I actually thought about giving a bonus feat at first level after the first 5e game I ran became a tpk. I eventually started my players off at 2nd lvl with 0xp. 1st is just so rocket tag, that I got 1st edition flashbacks.
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D&D 5E Observations of a new player
- Thread starter Xeviat
- Start date
CapnZapp
Legend
Horwath
Legend
Heavy armour mastery goes a long way on 1st level frontliners with 12 or 10 HPs.
Also some racial/skill feats from UA seems to be like designed to be 1st level. Especially the racial ones.
I would maybe ban Great weapon mastery, Polearm mastery, Sharpshooter, Crossbow expert from 1st level picks.
DerKastellan
Explorer
I recently TPKed a group at lv3. The CR math said they could have handled it. The CR math actually said the previous encounter was a little harder (and they did that one with ease).
So, everything below lv5 is still more likely to go down. Also, unusual party configuration (no cleric, no paladin, no healer/no turning undead) can make certain low level enemies much more deadly. Also: The lack of magical weapons can seriously limit a party at this level - more than CR might suggest.
But I like low level play. lv5 and above combats become too grindy.
So, everything below lv5 is still more likely to go down. Also, unusual party configuration (no cleric, no paladin, no healer/no turning undead) can make certain low level enemies much more deadly. Also: The lack of magical weapons can seriously limit a party at this level - more than CR might suggest.
But I like low level play. lv5 and above combats become too grindy.
Iry
Legend
I actually did the exact same thing as a change of pace in my current 5E game. Everyone started with a Feat, and no Variant Human. Much fun and delight was had, and it really helped to spice things up when they started at Level 1.
BoldItalic
First Post
Experience comes from figuring out what to do when things go wrong.
When the 1st-level fighter gets dropped by a goblin, that's okay. You get to learn about death saves, stablising and what not. Then you find out what clerics are for and why they have healing spells. How else are you going to experience those things?
But each player only has to learn that once. Experienced players can skip that and go straight to level 3 or thereabouts.
When the 1st-level fighter gets dropped by a goblin, that's okay. You get to learn about death saves, stablising and what not. Then you find out what clerics are for and why they have healing spells. How else are you going to experience those things?
But each player only has to learn that once. Experienced players can skip that and go straight to level 3 or thereabouts.
The Crimson Binome
Hero
Of course, if everyone is a hero, then nobody is. One of the most disappointing things about playing 4E for the first time is that it's literally impossible to one-shot some random orc, because they're all as tough as you are (unless it's a special EZ-2-KILL orc, in which case you don't feel mighty at all because absolutely anyone in the world could one-shot them).
Raith5
Adventurer
I am playing with a group of players mostly new to D&D (starting in the Lost Mines) and it is fascinating to see how they pick up different things about 5e than what you see in debates here on EN world. My group didnt mind the vulnerability issue, despite the fighter going down in the second round of combat three fights in a row. What got to them the most was various ways spells resolved - roll to hit/saves/hp threshold - it really infuriated some of them.
Greg Benage
Legend
Luke got owned by a Tusken Raider. It gets better.
(But maybe that reference is too dated.)
(But maybe that reference is too dated.)
Charles Rampant
Adventurer
Some things go out of date. Star Wars references are not one of them!
I recently finished LMoP for a party of non-gamer friends, including my wife who changed her long disdain for the game in light of her friends playing. I found about what you'd expect. Everyone really liked it. One player can't remember what dice are what, and prefaced all of his turns by asking, "Do I roll the twenty for stealth?" The Critical Role devotee hit the ground running, and quickly worked out that Spiritual Weapon was worth casting. The Wizard player (my wife) struggled to choose between spells at first, but quickly started defaulting to Magic Missile or Burning Hands when asked, and took great pleasure in Shield once it was explained to her. The fighter outlived everyone, and proclaimed her superiority by reference to her hit points, but mysteriously didn't roll a single 19 all campaign.
Once you have the difficult explanation part ("You get an action, and also a bonus action, but not always...") people drop into it pretty easily. I've never watched Critical Role, but it clearly has been a major boon for the hobby; once people have watched it, they very quickly start picking up weird concepts like "armor class", "saving throws", and "bards".
On topic, I'd say that your player not liking level 1 is fairly common. No player that I speak to wants to start at level 1; they all request level 3 at least. It's just too hard to bring a concept to the table when half the time you're not even in a subclass yet: "I'm a magical knight" doesn't work when you can't cast magic yet...
