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faceroll
2010-03-12, 02:45 AM
For various reasons, the weekly D&D game I play in has been on hiatus for almost a month, and I've got some serious dnd itch. Naturally, I've begun thinking about DMing, and for some friends & family who have never, ever played an rpg for. Their exposure to D&D tropes extend no farther than what they've seen in the LotR movies.

I want to make the experience as enjoyable as possible, but still let them experience what made 3e magical to me- character creation, options, slaying goblins & orcs, being level one and scared.

I'm thinking of only allowing tiers 1-4, and pre-selecting a list of spells & feats for them that they can then choose from.

What classes should I include? What spells? Feats? Races? Remember, this is going to be a level 1 to 2 game, with virtually no experience with anything remotely related. I want to a) give them the feeling that they are making choices and b) have those decisions not suck.

Here's my current list:
Classes available
Bard
Cleric
Druid
Ranger
Rogue
Sorcerer
Wizard
Crusader
Swordsage
Warblade
Beguiler
Dread Necro
Warmage
Archivist
Cloistered Cleric
Psion
Psychic Warrior
Warlock

It's a lot, I know, but I'm going to break them into categories & subcategories so someone can sort of go through the tree to pick what they want to play in a fantasy world.

Feats
I'm not so sure here. Precocious Apprentice is on the list, for sure. Versatile Spellcaster & Sanctum Spell to let the Warmage really go pew pew pew (though I will forbid that combo for beguiler & dread necro). What of feats for the melee classes? Anything I could include to power up any archers? Power attack + cleave at first level is always awesome, since half the time you hit something, it dies.

Races:
Not so sure here. I'm thinking just using PF races for the core races, and is someone wants something more exotic (lesser tiefling, whispergnome), they won't be much better than the rest of the party.

Zaq
2010-03-12, 03:10 AM
Good newbie classes, in my opinion:

Warlock/DFA (yay for blasting without juggling spell slots)
Barbarian (just about the simplest way to kill things in the face until they die)
Warblade (you have to hold their hand through choosing maneuvers, but once it's made, it's good)
Scout (like the rogue, but less subtle... and "did I move 10 feet? Y/N" is easier to explain than flanking/denied DEX)
Paladin (hits its peak really early, but it's a class that gently starts dealing with per-day abilities, such as lay on hands, without becoming useless when they're gone)
Knight (one step up from paladin; better at level 4-6 than 1-2)

faceroll
2010-03-12, 03:13 AM
Scout & DFA are good ones. Paladin, knight, and barbarian didn't make the list largely because they're not ToB classes. I think barbarian is suitable, though, because a d12 HD and rage for the first couple levels will be very handy.

mikej
2010-03-12, 03:17 AM
Sorcerer way my first class and I thought it was rather simple. Just a little help selecting some spells known.

Cleric would also be good for a newer player I surpose.

HailDiscordia
2010-03-12, 08:58 AM
I would say just start with core. If for no other reason you can give them one book (the PHB) and say pick something in here. It will make it much easier on them. Over the years converting non D&Ders into players has sort of become my speciality and by throwing too much material/options at them it could be very onerwhelming.

And don't worry about casters being too powerful, they won't know the right way to use them.

some guy
2010-03-12, 09:46 AM
I would say just start with core. If for no other reason you can give them one book (the PHB) and say pick something in here. It will make it much easier on them. Over the years converting non D&Ders into players has sort of become my speciality and by throwing too much material/options at them it could be very onerwhelming.


Indeed. Even with core-only, character generation can take hours for people new to rpg's. For a longtime player making a new character is thrilling, but for a new player? It's just incomprehensible numbers and bogging down playtime. (Note: of course, some people new to the hobby enjoy this very much.) You might even consider dropping the wizard in lieu of the sorcerer.

Pre-selecting feats and spells is a smart choice for the new players. But pre-generated characters also work (most time) perfectly fine for some players. You can ask what your players want, and give them feats according to their wishes. Overall, less choice creates less confusion; if your players show interest, give them more options.

Having categories & subcategories is also a good decision.

Good luck! If people want to play D&D, they are almost very likely to enjoy D&D. I hope you and your players have wonderful time!

DrGonzo
2010-03-12, 10:10 AM
I would say just start with core. If for no other reason you can give them one book (the PHB) and say pick something in here. It will make it much easier on them. Over the years converting non D&Ders into players has sort of become my speciality and by throwing too much material/options at them it could be very onerwhelming.

And don't worry about casters being too powerful, they won't know the right way to use them.

I totally agree. When I got into D&D 10 years ago we had a group that just had core, and two or three splatbooks. If you give them 25 books at once they'll probably panic.

Ask them what they think is cool to play, a sneaky thief, a big bad fighter, etc. Point them in the right direction from there on.

Oh, and start at level 1. Give them time to get used to their character, and what he/she can do. They'll ask you a million times what die to use, which stat/number/ability they need now, but be patient, and they'll get the hang of it.

Good luck and have fun!