DMing starting equipment

[LazerPointer]

So what should the Paladin start with? A big stick? Can he sharpen it?

Furthermore, a Greatsword isn't the most powerful weapon in the PHB; it does the most damage (actually, I think it's tied with the Greataxe). The Greatsword isn't even that good of a choice for 1st level characters, since the array of goblins and rats fought at that level possess so few hit points that the damage is ultimately wasted; a warhammer or long sword, combined with a nice shield, is generally a better choice.

So the Paladin gets to do a ton a damage with a Greatsword, whereas the Halfling Rogue gets Sneak Attacks, a higher starting AC, and four or five times the Paladin's skills? Why is this a problem?

According to this thread, it isn't. Good to know.

KaeYoss, you said:
Well, then there's something wrong, as they probably don't have the money to buy a 50gp weapon or a 150gp armor (especially the armor, since fighters start with 150 gp on average and need other stuff, too.

You're right. I dropped the ball on starting gold, but I don't care too much.

Bottome line is that fun is the only priority. My having fun doing this is a given, so I want my players to really enjoy it. So maybe this is a higher magic/wealth game....yeah....that's what I said.

 

[MerricB]

2nd question: If you agree that this is a problem, how do I go about talking them down from the items they've chosen? I don't want to tell them what all their starting gear is.

It won't be a problem. Doing an extra 1 or 2 points of damage on average isn't going to kill the game. Very soon they'll be 2nd level and have standard equipment for that level.

Cheers!

 

[Piratecat]

Want to have some fun? Tell the dwarf that the extra money came from his father as a gift... and later, have the dwarvish loan sharks come around looking to have the money paid back. Turns out the father borrowed it from thugs in order to keep his son alive.

Or maybe I've been reading too much elmore Leonard.

 

[Beard in the Sky]

If by "chainmail" you mean a chain shirt then that is very normal for a first level fighter... most guys in our campaigns start with scale mail. As for the greatsword, that too is typical for a starter weapon. How did you allocate starting funds? Did you give them the average, let them roll, or give them max gold for their classes?

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Want to have some fun? Tell the dwarf that the extra money came from his father as a gift... and later, have the dwarvish loan sharks come around looking to have the money paid back. Turns out the father borrowed it from thugs in order to keep his son alive.

Or it was a loan from his father and he sends the sharks. We know about dwarves and gold, don't we?

(On the Discworld, it is custom to buy your fiancé(e) free from the parents. Rasing a dwarf costs a lot of money. It was a custom, to start a new life clean and without any debt. Afterwards, the parents usually gave gifts that were more expensive then the "bail")

"You dwarves really love gold, don't you?"
"Nah... we only say that to get it into bed."

 

[Ylis]

First time DMing, game starts Wed. We got:

Halfling Rogue, Druid
Gnome Ranger, Sorceror
Human Chaotic Paladin
Dwarf Fighter

So, as we're creating characters, the Dwarf ends up with chainmail on his sheet. And the Paladin with a greatsword?!? How much munchkining will the tiny peoples have to do to become factors in a battle?

1st question: Will this present balance issues, i.e. will they mop up all foes with all other characters as support cast?

I think it might be hard to design encounters that work for everyone.

I really want to go a bit easy giving out magic weapons and the like, but how long will it be until they get a better suit of armor/ weapon? I was hoping they'd start a little humbler, so they'd be excited about getting that new chain shirt.

2nd question: If you agree that this is a problem, how do I go about talking them down from the items they've chosen? I don't want to tell them what all their starting gear is.

I tried pussyfooting around the issue w/ the dwarf by saying that he may have chosen leather armor because the game starts midwinter, and he's been travelling. No dice. Advice?

I personally don't see that these items would pose a problem in game, providing that the characters had the cash for them (and you didn't give them special favor that allowed them to have the items).

Now, if you're concerned about whether or not you can throw those low-level items at them later and still have them appreciated, I have a solution. Remember that armor and weapons, etc have hardness levels and hit points. Read the section of the DMG that describes these and actually keep track of them. That way, armor is dented and less effective (needing to be replaced), weapons become nicked and less effective (needing to be replaced), etc. Most people act like that starting suit of armor will last the rest of the game, through session after session and battle after battle. It's a little more realistic to actually have it lose its effectiveness - it keeps the treasure interesting without being overpowering, and it keeps the players on their toes. Of course, a lot of GMs resort to the "infinite suit of armor" mode simply due to the fact that there's enough to keep track of already...but I find keeping tabs on item hp is usually worth it

Just a suggestion

 

[MerakSpielman]

It doesn't look that bad. Just run an adventure and see how they do.