Starting my first ever D&D session next week...

[Yavin4MFC]

So I'm involved in a geek singles group in my town, and next week a bunch of us are starting a D&D group. I've never played before.

Any recommendations for classes/characters? Tips? It'll be 5th edition.

 

[zippypinhead]

What sort of setting are you playing? What sort of elements of rpgs or fantasy storytelling interest you? Which member of the Fellowship of the Ring or the Jedi do you identify with the most?

 

[Deleted member 37064]

I've never played 5E. But, zippy has a few things he's touched on for suggestions.

For myself, I prefer elven warriors, specializing in bow. Simple, fairly basic to start. Yet, some special abilities.

 

[Deleted member 43650]

It really depends on what you want your role in the group to be - do you want to be a 'tank', acting as the advance guard into battle, using many different classes of weapons? Maybe a warrior class.

Or do you prefer a more subtle approach, using subterfuge and cunning to achieve your goals? Rogues are great here.

I personally favor Spellswords - experienced battle-mages who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty with melee, weapon-based attacks, but can handle themselves quite well ranged, too.

Then again, battle is but a portion of D&D - you'll need skills for trade, eliciting information, navigating etc. Work with your teammates to develop a well-rounded group across which all necessary attributes are covered i.e. you don't want a group of five healers, or five warriors...

You're going to have a blast!

 

[Deleted member 37064]

How are they doing the character creation process? Everyone creates characters before arriving? Or, are they doing a night where the entire party creates characters and gets to figure out the group a little more?

The party night is usually the better way as questions can be asked, and there's usually a lot of laughs while the characters are rolled up.

 

[Deleted member 43650]

How are they doing the character creation process? Everyone creates characters before arriving? Or, are they doing a night where the entire party creates characters and gets to figure out the group a little more?

The party night is usually the better way as questions can be asked, and there's usually a lot of laughs while the characters are rolled up.

Ah yes, good point. I certainly recommend doing character creation together. Prevents some common faux pas like the aforementioned "Five healer party" lol. Plus, it is indeed a ton of fun, lulz included

 

[Deleted member 37064]

Ah yes, good point. I certainly recommend doing character creation together. Prevents some common faux pas like the aforementioned "Five healer party" lol. Plus, it is indeed a ton of fun, lulz included

Yep, you hit on some key points. One game, we all showed up with fighter-types and a mage. The party didn't last too long. Especially with the low-intelligence tank charging into battle before anyone could stop him.

 

[Nikola Tesla]

Especially with the low-intelligence tank charging into battle before anyone could stop him.

Leeeeeroy Jenkins

 

[Deleted member 37064]

Leeeeeroy Jenkins

Haha, I almost used the reference too! Was thinking of it. But, it was years before WoW.


Come to think of it, that particular player always had a penchant for doing those kinds of things.

He took it to the extreme when we did a campaign of higher level characters (he was the DM for this campaign), and he hired an assassin to take out the party from within....

 

[Ann_Sulu]

I've never played 5th, but here are some things that likely will stay the same.

Have fun making your character, but consider others and their character's abilities in the party. You don't want many of one type for instance. Flaws in a character are ok too. In fact they can make the game more entertaining for you and others!

Try to fully understand all of your attacks, spells, and try to understand your character's mechanics before battle, so you don't get as flustered from people waiting on you.

Don't be shy. We've all been new! ^.^

Bring a pencil for your character sheet (not a pen, as you'll likely need to add points and such), and your own dice if possible.

Pay attention to the DM and other players. Even if it isn't about your character, you'll likely use the info for something later in the campaign.

 

[Deleted member 37064]

Oh, and bring a couple of extra character sheets just in case you have to roll up new ones over the course of the campaign.

 

[Deleted member 43650]

Leeeeeroy Jenkins

LOL it was only a matter of time. BTW, thanks for inventing, like, everything. Sorry you got ripped off by Edison et al. Mr. Tesla!

 

[Nikola Tesla]

thanks for inventing, like, everything.

Have you seen my death ray?

 

[Yavin4MFC]

It really depends on what you want your role in the group to be - do you want to be a 'tank', acting as the advance guard into battle, using many different classes of weapons? Maybe a warrior class.

Or do you prefer a more subtle approach, using subterfuge and cunning to achieve your goals? Rogues are great here.

I personally favor Spellswords - experienced battle-mages who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty with melee, weapon-based attacks, but can handle themselves quite well ranged, too.

Then again, battle is but a portion of D&D - you'll need skills for trade, eliciting information, navigating etc. Work with your teammates to develop a well-rounded group across which all necessary attributes are covered i.e. you don't want a group of five healers, or five warriors...

You're going to have a blast!

Happy Birthday!

 

[SaffronBurke]

Oh, and bring a couple of extra character sheets just in case you have to roll up new ones over the course of the campaign.

It's become A Thing that my character will nearly die at least once per session. It's happened throughout three different games. I've also had a character actually die, and had to roll up a new one. I managed to actually stay pretty alive during the session I had last night, so that was nice.

 

[Dan Epstein]

Stay away from the Happy Hour at the Goblin's bar in your first session, and don't mistake the bridge Troll for a common Orc....

 

[Deleted member 37064]

It's become A Thing that my character will nearly die at least once per session. It's happened throughout three different games. I've also had a character actually die, and had to roll up a new one. I managed to actually stay pretty alive during the session I had last night, so that was nice.

How does your group do hit points? Once you reach zero hit points you die. Or, when you reach zero you're unconscious, losing one hit point a round until death at -10? Bandaging will stop continued negative loss unless poison or magical are the cause for loss.

We used Hargrave's Crit/Fumble tables also which made for some interesting events.

 

[SaffronBurke]

How does your group do hit points? Once you reach zero hit points you die. Or, when you reach zero you're unconscious, losing one hit point a round until death at -10? Bandaging will stop continued negative loss unless poison or magical are the cause for loss.

We used Hargrave's Crit/Fumble tables also which made for some interesting events.

In 5.0, you're unconscious when you are reduced to 0, and you don't drop below 0. You make a death saving throw each round on your turn - 10+ is a success, 1-9 is a failure. 3 successes means that you are conscious with 1 hit point, 3 failures means that you you are dead. Party members can stabilize you to 1hp with a medicine check, or heal you with a spell. Once dead, someone of high enough level can bring you back (I forget which spell, Raise Dead or something similar). My DM set a DC for the clerics trying to save my dead character, and each party member could do something to assist - the bard played a song she liked, the ranger sacrificed something we stole together - and each lowered the DC. Unfortunately, they still didn't make it, and my character was dead-dead.

 

[Deleted member 37064]

In 5.0, you're unconscious when you are reduced to 0, and you don't drop below 0. You make a death saving throw each round on your turn - 10+ is a success, 1-9 is a failure. 3 successes means that you are conscious with 1 hit point, 3 failures means that you you are dead. Party members can stabilize you to 1hp with a medicine check, or heal you with a spell. Once dead, someone of high enough level can bring you back (I forget which spell, Raise Dead or something similar). My DM set a DC for the clerics trying to save my dead character, and each party member could do something to assist - the bard played a song she liked, the ranger sacrificed something we stole together - and each lowered the DC. Unfortunately, they still didn't make it, and my character was dead-dead.

Ahh, that's an interesting way of doing the near death scenarios. I kind of like it, as it gives the player something to roll for and it's not a definitive as being reduced to -9 with a hit/damage and then dying the next round. Hmm, might have to incorporate that if I ever get my game back together.

I played a few games of v3 back in the day when it came out. Wish I still had my books as they were signed by the TSR/Wizards staff and had a lot of cool artwork. But, I gave them to my friends son who was playing and I wasn't. Only have a few dice and a couple of figurines left, along with my re-issued 2E books

 

[Yavin4MFC]

How does your group do hit points? Once you reach zero hit points you die. Or, when you reach zero you're unconscious, losing one hit point a round until death at -10? Bandaging will stop continued negative loss unless poison or magical are the cause for loss.

We used Hargrave's Crit/Fumble tables also which made for some interesting events.

I'll find out in two days!

 

[Sage Levy]

Best advice: if nobody but the DM is trying to make things move along quickly and smoothly, try to convince your fellow players the best you can to stop goofing around and play the game! My biggest pet peeve when trying to play is when everyone keeps getting distracted or going off-topic out of character and we end up wasting soooo much time. A super long session with not that much action in all that time makes for a very disappointing campaign that might end up killing it after only a few sessions. Best of luck and have fun!!

 

[Deleted member 37064]

Best advice: if nobody but the DM is trying to make things move along quickly and smoothly, try to convince your fellow players the best you can to stop goofing around and play the game! My biggest pet peeve when trying to play is when everyone keeps getting distracted or going off-topic out of character and we end up wasting soooo much time. A super long session with not that much action in all that time makes for a very disappointing campaign that might end up killing it after only a few sessions. Best of luck and have fun!!

In some ways, I'll agree with you. But, it's also those moments outside of the game which can make the game so much more enjoyable as well. Can't tell you how many times we were laughing so hard at something someone did in game and it turned into the joke of the night.

For example, one of my characters in an effort to save himself (armor technically) from rust monsters, drank a potion of levitation. So, here you see this fighter-type in full plate armour floating in the air with a rope dangling from his waist while the elven character in leather armour is holding onto it walking down the path. Or, one of the crit results on Hargrave's tables is slicing off a butt cheek. One of my character turned out to have a shitload of crits that night. Nearly every crit hit rolled was "butt cheek hacked off". Which, naturally my character became the butt of the joke ever time I went to roll....

 

[Sage Levy]

In some ways, I'll agree with you. But, it's also those moments outside of the game which can make the game so much more enjoyable as well. Can't tell you how many times we were laughing so hard at something someone did in game and it turned into the joke of the night.

For example, one of my characters in an effort to save himself (armor technically) from rust monsters, drank a potion of levitation. So, here you see this fighter-type in full plate armour floating in the air with a rope dangling from his waist while the elven character in leather armour is holding onto it walking down the path. Or, one of the crit results on Hargrave's tables is slicing off a butt cheek. One of my character turned out to have a shitload of crits that night. Nearly every crit hit rolled was "butt cheek hacked off". Which, naturally my character became the butt of the joke ever time I went to roll....

LOL yeah that does sound like time well spent then! I guess it just depends on who you're playing with. I tend to stick to my online group from roll20 because we all are really invested in the seriousness of the campaign (which has been going on for almost a year), but the IRL group I play with every once in a while just goofs off and we never get anything done

 

[Deleted member 37064]

LOL yeah that does sound like time well spent then! I guess it just depends on who you're playing with. I tend to stick to my online group from roll20 because we all are really invested in the seriousness of the campaign (which has been going on for almost a year), but the IRL group I play with every once in a while just goofs off and we never get anything done

I've never done the online style of D&D. But, I can see the seriousness of it. The group I was in we'd all been gaming together for years. So, we'd goof off about something or other and have fun while playing. Got to know each other's nuiances quite well, and played off of them all the time. Nothing was sacred...

 

[Yavin4MFC]

It's tomorrow night, I'll leave an update with how it goes and how I roll.

 

[Sage Levy]

It's tomorrow night, I'll leave an update with how it goes and how I roll.

Can't wait to hear about it!

 

[SaffronBurke]

Best advice: if nobody but the DM is trying to make things move along quickly and smoothly, try to convince your fellow players the best you can to stop goofing around and play the game! My biggest pet peeve when trying to play is when everyone keeps getting distracted or going off-topic out of character and we end up wasting soooo much time. A super long session with not that much action in all that time makes for a very disappointing campaign that might end up killing it after only a few sessions. Best of luck and have fun!!

We pointedly say "Storytime!" to get each other back on track.

 

[Yavin4MFC]

We spent several hours rolling characters. Despite having the player's handbook, I had to have someone basically hold my hand rolling my character and filling out the sheet. Mentally I was trying to recreate Geralt of Witcher or some sort of Jedi. Unfortunately, the person helping me had no clue who Geralt was.

I rolled a Paladin. Who I absolutely hate and want to kill. Especially because it's too restrictive within the D&D universe, and I have no interest in actually roleplaying that type of character. I just wanted someone who used swords and magic and flitted between neutral and good but isn't a ranger because I hate dealing with traps and "that's what rangers do" tropes.

Oh well. In two weeks we're meeting back up to actually start playing. I'll think of something in the meantime.

 

[Deleted member 37064]

Paladins can be fun, and especially challenging at times. One of the things though is the makeup of the party and if there are any evil characters in the group. That will cause a bit of playable conflict with the paladin.

 

[DJ_Pioneer]

We spent several hours rolling characters. Despite having the player's handbook, I had to have someone basically hold my hand rolling my character and filling out the sheet. Mentally I was trying to recreate Geralt of Witcher or some sort of Jedi. Unfortunately, the person helping me had no clue who Geralt was.

I rolled a Paladin. Who I absolutely hate and want to kill. Especially because it's too restrictive within the D&D universe, and I have no interest in actually roleplaying that type of character. I just wanted someone who used swords and magic and flitted between neutral and good but isn't a ranger because I hate dealing with traps and "that's what rangers do" tropes.

Oh well. In two weeks we're meeting back up to actually start playing. I'll think of something in the meantime.

You might want to look into rolling a Blood hunter. It is a home brewed class Matthew Mercer originally made for a one-shot with Vin Diesel, he has refined and balanced it since then. If you think it sounds like fun check with your DM if he would allow you to reroll to it. You could try and use the D&D beyond app if you need someone handholding rerolling, just make sure you have Critical Role content enabled and the Blood hunter should be there among the classes that you can choose from.