Best Class for a new player

[Nyaricus]

Just a note, but this probably should've been a single choice poll, IMO, YMMV< etc.

Fighter is the easiest for beginnerers, by far. Feats are an internal part of D&D, and with a fighter you get to sample a pretty good variety of them.

I would also specify that fighters make really good sword n boarders for noobs - you get good AC, average damage output and with heavy armour and a nice Con score you can really tank around. It's fun and it's straightforward, and I always advocate a Sword and boarder tank for a 1st timer - regardless of level.

If he's level 9, ask him what weapon he wants to specialise in, to let him have his own flavour in there too, and let'r rip!

 

[Wyrm Pilot]

I say Barbarian, Swashbuckler (CW), or Samurai (CW). Strong cultural archetypes, with very few confusing choices or wonky new rules to learn by 9th level.

Cheers,
Wyrm Pilot

I hate it when villains quote Shakespeare.
-- Commander Jonathan Robert "John" Crichton, Jr.

 

[Glyfair]

Barbarian. Fighters are more challenging to play, since all those feats require knowing the rules to know what to do with them. Barbs are simple---point, kill.

The drawback for a new player having a barbarian are the stat modifications when they rage. They have to worry about how stats bonuses work and everything they modify. Hit Points change, to hits change, damage changes (was that a two handed or single handed weapon?). When they finish raging, they have to worry about fatigue (unless it's a warforged barbarian).

It's not beyond a new player, but it's easier for me to give him a fighter and tell him what maneuvers he can handle, instead of doing the math for him in battle. That or prefiguring all his bonuses (raged & fatigued).

I had a new player recently and his first character was a warforged fighter and he had no problems. For his second character he wanted something simple, but different. I gave him a few options and he chose the warlock. It was very simple, only had a few abilities to keep track of (he was 4th level) but was still a mainstay for the party.

Among the non-core classes, favored soul works for the divine casters. Throwing a new player at the list of all the cleric spells, or druid spells, is daunting. The favored souls limited spell choice helps keep that to a miniumum.

 

[The_Gneech]

The drawback for a new player having a barbarian are the stat modifications when they rage. They have to worry about how stats bonuses work and everything they modify. Hit Points change, to hits change, damage changes (was that a two handed or single handed weapon?). When they finish raging, they have to worry about fatigue (unless it's a warforged barbarian).

Eh, that's not that hard. Just do a cheat sheet beforehand. I did this for Mrs. Gneech, who is the casualest of gamers, and she can rock'n'roll as the party barb no problem.

-The Gneech

 

[DJCupboard]

The fighter only seems straight forward because it doesn't have spells and so only attacks. In earlier editions of the game it was the easiest to start with, but since 3rd edition it has become a secret demon. Having a beginning player start with a fighter will only end on one of two ways: either the player is frozen with choices not fully really understood (ie feats and their effects) or th eplayer feals cheated out of choices by a dm who assigned those feats (undermining the players choices) The barbarian is a neat fix to this becuse it still just attacks, has straight forward abilities and doesn't involve any real choices (ecept skills, but that's a lot more straightforward and has much less far-reaching consequences).

For a spellcaster sorcerer is the easier choice, but as someone who started playing D&D witha spellcaster, I can say that's not the best choice, anyway.

Ultimately just advise them and let them play whatever, but if their lookign for more advice, barb, then rog, then sorc.

 

[Zencore]

Sorry, I was bad and voted before I fully read the poll description. I, like many others said fighter, but I didn't notice the 9th level clause...

At 9th level, I'd change my vote to Barbarian.

But like others have mentioned, I prefer to start newbies at level 1.

 

[Wyrm Pilot]

I'd add warmage to the options, as it's simpler as a blow-things-up mage than sorcerer, and maybe favored soul and/or healer for divine casters.

::nodnod:: I'm astonished that so many people are recommending spellcasting classes, but so few are recommending Warmage -- this is the easiest casting class to learn, since the only choice you have to make regarding spells is which one to cast next. It's a lot easier than sorcerer, favored soul, or warlock, which are musch easier than cleric or wizard, which are much easier than druid.

Cheers,
Wyrm Pilot

Whoa, lady, I only speak two languages: English, and bad English!
-- Major Korben Dallas

 

[Glyfair]

I'm astonished that so many people are recommending spellcasting classes, but so few are recommending Warmage -- this is the easiest casting class to learn, since the only choice you have to make regarding spells is which one to cast next. It's a lot easier than sorcerer, favored soul, or warlock, which are musch easier than cleric or wizard, which are much easier than druid.

I'll disagrree about it being easier than the warlock. Warmage suffers from the "knows all spells he can cast" syndrome. He doesn't have to prepare them, but has to familiarize himself with them. The Warlock has a very limited number of invocations, even at 9th level, and much less for the player to be familiar with. Plus, he doesn't have to keep track of which ones are used.

Of course, so of this comes down to how the character is created. I certainly would start the player off with a character I created (likely I'd create a selection and let him choose). If a player has to create his own, things change. For example, the warmage becomes easier because the player doesn't have to choose spells, the warlock has to choose invocations.

 

[Quartz]

I'm surprised that noone has suggested playing a paladin. Only a few feats, a very easy role model, and a few spells for variety.

 

[Bagpuss]

I'm surprised that noone has suggested playing a paladin. Only a few feats, a very easy role model, and a few spells for variety.

Yeah and with the spells coming in later (like the Ranger) it gives a nice learning curve so once they have mastered the combat aspect of the game they can pick up spell casting.