D&D (2024) Not loving weapon mastery with beginners

[Zardnaar]

Kind of wondering if the 'eight players' thing might be playing a part. That's not a lot of opportunity to work directly with a given player who is having issues.

I had 7 but two veterans helping. 5 is my preferred number going to 6 occasionally.

Bigger the group more simple you want to keep it imho. Less powerful.

 

[ECMO3]

If you are using 2-weapon fighting, and/or choose the 2-weapon fighting style, you might well have two weapons and therefore two weapon properties.

Two Weapon Fighting (or now light) is consistently the most difficult thing for new players to grasp, without even bringing mastery into it.

The whole you get another attack but add your modifier to this but not that but you add it to both dice on your other attack ..... this is extremely difficult for new players to grasp IME.

Over and over again this causes confusion.

It is so bad that one DM I know now just gives all players Two Weapon Fighting Style feat at level 1, regardless of class and I might just do that too.

In terms of confusion the rules around two-weapon fighting are consistently the most confusing aspect of the game for newbies. Worse than any single spell, class feature, racial feature or anything else available at level 1.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Maybe if we reskin them all as cantrips they’ll have an easier time learning them

I swear to god, I will turn this edition RIGHT AROUND.

 

[Zardnaar]

Two Weapon Fighting (or now light) is consistently the most difficult thing for new players to grasp, without even bringing mastery into it.

The whole you get another attack but add your modifier to this but not that but you add it to both dice on your other attack ..... this is extremely difficult for new players to grasp IME.

Over and over again this causes confusion.

It is so bad that one DM I know now just gives all players Two Weapon Fighting Style feat at level 1, regardless of class and I might just do that too.

And they're still figuring out what bonus actions are.

 

[Charlaquin]

Honestly, I don't understand why it is so hard for people to learn, but for some people it is...

I have a player who, nearly two years later, still thinks it is correct to add your proficiency bonus to weapon damage. We've told him at least a dozen times, worked out his character sheet to say "Attack +8, damage 1d8+5" for example, and he still forgets to add the +5 to damage half the time. He will tell me he does 3 damage, for example... when I know he can't do less than 6.

I mean, I’ve had plenty of players like that as well, but… Those characters already struggle with the rules no matter what, so I don’t feel like including or not including weapon masteries is going to make a dramatic difference for them.

 

[Zardnaar]

I mean, I’ve had plenty of players like that as well, but… Those characters already struggle with the rules no matter what, so I don’t feel like including or not including weapon masteries is going to make a dramatic difference for them.

Those players exist. Alot of it is communication.

My star newbie player is learning Two systems at once. Asking questions, observing the others. Start of session 1 she was struggling with dice. Session 4 the Monk and her killed her first dragon.

Duck to water.

Most inexperienced (youngest) session 2 still isn't 100% sure on the dice. Think he's figured out d20 and d8 for sacred flame.

 

[Charlaquin]

Two Weapon Fighting (or now light) is consistently the most difficult thing for new players to grasp, without even bringing mastery into it.

The whole you get another attack but add your modifier to this but not that but you add it to both dice on your other attack ..... this is extremely difficult for new players to grasp IME.

Over and over again this causes confusion.

Easy solution: two separate lines in the “attacks” section of the character sheet.

Shortsword (main hand) +5, 1d6+3 piercing
Shortsword (off-hand) +5, 1d6 piercing

 

[ezo]

We want to blame the mechanics because that’s the easy answer.

But for some people it is the mechanics that are the problem.

I mean, I’ve had plenty of players like that as well, but… Those characters already struggle with the rules no matter what, so I don’t feel like including or not including weapon masteries is going to make a dramatic difference for them.

I don't know... It becomes just another thing they forget or don't understand--which is frustrating to the DM, other players, and likely even the player who is forgetting something. I sort of thought this was the issue the OP was talking about...

The best I can think of is to include notes on the player's character sheet, as many have said.

For example: Greatsword (Attack +8, Hit: 2d6+5 slashing; Miss: 5 slashing).

 

[Charlaquin]

And they're still figuring out what bonus actions are.

Bonus actions can be a sticking point for some players, but the much tougher one to learn in my experience is usually reactions. The number of times I’ve heard “when can I use a reaction?” answered, “if you have a spell or feature that can use a reaction, it will say when you can use it,” for them to then ask next time it’s their turn when they can cast Shield…

 

[TiQuinn]

But for some people it is the mechanics that are the problem.

And for some, they struggle learning games of any kind.