Brand New Players: Make Character, or use Sample Character?

[Ahnehnois]

I think both methods have their place. For a quick introduction I'd go with a pregen, but if you are about to launch an ongoing campaign, I think think creating the character is important.

See for me, I'd still have them making a character even for a quick intro game, again to help them learn the rules, but also because having done it once makes them hungry to do it again and knowledgeable enough to fix their mistakes once they're done.

Many video games (Fallout 3 is one good example) have you make a character, play through some little adventure, and then let you change it freely or make a new one before you start the full game. I think a test drive with a new character you just made is a great way to get into the game, even if that character goes nowhere.

No if you just flat out don't have time to do a slow character creation process with lots of explanation, that's another thing. I'd really try to take the time if at all possible though.

 

[Keldryn]

New players should be able to make their own characters.

The "starting packages" in the 3e PHB provided a reasonable way to create characters for new players fairly quickly. They might not have been optimal, but they worked.

Rolling for ability scores and applying a starting package for their chosen class still counts as creating their own characters in my books.

I think that it's important for the DM to be somewhat flexible with regards to letting the player change a few things after a couple of game sessions. I extend this to all players, not just new players. Before hitting 2nd level, pretty much anything other than race and class can be adjusted.

 

[Mokona]

I don't really enjoy hand-holding new players through character creation.

I would never want to play a pre-generated character.

 

[Savage Wombat]

I wonder if this is the best solution:

1) Have new player read the first three chapters of the PH (Race & Class stuff) with one important restriction - "Don't worry about any of the rules stuff." They need to see the pure fluff content and look at the pictures.

2) Ask new player what, of the stuff they read, fired their imagination and sounded cool. If you can get a reaction like "I thought the Warlock stuff about pacts with beings from beyond the stars sounded freaky-awesome" then you know what they should be playing.

3) Make some suggestions for an effective character and get playing already.

 

[The Shadow]

The worst part of character creation IMO, especially for the newbie, is equipment. Ugh. For my recent B/X one shot I created a standard package for any adventurer. D&D should do the same.

That, and going through pages upon pages upon pages of feats, looking for something that fits. Which will probably be suboptimal.

 

[Sunseeker]

Lots of options does not mean complicated. If the options are presented in a straight-forward and clear manner, then making a character, even if there's a billion options is just as easy as making a character with few options.

Personally, I find few options more frustrating because it feels like those "RPGs" that you have to play the "main character". I don't want to have that guy's adventure, I want to have MY adventure. I want my players to have THIER adventure, not boiled-down Drizzet's.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

In most RPGs, prebuilt characters are a fantastic tool, so I'm not against them. But those tend to be skill based systems were character generation takes time and requires a lot of decisions.

D&D is level based. The great advantage of that is, if done right, creating a first level character should take almost no time at all. I don't need a lot of options at 1st level to be happy. Let the options available expand as I play the game.

 

[am181d]

Character creation is basically its own mini-game. All things being equal, I think it's better if players start out with pre-gens in a standalone game.

But if a new player is jumping into an existing game, you want the DM or one of the other players available to walk the new player through the process.

 

[tlantl]

I think premade characters are useful in some ways but I also think D&D requires some dedication to the rules and systems.

Handing out pre built characters divorces the new player from the process of creating the only thing a they have total control over in the game. Doing the work for them isn't going to give them the experience of reading the rules and putting them to use.

I agree that designing a character is a lot of work at times but it shouldn't be glossed over. I look at it as a test. If you want to play a game with a lot of rules and other information to use while playing then you should be willing to do the work to learn how to play.

I have had potential players decide not to play because I wouldn't do the work for them. I'm fine with that. If you want to play at my table you need to be willing to read the rules.

 

[Dausuul]

A huge part of D&D is creating your own character. If you're the sort of person who's going to enjoy D&D, chances are you'll enjoy making a character. Newbies need to be able to participate in this.

In the rare event that a player doesn't want to create a character, there will almost always be a veteran at the table who can whip one up in five minutes. IMO, pregens should not be an expected part of the game, except at con events and the like.