Uh... can you be a bit more specific? There's a LOT that can be advised to new players, but without any kind of guidance or specific questions there's just too much to try and do short of link to one of those, "So you wanna play D&D" videos on youtube or something.
Like for character building and joining a school campaign
Still kinda vague, here's some things to consider:
1) have you ever played an rpg, older edition, or even done creative writing (books, screenplays, or just for fun)? This is good to know as far as the creation process.
2) what about the character process do you need help with? Is it the creation, the actual buildign itself, or is it in backstory or optimizing (balance)?
3) are you asking how to join or create a school campaign? If there is already one, my advice would be: join it. Elaborate a bit here please
It's the most fun that can be had with DnD, barbarians are uniquely good at their thing, more so than any other character in the game. Sure, give it 8 or 10 levels, and that one thing may grow slightly stale, but then you can do the next bests thing: Bard.
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
It's the most fun that can be had with DnD, barbarians are uniquely good at their thing, more so than any other character in the game. Sure, give it 8 or 10 levels, and that one thing may grow slightly stale, but then you can do the next bests thing: Bard.
Um, not really. barbarian is not the 'one-size-fits-all' class you're describing it to be. It's fun for sure, but not everyone wants to be a bashy melee fighter with a lot of risk. I would instead say for new players to look at your interests, what kind of characters do you like in fantasy and just in fiction in general. Adapt those traits and ideas and decide what kind of character sounds best to you (example: I like traits like leader, strong-willed, tough fighter, skirmisher, maybe has a flaw like terrible memories, or alcoholism. From there, you can build him up, and decide what you want him to be along the way. It's important to start with probably a paragraph or two of backstory, fears, ideals, flaws, etc, and build from that).
Actually no, splitting the party can be great under certain circumstances, especially in horror games. I wouldn't recommend it for a newbie, but I won't tell you how to play. Plus, it sounds like the OP is a player, not DM.
If this helps, here's a breakdown of each class, very basic:
Barbarian: frontliners, good at getting in the thick of a fight, taking lots of damage, and dealing lots of damage. good subclasses include zealot, totem warrior, and beast. there's a trope that they are dumb, but this mainly comes when people don't put points into the intelligence stat. fantasy tropes don't dictate your play. Be an intellectual barbarian if you want!
Bard: You are the smooth talker, the jack of all trades, master of none. The bard is the social, charismatic spellcaster, skilled at mainly manipulation (battlefield and social), social interaction of all kinds, and usually one other aspect (depending on subclasss) such as storytelling, dancing, poetry, etc. Good subs include creation, eloquence, and lore.
Cleric: Clerics are righteous spellcasters who operate for the will of a divine being. The extent of that relationship is up to you and the DM. Clerics are healer type spellcasters, but also can pack a heavy punch with their heavy weapons and armor. Good subs include basically all of them, you really can't go wrong when you start with cleric.
Druid: Druids are guardians of nature, spellcasters and shapeshifters who use the power of the natural world to fuel their magic. Druids possess the unique wildshape feature, which allows them to take a beast form during combat, which progresses with their level. Good subs include wildfire, shepherd, and moon.
Fighter: Fighter's need no introduction. They are the warriors, bounty hunters, soldiers, mercenaries, and warlords who dominate the battlefields all around them. Fighters are skilled at combat, and they differ from barbarian in that they have a little more nuance and options when they fight. Good subs include rune knight, echo knight, and champion.
Monks: Monks are skilled martial artists who use ki points to fuel their battle tactics. They are fast, light on their feet skirmishers skilled at maneuvering around a battlefield. Good subs include open hand, drunken master, and astral self.
Paladin: A Paladin is a divine warrior bound by an oath. What that oath is determines how their god empowers them, and how they live and how they deal out punishment to evildoers. Traditionally, Paladins are thought of as very oathbound, strict rule followers, although you don't have to necessarily go that route. Think of how difficult it is to carry responsibility, maybe the paladin struggles with keeping his oaths, or finding the right ones. Good subs include vengeance, watchers, conquest, and glory.
Ranger: Rangers are skilled woodsmen and hunters, typically ranged fighters who use some combination of stealth, tactics, woodland magic, and their strategic knowledge to turn the tide of a battle. Tasha's has updated the ranger class, which I prefer, but ask your DM which version they prefer you to use. Good subs include fey wanderer, drakewarden, and gloom stalker.
Rogue: Rogues are sneaks, thieves, knaves, burglars, con men, assassins, infiltrators, scouts, and everything in between. Rogues specialize in stealth and using their stealth to their advantage in combat. Rogues are good at moving unsees, getting out of sticky situations, dealing lots of damage from unseen locations. Good subs include arcane trickster, swashbuckler, soulknife, and scout.
Sorcerer: Sorcerers are magic users who draw their power from an exotic bloodline. Their spells are usually limited, but powerful, reflecting their lineage. Sorcerers don't learn their magic, it is intuitive, powerful, and dangerous. Good subs include aberrant mind, clockwork soul, draconic bloodline.
Warlock: Warlocks are spellcaster who gain magical powers through a pact formed with a powerful being. Unlike paladins, a warlock's pact can be forged with many supernatural beings, allowing them to draw on powers and secrets usually hidden from mortal minds. Good subs include hexblade, fiend, undying, and genie.
Wizard: Wizards are knowledge seekers, spellcasters who learn their spells and keep them bound in a spellbook. Wizards have a vast array of spells at their disposal, and at high levels can tame and use powers normally reserved only for gods, as they become arcane legends. Good subs include all of them, depends on what you want to play. The names are pretty self-explanatory.
Okay, that was lengthy. Hope this is what you were looking for and not totally useless. Enjoy, and good luck
This was not useless in the slightest I was thinking on being a rouge but now I want to be a ranger thx
ranger is fun. Choose subclass carefully, also I recommend using the new ranger as provided in tashas. Ranger and rogue are similar in some ways, at least in flavor, so i can see why you'd enjoy them. have fun
This was not useless in the slightest I was thinking on being a rouge but now I want to be a ranger thx
First of all, if you want to play ranger, play ranger. You do what you need to do to enjoy D&D.
However, I warn you that the ranger is one of the more complicated classes in the game, designed for experienced players looking for a unique playstyle, and thus not a great choice for beginners. For your first few sessions, I personally recommend the bard, fighter, monk, rogue, or sorcerer. Play the bard if you want to take a support role and support other characters instead of attacking directly. Play the fighter if you want to fight with weapons for big damage. Play the rogue if you want to sneak around and fight more, well, roguishly. Play the monk if you want something between the fighter and rogue. Finally, play sorcerer if area-of-effect attacks are what you're looking for.
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Panda-wat (I hate my username) is somehow convinced that he is objectively right about everything D&D related even though he obviously is not. Considering that, he'd probably make a great D&D youtuber.
"If I die, I can live with that." ~Luke Hart, the DM lair
This was not useless in the slightest I was thinking on being a rouge but now I want to be a ranger thx
First of all, if you want to play ranger, play ranger. You do what you need to do to enjoy D&D.
However, I warn you that the ranger is one of the more complicated classes in the game, designed for experienced players looking for a unique playstyle, and thus not a great choice for beginners. For your first few sessions, I personally recommend the bard, fighter, monk, rogue, or sorcerer. Play the bard if you want to take a support role and support other characters instead of attacking directly. Play the fighter if you want to fight with weapons for big damage. Play the rogue if you want to sneak around and fight more, well, roguishly. Play the monk if you want something between the fighter and rogue. Finally, play sorcerer if area-of-effect attacks are what you're looking for.
I would say monk and sorceror can be equally complicated. Ranger isn't really that bad for beginners. Easier than druid, a little harder than fighter, but I recommend it because it teaches you just about every aspect of the game (spellcasting, skirmisher combat, ranged combat, exploration, etc)
Panda-wat (I hate my username) is somehow convinced that he is objectively right about everything D&D related even though he obviously is not. Considering that, he'd probably make a great D&D youtuber.
"If I die, I can live with that." ~Luke Hart, the DM lair
Most of the above is pretty good advice but a couple of things I disagree with:
Ghosty's list of the classes missed artificer . They are master's of invention who meld their invention and magic. They are able to infuse magic into mundane objects.
I would warn you however about what he said about druids wildshaping into a beast during combat. While all druids can wildshape into a beast only moon druids can wildshape into beasts that are effective in combat. Even if a beast is not effective in combat it can still be useful as I (star) druid I hsve wildshaped to scout (noone takes any notice of a rat in a dungeon) or utility (I turned into a horse to pull a cart). While all druids are powerful summoners Shepherd druids are the masters of it and subclasses like stars and wildfire have alternative uses for their wildshape.
I would agree with Ghosty (and disagree with Panda) that rangers aren't that bad for a beginner and that sorcerer and monk can be quite complicated (and I would add bard to that list). I would say the easiest classes to play as a new player are barbarian, fighter and (if you want to cast spells) a cleric. I would put both Ranger and Rogue in the next tier, slightly tricky for a new player but quite managable.
If you want to play a gnome rogue (it is rogue not rouge though I something think it is spelt incorrectly more often that not on the forum) go for it. The main tricky bit with a rogue is to be effective you really need to use your sneak attack almost every round if you can get advantage on your attack, failing that you need ot attack someone who is already in melee with an ally of yours. It takes a it bit of experiance to work out how you can manage that.
Most of the above is pretty good advice but a couple of things I disagree with:
Ghosty's list of the classes missed artificer . They are master's of invention who meld their invention and magic. They are able to infuse magic into mundane objects.
I would warn you however about what he said about druids wildshaping into a beast during combat. While all druids can wildshape into a beast only moon druids can wildshape into beasts that are effective in combat. Even if a beast is not effective in combat it can still be useful as I (star) druid I hsve wildshaped to scout (noone takes any notice of a rat in a dungeon) or utility (I turned into a horse to pull a cart). While all druids are powerful summoners Shepherd druids are the masters of it and subclasses like stars and wildfire have alternative uses for their wildshape.
I would agree with Ghosty (and disagree with Panda) that rangers aren't that bad for a beginner and that sorcerer and monk can be quite complicated (and I would add bard to that list). I would say the easiest classes to play as a new player are barbarian, fighter and (if you want to cast spells) a cleric. I would put both Ranger and Rogue in the next tier, slightly tricky for a new player but quite managable.
If you want to play a gnome rogue (it is rogue not rouge though I something think it is spelt incorrectly more often that not on the forum) go for it. The main tricky bit with a rogue is to be effective you really need to use your sneak attack almost every round if you can get advantage on your attack, failing that you need ot attack someone who is already in melee with an ally of yours. It takes a it bit of experiance to work out how you can manage that.
I actually intentionally left articifer and blood hunter out, for one, because they're both "new", and are a little more nuanced than other classes, especially artificer, so I wouldn't recommend it for beginners. Artificers can also be pretty setting specific, so you'd have to clear stuff with the DM too. The wildshape thing is only really combat applicable for moon durids, so you're right. I wrote those pretty fast so didn't think everything through perfectly ;) I think I agree with your assessment of classes. Clerics are definitely the easiest casters to pick up, and was actually my first character. Rogues do take some nuance, but are fun for the learning process and help teach you the apsects of combat.
Um, not really. barbarian is not the 'one-size-fits-all' class you're describing it to be. It's fun for sure, but not everyone wants to be a bashy melee fighter with a lot of risk. I would instead say for new players to look at your interests, what kind of characters do you like in fantasy and just in fiction in general. Adapt those traits and ideas and decide what kind of character sounds best to you (example: I like traits like leader, strong-willed, tough fighter, skirmisher, maybe has a flaw like terrible memories, or alcoholism. From there, you can build him up, and decide what you want him to be along the way. It's important to start with probably a paragraph or two of backstory, fears, ideals, flaws, etc, and build from that).
Yea, it's literally the safest bet in the game, bar none.
Does that mean it's for everyone? No, nothing is. But it is a simple, singularly powerful, fun and very - very - safe class to play.
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
I would recommend ranger as a first class. Granted it is about difficulty 2 (on a scale of 1-4 which is what I use) but it’ll teach you pretty much everything there is to know, from magic to stealth, dual weapon fighting to exploration. The only other class that has this much teaching ability is the fighter, which (depending on subclass) can use magic and all weapons, but in the beginning you have to choose one class of fighting style and weapons, and won’t be able to get more till later in the game (if ever).
Make a rogue, play as a rogue for 2 levels just to get a feel for things. At 3rd level, you get to choose a subclass. If you're feeling up to giving magic a try, go Arcane Trickster. If the sound of ranger appeals, try being a Scout. If the sound of Bard appeals, try Swashbuckler. The Rogue subclass options are wonderfully diverse, allowing you to go in lots of directions.
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You know what to do
Just a newbie trying to get into the game
Uh... can you be a bit more specific? There's a LOT that can be advised to new players, but without any kind of guidance or specific questions there's just too much to try and do short of link to one of those, "So you wanna play D&D" videos on youtube or something.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
Like for character building and joining a school campaign
Just a newbie trying to get into the game
Still kinda vague, here's some things to consider:
1) have you ever played an rpg, older edition, or even done creative writing (books, screenplays, or just for fun)? This is good to know as far as the creation process.
2) what about the character process do you need help with? Is it the creation, the actual buildign itself, or is it in backstory or optimizing (balance)?
3) are you asking how to join or create a school campaign? If there is already one, my advice would be: join it. Elaborate a bit here please
hope this helps
Updog
If you're looking for general tips, these guys make decent videos on a huge variety of D&D topics:
https://www.youtube.com/c/DungeonDudes
in particular, here are all their class guides:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQMqiULo_05Oj5W9yFZC8BDwSNZCWng7p
and here are their character creation videos:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQMqiULo_05P90SzHdyyVIcz4TGZApQ5L
One tip fits all cases: Play a barbarian.
It's the most fun that can be had with DnD, barbarians are uniquely good at their thing, more so than any other character in the game. Sure, give it 8 or 10 levels, and that one thing may grow slightly stale, but then you can do the next bests thing: Bard.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Never split the party. Period
Thank you so much this will help me a lot
Just a newbie trying to get into the game
Um, not really. barbarian is not the 'one-size-fits-all' class you're describing it to be. It's fun for sure, but not everyone wants to be a bashy melee fighter with a lot of risk. I would instead say for new players to look at your interests, what kind of characters do you like in fantasy and just in fiction in general. Adapt those traits and ideas and decide what kind of character sounds best to you (example: I like traits like leader, strong-willed, tough fighter, skirmisher, maybe has a flaw like terrible memories, or alcoholism. From there, you can build him up, and decide what you want him to be along the way. It's important to start with probably a paragraph or two of backstory, fears, ideals, flaws, etc, and build from that).
Actually no, splitting the party can be great under certain circumstances, especially in horror games. I wouldn't recommend it for a newbie, but I won't tell you how to play. Plus, it sounds like the OP is a player, not DM.
If this helps, here's a breakdown of each class, very basic:
Barbarian: frontliners, good at getting in the thick of a fight, taking lots of damage, and dealing lots of damage. good subclasses include zealot, totem warrior, and beast. there's a trope that they are dumb, but this mainly comes when people don't put points into the intelligence stat. fantasy tropes don't dictate your play. Be an intellectual barbarian if you want!
Bard: You are the smooth talker, the jack of all trades, master of none. The bard is the social, charismatic spellcaster, skilled at mainly manipulation (battlefield and social), social interaction of all kinds, and usually one other aspect (depending on subclasss) such as storytelling, dancing, poetry, etc. Good subs include creation, eloquence, and lore.
Cleric: Clerics are righteous spellcasters who operate for the will of a divine being. The extent of that relationship is up to you and the DM. Clerics are healer type spellcasters, but also can pack a heavy punch with their heavy weapons and armor. Good subs include basically all of them, you really can't go wrong when you start with cleric.
Druid: Druids are guardians of nature, spellcasters and shapeshifters who use the power of the natural world to fuel their magic. Druids possess the unique wildshape feature, which allows them to take a beast form during combat, which progresses with their level. Good subs include wildfire, shepherd, and moon.
Fighter: Fighter's need no introduction. They are the warriors, bounty hunters, soldiers, mercenaries, and warlords who dominate the battlefields all around them. Fighters are skilled at combat, and they differ from barbarian in that they have a little more nuance and options when they fight. Good subs include rune knight, echo knight, and champion.
Monks: Monks are skilled martial artists who use ki points to fuel their battle tactics. They are fast, light on their feet skirmishers skilled at maneuvering around a battlefield. Good subs include open hand, drunken master, and astral self.
Paladin: A Paladin is a divine warrior bound by an oath. What that oath is determines how their god empowers them, and how they live and how they deal out punishment to evildoers. Traditionally, Paladins are thought of as very oathbound, strict rule followers, although you don't have to necessarily go that route. Think of how difficult it is to carry responsibility, maybe the paladin struggles with keeping his oaths, or finding the right ones. Good subs include vengeance, watchers, conquest, and glory.
Ranger: Rangers are skilled woodsmen and hunters, typically ranged fighters who use some combination of stealth, tactics, woodland magic, and their strategic knowledge to turn the tide of a battle. Tasha's has updated the ranger class, which I prefer, but ask your DM which version they prefer you to use. Good subs include fey wanderer, drakewarden, and gloom stalker.
Rogue: Rogues are sneaks, thieves, knaves, burglars, con men, assassins, infiltrators, scouts, and everything in between. Rogues specialize in stealth and using their stealth to their advantage in combat. Rogues are good at moving unsees, getting out of sticky situations, dealing lots of damage from unseen locations. Good subs include arcane trickster, swashbuckler, soulknife, and scout.
Sorcerer: Sorcerers are magic users who draw their power from an exotic bloodline. Their spells are usually limited, but powerful, reflecting their lineage. Sorcerers don't learn their magic, it is intuitive, powerful, and dangerous. Good subs include aberrant mind, clockwork soul, draconic bloodline.
Warlock: Warlocks are spellcaster who gain magical powers through a pact formed with a powerful being. Unlike paladins, a warlock's pact can be forged with many supernatural beings, allowing them to draw on powers and secrets usually hidden from mortal minds. Good subs include hexblade, fiend, undying, and genie.
Wizard: Wizards are knowledge seekers, spellcasters who learn their spells and keep them bound in a spellbook. Wizards have a vast array of spells at their disposal, and at high levels can tame and use powers normally reserved only for gods, as they become arcane legends. Good subs include all of them, depends on what you want to play. The names are pretty self-explanatory.
Okay, that was lengthy. Hope this is what you were looking for and not totally useless. Enjoy, and good luck
Updog
This was not useless in the slightest I was thinking on being a rouge but now I want to be a ranger thx
Just a newbie trying to get into the game
ranger is fun. Choose subclass carefully, also I recommend using the new ranger as provided in tashas. Ranger and rogue are similar in some ways, at least in flavor, so i can see why you'd enjoy them. have fun
Updog
First of all, if you want to play ranger, play ranger. You do what you need to do to enjoy D&D.
However, I warn you that the ranger is one of the more complicated classes in the game, designed for experienced players looking for a unique playstyle, and thus not a great choice for beginners. For your first few sessions, I personally recommend the bard, fighter, monk, rogue, or sorcerer. Play the bard if you want to take a support role and support other characters instead of attacking directly. Play the fighter if you want to fight with weapons for big damage. Play the rogue if you want to sneak around and fight more, well, roguishly. Play the monk if you want something between the fighter and rogue. Finally, play sorcerer if area-of-effect attacks are what you're looking for.
Panda-wat (I hate my username) is somehow convinced that he is objectively right about everything D&D related even though he obviously is not. Considering that, he'd probably make a great D&D youtuber.
"If I die, I can live with that." ~Luke Hart, the DM lair
I would say monk and sorceror can be equally complicated. Ranger isn't really that bad for beginners. Easier than druid, a little harder than fighter, but I recommend it because it teaches you just about every aspect of the game (spellcasting, skirmisher combat, ranged combat, exploration, etc)
Updog
Thanks I might try out a rouge/gnome build
Just a newbie trying to get into the game
Sounds great! Gnomes are so much fun to play :)
Panda-wat (I hate my username) is somehow convinced that he is objectively right about everything D&D related even though he obviously is not. Considering that, he'd probably make a great D&D youtuber.
"If I die, I can live with that." ~Luke Hart, the DM lair
Most of the above is pretty good advice but a couple of things I disagree with:
Ghosty's list of the classes missed artificer . They are master's of invention who meld their invention and magic. They are able to infuse magic into mundane objects.
I would warn you however about what he said about druids wildshaping into a beast during combat. While all druids can wildshape into a beast only moon druids can wildshape into beasts that are effective in combat. Even if a beast is not effective in combat it can still be useful as I (star) druid I hsve wildshaped to scout (noone takes any notice of a rat in a dungeon) or utility (I turned into a horse to pull a cart). While all druids are powerful summoners Shepherd druids are the masters of it and subclasses like stars and wildfire have alternative uses for their wildshape.
I would agree with Ghosty (and disagree with Panda) that rangers aren't that bad for a beginner and that sorcerer and monk can be quite complicated (and I would add bard to that list). I would say the easiest classes to play as a new player are barbarian, fighter and (if you want to cast spells) a cleric. I would put both Ranger and Rogue in the next tier, slightly tricky for a new player but quite managable.
If you want to play a gnome rogue (it is rogue not rouge though I something think it is spelt incorrectly more often that not on the forum) go for it. The main tricky bit with a rogue is to be effective you really need to use your sneak attack almost every round if you can get advantage on your attack, failing that you need ot attack someone who is already in melee with an ally of yours. It takes a it bit of experiance to work out how you can manage that.
I actually intentionally left articifer and blood hunter out, for one, because they're both "new", and are a little more nuanced than other classes, especially artificer, so I wouldn't recommend it for beginners. Artificers can also be pretty setting specific, so you'd have to clear stuff with the DM too. The wildshape thing is only really combat applicable for moon durids, so you're right. I wrote those pretty fast so didn't think everything through perfectly ;) I think I agree with your assessment of classes. Clerics are definitely the easiest casters to pick up, and was actually my first character. Rogues do take some nuance, but are fun for the learning process and help teach you the apsects of combat.
Updog
Yea, it's literally the safest bet in the game, bar none.
Does that mean it's for everyone? No, nothing is. But it is a simple, singularly powerful, fun and very - very - safe class to play.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
I would recommend ranger as a first class. Granted it is about difficulty 2 (on a scale of 1-4 which is what I use) but it’ll teach you pretty much everything there is to know, from magic to stealth, dual weapon fighting to exploration. The only other class that has this much teaching ability is the fighter, which (depending on subclass) can use magic and all weapons, but in the beginning you have to choose one class of fighting style and weapons, and won’t be able to get more till later in the game (if ever).
Make a rogue, play as a rogue for 2 levels just to get a feel for things. At 3rd level, you get to choose a subclass. If you're feeling up to giving magic a try, go Arcane Trickster. If the sound of ranger appeals, try being a Scout. If the sound of Bard appeals, try Swashbuckler. The Rogue subclass options are wonderfully diverse, allowing you to go in lots of directions.