How would you describe the "standard" races and classes?

[Jürgen Hubert]

Looks like I'm going to initiate a group of newbies into D&D. As of yet, they have no knowledge of the rules - but I don't want to create pregenerated characters for them, but instead let them choose their race/class combinations on their own. In this way I hope that it will be easier for them to identify with the characters.

So since they don't know the rules, I thought of giving them a sheet with the abilities and weaknesses of all the races and classes in purely descriptive terms, without any mention of the actual rules. I thought of following this format:

Race/Class

(Race/Class) are very good at:

(Race/Class) are good at:

(Race/Class) are average at:

(Race/Class) are bad at:

(Race/Class) are very bad at:


Can anyone help me fill these out for all the standard races and classes? This would probably a good way of helping other newbies, too...

 

[BiggusGeekus]

I see where you're going with this, but your newbies are still going to have a metric ton of options thrown at them. Why not limit the selection to Fighter/Sorceror/Rogue/Cleric and Human/Elf/Dwarf?

That still gives them 12 options, more than enough to explode the brain of most newbies.

 

[MonsterMash]

I see where you're going with this, but your newbies are still going to have a metric ton of options thrown at them. Why not limit the selection to Fighter/Sorceror/Rogue/Cleric and Human/Elf/Dwarf?

That still gives them 12 options, more than enough to explode the brain of most newbies.

Definitely agree that best to start with the core archetypes and let things build from there, also these are reasonably familiar types from books, films and folklore to minimise confusion.


a few thoughts on the main topic:

Dwarves are good at mining and living underground
Dwarves move slowly but can carry heavy burdens

Fighters are very good at fighting
Fighters are slow moving

Rogues are very good at sneaking and searching for things