D&D 5E DM's: what do you do with players who want to switch characters?

[Corpsetaker]

As an incentive to sticking with their original character I would say the new PC starts with no magic items.

 

[Mercule]

I don't think of this as an edition-specific question.

Not sure whether this is at all related to my "old school" quip. I don't think the answer is edition-specific.

I do think it's a play style question and certain styles of play have been in higher or lower fashion during certain editions. There is some causal link, but mostly just two independent variables that happened to move at similar points.

 

[Demorgus]

I've had this happen a couple of times in my regular game. If a player isn't happy with their character, there's no point forcing them to continue to play that character. I'll talk with the player first when they bring up the desire to change, to see if the issue is something that can be fixed with a minor tweaking of their character or if it's just time for a wholesale new character.

I don't penalize them for xp and I have them start their character off like they were bringing in a totally new character when it comes to money, equipment, and magic items. The other character leaves the group with the gear they had and we find a way to work the new character in.

 

[Satyrn]

I'd let the player switch without a thought. He'd get proper gear and XP to fit in with the rest of the group, or however the player wanted to handle it.

And unless enough people at the table wanted to play out the scenario, the new character would just pop into the party as if he was always there.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Player A no longer wants to be a dwarf paladin, now he wants to be a human ranger (or whatever).

5e is arguably (I'm not sure I'm convinced by the argument, personally, but...) 'balanced' across levels, as 1e was (though in different ways, since everyone's on the same exp chart now, for instance). That is, some classes or characters may be better relative to others at low level, others at high.

If you buy into that, letting a player change characters part way through the campaign is a bad idea.

Do you allow him to just switch with no XP penalty? Do you start him with less XP?

Starting at 1st may not even be out of the question. Bounded Accuracy does let a lower-level character act effectively in a higher-level party, and those first few levels go /fast/. If the party's not too far out of Apprentice tier, starting at 1st might be OK. Starting at the bottom of the current tier or top of the last wouldn't be unreasonable.

What if that dwarf paladin had magic items? Does the human ranger get them?

No. A 5e PC can get by without items.

 

[Umbran]

Not sure whether this is at all related to my "old school" quip.

Nope. I didn't read your old school quip. It was merely a thought about it being in an edition-specific forum.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

In a prior campaign with an advanced start, the players could pick beginning magic items. This exacerbated some crazy power-gaming and build manipulating. Magic items have to be earned in play, in my book. Just having them given gratis makes them a tool, not something wondrous and well, magical.

As an incentive to sticking with their original character I would say the new PC starts with no magic items.

 

[ccs]

Player A no longer wants to be a dwarf paladin, now he wants to be a human ranger (or whatever). Do you allow him to just switch with no XP penalty?

Do you start him with less XP?

What if that dwarf paladin had magic items? Does the human ranger get them?

I let them switch at the soonest story appropriate moment.

XP/lv wise? Usually they come in equel to the lowest existing party member.
In AD&D - with its separate advancement tracks per class? You come in at the parties average xp value.

Magic items:
The exiting character takes thier gear with them & leaves behind anything owned by the party.
Unless the exit is caused by death (I'm always happy to kill off another PC). In that case there might be some excess gear left behind. Or not.
In-coming items - we'll discuss it.

 

[seebs]

Seems pretty straightforward; ask them to stay after the game, kill them, bury them under the garden. Next week say that they didn't really have any character ideas that fit the game. I just assumed that was what everyone did?

 

[Shendorion]

When I ran, I ran everyone at the same level and had them gain levels together as they played, keeping a rough estimate of their progress by encounter DCs and challenge performance. If someone did something exemplary, the whole party got credit. If someone wanted to retire their old character and start a new one, they'd come in at the group's level. In editions where Christmas Tree was in effect, they'd come in with appropriate magic equipment, and a backstory heroic enough to justify that. I never had a problem with habitual rerollers.

In this edition, I'd put them in at level, and have them write their character out of the party. Treasure would be handled by the party, and magic by whatever rules of possession were in effect in the campaign. New guy would come in with level appropriate wealth in nonmagic equipment unless it was a magic rich campaign.

I can't wrap my head around punishing players. These people are supposed to be my friends and playmates, and I'm supposed to be assuming positive intent. Penalties are for fouls.