The best class for new players?

[Chosen of Mystra]

If you were an old school player bringing a new guy in what class would be your recommendation for him?

Please comment why..... if you want to.

And I know Druid is not on the list..... it wouldn't fit.

 

[Black Omega]

Fighter. Easy class to play in the begining. No real special abilities. Just hit things hard and suck up the damage. Straightforward and uncomplicated.

 

[Isida KepTukari]

Fighter is good, but the new feat chains can sometimes be confusing.

My first character was a monk. I didn't have any other weapons but my fists, so I only uses one BAB (my UAB), had few feats to worry about, and only had to absorb one ability at a time.

Rogue is also nice, I've found. Just as long as they read the rules carefully about sneak attacks, and when they can do them. Well, all players should read the rules, but rogue players especially.

 

[Acmite]

Rogue or Sorceror

I voted rogue, but for me it was a toss-up between that and sorceror.

Rogue's have many skills, so the new player can always feel like he/she is contributing. They have few special abilities and/or feats which mean fewer things to worry about.

Sorcerors have such limited spell selection, that with a little DM help, the newbie can be up and running around as a magic missle, sleep, or colour spray machine.

One of the main advantages to both classes for newbies is the fact that many typical attacks by these two classes are ranged attacks. This means that a newbie won't usually have to worry about AoO, flanking, strategic placing, etc. By restricting the "wargaming" aspects of 3e, they have more time to learn the basics.

I don't think fighters are as appropriate for a newbie as they were in previous editions. Quickly the options that become available through feats may become overwhelming to newbies.

Acmite

 

[Dark Jezter]

I would have to say fighter. A new player might get overwhelmed if they played as something like a wizard or a cleric for their first sessions. Fighter lets the new player start out by just bashing and chopping things to death. And as they learn more about the game and level up their characters, they will be able to use feats to make combat more strategic.

 

[Kichwas]

My most important concern would be teaching the person to ROLE-play rather than hack.

So I'd go for bard or rogue.

If you introduce them right you can make great roleplayers out of newbies right on the spot.

 

[kenjib]

If ease of play is the criteria I would pick barbarian. He's similar to a fighter but without all of the bonus feats (and thus extra combat options) to worry about.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

If ease of play is the criteria I would pick barbarian. He's similar to a fighter but without all of the bonus feats (and thus extra combat options) to worry about.

But a Barbarian rages. Explaining the intricacies of raging, as well as where to put what bonus for how long, would be tough to catch as a new player. New players are still trying to remember what a fortitude save is, let alone the fact that, for a few rounds in combat they can add a +2 to it.

I went with fighter. As it so happens, we had a person who was interested in playing in my group a few weeks ago, and I was set to making up a character for her to try out. I went with fighter. By choosing uncomplicated feats, I made a PC that basically had two options, the ax or the bow.

Of course, this was a 9th-level character, so that axe was a +1 keen greatax, and the bow was a +1 composite longbow, mighty +4. But on the character sheet under weapons, all I wrote were two words:

Ax +15

Bow +13

Can't get any simpler than that...

 

[Aloïsius]

I wonder what is the best class for a new female player. I will DM with one in a few hour, and I have to prepare a"ready to play" character for her. I'm not sure the classic but efficient fighter or barbarian will be very fun for her... The fact that I don't know the lady doesn't help. Bard are great for roleplayer, but you have to worry about spell use and bardic music. I just hope the veteran player (15 year of Ad&d) will not complain if she didn't move to flank the bugbear, forget to sing at the begining of the fight, don't cast magic weapon to affect the werewolf...

 

[Aloïsius]

As for the poll, I think Monk is the best answer : well known stereotype, no spell to choice, no long list of feat to plan, innate ability to survive everything (good saves, good hit dice, spell resistance, immunities, healing capacity, no need for weapons...)