Choosing my first ever character... Help, please

[DarkMoon250]

In about 2 weeks, I'll be meeting up with a kind group of folks to play my first ever game of DnD. I've been coming up with various character concepts and running them by the DM, and they've shown the most support for these 2 (which is good, cuz these are the 2 I was most pleased with). I took some inspiration from the 4e book 'Heroes of Shadow' to come up with them, and now I'm having a tough time trying to settle on which one I actually want to play:

1. A tiefling or half-elf (shadar-kai homebrew variant) Shadow Magic Sorcerer who believes himself to be "evil incarnate" and is destined to be a scourge on the world, but is actually just a friendly dude suffering from a rough and estranged upbringing as a result of his umbral heritage. He sometimes refers to the other party members as his minions, but is quick to back down if they so much as give him an ugly look. Despite this, he's incredibly protective of them and becomes agitated if anyone else treats them poorly. His tainted lineage left him with either the horns of a nightwalker or the fangs of a vampire.

2. A shadar-kai, half-elf (again, shadar-kai homebrew variant), or human Grave Domain or Twilight Domain Cleric who takes a more mystical and esoteric approach to the divine than a dogmatic and orthodox one. His faith is in a Great Spirit above all, but he approaches this absolute being through service and reverence to Shadowfell spirits of darkness and death, with a guiding philosophy that "All that has a beginning must have an end. Mortals die, fey die, fiends die, deities may die, and even the multiverse will die; all will return to the shadows, but that which is good in the eyes of the Spirit will have a taste of eternity."

Part of me thinks the Cleric would be better as a first timer since I can change my whole spell list, and the themes and features are enjoyable to me as a person of faith, but part of me worries I'll play the character too stereotypically (or, at least, too much like Caduceus Clay). On the other hand, the Sorcerer seems fun and versatile right away in terms of RP, and my DM has already said he'll allow UA variant rules and a homebrewed set of bonus spells to make the class have a better quality-of-life, but the limited metamagics and sorcery points does seem a little off-putting. Not to mention the fact that new class-specific magic items are coming out AFTER we've already started, so that's making it hard to decide.

What do you suggest?

[Lupine]

Firstly, don't expect critical role. The "matt mercer" effect is a cause of DM burnout, and player disappointment, so save yourself, and go in expecting less. There will be dice rolled, there will probably be monsters fought, but that's about all you can expect.

now, on to your question.
They both have advantages and disadvantages. Let me break it down for you, as I see it.
Sorcorer
Advantages
Being a Cha based character, you will likely be the party member most turned to for social interation (called the "face")
Sorcerer has the flexible spellcasting, which will be make your choice of when to burn spells a little less important.
A character who thinks of himself as evil, yet absolutely isn't is probably an interesting character. Especially if something from your backstory comes up, and you suddenly act SUPER evil. Think Caleb Widogast: tortured by a past tragedy, for which he sees himself as a failure, but is a good man.

Disadvantages
A character who calls his friends "minion" might get really old really quick. Depends on the table.
Sorc has a lot of "trap spells" and can easily gimp itself by bad spell picks.
Being the face of the party, you will probably have to roleplay a lot, which you may not be comfortable with yet.
Cleric
Advantages

Cleric is very versatile, and can fit into nearly every party
Healing is always appreciated
Having both Caduceus and Jester as examples will give you a pretty good idea of what the cleric is about, and how they work.
Can bring people back from the dead.

Disadvantages

Choosing spells to prepare can be very overwhelming, especially when you're new to the game, and don't know whatall they do.
Choosing the wrong spells to prepare can feel like a very personal failure, especially if your lack of preparation resulted in the death of another character.
Cleric class specialization comes into play at 1st level, throwing you into the deep end of character complexity.

In conclusion
Ultimately, who you play is entire up to you. These are just some things to keep in mind when trying to make a decision. There are other advantages and disadvantages, but those tend to be the largest, in my eyes.
And, if you can't decided still, make the character sheet for both. Typically, by the end of that, you'll know which character you're more excited to play, and have a back-up that you want to play also.
When possible, I would stick closer to the PHB races, because they are less likely to be nixxed by a DM other than this one. (If you join another group, your new DM might be more strict than your first.) Same for subclass. Twilight cleric is UA still, and grave cleric is published. Unless you really think twilight is better than grave, go grave, as it will rustle fewer feathers.

[JNAProductions]

Cleric is probably better for a first time player, mechanically. Much more forgiving.

Concept-wise, I think they're both neat ideas, though I agree the first one might be a bit grating if done poorly.

My biggest advice, though? Talk to your table. See what they like and don't like, explain your concepts and ask them which they think is cooler, and above all, work with them to have an awesome time for you and them.

[5eNeedsDarksun]

Hmm, after re-reading your post it seems like you are trying to talk yourself into the Cleric because you perceive you like it's mechanics, but really want to play the Sorc for the role playing. Do keep in mind that 5e is relatively well balanced and whatever you pick will be good.

[NecessaryWeevil]

First-ever D&D character, and thus first-ever D&D game?
I'd suggest you stay away from homebrew and UA. Get the base rules down first.

[Petrocorus]

1. A tiefling or half-elf (shadar-kai homebrew variant) Shadow Magic Sorcerer who believes himself to be "evil incarnate" and is destined to be a scourge on the world, but is actually just a friendly dude suffering from a rough and estranged upbringing as a result of his umbral heritage. He sometimes refers to the other party members as his minions, but is quick to back down if they so much as give him an ugly look. Despite this, he's incredibly protective of them and becomes agitated if anyone else treats them poorly. His tainted lineage left him with either the horns of a nightwalker or the fangs of a vampire.

With all due respects, the way you describe this character, it seems doomed to becomes a Chaotic Stupid character or at least the party's PITA.
IDK, maybe i had too many bad examples. But you should be careful.

Since it is your first game, i think you should all agree to be good teamplayers.


Firstly, don't expect critical role. The "matt mercer" effect is a cause of DM burnout, and player disappointment, so save yourself, and go in expecting less. There will be dice rolled, there will probably be monsters fought, but that's about all you can expect.

I don't know a lot about it. I just know Critical Role is a YT channel. But i'm curious about this "matt mercer effect". Could you please elaborate?


First-ever D&D character, and thus first-ever D&D game?
I'd suggest you stay away from homebrew and UA. Get the base rules down first.
I support this.

[Sigreid]

I would say the emo kid (sorcerer) would be the easiest to manage while you're learning. Do make it very obvious that he's an emo kid with emotional issues and not just a jerk, and mellow him out over time. That can be a fun gag for a while, but will wear thin very quickly so go in with the intention of character growth.

[Ganryu]

Cleric is probably better for a first time player, mechanically. Much more forgiving.

Concept-wise, I think they're both neat ideas, though I agree the first one might be a bit grating if done poorly.

My biggest advice, though? Talk to your table. See what they like and don't like, explain your concepts and ask them which they think is cooler, and above all, work with them to have an awesome time for you and them.

I mean, to be fair, Sorcerer, pump Cha, and you literally can't go wrong.
Cleric's stats can go anywhere, so it's easier to screw yourself over with. And alot of spells are better pumped with Cleric than other classes, and newbies might not want to do that, and just cast the higher end stuff. this one I'd argue for Sorcerer being easier.
If it were wizard, I'd agree with you in a heartbeat.

[JNAProductions]

I mean, to be fair, Sorcerer, pump Cha, and you literally can't go wrong.
Cleric's stats can go anywhere, so it's easier to screw yourself over with. And alot of spells are better pumped with Cleric than other classes, and newbies might not want to do that, and just cast the higher end stuff. this one I'd argue for Sorcerer being easier.
If it were wizard, I'd agree with you in a heartbeat.

Good Wisdom and Constitution. There’s your stats. If you pick bad spells? Change them tomorrow.

Sorcerer, meanwhile, has a VERY limited spell pool. Screw that up, and your character can be permanently shafted, in terms of effectiveness.

[KorvinStarmast]

My suggestion: don't try homebrew yet. Learn the game first.

1. A tiefling or half-elf (shadar-kai homebrew variant) Shadow Magic Sorcerer who believes himself to be "evil incarnate" and is destined to be a scourge on the world, but is actually just a friendly dude suffering from a rough and estranged upbringing as a result of his umbral heritage. Sounds like a good character.
He sometimes refers to the other party members as his minions, but is quick to back down if they so much as give him an ugly look. Don't do this unless you are already real good friends with these people and this kind of back and forth is normal for you all. If you don't know these people that well, you are perhaps on a one way street to being a pain to play with.
Despite this, he's incredibly protective of them and becomes agitated if anyone else treats them poorly.
Team play is rather the point of this game.
His tainted lineage left him with either the horns of a nightwalker or the fangs of a vampire. Go with the horns, and tiefling, and you'll make a fine sorcerer. Just remember: the core conceit of this game is that a group of people, all of whom are different and have something different to offer to the party, get together as a team and have adventures and accomplish {something}.

At first level, if you are using point buy, I'll suggest the following to start yourself off.
Background: Charlatan. (Deception, Sleight of Hand)
Tool Proficiencies: Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit
Skills: Arcana, Persuasion
Scores:
S 9 D 14 C 14 I 10(9+1) W 12 Ch 16( 14+2)
Cantrips: Mage Hand, Ray of Frost, Shocking Grasp, Fire bolt . You get Thaumaturgy for being a Tiefling.

1st level spells: Shield and either Magic Missile or Sleep.
Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Sleight of Hand
Before you buy any equipment, you'll already have: a set of Fine clothes, a Disguise Kit, tools of the con of your choice (ten stoppered bottles filled with colored liquid, a set of weighted dice, a deck of marked cards, or a Signet ring of an imaginary duke), and a pouch containing 15 gp

Note: Spell selection is one of those places for sorcerer that you always have more spells that you'd like to know but can't. Each time you level up, review your spells and choose the new ones, and the ones to replace, with some care.

There will be others who suggest other spells. For example, the first shadow sorcerer I played had Mage Armor and Sleep at first level.

[Petrocorus]

I agree with most of what Korvin said (as often), but if i may...



Cantrips: Mage Hand, Ray of Frost, Shocking Grasp, Fire bolt . You get Thaumaturgy for being a Tiefling.

These 3 damage spells use attack rolls, having a spell using a save roll could be useful.
I suggest to replace Ray of Frost or Shocking Grasp with Frostbite from Xanathar.



1st level spells: Shield and either Magic Missile or Sleep.

If you start at level 1, take Sleep. It is the best "damage" spell at this level, even if it becomes obsolete quite fast later.

[KorvinStarmast]

I agree with most of what Korvin said (as often), but if i may...
These 3 damage spells use attack rolls, having a spell using a save roll could be useful.
I suggest to replace Ray of Frost or Shocking Grasp with Frostbite from Xanathar. While that's a good suggestion, I discovered to my dismay that cantrips with a save (Sacred Flame, I am looking at you) are damnably frustrating to use. I have chosen to always use attack cantrips: that way, I feel as though I am in control. (Yeah, it's a pet peeve and I call it "suck red flame" to this day)

If you start at level 1, take Sleep. It is the best "damage" spell at this level, even if it becomes obsolete quite fast later. Or color spray. :smallcool:

[Composer99]

In about 2 weeks, I'll be meeting up with a kind group of folks to play my first ever game of DnD. I've been coming up with various character concepts and running them by the DM, and they've shown the most support for these 2 (which is good, cuz these are the 2 I was most pleased with). I took some inspiration from the 4e book 'Heroes of Shadow' to come up with them, and now I'm having a tough time trying to settle on which one I actually want to play:

1. A tiefling or half-elf (shadar-kai homebrew variant) Shadow Magic Sorcerer who believes himself to be "evil incarnate" and is destined to be a scourge on the world, but is actually just a friendly dude suffering from a rough and estranged upbringing as a result of his umbral heritage. He sometimes refers to the other party members as his minions, but is quick to back down if they so much as give him an ugly look. Despite this, he's incredibly protective of them and becomes agitated if anyone else treats them poorly. His tainted lineage left him with either the horns of a nightwalker or the fangs of a vampire.

2. A shadar-kai, half-elf (again, shadar-kai homebrew variant), or human Grave Domain or Twilight Domain Cleric who takes a more mystical and esoteric approach to the divine than a dogmatic and orthodox one. His faith is in a Great Spirit above all, but he approaches this absolute being through service and reverence to Shadowfell spirits of darkness and death, with a guiding philosophy that "All that has a beginning must have an end. Mortals die, fey die, fiends die, deities may die, and even the multiverse will die; all will return to the shadows, but that which is good in the eyes of the Spirit will have a taste of eternity."

Part of me thinks the Cleric would be better as a first timer since I can change my whole spell list, and the themes and features are enjoyable to me as a person of faith, but part of me worries I'll play the character too stereotypically (or, at least, too much like Caduceus Clay). On the other hand, the Sorcerer seems fun and versatile right away in terms of RP, and my DM has already said he'll allow UA variant rules and a homebrewed set of bonus spells to make the class have a better quality-of-life, but the limited metamagics and sorcery points does seem a little off-putting. Not to mention the fact that new class-specific magic items are coming out AFTER we've already started, so that's making it hard to decide.

What do you suggest?

For your very first character, I would echo the suggestion to be careful about adopting homebrew rules. Homebrew is great, and has been part of the game from the very beginning, but it's best to be sure you know the rules well before modifying them to any great extent.

Cleric is IMO a very forgiving class for a first character, for the reasons you have described: the ability to change your spells out at need after each long rest. Unless it changes in Tasha's, Twilight looks especially forgiving, especially on account of heavy armour proficiency.

With those in mind, I would be inclined to recommend human cleric from a gameplay perspective.

From a flavour perspective, I also think the cleric comes across as more of a team player, which is useful for a team game such as D&D. I also really like the way you've re-flavoured the character's devotion, playing with the standard assumptions of cleric while still fitting comfortably in its themes.

As a final suggestion, I would recommend not worrying too much about trying to portray your character in-game (through changes in voice, mannerisms, that sort of thing) to begin with. It's fun, and I like doing it, but it takes some getting used to.




I don't know a lot about it. I just know Critical Role is a YT channel. But i'm curious about this "matt mercer effect". Could you please elaborate?


Critical Role is a popular D&D game played live on Twitch and available on demand on YouTube. The trick is that the DM and players are all professional voice actors. The DM (Matt Mercer) also has been running games for many years and so is very skilled at running the style of game played at his table.

Thing is, most DMs and players are not professional voice actors, and trying to build and portray characters in the manner of Critical Role is likely to lead to disappointment. Most DMs aren't that experienced, or, if they are, they have different preferences and so won't want to run games in the same way. That's all well and good, but if you go to a table expecting to play a CR-style game and the DM there doesn't care to run things the way Mercer does, that's likely to lead to disappointment as well.

[Lupine]

I don't know a lot about it. I just know Critical Role is a YT channel. But i'm curious about this "matt mercer effect". Could you please elaborate?
Composer got the most of it. Basically, people expect mercer level skills in a game where most people are just... not.

I bring it up because the OP mentioned Caduceus Clay, taliesin’s replacement character
Showing he has at least some interest in CR.