I'd recommend level 2 or 3, so that they are a little less squishy and get a taste of class abilities without getting overwhelmed.
Low level adventures can be every bit as epic as high level ones, but if you give a new player too many options from day one, they might spend more time frustrated than enjoying themselves.
A classic option is to have a low level party fight an injured dragon, or some other traditional monster, so that they get the "Dungeons & Dragons" iconic experience, without the same level of difficulty. (Use modified wyrmling stats)
Level 3 to maybe level 5. Level 3 is when most classes really start to come online but also you're not throwing multiple class features plus all the combat actions and other rules at them at once. Has this person played other TTRPGs before? If they have then maybe you could go higher, but if not I would realllyyyy suggest not going higher than level 5.
The group I'm running for now were all new to DnD (and TTRPGs), except for one person, when I started this campaign. They're level 5 now and still double checking with me how certain rules work. So I think throwing a level 8+ one shot at a new person could have far too many moving parts and make them feel overwhelmed.
To me, I'd give the player a 3rd level character for the one-shot. I agree with GhostLincol that as you get higher there are much more moving parts to a character for a new player to manage for their first game. At the third level, there is not so much squish and they have a few extra abilities for additional flavor.
People may disagree with me but maybe have the player run a melee-based character. While spellcasters are cool but at the lower levels they are squishy and do not have the greatest spell available and have a tendency to stay back from the main action but with a Melee, they can get right into the thick of things. I guess, my point is to get a character that the new player can feel engaged in the game from the get-go and not play a supporting character.
To me, I'd give the player a 3rd level character for the one-shot. I agree with GhostLincol that as you get higher there are much more moving parts to a character for a new player to manage for their first game. At the third level, there is not so much squish and they have a few extra abilities for additional flavor.
People may disagree with me but maybe have the player run a melee-based character. While spellcasters are cool but at the lower levels they are squishy and do not have the greatest spell available and have a tendency to stay back from the main action but with a Melee, they can get right into the thick of things. I guess, my point is to get a character that the new player can feel engaged in the game from the get-go and not play a supporting character.
Oh not at all Thomson, not at all not at all. It is our job as DMs to give new players a full level 20 tour of whatever class catches their interest. Don't baby them, don't assume they will get confused and don't give them something half baked. We need to hook these new players into the hobby.
Take it step by step from level 1-20. Explain very clearly what new stuff they are getting at each level. This is a great way to explain a class level progression block from top to bottom and show them it in action. Keep an organized list of every single action, bonus action and reaction their character can take with notes on what each of them do, and give that to them for reference. Now let them look over a list of powerful magic items, while describing each of them and answering any questions. Let them pick a few they like best.
I think this is a memorable first experience with D&D Thompson, that's what we should try and provide.
I'm in the level 2 or 3 camp, for many of the reasons provided above. Most of my experience as a DM has been with newbie players, and in most cases there's been enough for them to learn and understand that playing a higher level character would have been overwhelming to them. Many of them struggled just to keep the dice apart. And I don't say that to be condescending: it's been an important reminder to me that what I take for granted is all new to them. I dabbled in D&D during 1st addition, so the dice were second nature to me. Then picked back up with 5e shortly after it was released, with a basic grasp of the game even though a lot had changed. The newbies I've introduced to the game haven't had that advantage. And most of them have been very enthusiastic about the game after playing once at those lower levels.
I've run a couple level 10 one-shots, and even my experienced party of players will get confused and overwhelmed sometimes with all of the spells and abilities they get when trying out a new class.
I also think that level 3 is a great starting point for a one-shot. The player can get at least one unique subclass feature at this point to play with, so they get to experience something more than the vanilla base class. I think up to level 5 has a similar feel, depending on how much you want to challenge your party, but I do agree that it would be a good idea to sit down with the new player and talk them through each individual level up instead of just handing them a level 5 character sheet.
I'd say either 1st level or 3rd level. Going higher than that, unless they're playing a fighter, is more likely to be overwhelming than exciting. I remember when I learned D&D, it was hard to keep track of everything, and dumping me in the deep end would have been more stressful than fun! (Heck, I still enjoy the fast pace, constant tension, and relatable conflicts of low levels more than anything higher, so a high level game would actually have been less cool to me from a roleplay and feel perspective.) Fighter is also an ideal first class if the player's not sure what they want, but if they sound really excited about being a wizard or a thief, let them play that.
Many of them struggled just to keep the dice apart. And I don't say that to be condescending: it's been an important reminder to me that what I take for granted is all new to them.
Exactly this. I love tactical combat, but a new person by definition won't really know what aspect of the game they love most yet. Lower levels give them the ability to experience every aspect of the game without having to understand how everything interacts with each other at the highest level.
Oh not at all Thomson, not at all not at all. It is our job as DMs to give new players a full level 20 tour of whatever class catches their interest. Don't baby them, don't assume they will get confused and don't give them something half baked. We need to hook these new players into the hobby.
Take it step by step from level 1-20. Explain very clearly what new stuff they are getting at each level. This is a great way to explain a class level progression block from top to bottom and show them it in action. Keep an organized list of every single action, bonus action and reaction their character can take with notes on what each of them do, and give that to them for reference. Now let them look over a list of powerful magic items, while describing each of them and answering any questions. Let them pick a few they like best.
I think this is a memorable first experience with D&D Thompson, that's what we should try and provide.
If this works for you Sire that's great, but I think this would be awful for most new players. How many experienced players actually play a campaign up to level 20? A very small percentage. Especially if that person is new to TTRPGs in general. A well organized sheet of actions and rules is fantastic for new players, but even then I've seen so many players still trying to remember how proficiency works several sessions in.
Its not 'babying' as you say to set up a new player for success by giving them a more digestible rule set for their first session. Starting a first time player at level 3 isn't assuming they wont understand the mechanics - they'll still have to learn them. It's just giving them a more concise amount of information up front so they can start to learn but still enjoy the most aspects of the game at the same time. Imagine trying to remember which one is a d10 vs a d12 when Asmodeus pops up and instantly kills your PC. Its not dissimilar from telling a person the best way to learn a sport is by playing in a professional level game. Some people may be able to do that, but the majority won't and there is nothing wrong with that.
So what about the level 5-8 range? After building a few test classes I feel like this range has a good balance of survivability, and not too much info for a player. The new player has been a fan of dnd so he has some elements of understanding the rules. And my other players are all TTRPG vets with multiple Campaigns under their belts. I feel like level 3 is dangerous because things can go wrong very quickly if the party is going up against even minuscule Goblins. At level 5 you have some more options...
I think for players familiar with DND terminology and concepts, level 5-8 is also a good choice. I'd probably aim for level 6, since a lot of subclasses get an additional unique skill at 6, and people always like to get the unique benefits of their subclass choice.
If you think it might last a couple of sessions, I'd say level 2. That way they can get a feel for their character, and then you can level them up and give them their level 3 options to choose from, making the character theirs. This way, you can give them both a taste of the game and a taste of the rewards, without overwhelming them.
For a new player, introducing them to the game, without overwhelming them with options/choices and things to do every turn - I would agree with the others suggesting level 3. All the classes have archetypes by that point. You have up to 2nd level spells to play with. The characters aren't as squishy as at 1st level and the number of things they can choose to do is usually manageable even for a new player.
Level 5 is a big bump in capability. Level 3 spells give a new player too many more things to read if they want to try being a spellcaster and there are too many choices - fireball, hypnotic pattern, Leomund's tiny hut, spirit guardians, conjure animals - different strategies and tactics, different approaches .. and the character would likely already have a feat or ASI bump. Level 8 is more challenging - higher level spells, 2 ASIs and additional features.
So for a new player to have fun, experience the three pillars (social, exploration, combat), explore the mechanics (casting spells, attacks, skill checks, saving throws) - level 3 provides more than enough options for a new player. It's up to the DM to create a fun story.
I am also in the 3rd-5th level camp. Just be sure that if you're doing homebrew, that your encounters are balanced and quick so that the new player doesn't get bored.
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Gotta run a one shot with a guy who’s never played dnd before. The rest of the players are veterans. Any advice? I thought level 8?
I'd recommend level 2 or 3, so that they are a little less squishy and get a taste of class abilities without getting overwhelmed.
Low level adventures can be every bit as epic as high level ones, but if you give a new player too many options from day one, they might spend more time frustrated than enjoying themselves.
A classic option is to have a low level party fight an injured dragon, or some other traditional monster, so that they get the "Dungeons & Dragons" iconic experience, without the same level of difficulty. (Use modified wyrmling stats)
I'd say level 20 with several epic boons and legendary items.
Give this player a taste of how cool a d&d character can be, then let them work for that enthusiastically from level 1 in a real campaign.
Level 3 to maybe level 5. Level 3 is when most classes really start to come online but also you're not throwing multiple class features plus all the combat actions and other rules at them at once. Has this person played other TTRPGs before? If they have then maybe you could go higher, but if not I would realllyyyy suggest not going higher than level 5.
The group I'm running for now were all new to DnD (and TTRPGs), except for one person, when I started this campaign. They're level 5 now and still double checking with me how certain rules work. So I think throwing a level 8+ one shot at a new person could have far too many moving parts and make them feel overwhelmed.
To me, I'd give the player a 3rd level character for the one-shot. I agree with GhostLincol that as you get higher there are much more moving parts to a character for a new player to manage for their first game. At the third level, there is not so much squish and they have a few extra abilities for additional flavor.
People may disagree with me but maybe have the player run a melee-based character. While spellcasters are cool but at the lower levels they are squishy and do not have the greatest spell available and have a tendency to stay back from the main action but with a Melee, they can get right into the thick of things. I guess, my point is to get a character that the new player can feel engaged in the game from the get-go and not play a supporting character.
Oh not at all Thomson, not at all not at all. It is our job as DMs to give new players a full level 20 tour of whatever class catches their interest. Don't baby them, don't assume they will get confused and don't give them something half baked. We need to hook these new players into the hobby.
Take it step by step from level 1-20. Explain very clearly what new stuff they are getting at each level. This is a great way to explain a class level progression block from top to bottom and show them it in action. Keep an organized list of every single action, bonus action and reaction their character can take with notes on what each of them do, and give that to them for reference. Now let them look over a list of powerful magic items, while describing each of them and answering any questions. Let them pick a few they like best.
I think this is a memorable first experience with D&D Thompson, that's what we should try and provide.
I'm in the level 2 or 3 camp, for many of the reasons provided above. Most of my experience as a DM has been with newbie players, and in most cases there's been enough for them to learn and understand that playing a higher level character would have been overwhelming to them. Many of them struggled just to keep the dice apart. And I don't say that to be condescending: it's been an important reminder to me that what I take for granted is all new to them. I dabbled in D&D during 1st addition, so the dice were second nature to me. Then picked back up with 5e shortly after it was released, with a basic grasp of the game even though a lot had changed. The newbies I've introduced to the game haven't had that advantage. And most of them have been very enthusiastic about the game after playing once at those lower levels.
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I've run a couple level 10 one-shots, and even my experienced party of players will get confused and overwhelmed sometimes with all of the spells and abilities they get when trying out a new class.
I also think that level 3 is a great starting point for a one-shot. The player can get at least one unique subclass feature at this point to play with, so they get to experience something more than the vanilla base class. I think up to level 5 has a similar feel, depending on how much you want to challenge your party, but I do agree that it would be a good idea to sit down with the new player and talk them through each individual level up instead of just handing them a level 5 character sheet.
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I'd say either 1st level or 3rd level. Going higher than that, unless they're playing a fighter, is more likely to be overwhelming than exciting. I remember when I learned D&D, it was hard to keep track of everything, and dumping me in the deep end would have been more stressful than fun! (Heck, I still enjoy the fast pace, constant tension, and relatable conflicts of low levels more than anything higher, so a high level game would actually have been less cool to me from a roleplay and feel perspective.) Fighter is also an ideal first class if the player's not sure what they want, but if they sound really excited about being a wizard or a thief, let them play that.
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Exactly this. I love tactical combat, but a new person by definition won't really know what aspect of the game they love most yet. Lower levels give them the ability to experience every aspect of the game without having to understand how everything interacts with each other at the highest level.
If this works for you Sire that's great, but I think this would be awful for most new players. How many experienced players actually play a campaign up to level 20? A very small percentage. Especially if that person is new to TTRPGs in general. A well organized sheet of actions and rules is fantastic for new players, but even then I've seen so many players still trying to remember how proficiency works several sessions in.
Its not 'babying' as you say to set up a new player for success by giving them a more digestible rule set for their first session. Starting a first time player at level 3 isn't assuming they wont understand the mechanics - they'll still have to learn them. It's just giving them a more concise amount of information up front so they can start to learn but still enjoy the most aspects of the game at the same time. Imagine trying to remember which one is a d10 vs a d12 when Asmodeus pops up and instantly kills your PC. Its not dissimilar from telling a person the best way to learn a sport is by playing in a professional level game. Some people may be able to do that, but the majority won't and there is nothing wrong with that.
So what about the level 5-8 range? After building a few test classes I feel like this range has a good balance of survivability, and not too much info for a player. The new player has been a fan of dnd so he has some elements of understanding the rules. And my other players are all TTRPG vets with multiple Campaigns under their belts. I feel like level 3 is dangerous because things can go wrong very quickly if the party is going up against even minuscule Goblins. At level 5 you have some more options...
I think for players familiar with DND terminology and concepts, level 5-8 is also a good choice. I'd probably aim for level 6, since a lot of subclasses get an additional unique skill at 6, and people always like to get the unique benefits of their subclass choice.
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If you think it might last a couple of sessions, I'd say level 2. That way they can get a feel for their character, and then you can level them up and give them their level 3 options to choose from, making the character theirs. This way, you can give them both a taste of the game and a taste of the rewards, without overwhelming them.
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For a new player, introducing them to the game, without overwhelming them with options/choices and things to do every turn - I would agree with the others suggesting level 3. All the classes have archetypes by that point. You have up to 2nd level spells to play with. The characters aren't as squishy as at 1st level and the number of things they can choose to do is usually manageable even for a new player.
Level 5 is a big bump in capability. Level 3 spells give a new player too many more things to read if they want to try being a spellcaster and there are too many choices - fireball, hypnotic pattern, Leomund's tiny hut, spirit guardians, conjure animals - different strategies and tactics, different approaches .. and the character would likely already have a feat or ASI bump. Level 8 is more challenging - higher level spells, 2 ASIs and additional features.
So for a new player to have fun, experience the three pillars (social, exploration, combat), explore the mechanics (casting spells, attacks, skill checks, saving throws) - level 3 provides more than enough options for a new player. It's up to the DM to create a fun story.
I am also in the 3rd-5th level camp. Just be sure that if you're doing homebrew, that your encounters are balanced and quick so that the new player doesn't get bored.