D&D 5E (2014) Do You Start At Level 1?

[TwoSix]

It is my actual planned next character for one of my games, just for clarity.

 

[Reynard]

It is my actual planned next character for one of my games, just for clarity.

I wish you luck?

 

[Scribe]

It is my actual planned next character for one of my games, just for clarity.

Whats the pitch?

 

[TwoSix]

Whats the pitch?

Tim, the Seeker of Magic. Became obsessed with magic at a young age when he discovered he had a spark of inborn talent. (Sorcerer level). Turns out while he can grasp the essentials of spellcasting, he's utterly incapable of forming any complex magic, and can only do than the absolute basics. Spent his youth apprenticed to the local temple (Acolyte Background, cleric level, paladin level), until they kicked him out for being unable to meet the requirements for ordination.

Spent a few years doing odd, semi-criminal jobs in a major city (rogue level), reading books on magical theory in the city library (Expertise in Arcana) while apprenticed to a bard, attempting to master song magic (bard level).

After that didn't pan out, he traveled into the wilds. Being a competent warrior at this point,and having a lot of decent utility magic, he was taken in by a druid grove and also taught the basics of primal magic (druid level), while being trained in woodcraft (ranger level).

Tim despaired of ever reaching his dream of being a skilled mage, until he discovered an ancient relic that expanded his mental faculties tremendously (headband of intellect). His mind expanded, he rapidly mastered the basics of a purloined wizardly spellbook (wizard level), and is now convinced he's on the road to archmagery (Narrator: He isn't.)

 

[Zardnaar]

The real question I am asking is why aren't levels 1 and 2 worth playing through for everyone? Why make them training wheel levels? It seems a waste. Players that need training wheels will have the starter sets (of which there are what, 5 now?)

Its kinda fun.
. 5E leans towards super hero play later on. Fun declines.

1st is good for newbie games and new editions.

 

[Maxperson]

Finally, I never fully know my character (or other people's characters for that matter) before at least two or three sessions in. I like this phase where they're still in construction.

People keep saying that, as well as using learning the setting and such as reasons for leveling up to level 3, rather than starting there. The thing is, getting Action Surge/Tactical Mind(lvl 2) and Subclass abilities(lvl 3), is fundamentally the same as getting Ability Score Improvement(lvl 4) and Extra Attack/Tactical Shift.

If you can learn your characters and the other characters at levels, get setting info, etc. at levels 1 and 2, you can do it at levels 3 and 4. There's nothing about levels 1 and 2 that is sacred and makes learning about the characters and setting mean more.

 

[Maxperson]

My sorcerer 1/cleric 1/paladin 1/bard 1/rogue 1/druid 1/ranger 1/wizard 1 strenously objects to the idea he's obnoxious.

Then he probably shouldn't have picked chaotic neutral as his alignment!

 

[Li Shenron]

I find playing characters that have fewer options to overcome obstacles with spells or class features to be more interesting because you have to think outside the box more often. Your "problem" is my "feature".

It's a good point.

I think very low levels are already a bit too complex in 5e, but at the same time risky and short on resources. The PCs have low HP
and few spell slots and daily uses of abilities. But spellcasters have cantrips* and Wizards, Druids and Clerics have a lot of known spells to choose from.

In retrospective I wonder if it would have been better to be a bit more durable (in HP, spell slots and dailies) to account for the fact that beginners are going to make plenty of mistakes, and it's not nice if it's always up to the DM to downplay monsters or have NPC save the day to avoid beginners dying on their first adventure.

But at the same time character complexity could have been less in the first couple of levels, to help beginners focus on fewer options. Unfortunately here I think it was non-beginners who were very vocal during DnDNext and wanted more options at low levels, only to soon snob low levels completely and start the game at higher level anyway.

*Cantrips were added in 3e specifically to increase the adventuring day for low level spellcasters with something to do after using up their 1st level slot(s). However in 5e IMXP players tend to pick up attack cantrips (or straight buff cantrips like Guidance) which actually don't change that at all, because at low levels attack cantrips are cleverly designed to be almost on par with weapon attacks. That was brilliant design IMO because someone wanting a simpler gameplay can just go pew-pew all day, and someone wanting a complex gameplay can take the "M" cantrips and use a crossbow.

 

[BenjaminPey]

People keep saying that, as well as using learning the setting and such as reasons for leveling up to level 3, rather than starting there. The thing is, getting Action Surge/Tactical Mind(lvl 2) and Subclass abilities(lvl 3), is fundamentally the same as getting Ability Score Improvement(lvl 4) and Extra Attack/Tactical Shift.

I don't know about "people" but I wasn't speaking about mechanics at all. I was speaking about knowing who my character is, what they think, what they want, where they thrive, what makes them sad. And knowing all that will have a tremendous importance for their further development.

 

[tetrasodium]

People keep saying that, as well as using learning the setting and such as reasons for leveling up to level 3, rather than starting there. The thing is, getting Action Surge/Tactical Mind(lvl 2) and Subclass abilities(lvl 3), is fundamentally the same as getting Ability Score Improvement(lvl 4) and Extra Attack/Tactical Shift.

If you can learn your characters and the other characters at levels, get setting info, etc. at levels 1 and 2, you can do it at levels 3 and 4. There's nothing about levels 1 and 2 that is sacred and makes learning about the characters and setting mean more.

Broaden your scope of focus. Instead of looking at your character as a collection of push button abilities try thinking about them as part of an an organically functioning party of adventures that is itself an evolving part of the world. Many elements of 5e design encourage players to view their PC as the freaking Mary Sue level Star Main Character who happens to have a Scooby gang they are accept being near


Once you do that it becomes easy to see how things like backstory go from not particularly important fanfiction about the character you wish you had to a more important thing like "why did I turn away from my cushy life to be an adventurer risking life and limb. w
What was it before & who might my character know that I as player don't".

As to knowing your character such... That character exists as part of a group and it takes time for things like group dynamics to gel together just as it takes time for that group to find it's place in the world. Past editions recognized that better and provided more room for relevant growth accommodating choices than 5e as PCs advanced