I'm finally getting my Skull & Shackles off the ground, and have invited a player who is brand new to Pen & Paper rpgs, She's interested in playing, but I'm wondering what would be an easy class to learn for her. I told her about the Preservationist archetype because she's really into Pokemon, and that is basically a Pokemon Trainer, but would that be too hard for her to play?
I know a lot of people say rogue or fighter as a good starting class, or ranger, but I don't want to shoe-horn her into something she won't have fun playing, but I also don't want to smother her with a lot of information.
I'm heading off to bed after this post so I wont be able to respond to everyone's advice till morning, but feel free to discuss amongst yourselves, or send me a PM with your advice
-Meib
The best starting class for a new player is usually one with limited options they can learn without having to worry about memorizing a bunch of stuff. Anything you can have everything listed on their character sheet is probably good. If the y want to be a spellcaster a spontaneous caster is the best option. They have a limited number of spells so they don't have to memorize the whole list. Avoid most divine casters as they get the entire list when they get the spell level.
Fighter, Barbarian, Sorcerer, Oracle are probably good. The Rogue fits the requirements, but they are a suboptimal class.
That actually sounds like a fun archtype idea for her. It stacks with vivisectionist, so you can give her some close combat sneak attack damage, or she can stick with bomb throwing.
Any player can play any class starting out in my opinion. What they need help with is usually character creation and what you can actually do on your turn. Hold her hand through character creation, and walk through that chapter of the book step by step. Then it's a good idea to create a crib sheet with the different types of actions (free, immediate, swift, move, standard, and full round) and mark what the different abilities on her character take up. It also helps to jot down what some of the skills she has can do specifically and if she's running a summoning or pet class to have a quick list of critters already statted out with relevent upgrades (I'm looking at you augment summoning...). Also it helps to have all attack bonuses added together and ready to go to keep the math simple early on.
I hope she has fun, and continues to play. New players are a blessing.
Folks tone down.
She starts so the best is core. KISS system. My GF just started gaming and she plays an ranger archer. She can stay in the back, has some outside usefullness and sometimes beats the crap damagewise against fullpowergamered characters with fav enemy.
All Caster are more difficult because especially at level one its a limited resource!
I would say fighter archer or ranger archer.
Me personally favors ranger for all the nice skill points for climb acrobatics swim perception in SS
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In my experience, Ranger is the best teaching class.
You start off as a fighter with more skills and instant flavour.
None of your abilities at low-levels are trade-offs, they're just instant boosts, but you will eventually start thinking about how to use them more tactically.
After reaching level 3 (and thus having some solid experience) you get an AC and this introduces more of the game (controlling animals, scent, trip, flanking) gradually.
You also get one spell to use once a day... then gradually get more spells. However you're never leant on by the party for spells or expected to do casty things so you have a no-pressure spellcasting environment.
By level 5 you've learnt more from playing a ranger than you would have from playing a (realtively) one-dimensional class like barb, fighter, sorcerer or rogue. However, you've avoided the bewilderment of APG classes or wizard/cleric/druid.
Also, poor spell/feat/power choices can ruin one-dimensional class: a ranger will stay pretty solid regardless.
I would avoid the 's Guide and leave the Ultimate books for later. There is enough complexity in the Core Rulebook.
Generally, I would start off without any rulebooks in hand, just talk to your new player about the game setting and the types of adventures that go on and ask them what kind of character they would like to play... let them come up with a concept in response to the world.
Then you can say stuff like: "Well, you could play that kind of character as a X, or a Y, or maybe a Z if you wanted to make it a bit more..."
For example, I'm running an adventure on the Nirmathas/Molthune border and after describing the situation my new player says, "I want to play one of those forest-defending, freedom-loving people, but kinda magical and mystical."
So, I respond, "Well, you could play a druid, someone who casts spells by drawing on the power of the forest and has a special animal ally. Or perhaps a sorcerer linked to the forest spirits, maybe even a bard or a cleric."
"What's a sorcerer?"
"well... [waffles on]... what do you think?"
"Hmmm. Maybe not a sorcerer. Tell me about bards again."
When your new player has an idea of the character they want to play, then you can start crunching numbers and waving the CRB around.
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The limited resources actually make casters very easy to play and understand at early levels, imo. It also teaches players to think in rounds and actions, and gives them an introduction to all the basic rolls like saves, skill checks, and so on instead of just attack and damage. It's more important for someone to like the concept of their first character than to KISS system it. This game has a lot of rules no matter how you slice it, so learning them comes with time. Love of that first character and a sense of discovery and a good time with friends is far more likely to be a motivation to come back to the table every week.
And thats where you have a male point of perspective! Give them NEVER something that can after a while just sit down and do nothing!
An episode from SS same girl level 1 sorcerer this time. After 4 intense fight survived because of her summoning spells, she ran out of spells. She wanted to summon another and we said sorry cant all your spells gone for the day. For the day she asked and we said yes. she then said stupid game,
Ask her what she wants to play! Seriously. Don't worry so much about what is easiest and what is hardest.
My first D&D character in 2e was a necromancer (that game was short lived though, my high school BFF shot into melee (where I was to cast Chill Touch, or something) and completely murdered me). After that, in my first 3rd edition game, I played a Sorcerer. Then we were going to go back to 2nd edition for some Ravenloft and I made a Bard.
To this date, I have never played a barbarian or a pure-classed fighter. I just don't like those kinds of characters so much, and if I were just starting off in the hobby, I would be annoyed with my friends if they made me play something I wasn't into "because I'm a girl so I need to play something simple."
Let her play what she wants, and if it she doesn't enjoy that class after all, be ready for the possibility that she may want to make a new character.
Let her play what she wants, and if it she doesn't enjoy that class after all, be ready for the possibility that she may want to make a new character.
Also work with her to make sure that her PC's power level is in line with the other characters and keep a summary of her character's mechanics written out clearly on hand.
Thanks for the advice everyone. I was going to let her play what she wanted, I just wanted to give her suggestions as to what would be easier/harder to play. Thankfully the first handful of "encounters" in S&S is more role play than anything else, and the Limited resource problem for casters isn't as big of a problem in the first few actual battles because its a 1 battle per day adventure for the first few levels.
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Thanks!
I did not start this thread, but I will (I hope!) have a bunch of new players soon. One of the more experienced players has already designed a tengu rogue, and the other plans a half-elf bard. No doubt some will want fighters and some will want casters.
Is there a particularly good or bad oracle's curse for a new player?
Ask her what she wants to play! Seriously. Don't worry so much about what is easiest and what is hardest.
Word. Help her with character creation, offer some pointers ("Rogues can't take many hits", "You can only cast a few spells before you run out", etc.), then let her go.
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In my experience, Ranger is the best teaching class.
** spoiler omitted **
I would avoid the 's Guide and leave the Ultimate books for later. There is enough complexity in the Core Rulebook.
Generally, I would start off without any rulebooks in hand, just talk to your new player about the game setting and the types of adventures that go on and ask them what kind of character they would like to play... let them come up with a concept in response to the world.
Then you can say stuff like: "Well, you could play that kind of character as a X, or a Y, or maybe a Z if you wanted to make it a bit more..."
For example, I'm running an adventure on the Nirmathas/Molthune border and after describing the situation my new player says, "I want to play one of those forest-defending, freedom-loving people, but kinda magical and mystical."
So, I respond, "Well, you could play a druid, someone who casts spells by drawing on the power of the forest and has a special animal ally. Or perhaps a sorcerer linked to the...
You know, I was thinking along the basics of Fighter, Sorcerer, Paladin even. However, I really like the point you display here. From a level 1 perspective, it is almost perfect for introducing players to the game.
Well done!