D&D General How to Start a New Player?

[Retreater]

I did get some more information about our new player.
Apparently, the system isn't important. She just wants to try an RPG.
My group (and I) are very comfortable with Daggerheart, so I will suggest we try a one-shot with that system. I will recommend to her that if she wants to try D&D there are many ways to find local groups. And I will give her information if she wants that.
I think we'll have a good time.
Thanks for the advice, all.

 

[Reynard]

I did get some more information about our new player.
Apparently, the system isn't important. She just wants to try an RPG.
My group (and I) are very comfortable with Daggerheart, so I will suggest we try a one-shot with that system. I will recommend to her that if she wants to try D&D there are many ways to find local groups. And I will give her information if she wants that.
I think we'll have a good time.
Thanks for the advice, all.

Good luck. It is always great to bring people into the hobby.

 

[Scribe]

This wasn't a request to "show them how to play a game you like" was it?

No, and Retreater doesnt like OSR/Shadowdark anyway but it was suggested in the OP.

 

[Scott Christian]

5E or 5.5E?

5e. It is the most streamlined in my opinion.

Or Shadowdark?

No.

Start at 1st level or 3rd?

1st. Especially if there are more players - which I hope there are.

Should I try to streamline the character sheet?

Depends on who she is. Is she reasonably intelligent and does she play computer RPGs? Does she struggle?

Pregens?

No. This is her first chance, let her embrace character making. In fact, I would even highlight how fun making a character is.

Should I try the Starter Set? (I'm concerned because it's not really like how the actual game is played - with cards and components that don't really support the rest of the experience outside the starter adventure.)

No. But the starter adventure might be good.

Any other tips you'd recommend?

Personally, if you have that much bias, I would try to get someone else to DM. I don't mean that in a rude way. But, her first experience should be with someone who is equally enthusiastic. But if you can't, then fake it till you make it. Who knows? Her enthusiasm might get you to enjoy the game more than you have in the past.

 

[abazaba]

Yeah, making your own character is a fundamental aspect of the game.

Agreed, but it's not necessarily a good starting point for a new player. I honestly feel you absolutely need to learn the basics of how the game works before you can make an informed choice of what character to build. When I first started playing (D&D 5e, and TTRPGs in general) I could not really grasp how to build a character (and what all the different choices meant), beyond a vague 'I would like to play a wizard' (and with 'wizard' I meant 'Gandalf'). Luckily, the 5e starter set (Lost Mine) included a pregen wizard, so I just chose that. It wasn't until later and I got the hang of how the game works, that I got a feel for how to build a character, and what choices I would like to make building it.

 

[Desdichado]

First, I'm a jerk. I have strong opinions about D&D and the TTRPG hobby. Most of the time my opinions are unpopular even amongst the most enthusiastic fans. Sometimes it's questioned if I even enjoy gaming at all.

To jump to the current situation and topic at hand. I've been asked to introduce a new player to D&D. She is enthusiastic about the hobby, watches Critical Role, etc., but has never played. It's important to me to try to put my biases aside and give this person a fair chance to fall in love with this hobby. I don't want my grognard, anti-WotC, anti-5E mentality to push away someone who could become a lifelong fan.

I'm trying to parse what this means, and maybe if I'm reading something between the lines that isn't there, well... my apologies, I suppose. But are you suggesting that you're pretty sure that 1) your preferred style would not be a good fit for her, and 2) you are unwilling or unable to modify anything to your players, and can only run games the way you prefer to play? If those are both true, I recommend that you ask someone else to run the game for her, then.

Otherwise, just run the kind of game that you like to run, and trust that if it's as good as you think that it is, that she'll have fun.

And for crying out loud, don't let yourself get drawn into any discussions about WotC or 5e if you can't do so without it turning into a rant that will probably turn off everyone who doesn't already agree with you. I'm not a huge fan of 5e or WotC either, but it's not like we ever talk about that at the game table, even though I'm playing in a 5e game that uses a WotC written campaign as its basis. But I don't actively hate them with the fire of a thousand suns or anything, I just kind of apathetically don't really like them. If you have the fire of a thousand suns, then don't talk about it at all.