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Hey folks, I was trolling through the different threads and didn't seem to find one of these. Feel free to yell at me if I'm being stupid.
I thought I could poll the veterans around here to supply your own advice regarding the general perils of a new player starting up in a new game. I personally have a focus for folks going into Pathfinder Society organized play for the first time, but feel free to provide any general advice.
So again, this is any advice you veterans have for new players (i.e. myself) about to jump in feet first. Advice relating to: Character creation, styles of play, generally polite behavior, and common faux pas to avoid/ rules that are frequently accidentally broken, and how much is generally acceptable to bribe the GM.
Have at it!
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This is mostly for PFS games where you don't know who will be at the table, rather than a dedicated group, who should coordinate better before hand.
1. If you're going to bribe the GM and/or other players, do it with food, not money. Cookies are popular.
2. Every character should have a melee weapon, ranged weapon, and light source for their first adventure. After the first adventure, add healing and some way to deal with swarms before your second adventure.
3. More on healing: Every character is responsible for their own healing. Don't assume there will be a dedicated healer at the table, and don't assume that every cleric you play with is a dedicated healer. Bring a potion of cure light wounds or two for when you need to heal yourself without help from a healer, or to force feed the healer if they go down. Bring your own wand of cure light wounds, even if you can't use it, so you can hand it to someone else to use on you.
Character creation: Know the table expectations before you settle in and build the character. For PFS, make sure you've read the Guide to Organized Play and the Additional Resources doc for all sources you intend to use. For home games, ensure you are familiar with any house rules that could impact play on any character concept you are considering. Audit your character after you've written it to make absolutely sure that it is legal before you bring it to the table.
Table etiquette: Everyone needs a moment of glory. Don't hog the spotlight, but remember that "everyone" includes you. Try to strike a balance that focuses on you doing relevant, useful, and awesome things along with allowing others to do the same. Minimize non-game talk unless the table generally behaves otherwise. The best times for non-game talk is before the game, after the game, or during table breaks. Try not to intervene with rules clarifications unless the situation is life or death.
GM bribing: This is heavily impacted by table variation. Try to determine if GM bribing is the norm to prevent rocks from falling. Remember, some degree of mortal peril is required for your character to advance in the story.
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Get off the message boards. :\
Ignore people who tell you not to take a feat because its a "trap".
Ignore people who tell you not to play a class because its "weak".
Ignore people who tell you if you don't have X stat you are ineffective.
There are way too many armchair quarterbacks around here who delight in telling everyone the "right" way to play. I suggest finding your own way to play- that way that gives and brings you enjoyment.
Also, welcome to the game :)
-S
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
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Know your character and their abilities. It isn't cool when you have to be constantly reminded about your own character's abilities.
Remember the rules of the game you use frequently. If you are a spellcaster, don't keep forgetting that you can cast defensively after you have cast the spell.
It isn't fun when everyone else is playing your character for you just because if they don't it hurts their characters as well.
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Ignore people who tell you not to play a class because its "weak".
Ignore people who tell you if you don't have X stat you are ineffective.
This is good advice (although you might want to learn why they think that).
Ignore people who tell you not to take a feat because its a "trap".
This one, not so much... There are feats/talents/etc that make you worse. They're not simply "not worth a feat" (there are tons like that, but that's a different story), but actually detrimental to your character.
Powerful Sneak comes to mind... -.-'
Anyway... Here is my advice:
1- CARRY A FREAKING BOW! If you are proficient with them, there is no reason not to! It's unbelieveable how often players (even veteran players!) forget about this! Then a flying enemy comes along and their uber-warriors can't do anything.
2- Carry backup weapons. Because you'll eventually be disarmed or have your weapon destroyed. Have a back up. It doesn't have to be as good as your main weapon, but it has to be good enough to keep you alive until you find a better one.
3- Remember: there are no aggro mechanics in Pathfinder. If you want your enemies to focus on you instead of the squishy wizard, you have to give them a reason to! Most often, this reason is raw damage output, but there are other ways.
4- Don't underestimate consumables. I know potions/scrolls are wasted after you use them, but sometimes, they're all you need to get through that one encounter/challenge.
5- Don't overspecialize. Be awesome at whatever it is that you want to be awesome, but don't do it at the cost of being inneffective at everything else. Sometimes, your usual course of action will not be a viable solution.
6- Always try and get as much information about your next challenge/enemies/puzzles/quest/etc as you can. Knowing is half the battle.
7- Carry wands of Cure Light Wounds and wands of lesser Restoration. They'll save your life more often than your party. lol.
8- Put skill ranks in Perception. Even if your Wis score is not very good and Perception is not one of your class skills. You'll be rolling Perception skill checks more often than any other, so you might as well invest in it. It'll probably save your life at some point.
9- Carry a scroll of Daylight. Seriously. Sooner or later your GM will throw a vampire in your way. They all do. (Admitedly, this advice is more based on personal trauma and paranoia than game analysis)
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What a great response! Thanks, folks, I'm loving all the great advice!
And you, Mr. Selgard, at first I thought you were saying "get the heck out" until I read the rest of your message, but now that's my favorite response.
But all of these responses are terrific.
Hopefully my partner in crime and I can get into the game over the next couple of weekends. My schedule is pretty tight these days transitioning out of the Army but I can't wait to capitalize on this new awesome thing they call a "weekend". It sounds amazing.
And hopefully our fresh, new characters won't get smashed into a thin, red paste.
Wait… what color do Tengus bleed?
Yeah, I'm sure it's red.
Mmm… paste...
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Have gold left over after getting a melee weapon, ranged weapon, and light source? Buy a knife!!
Daggers are always useful as tools, and just in case you get grappled, that crossbow or longsword you bought can't be used in a grapple. Daggers can.
Instead of attempting to break or reverse the grapple, you can take any action that doesn't require two hands to perform, such as cast a spell or make an attack or full attack with a light or one-handed weapon against any creature within your reach, including the creature that is grappling you.
(You should still carry a dagger, though.)
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When it comes to your character, really focus on your strengths or try to smooth out your weaknesses, don't try to do both.
Once you've made that decision, accept that there are some things your character won't be able to do. It's generally better to be good at a few things than mediocre at a bunch of things.
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Don't overplay your race. I had one person play a catfolk and spent half the game playing with toy mice, eating cheese, drinking milk (often times mixed with thrubdub) and licking himself clean. I'm surprised he even chose to eat food designed for sentient peoples.
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To elaborate on Jiggy's advice... a dagger becomes handy for SIMILAR situations to being grappled. Such as being Swallowed Whole. That's when things like daggers and handaxes are very useful.
Jaelithe: No, I'm pretty sure he's being truthful. I've seen similar things. It has gotten to the point where one of my elves goes out of their way to mock elven stereotypes, sort of a "willing to laugh at myself" thing.
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Don't overplay your race. I had one person play a catfolk and spent half the game playing with toy mice, eating cheese, drinking milk (often times mixed with thrubdub) and licking himself clean. I'm surprised he even chose to eat food designed for sentient peoples.
I think the level of "wrong" that describes goes beyond simply over-playing one's race.
Actually, let's just condense that advice down to "Don't lick yourself at the table".
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y'know what? Let's condense that down to "Don't lick yourself in public"
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Just don't lick yourself.
Don't steal from other PC's or the party.
Know your niche. Yes, not every cleric needs to be a heal bot, or every rogue a trap finder , but be sure the other players know that you are not going to fill that niche if you're playing that iconic class.
Rarely split the party. It's better if you never split the party.
In-character reason: It's dangerous to go out on your own. You rely a lot on your friends, and your friends rely on you. Splitting up removes both those reliances.
Meta-game reason: Pathfinder is a group oriented game where each character hyper-specializes in one or two classes or concepts. The game is designed so other characters fill in your weaknesses. When you split the party, you expose those weaknesses.
Out-of-character reason: Not playing sucks. When the party is split, the GM has to choose who to focus on. That means that when it's your turn for the focus, your real life friends are sitting there bored. When it's your friend's turn, you are sitting there bored. And what happens when your turn takes 5 minutes, and their turn takes 2 hours? You just sit there for 2 hours not playing Pathfinder. All because you split the party.
Thematically and tactically, splitting the party can make a lot of sense. You see it work in books, movies, TV shows, and even in real life. Heck, it could even work well in multiplayer video games! Pathfinder is none of those things. It's a completely different format. Splitting the party means you are weaker, your group is weaker, and someone is not going to have fun for at least a portion of the evening.
How about just have fun?
It's the most important rule of all!
A variation of Don't Split The Party: If you want to go off and do something alone, reconsider. Maybe there's a way to get the group involved, and everyone will have fun with it. There are times you can't, but try.
Also, "It's what my character would do!" is never a good excuse to hose the rest of the group. Slant your actions toward helping the group and increasing everyone's fun.
Edit: Ninjaed due to slow typing (and finding that darn link)!
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A variation of Don't Split The Party: If you want to go off and do something alone, reconsider. Maybe there's a way to get the group involved, and everyone will have fun with it. There are times you can't, but try.
Also, "It's what my character would do!" is never a good excuse to hose the rest of the group. Slant your actions toward helping the group and increasing everyone's fun.
DM: You're dead.
Player: But that's not fair!
DM: Well maybe next time don't try and sneak into a well-guarded fortress all by yourself in search of "shiny things".
Player: But that's what my character would do!
DM: Yes. And he's dead. Now make a character that doesn't do stupid things and see if he lives longer.
Know what your character can do. What are his feats, what are his class abilities, whatever. Ability X or Feat Z can save your life -- but not after you are already dead.
If you're new to the hobby, or to this particular game, it's often better to take feats that don't require additional thought. Weapon Focus is a straight +1 to your attack roll. Just write down the attack total and forget about it. You can get fancy later. Meanwhile you can use your brainpower on other things, like figuring out what to do now. A feat that gives you +2 to a save -- write it down, forget about it, worry about other stuff -- is better than one that gives you +4 in some situation or other. You'll forget about it, or you'll waste time always asking if it applies.
Pre-calculate anything that can be pre-calculated - what does your greatsword look like with and without Power Attack: what is your bow like with and without Rapid Shot; what is the exact save DC for each of your spells. That speeds up play considerably.
And, yes, melee weapon, missile weapon, light weapon.
And two last rules:
If you're having fun, you're doing it right.
Help other people have fun too.
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Treat others as you wish to be treated.
Carry a bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing weapon at all times. A club and a dagger fulfill this. Get a sling too, and boom, you have ranged attacks.
Have fun.
And welcome to the game!
Get off the message boards. :\
Ignore people who tell you not to take a feat because its a "trap".
Ignore people who tell you not to play a class because its "weak".
Ignore people who tell you if you don't have X stat you are ineffective.
I wouldn't suggest ignoring those things completely as building a good character can be a lot of fun (if you're into that sort of thing; I am :D). It is nice to be able to have the mechanics to back up the flavor you have in mind so you won't end up disappointed when it gets to whatever it is you want your character to do. I've had fun at times where I just failed at everything (usually in spectacular ways), but if that's all the time it can get frustrating.
As Tonyz said, I also recommend making sure you know what your stuff does. Jot it down next to the feat. Jot down spell basics and what it roughly does. Calculate your attacks with and without feats like Power Attack so you can just roll your dice and add later instead of having to do it on the spot. A little bit of preparation by everyone can do a lot to keep the game moving.
Also don't let flavor restrict how you want to play your character. A lot of times I've heard from new players stuff like "No I have to be a drunken a!*&+## because I'm a dwarf" or "I have to be a pickpocket in the thieves guild because I picked Rogue" and so on. Be what you want to be; make your own flavor as it suits you.
9- Carry a scroll of Daylight. Seriously. Sooner or later your GM will throw a vampire in your way. They all do. (Admitedly, this advice is more based on personal trauma and paranoia than game analysis)
Tiny nitpick with 9, but Daylight spell doesn't actually harm creatures affected by natural daylight. (although a good amount of GMs rule otherwise. Me included)
Edit: and as for contributing to the thread, make sure there's a good level of understanding between player and GM. The GM must be willing to host a game for players that want to play, and said players must be willing to recognize the authority of the GM for doing so.
When this is in harmony, the game is super fun
Don't bring your fetishes to the table if they're not welcome. Especially if they're not welcome.
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Keep a open mind.
Don't be afraid to ask questions.
Especialy ask questions after the game.
Also at time it is better to listen and watch than to speak...meaning learn about the group you are playing with.
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Just a few simple guidelines that if someone follows, they will always be welcome in my game:
1) Don't disrupt the game - lots of ways to do that, ranging from loud off-topic conversations or cell phone calls while other people are taking their turns to long bouts of rules-lawyering to getting distracted on the Internet so you aren't ready when it is your turn to ... well, you get the picture.
2) Be a good teammate - avoid PvP behavior unless the entire table rocks that way. Work to make sure others can shine and succeed, not just to make your own character look awesome. Don't try to steal someone else's thunder by trying to be better at what they are trying to be good at. Remember that the game is designed to be a team activity and you win or lose as a team, not as individuals. Help folks out who are struggling, either with the rules or with in-game challenges. Make sure everyone gets their share of the RP spotlight (if they want it, some don't).
3) Come prepared and stay prepared - don't make others wait excessively for you to pick your spells or find the feat in the rulebook you want to use, or deide what you are going to do that round. Know your character and his capabilities so someone doesn't have to remind you that, a a paladin, it might be a good idea to use your smite power on that demon.
4) Give your character some personality. You don't have to be a mehtod actor or scenery-chewing ham, but make your character something more than a name and a set of numbers on a page. Give them a background and connections to the rest of the world like family or friends or enemies. Give them likes and dislikes. Give them some favorite phrases or sayings. Anything to make them memorable (not obnoxiously so).
5) Find a GM you trust and then, well, trust him. Give him the benefit of the doubt if you don't understand something. If it really bothers you, talk to him about it later rather than arguing about during game time.
Have a character optimized enough to be able to pull your weight in the party. Dying sucks. Do your part to prevent it. All the other players are counting on you.
Have a google docs for the party treasure list. Help the DM out by sharing who has what with him, so that he can seed the loot you need in the amounts that don't unbalance his campaign.
Try something familiar first, to get the hang of it. Then try something unfamiliar.
Interact with the NPCs. Pick up plot hooks. Try to think about advancing the story, but also helping to create memorable characters and an in-depth world. You, as much as the DM, are responsible for collaborative world-building.
Design your character's personality with a simple, easily understood "hook" that does NOT advance the mechanics of your character. For example: will not tell a lie, thinks halflings are adorable, is constantly on a diet, makes terrible puns. This should not be a "Secret" as it should show up often to define your character.
Do not play a wizard, a witch, a cleric, or a druid the first time out. Look at the thickness of the Player's Handbook. See how thick it is? You'll need to know most of it if you play a prepared spell caster. If you want to play a caster, play a spontaneous caster.
Consult optimization guides on the internet for research in character creation. Make your own decisions, but make them informed ones.
Take a rank in a profession skill. It's the cheapest mechanical way to add flavor to your PC.
Figure out what kind of game your table wants to play: immersive RP, tactical combat, or beer and pretzels kick in the door. Play that game.
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That's it, my next character is going to be a middle-aged cleric of Desna named Rufus.Be excellent to each other.Party on, dudes!
As a musician, I'd think Rufus would be a cleric of Shelyn, or maybe a bard. And as a man on a mission to spread music to the world, he might even work as a paladin or inquisitor of Shelyn.
For your first character and/or first few sessions:
1) Don't insist on running one of the most complex possible builds, just cause you think it sounds kool. Once you have some system mastery, nearly every GM will allow a rebuild or retirement to bring in more kool build. Probably start with just the CRB. I once had a brand new player insist on a tripping TWF halfling monk (don't remember the archtype).
2) Accept help on your build. Don't just assume you know everything better than everyone else that has been doing it for years. This advice forum is one of the best resources you have.
3) Don't let the grognard's like me talk you into something you hate. If you really dislike the whole entire concept of ranger, don't play one just because someone says that is where you should start.
4) Not many people really expect you to pick up everything in this complex hobby instantly. But make an effort to learn it. Maybe between each weekly session read another section of the CRB. Then go to the rules forum to post questions about what you didn't understand. Most people will cut you a whole lot of slack if you are at least trying and slowly improving. Heck, I'm still learning and I've been playing since the blue box.
5) Try to get involved in the role play about as much as the other players. At least in the same ballpark. Don't try to hog the spotlight, but don't be a silent lump either.
6) Don't pick a depressed, anti-social, brooding, silent, anarchist for your personality. It works well in a novel where the reader knows what the character is thinking or a movie where the writer can force the character to get involved. But it rarely works in cooperative/team RPG.
Edit: Ok, I have to admit. This is possible to do well. But it is usually done poorly and is not something that someone brand new to the game has much chance of pulling off.
7) Try to think of some quirk to make you character more individual. I once had a barbarian that collected pretty flowers to press in a book. He couldn't read so that's all he used the book for. It was like 5 levels before someone else's PC decided to look at the book and realized it was a full low level spell book. It was pretty funny. (Had a side bet with the GM on how long it would take someone to figure it out.) Once had a half-ogre who took ranks in preform/poetry. Cha 5 so he was pretty bad at it for a long time. But he kept trying.
Most any other advice I can think of applies more after you have at least a little bit of familiarity with the game.
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Don't overplay your race. I had one person play a catfolk and spent half the game playing with toy mice, eating cheese, drinking milk (often times mixed with thrubdub) and licking himself clean.Please tell me you're joking.
I truly wish I was. The DM killed his character with a disease prevalent among cats in Khatapesh. He lost all of his hair and coughed out blood until he died.
My advice would be to try and develop a personality for your character and to really play with his behavior outside of combat. Interact with players in character, and the non-player characters. It will make it more fun for you.
If you cant keep track of whats going on while drawing/doign homework/looking things up on your laptop/texting then DONT DO THOSE THINGS.
At my table we dont have a rule against them outright because several of my players only have digital charactersheets and have demonstrated that they can multitask effectively, but I've had a few players that could not, and I always have to talk to them about it away from the table.
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when creating a charecter, creat that charecter as someone u focus on roleplaying with. dont fall into the trap of creating that charecter to "win". Accept that ur charecter might die in any encounter so always play smart, but more importantly "play ur charecter". if ur charecter only has 2 spell slots left and has an opponent at a wall and want to tidal rush said npc and release ur shock shield after its wet...then dont think about eh blah blah, 9 times outta 10 go for it.
be mindful of ur other players and the dm, and be mindful of the campaign u are in. if u beleive the "boss" is in the castle, dont go rushing straight into the castle at the very beginning, follow ur dm bread crumbs, trust me that will make him/her very happy.
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Do not play a wizard, a witch, a cleric, or a druid the first time out. Look at the thickness of the Player's Handbook. See how thick it is? You'll need to know most of it if you play a prepared spell caster. If you want to play a caster, play a spontaneous caster.
Got to disagree with this one. My first three characters were a wizard, cleric/rogue, and druid. Spontaneous casters are a bit easier, but prepared casters aren't too hard. Not every spell is going to be on your list, and you only have to worry about learning one new spell level at a time. You can easily go over spells when you level and divide them into always-useful spells (Mage Armour, Bless), situational spells (Entangle for areas with vegetation, Endure Elements if you're headed into desert or arctic) and ones that you can safely ignore because you will probably never actually need them (Hold Portal). It helps to stick to the CRB and/or have a more experienced player explain the spells when you level. Then you prepare spells off your short list - which for a wizard or witch is your spellbook/familiar. You can also make a "typically prepared spells" list with a few holes in it for situational stuff, which I do anyway as an experienced player to save time. Are you occasionally going to have a sub-optimal set of prepared spells, or forget about some obscure situational spell that a more experienced player might be able to apply? Yes. But you can be a competent prepared caster without making optimal use of your spell list.
Do not play a wizard, a witch, a cleric, or a druid the first time out. Look at the thickness of the Player's Handbook. See how thick it is? You'll need to know most of it if you play a prepared spell caster. If you want to play a caster, play a spontaneous caster.Got to disagree with this one. My first three characters were a wizard, cleric/rogue, and druid. Spontaneous casters are a bit easier, but prepared casters aren't too hard. Not every spell is going to be on your list, and you only have to worry about learning one new spell level at a time. You can easily go over spells when you level and divide them into always-useful spells (Mage Armour, Bless), situational spells (Entangle for areas with vegetation, Endure Elements if you're headed into desert or arctic) and ones that you can safely ignore because you will probably never actually need them (Hold Portal). It helps to stick to the CRB and/or have a more experienced player explain the spells when you level. Then you prepare spells off your short list - which for a wizard or witch is your spellbook/familiar. You can also make a "typically prepared spells" list with a few holes in it for situational stuff, which I do anyway as an experienced player to save time. Are you occasionally going to have a sub-optimal set of prepared spells, or forget about some obscure situational spell that a more experienced player might be able to apply? Yes. But you can be a competent prepared caster without making optimal use of your spell list.
Agreed, particularly if you are starting at first level, which I would recommend. The level of systems mastery needed for any type of character at first level is very manageable, but the learning curb gets steeper as the levels go up. Jumping into a game at any level higher than 5 or 6 is much more difficult, as characters have so many options on what they can do. This is doubly true for spellcasters, and triply so for those who must prepare their spells. Still doable, but will require much more investment of time out of game. Sounds like OP is doing that anyway, though.
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Other than the obvious "Have fun" rule, here are some suggestions of mine:
1 - Always have a Bludgeoning, a Slashing, and a Piercing weapon. Hell, always pick up a Morningstar, as it is both Bludgeoning and Piercing. Also, get a ranged weapon.
2 - If you do play Chaotic Neutral, please, for the love of all that is holy, do not play it stupid. Most people think Chaotic Neutral is a free pass to do whatever the hell you want: kill, destroy, etc. Don't be that guy, as there is a big chance that there already is that guy. And 2 of that guy is just brain destroying. It's best to choose a different alignment. Give yourself a challenge.
Other than those 2, nothing else that hasn't already been said.