halp! halp! hobgoblins ate my party!

[irdeggman]

well now the problem I am facing is one player wants to play a necromancer...and considering the main bad guys are necromancers/demon summoners/baby eaters, it would jive right to have a necromance as a good guy

any thoughts of how to halp me?

Since he is new to D&D I wonder (and bet) that his comparison to how the necromancer is played/powered is from computer/video games. The typical necromancer there is different than the D&D one is.

For brand new players I would start very slowly - use basic classes and relatively low level (like around 3rd or so).

Diffinitely not 7+ where multiple presitge classes come into play.

Low level helps remove the choices available and thus helps the players focus on the role-playing and character development part of the game. It is after all what truely separates D&D from video games.

Oh and low level helps the DM out considerably too - less choices/options to worry about.

 

[krupintupple]

the "first session" should just be them having an arena-style battle with some foes, to see how they like doing things. maybe one melee-focused, one arcane-focused, and one skill or puzzle.

you might be surprised when someone who was dead set on being a bloodthirsty assassin discovers he's much happier being a chatty rogue, or someone realizes that they actually like magic a lot more than they thought they would.

 

[radmod]

For new DMs, as mentioned already, the idea is to start out slow and work your way up. This allows you and the players gradually to become familiar with the rules and with each other. What this can mean is to start with the basics and later to look for specific rules and monsters that need said rules. For example, it may be awhile before anyone grapples. Once you've done some basic stuff you may want to specifically have a 'grappling' encounter. Likewise, have some flunky bull rush or feint.

I'm not in favor of the arena battle initially. Instead, give a small encounter vs. one or two creatures before working up to encounters where you have to run multiple monsters, especially if these monsters have more than just basic abilities. For example, you may find you want to have a few straight 'orc-style' battles. Then add a single spell caster in the mix. Then creatures with stranger powers, like pounce or trip, until you get up into spell like abilities.

Also, as krup mentioned, many times PCs find they don't like a particular character. I prefer to allow PCs to change their character, even completely up to about third level (all they do is keep their base stat rolls and experience and change anything else).

In the beginning, you will need to railroad your characters; that is, essentially tell them what they have to do/where they are going. They can have their freedom to choose later. So hire them to do a job (or tell them they have been hired). That way they know where their target is and can start learning the rules. That's also an easy way to get around the whole "how do we know each other" problem.
(If they're evil, make them prisoners! I've always loved the "you meet for the first time in jail" scenario.)

 

[Summer-Knight925]

they arent suppose to be evil, but the fighter wanted to be chaotic evil and now a necromancer? I was able to talk the fighter into chaotic neutral and the necromancer wants a "zombie buddy" which cannot be obtained until higher-ish levels than first...

im just going to say "if you want to have a necromancer, thats fine...so choose some wizard spells"

we already have a cleric in teh group, maybe 2, and yeah...maybe he will do a cleric i dont know, but considering the main badguys are necromancers/demon summoners/baby eaters...having a nercomancer would be dicey

i would have him part of an order that...well seeks to 'control' necromantic energy, thus using it to destroy itself, since the power of life and death is very powerful (not really, but theyre necromancers, theyre already kinda crazy) and thats why he is not evil, and using spells with the evil descriptor doesnt make him evil

good idea?

 

[irdeggman]

they arent suppose to be evil, but the fighter wanted to be chaotic evil and now a necromancer? I was able to talk the fighter into chaotic neutral and the necromancer wants a "zombie buddy" which cannot be obtained until higher-ish levels than first...

im just going to say "if you want to have a necromancer, thats fine...so choose some wizard spells"

we already have a cleric in teh group, maybe 2, and yeah...maybe he will do a cleric i dont know, but considering the main badguys are necromancers/demon summoners/baby eaters...having a nercomancer would be dicey

i would have him part of an order that...well seeks to 'control' necromantic energy, thus using it to destroy itself, since the power of life and death is very powerful (not really, but theyre necromancers, theyre already kinda crazy) and thats why he is not evil, and using spells with the evil descriptor doesnt make him evil

good idea?

Back to my note on his reference to what a necromancer is and video games.


Basically just say NO to any evil alignment (I do in my games). It might even be an idea to not have them specify an alignment to start with but rather have it "develop" as the player develops his character through rol-olay. I know the RAW doesn't go this path and I have never don it either but with an entire group of newbies (and I will point out not to underestimate generational differences for us old folk) it might be easier to handle.

If he really, really wants to run a necromancer then show him the spell lists from the PHB (the list per class per school and level) and ask what 2 schools is he giving up (necromancer-specialist) and then point out that spell level is not the same as class level and that a wizard needs to be 5th level in order to get 3rd level spells, etc.

Make it a point to say that there is no player vs player mode in the game (unless you are planning on running that way - but I think that is a very bad concept for beginners, they need to focus on teamwork first). Also no xp will be rewarded for such play.

Point out how xp is awarded (as a team not as individuals)