D&D 5E My New Players Have Quit 5th Edition

[Emerikol]

There is nothing quite like introducing two new players to 5th Edition and having their pregenerated characters die in the surprise round of the 1st encounter without getting to take any actions.

No I will not start a campaign at 3rd level.
No I will not fudge numbers.
No I will not play monsters stupidly.
No I will not award Clerics with bonus actions to keep allies alive.

That is one thing I specifically asked. I asked for a higher starting hit point variant. ..was denied.

For one, the DMG isn't out and I'd bet a higher starting hit point variant is a lot more likely than a second wind replacement.

I wouldn't do any of the bold things either. I'm a little unsure about the unbolded option though. Why? The game specifically spells out the intent for each of the levels. To me the game needs very week first level characters for the world if nothing else.

One houserule you could try is this: Give your PCs their third level hit points up front. Then do not let them advance hit points again until they hit fourth level. You still then get to enjoy 1st and 2nd levels, however short they are anyway and all is good.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Kind of hard to be denied something by a game that hasn't been released yet.

I suspect there may be quite a few players who will want to change a variety of assumptions made by the basic game once the full rules come out.

Besides, when going on dangerous adventures in D&D sometimes you win, sometimes you lose and sometimes death happens. In other words it a normal workaday adventure. Create new PCs and keep going.

 

[Mercurius]

Also, one of my pet house rules for 5E - and pre-4E D&D - will be "1st level = 1st session." After the first session, you level up and then from 2nd on, follow the usual levelling up.

But because of HP, the difference between level 1 and 2 is huge. But for most, there's something important about starting at level 1.

 

[I'm A Banana]

There is nothing quite like introducing two new players to 5th Edition and having their pregenerated characters die in the surprise round of the 1st encounter without getting to take any actions.

No I will not start a campaign at 3rd level.
No I will not fudge numbers.
No I will not play monsters stupidly.
No I will not award Clerics with bonus actions to keep allies alive.

That is one thing I specifically asked. I asked for a higher starting hit point variant. ..was denied.

I wish you all the best in finding that magical unicorn of a game that perfectly supports everything you want to do with it straight out of the box without any modification.

Over here, I'm going to live with the fact that TTRPGs are games made to be tinkered with, and tinker the hell out of 5e.

 

[Pickles JG]

Also, one of my pet house rules for 5E - and pre-4E D&D - will be "1st level = 1st session." After the first session, you level up and then from 2nd on, follow the usual levelling up.

But because of HP, the difference between level 1 and 2 is huge. But for most, there's something important about starting at level 1.

I am pretty sure thats the design intent & the same for 2nd level. I saw Mearls say it in some medium or other. I like starting at level 1 too from 3 e anyway as it's over fast anyway.

As to the OP it almost sounds like you weere so intent of sticking to your principlals that you denied two new players any chance to have fun. I hope they are new to 5e not just to roleplaying.


 

[jodyjohnson]

I'm quitting as well. I refuse to spend any more money on the edition for 4 weeks.

Then I'll cave and buy book 1 of the Core rules on August 8th.

I expect to house rule/option higher HP at level 1 (I really like the 3rd HP @ 1st idea then wait until 4th to increase again).

 

[Mark CMG]

Also, one of my pet house rules for 5E - and pre-4E D&D - will be "1st level = 1st session." After the first session, you level up and then from 2nd on, follow the usual levelling up.

Unless I am with a hardcore group who wants to make the slog up from 0 XP, I prefer this approach. With some groups over the years, who liked to try out many systems and not just one for years and years, I've even taken a one level for each session approach. In some cases, skipping several levels between sessions.

As I recall, I ran a 1 to 18 level 3.5E campaign for a group where we went for 10 sessions at 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, and 18th levels in about three months while playing weekly. They were all experienced 3.5E players and we bridged the level gaps with narrative which took suggestions of downtime activities and side quest fictions from the players regarding their PCs, even smaller teams of their PCs. I built some other stuff into the narratives that allowed to seed certain magic items and (at higher levels) artifacts into their hands.

Time is too precious to me and there are too many games I wish to play to feel cornered into playing all RPG campaigns from the lowest levels just because the rule system provides that as an option. Others feel that is the best part of the gaming, and it can be with the right GM, adventure, and/or enough time on your hands. Sometimes I acquiesce to this as a player bu while doing so I advocate for quick pacing and focus so that it is not overly bogged down too often.

 

[Jester David]

My FLGS is not a premier store, so I'm without the Starter Box for a fortnight.
What is the first encounter?

No I will not play monsters stupidly.

This one seems odd. I don't see why mindless or foolish creatures should all be tactical geniuses.

That is one thing I specifically asked. I asked for a higher starting hit point variant. ..was denied.

We don't know that.

Still, 5e is meant to be hackable so it's an easy house rule. Give the PCs one or more bonus HD. It not only increases their total hit points but allowed them some more healling during a short rest.

 

[wwanno]

Ah! those time when we used to "save or die" !
Losing two 1st level PCs in combat is normal. At 1st level, PCs are little more than peasant.
At 1st level you have the greatest challenges. And 2nd level is the greatest reward!

 

[sidonunspa]

There is nothing quite like introducing two new players to 5th Edition and having their pregenerated characters die in the surprise round of the 1st encounter without getting to take any actions.

No I will not start a campaign at 3rd level.
No I will not fudge numbers.
No I will not play monsters stupidly.
No I will not award Clerics with bonus actions to keep allies alive.

That is one thing I specifically asked. I asked for a higher starting hit point variant. ..was denied.

Heck I just played last night....

your party must have had a run of horrid luck...

lets see, all the goblins need to roll against the passive perception of all the pre-gens, of the the heroes (the halfling I think) has a 15 or 16...

the goblins have a +3 stealth...I may be wrong on this one.. but lets say they have +3

you rolls for all of them. against all the players... you roll'd 10+ on every die roll.. (the cleric I was playing had a passive perception of 13)

then the combat started...

I know my dwarf had an AC of 18 (with 11 Hp), one of the fighters has 17

so here, with their mighty +3 to hit, you rolled 14+ to 15+

I think there are 6 or so goblins....

d6+2 damage for short bows?

my cleric had 11 HP, so unless you rolled a critical, one hit will not drop me.. the fighter had more HP 12, the wizard has 8

so you rolled almost max damage on some attacks and rolled a critical on everyone over 8hp.

Guess what, I can TPK a party with rolls like that in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th edition..... (not talking about 4th, where death was NEVER a threat for the time I played..like ever)