D&D 5E First Time 5E: Options?

[Werebat]

I'm about to start running the Lost Mines of Phandelver for my local group of about six players, most of whom have D&D experience going back to AD&D at least. We've most recently played PF, and as a group the players are a powergaming lot with a tendency to breeze through CR appropriate encounters.

I'm wondering what "optional" rules I should consider using, particularly feats and "variant humans".

Any things I should or should not allow?

 

[Leatherhead]

I recommend using the optional rules in the DMG to bump up monster stats.

But seriously, the lost mines are relatively easy for 4 players using feats.

 

[Kobold Stew]

I would say allow both feats and variant humans: not everyone will use them, but they exist as an option for those who want them.

I'm also partial to the alternate encumbrance rule on p. 176.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

If you're wondering if your experienced power-gaming players are going to be able to make the game a lot less challenging by optimizing, then the answer is yes. If you disallow feats and multiclassing that will help you reign in some of the combos and allow you to keep the challenge higher.

 

[Paraxis]

Exactly what Sword of Spirit said, you know they are going to optimize and it will make it easier. If you remove options then they won't be able to optimize as much and that will keep the challenge up. But if your players enjoy customization choices and optimizing you will be taking away something they enjoy doing, that part of the game away from the table is a draw to some people.

No matter the optimization, low level 5e, is deadly. When you have single digit HP a lucky attack or failed save is all it takes to make you go negative HP.

I say use monsters and the environment well and you can challenge even optimizers, the very first fight against the goblins I have seen be nothing but a speed bump and as a crazy deadly fight. The goblins can disengage or hide as a bonus action are set up in an environment that makes hiding easy for them, they most likely get surprise, this adds up to a game of move>attack>move>hide that can be brutal with good rolls, or the wizard could catch a group of them in a sleep spell as the very first action of the fight. Such is D&D.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Yeah, that first fight is extremely swingy--chance plays a huge role. Power level jumps up quite a bit when they hit level 2, and then once they hit level 3 they are pretty hard to kill if you aren't trying. I gave my PCs a special 2-part Halloween episode where I TPK'd the party in a haunted house. It was a long drawn out affair and allowed me to see how resilient they are. Of course, they woke up and it was just a dream, but it was quite useful.

 

[CapnZapp]

I'm wondering what "optional" rules I should consider using, particularly feats and "variant humans".

Any things I should or should not allow?

if you include feats, I highly recommend you to use the cap on starting ability scores used by point buy. That is, a maximum of 15 before racial and other modifiers.

The simplest way of achieving this, of course, is to use point buy. But my point isn't to say that point buy is better or more suited than rolling stats.

But not being able to roll a 18 is.


Why? Because without feats, rolling an 18 means "only" a +2 bonus to whatever you're doing compared to another character who got a 15.

But with feats, rolling a 16 means a free feat. Rolling a 18 means two free feats.

And that simply is way too unbalancing. Not to mention how it destroys the interesting choice between "do I bump my ability or do I take a feat?".

You're welcome to use feats. But don't let a lucky roll circumvent probably the smartest design feature about them...! (In other words, allowing everyone a starting 18 only fixes the intra-party balance. It still kills the delicate balancing act you're supposed to enjoy all the way up to level 12 or so when everybody can be assumed to have his or her first 20 score)

 

[Gecko85]

One thing you could do is use each monsters max HPs instead of the avg. That should make them a bit tougher. If the party is still breezing after a couple fights, maybe increase the number of foes.

You also may want to consider having your players adopt portions of the pre-gen character backgrounds, as they tie in nicely with several plot points.

 

[Werebat]

You also may want to consider having your players adopt portions of the pre-gen character backgrounds, as they tie in nicely with several plot points.

Where ARE the pre-gen characters? I illegally downloaded the pdf of the adventure and don't see them anywhere in there (before you put me on blast, I had already ordered the starter's set from Amazon; I just wanted to sneak a peek before it arrived).

Are they not in the adventure book itself?

 

[Gecko85]

Where ARE the pre-gen characters? I illegally downloaded the pdf of the adventure and don't see them anywhere in there (before you put me on blast, I had already ordered the starter's set from Amazon; I just wanted to sneak a peek before it arrived).

Are they not in the adventure book itself?

They're pack-ins in the starter set. So, once yours arrives you'll have them.