New player class advice

[caoshunter22]

What Classes are good for new player? I've only played a few session so I still have a lot to learn. I was playing a cleric of the life domain but I was playing with a group of players that have been playing for years and for some reason they expected me to be as knowledgeable about the game as them. So it wasn't an enjoyable experience for me and I decided leave the game. So I'm looking for an easy class to learn as I'm looking for a new group so I can focus more on creating a back story.

[MarkVIIIMarc]

What Classes are good for new player? I've only played a few session so I still have a lot to learn. I was playing a cleric of the life domain but I was playing with a group of players that have been playing for years and for some reason they expected me to be as knowledgeable about the game as them. So it wasn't an enjoyable experience for me and I decided leave the game. So I'm looking for an easy class to learn as I'm looking for a new group so I can focus more on creating a back story.

I bet it was more the other players than you.

What kind of back story are you thinking about?

Personally I think the melee classes are a bit easier. I started with a Bard in this edition and really like it. The party didn't know what to expect and by Level 3 my 9 Strength Wood Elf Bard was pretty kick butt. I'll ad plan out your spells and sub class before hand though.

[BreaktheStatue]

I'd probably stay away from dedicated spellcasters (Wizard, Cleric, Bard, Druid), although Sorceror or Warlock might be ok (especially if you just do the Eldritch Blast Warlock).

Your best bet would probably be a Fighter or Barb. Maybe a Rogue or Monk.

[niklinna]

All classes have their fiddly lists of features and abilities as you level up, but the major thing for simplicity is whether you have to deal with the lists of spells or not. So if you are really going for simple, don't pick a spellcasting class, or at least not one that relies heavily on spells. This reduces your choices to Barbarian, Fighter, Monk, maybe Ranger/Paladin, and Rogue. Pick the type of combat or class fantasy you prefer—heavy melee, ranged, sneaky—and go with it. Most of these classes have an easy subclass pick that grants simple benefits, but they also have more complex choices if you get comfortable as you level up.

If you do want to play a spellcaster (Bard, Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard), the tradeoffs are rather complex and I would say just go with the fantasy you want to roleplay, and ask for advice on what spells to take. Wizard offers the most as-you-go flexibility if you make mistakes, but also many more options (from all the schools to the largest list of spells for any class), which you might get bogged down in.

Hope that helps!

[caoshunter22]

I bet it was more the other players than you.

What kind of back story are you thinking about?

Personally I think the melee classes are a bit easier. I started with a Bard in this edition and really like it. The party didn't know what to expect and by Level 3 my 9 Strength Wood Elf Bard was pretty kick butt. I'll ad plan out your spells and sub class before hand though.

I wouldn't be surprised if there were other players they ruined the game for.

The back story I want to be something where my character grew up in a place that was very brutal where only the strong survive. My character for some reason is forced to leave his home and comes a across someone who becomes his mentor. My character while learns from his mentor the compassion isn't necessarily a weakness. After travailing with the mentor for a while my character comes across a village that is under attack by bandits. my character and the mentor defeat the bandits and they both become heroes. My character then decides to stay at the village instead of continuing to travel with his mentor. So after a year of living at the village my character is asked to gather go get some supplies from a town nearby. When my character returns he finds that everyone been killed. So while he's burying all the bodies of the villagers he doesn't realize a group of people were watching him that they assumed he killed everyone in the villagers. So my character decides to spend on last night in the village before he moves on. When he wakes to the sound of people outside walking around searching the houses. He assumes that bandits or scavengers of some kind are search the village. As someone opens the door to the house he is in he attacks them and turns out it was a soldier from a nearby castle. After my character realized what he had done and that he is out numbered he runs into the woods. That's all I got off at the moment.

[CTurbo]

Half-Orc Champion Fighter with a Greataxe

If you do point buy, start 16 Str and Con and put a 13 in Wis.

I've found this character to be extremely fun and effective for new players. I would plan on putting +2 in Str and level 4 and taking the Great Weapon Master feat at level 6 but not plan too much further than that.

If you've stuck with your character that far and are still happy with it, you can explore other options like multiclassing or additional feats.

Champions are very simple but very effective. You can add more complexity later by multiclassing or taking feats like Ritual Caster or Skilled.

[CTurbo]

Barbarian is another fun but simple class to play(works well combined with Champion Fighter too)

My mother in law wanted to play with us once so l made her a Goliath Wolf Totem Barbarian and she loved it. The Wolf totem's passive bonus feature made her feel really useful out of turn since she was consistently helping the group. She wanted to be a "smart" barbarian so she put a high score in Int(we rolled for stats) and took the Charlatan background.

[JAL_1138]

What Classes are good for new player? I've only played a few session so I still have a lot to learn. I was playing a cleric of the life domain but I was playing with a group of players that have been playing for years and for some reason they expected me to be as knowledgeable about the game as them. So it wasn't an enjoyable experience for me and I decided leave the game. So I'm looking for an easy class to learn as I'm looking for a new group so I can focus more on creating a back story.

We were all newbies at some point, and you shouldn’t be expected to know the rules like the back of your hand; experienced players should want to help you get to their degree of familiarity with and understanding of the game, not gatekeep you for not already being at their level of game knowledge.

A couple of classes that might fit your backstory well are

A) Barbarian: Barbarians’ defining features are their physical toughness and their Rage ability; that ability could fit well thematically with attacking the guard in a panic and/or fury due to mistaken identity

B) Champion Fighter: mechanically simplest class and subclass in the game, the Champion hits decently hard and can take a hit too, basically a different spin on the same kinds of themes as the Barbarian—someone inherently tough who relies more on brute strength (with a strength build) or natural talent (with a dex build) rather than extensive martial training.

But those are just suggestions; most classes could be made to work with your backstory with a bit of creativity. A wizard might have come from a family of cruel, cutthroat mages who looked down on those who didn’t show sufficient magical aptitude, for example. A rogue might have grown up on the streets and learn their trade in the proverbial school of hard knocks. A monk might have studied under a vicious, callous master at a brutal dojo before meeting their villager mentor.

So pick what looks fun to play and interesting for you, not necessarily what’s simplest; a good group should want to help you figure out how to play regardless of whether your character is mechanically simpler or more complex, and no class is so complicated you can’t get the hang of it eventually (especially if you start at first level and get to ease into it over time).


Good luck, and may you have many enjoyable games!

[Renvir]

I've always suggested Rogue or Paladins to new players if they want to learn the game. Each class has a slow burn for learning the ins and outs of the game over the first 1-5 levels. I also find them easy to do back stories for due to the wealth of fictional characters that would fall within those classes.

Rogue: You will learn how to use your action, bonus action, and reaction through regular use. You will be good with a number of skills and will likely get plenty of moments to shine in and out of combat because of them. It's fun to roll a bunch of dice when you do hit somebody. You will be forced to learn how to work with your teammates to maximize your combat prowess (something you can bring with you when you try other classes in the future). The Rogue class and archetypes are fairly succinct in their ability descriptions so it's easy to grasp what each ability does for you.

Paladin: You can use all weapons and armor so you don't have to worry about picking weapons you are proficient with. You get to learn the basics of spell casting with a short list of spells that can be changed so don't have to worry about making the right choice. You will feel helpful right away with good combat prowess and access to healing for yourself and others. Some of the abilities can be wordy but they're rather straightforward in what they are trying to achieve. If you can make it to level 6 you'll notice everyone wants you to hang out as close to them as possible (so popular!).

[Mercurias]

With your concept, you could also possibly go with a Ranger. Rangers aren’t the most powerful class, but I’ve always had fun learning a tabletop game with them.

If you want to dive into Roleplay, it might be fun for your character’s mentor to have taken you under his wing and taught you a Paladin’s Oath. Paladins are a quite powerful and thematic class which have a heavy Roleplay mechanic that is great for forcing you into all kinds of trouble. It would also make that accidental murder of a town guard REALLY sting, but if I were your DM then I would rule that it wouldn’t count as breaking your Oath depending on what you did after.

[caoshunter22]

With your concept, you could also possibly go with a Ranger. Rangers aren’t the most powerful class, but I’ve always had fun learning a tabletop game with them.

If you want to dive into Roleplay, it might be fun for your character’s mentor to have taken you under his wing and taught you a Paladin’s Oath. Paladins are a quite powerful and thematic class which have a heavy Roleplay mechanic that is great for forcing you into all kinds of trouble. It would also make that accidental murder of a town guard REALLY sting, but if I were your DM then I would rule that it wouldn’t count as breaking your Oath depending on what you did after.

The Paladin sounds like fun class. How do you break an oath? Does it mean you’ve done something evil or is it as simple as not follow your oath exactly for a long period of time?

[Spore]

The Paladin sounds like fun class. How do you break an oath? Does it mean you’ve done something evil or is it as simple as not follow your oath exactly for a long period of time?

On the table, the DM decides that. By the rules, you have to work against your code of conduct printed right in front of the Oath you are taking.

As for a class personally I would decide for Barbarian or Fighter heavily leaning into Fighter (and Battle Master). The class has a few tactical options but "hitting with weapon until x falls over" is still a very decent idea most of the time. If you feel you can handle magic you can go Eldritch Knight too.


The back story I want to be something where my character grew up in a place that was very brutal where only the strong survive. My character for some reason is forced to leave his home and comes a across someone who becomes his mentor.

Wilderness classes like barbarian, druid and ranger. Subtract druid because that is just a management nightmare (you basically need the monster manual to play).


My character while learns from his mentor the compassion isn't necessarily a weakness. After travailing with the mentor for a while my character comes across a village that is under attack by bandits. my character and the mentor defeat the bandits and they both become heroes.

Martial class most likely, maybe a rogue or monk.


My character then decides to stay at the village instead of continuing to travel with his mentor. So after a year of living at the village my character is asked to gather go get some supplies from a town nearby. When my character returns he finds that everyone been killed.

Defines your background: I'd go for folk hero here. The village offers you indefinite refuge, and in turn you help them out being heroic.


So while he's burying all the bodies of the villagers he doesn't realize a group of people were watching him that they assumed he killed everyone in the villagers. So my character decides to spend on last night in the village before he moves on. When he wakes to the sound of people outside walking around searching the houses. He assumes that bandits or scavengers of some kind are search the village. As someone opens the door to the house he is in he attacks them and turns out it was a soldier from a nearby castle. After my character realized what he had done and that he is out numbered he runs into the woods. That's all I got off at the moment.

Here you could switch your background to hermit or outlander if you wanted.

[caoshunter22]

On the table, the DM decides that. By the rules, you have to work against your code of conduct printed right in front of the Oath you are taking.

As for a class personally I would decide for Barbarian or Fighter heavily leaning into Fighter (and Battle Master). The class has a few tactical options but "hitting with weapon until x falls over" is still a very decent idea most of the time. If you feel you can handle magic you can go Eldritch Knight too.



Wilderness classes like barbarian, druid and ranger. Subtract druid because that is just a management nightmare (you basically need the monster manual to play).



Martial class most likely, maybe a rogue or monk.



Defines your background: I'd go for folk hero here. The village offers you indefinite refuge, and in turn you help them out being heroic.



Here you could switch your background to hermit or outlander if you wanted.

Well thank you for the advice. Also just realized that I really need to proof read my work more in particular the last sentence of my character idea post.

[Vogie]

The back story I want to be something where my character grew up in a place that was very brutal where only the strong survive. My character for some reason is forced to leave his home and comes a across someone who becomes his mentor. My character while learns from his mentor the compassion isn't necessarily a weakness. After travailing with the mentor for a while my character comes across a village that is under attack by bandits. my character and the mentor defeat the bandits and they both become heroes. My character then decides to stay at the village instead of continuing to travel with his mentor. So after a year of living at the village my character is asked to gather go get some supplies from a town nearby. When my character returns he finds that everyone been killed. So while he's burying all the bodies of the villagers he doesn't realize a group of people were watching him that they assumed he killed everyone in the villagers. So my character decides to spend on last night in the village before he moves on. When he wakes to the sound of people outside walking around searching the houses. He assumes that bandits or scavengers of some kind are search the village. As someone opens the door to the house he is in he attacks them and turns out it was a soldier from a nearby castle. After my character realized what he had done and that he is out numbered he runs into the woods. That's all I got off at the moment.

Some ideas:

Monster Hunter Ranger or Scout Rogue - equally effective in combat and out in nature due to your mundane survival skills
Nature Cleric - same as the above, but with a supernatural bent. Plants and animals will actively seek you out, and you're usually rocking an animal companion via the Animal Friendship spell
Vengeance Paladin - You're on a quest to hunt down those who murdered your mentor and the rest of the village.
Hexblade Warlock - You were a common warrior who felt you were heroic, but after you fled into the woods, the specter of your mentor appeared, instructing you to return and retrieve his sword. "...You still have so much to learn." (this is a Refluff - You ignore the RAW explanation of the Hexblade, instead subbing in your mentor's spirit as the patron. You later find you can then summon your mentor to your side with the 6th level feature)
Samurai Fighter - You were raised with a renaissance mindset, thus even though you're on the lam, you'd clean up real nice.


For your actual mechanical background, I'd make your own. Herbalism Kit, Survival and Stealth proficiencies, and the Wanderer feature from the Outlander background

[sithlordnergal]

Personally, the class I started out with and the class I recommend to new players is the Paladin. Depending on the DM, the RP requirements aren't that bad, and it gives a good introduction to things like Spell casting and resource management. But at the same time you're still tough enough to survive in melee with good armor and can get away with just smacking things with a weapon and doing nothing else. And once you hit level 6, you gain access to auras that will make you invaluable to the party.

[Unoriginal]

The Paladin sounds like fun class. How do you break an oath? Does it mean you’ve done something evil or is it as simple as not follow your oath exactly for a long period of time?

Well, the "does it mean you've done something evil" part depends on which Oath. With some doing evil stuff isn't a problem depending on what you do.

As for breaking an Oath, you have to willingly disobey it, then actively refuse the chances at redemption you're given.

[rahimka]

It's been said above, but I definitely agree with the recommendation of Paladin. Not only does it fit fairly well with the character-concept and backstory you've described (many class choices could), but the mechanics really do lend themselves to a new player who wants to learn the ropes AND be/feel useful.

The Oath feature gives you a nice prompt for Roleplaying. When in doubt about how your character would/should act, you can consider how the tenets of their Oath would guide them in that circumstance.

Armor and Weapon proficiencies let you be a fairly durable and damaging martial character, so you can wade into the fight and get used to how tactical positioning and choke points and AoOs and etc work

Partial spell-casting gives you the chance to learn about the magic and spell systems without being thrown into the deep end as you would with a Full casting class.

[pdegan2814]

Fighter's never a bad choice. It leaves lots of room for whatever kind of backstory you want, and there are lots of ways to spec out your Fighter. Personally, I'd choose Battle Master over Champion, though. Champion is nice & easy since the abilities you get are all passive. But it means you don't get to "do" anything extra, you're just better at what you already do. Battle Master gives you some fun tricks you can do in combat, without being overly complicated. You land a hit, you use a maneuver. And since your superiority dice recharge on a Short Rest, using a lot of them in a single fight won't hurt you too much. Plus, when you get to learn new maneuvers, you can swap one out as well, so if you pick one you end up rarely using, you aren't stuck with it forever. A Battle Master archer was the first character I played, and had a lot of fun with it.

[Anonymouswizard]

Fighter is generally a good introductory class. The Champion Fighter is the most mechanically simple character to play, while the Battlemaster isn't much more complex (essentially you have a small number of point you can use to activate abilities).

Rogues are arguably more simple, having no resources at all, and has more skills, but takes a bit more thought to be effective. Essentially a Champion Fighter can do well by saving Second Wind and Indomitable for emergencies and using their Action Surge to take down an elite enemy quicker, while a Rogue has to set up their Sneak Attack and make good use of their bonus action.

Barbarians are also simple, but are a more Risk/Reward based class. Their Rages are long rest based, not short rest based, and their Reckless Attacks is most effective when you can evaluate the odds and know when you can afford to take the additional hits.

But in short, every class can be played by a new player, but the more resources a class has the harder it is to learn. Therefore Druids are the most difficult, followed by the other full casters, followed by the Ranger, Paladin, and arguably Monk, followed by everybody else, although in many ways desire to play the character matters more. I've seen people grasp Wizards but fail at Fighters because they have no desire to be a Fighter.

[Particle_Man]

A nice thing about paladins is you don’t have to cast your spells; you could use up spell slots to smite things. So as a new player you could just be the “all smite all the time” guy.

For absolute simplest the answer is human (not variant human) champion fighter. It won’t be the most powerful but it is the simplest.

[rahimka]

I would disagree with advocates for the "simplest" class options being the "best" for a new player. This was the advice I was given for my very first character and after the first session or two, playing a "simple" Fighter SUCKED (granted, this was in PF not 5e). The basic mechanics of the game (even pre-5e) are just not THAT complex that you need to hamstring a new player with a character/build that doesn't give them any complexity to work with once they get the hang of it.

IMO, "straight-forward" is be a better metric for the "best" new-player options. Something that can be learned and played effectively with just a basic understanding of the game and mechanics, but which also allows you options to expand BEYOND the basic mechanics into more advanced aspects of resource management, spell choices, etc.

If you want to LEARN the game and the system, you need to be ABLE to get into SOME of the complex aspects of it.

[djreynolds]

I would disagree with advocates for the "simplest" class options being the "best" for a new player. This was the advice I was given for my very first character and after the first session or two, playing a "simple" Fighter SUCKED (granted, this was in PF not 5e). The basic mechanics of the game (even pre-5e) are just not THAT complex that you need to hamstring a new player with a character/build that doesn't give them any complexity to work with once they get the hang of it.

IMO, "straight-forward" is be a better metric for the "best" new-player options. Something that can be learned and played effectively with just a basic understanding of the game and mechanics, but which also allows you options to expand BEYOND the basic mechanics into more advanced aspects of resource management, spell choices, etc.

If you want to LEARN the game and the system, you need to be ABLE to get into SOME of the complex aspects of it.

100%

Best class for new player, IMO, is the paladin.

Why?

1. They have similar mechanics to the fighter and barbarian, hack and slash.

2. They can smite after they hit, this is real easy to do. Its not hard to manage. Spell slots are like arrows, you have them or you do not. This allows a new player to hit hard, and "feel" powerful

3. Fighters are fine, but IMO, they take a practiced hand, and champions also need a lot of luck... that may never happen.

4. At 6th level, they get a bonus to saves

5. Channel divinity, is easy to use in regards to devotion.

6. Lay on hands, use your action to heal yourself or another

7. Spells, cast them if you can.

8. New players may find a fighter boring, paladins are exciting to play

[gjf2a]

If you want to dive into Roleplay, it might be fun for your character’s mentor to have taken you under his wing and taught you a Paladin’s Oath. Paladins are a quite powerful and thematic class which have a heavy Roleplay mechanic that is great for forcing you into all kinds of trouble. It would also make that accidental murder of a town guard REALLY sting, but if I were your DM then I would rule that it wouldn’t count as breaking your Oath depending on what you did after.

Since Paladins do not take their Oaths until 3rd level, it shouldn't really be an issue at this point.

[Mercurias]

As far as Druids go, even though they're considered the most complex class, they've always been the one I felt I understood best. I guess because you have so many resources to keep track of, it encouraged me to consider the most strategic implementation of said resources over a period of time.

At least for other flavors of tabletop. I've read a lot about 5e, but I'm still trying to find or form a group.