First time playing

[Rarzee]

Hey everyone, my friends and I are completely new to d&d any tips for new players like us i.e. Good class combo, items or anything else you can think of. :) oh also we are all playing as humans.

[Hyena]

1) 5e is not that complex. Every class is viable, really.
2) In order to give you advice, you need to tell us what sort of character you want to play.

[MrStabby]

Firstly welcome. Good to have you join us.


As for tips - I would suggest a short adventure first, maybe three levels and then consciously plan to restart with new characters. Each of you will begin to see how the different characters work for each other, begin to learn the rules and see what is important to you. I think seeing this in action is much better than recomendations without knowing what you like. Some are more complex than others but if you begin too simple by the time you get to grips with your character at higher levels you may fid it a bit dull.

Know that mistakes will be made. Sometimes often. The DM, who I assume is also new, will be asked to make a lot of judgement calls and will not get all of them right. Be tolerant and the DM should not be too proud to admit to mistakes. Discuss them - it isn't their fault and they should be happy to change them. That said still respect their decisions.

Finally and post importantly, have fun.

[ChubbyRain]

The relationship you have with your DM (trust/friendshio/whatever) will determine a lot of what you can and cannot do in this game, specifically with the skills.

Ask the DM what they expect of something before you use it, preferably before the first game, and then build a character around that.

I've seen Rogues with 20 Dex with Expertise in Acrobatics not be able to make checks walking across a 4" beam... That player was mad as hell (as where the rest of us since our lower checks got us the same result as the MUCH higher checks).

[Safety Sword]

My advice for first time players is always the same.

If you have a question about how something works, the best time to have that discussion is before or after the session is done. Try to keep combat moving so that people who are waiting for their turn aren't waiting for a rules discussion to play out.

Try to determine what you think your character might do before your turn comes up.

The DM is the arbitrator of rules calls, so just go with it. The story and the fun are more important than getting the rules exactly right. The only time this is a problem with new players is when people break the rules (whether by intentionally ignoring them or having ludicrous readings of them) on purpose to try and "win" at D&D.

Have fun! And let us know how you go and how your adventures unfold!

[Rarzee]

Thank you for the fast reply and the solid advice :) our game is today so I will tell you how it goes tomorrow :D

[Knaight]

My biggest piece of advice: Things will go wrong, mistakes will be made. Accept that, don't try to force things to be perfect, and just relax and have fun. What will improve the game more than anything is practice, and setting standards that can't be met helps nobody.