So I am a relatively new GM, and last night I started a game for a bunch of my friends. They created characters using 4d6, drop the lowest and after a few hours, we came away with a four man party of a Half-Orc Paladin, a Half-Elf Ranger, an Aasimar Ninja and an Elven Witch.
My main concern, after a night of goblin-slaying, is about the overall strength of the party. Everyone made their characters a little sub-optimally, especially the Paladin player. He did not roll particularly well (everything between 10 and 14), and he doesn't have any score above a 15. He's using a battleaxe and shield. The rest of the party is pretty well built, although the Ninja player needs to learn about the importance of Disable Device.
They fared pretty well considering, but I'm a little worried about their future prospects. I may be overreacting, but they're all relatively new players and I don't know if they have the skills (haha) to work with slightly suboptimal characters.
I don't want to come across to them as forceful, but I want to help them succeed despite any problems from character creation. Do people have any suggestions for dealing with a party that seems sub-optimal and players that may not realize it? Should I increase treasure? Lower CRs? Any advice would be appreciated.
