perks can be pretty over-your-head stuff for a new player, so if you're tailoring the race and class to a character they'd like to play, they don't have to worry about it. They can always create a new character for a future campaign once they have a better understanding of the game.
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Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1!
if you’re limiting them to certain classes anyway, I’d add a recommendation on using the pre gen characters. Really helps players to jump right in and start learning how to play and learn the mechanics. And there’s enough variance for everyone to find a sheet they like the sound of. Also gives some good hooks, which makes keeping players focussed on the plot easier.
The problem with rolling their own, is if they’ve never played before, they might regret some of their character creation choices after a session or two once they learn some of the mechanics. A half orc great sword wielding wizard with a strength of 18 might have sounded cool before you started playing (and there’s nothing wrong with that) but once players learn what governs what, and find they’re not very effective in combat, they might want a do over.
With premade characters, everything is fairly well balanced. And as you say, the complexity can be quite confusing - especially if you’ve they’ve never played before.
That said if you, and they, are keen to roll fresh characters, I normally ask first timers who their favourite character from fantasy literature is and go from there. Sure you end up with cliches and tropes, but that’s often really helpful for new players to identify with their characters - which is critical in role play. It’s also easier to build a character if you’ve got a template to work from.
Something to consider is running a one shot before an adventure, and use pregenerated characters for that, so they can get a taste for a class that might interest them before investing fully into it.
I wouldnt limit them on options when you run an adventure that spans several sessions.
My sons and I worked together to create their first characters using the D&D Beyond character generator. It was great for helping them see all the possibilities and narrow down what they wanted to be and have. It also gave me an opportunity to explain skills, etc. ... OK, it reminded this inexperienced DM of different aspects of the game that they needed to know.
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So next monday im gonna introduce the game to a set of new players. I just bought the basic startpack last week that has the lost mines of phandalin. I wanna keep character creation simple so i dont confuse them and was wondering if limiting them to choosing between 5 classes was a good idea.(fighter,ranger,rouge,paladin,cleric) After looking through the classes i thought these were the most straight foward and easiest to get into. Im on my lunch break at work rn and wont see any replies for a while but id really appreciate the help. Thx
I'd go with the standard "Fighter, Rogue, Cleric, Wizard, X (maybe Bard or Ranger)" selection if you are going to limit them. If you are more experienced in the game than they are, maybe try out making a few simple pre-generated characters for them to try first?
If you're going to limit them, that's perfectly fine, however I would suggest tossing in Wizard since it is a classic fantasy role that people recognize. Sure it's got a lot of book work, but that kind of thing is also part of the game.
That said, the pre-gen characters in the starter box are pretty well put together and provide information on the back for how to level them up. This will take a lot of the weight off of just jumping in and getting the hang of playing and learning what characters can do what. The pre-gens also have built in story hooks, on the back, which will help the players "get in character" for the game. This will give you, as the DM, a bit more play on how the world can interact with the characters, and help you prompt them when necessary.
Have fun, LMoP is a good adventure!
Thx for the advice the reason for me not using the pre gens in the box is that i dont want them to get stuck playing a race they dont like but ill add wizards for sure. Its a 4 man party so hopefully theyll like it and not feel to over whelmed. And since its the first session im not to worried about them being super tied into the story ill probably work on that futher down the line.
Have them roll and assign their stats ahead of the session, and think about what class and race appeals to them. If they're completely new to D&D, you might need to handhold them a little bit. Ask what sort of character appeals to them? Do they want to be a spellcaster or do they want to play a thief etc.
When I started a game with new players earlier in the year, I recommended what classes and races would match what the player wanted. So, when my wife said "I want to be a short-tempered dwarf who fights with a battleaxe", I said she might enjoy playing as either a fighter or a barbarian. She opted for a fighter and her character is playing out really well.
Thinking about racial bonuses and class perks can be pretty over-your-head stuff for a new player, so if you're tailoring the race and class to a character they'd like to play, they don't have to worry about it. They can always create a new character for a future campaign once they have a better understanding of the game.
Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1!
Never tell me the DC.
if you’re limiting them to certain classes anyway, I’d add a recommendation on using the pre gen characters. Really helps players to jump right in and start learning how to play and learn the mechanics. And there’s enough variance for everyone to find a sheet they like the sound of. Also gives some good hooks, which makes keeping players focussed on the plot easier.
The problem with rolling their own, is if they’ve never played before, they might regret some of their character creation choices after a session or two once they learn some of the mechanics. A half orc great sword wielding wizard with a strength of 18 might have sounded cool before you started playing (and there’s nothing wrong with that) but once players learn what governs what, and find they’re not very effective in combat, they might want a do over.
With premade characters, everything is fairly well balanced. And as you say, the complexity can be quite confusing - especially if you’ve they’ve never played before.
That said if you, and they, are keen to roll fresh characters, I normally ask first timers who their favourite character from fantasy literature is and go from there. Sure you end up with cliches and tropes, but that’s often really helpful for new players to identify with their characters - which is critical in role play. It’s also easier to build a character if you’ve got a template to work from.
Something to consider is running a one shot before an adventure, and use pregenerated characters for that, so they can get a taste for a class that might interest them before investing fully into it.
I wouldnt limit them on options when you run an adventure that spans several sessions.
My sons and I worked together to create their first characters using the D&D Beyond character generator. It was great for helping them see all the possibilities and narrow down what they wanted to be and have. It also gave me an opportunity to explain skills, etc. ... OK, it reminded this inexperienced DM of different aspects of the game that they needed to know.