D&D 4E How would you simplify character creation in 4e?

[FireLance]

I'm sure that pretty much everyone on this board doesn't need character creation to be simplified. Any gamer familiar with one or more incarnations of D&D would already know the basics.

However, for someone completely new to D&D, creating a character can be as daunting as filling out an income tax form or planning a wedding because of the sheer amount of numbers to juggle and decisions to make.

So, to make it easier for new players, I'd like to be able to sum up character creation in just six words: "Pick class. Pick race. Start playing."

Ability scores? Fixed based on class, and modified by race.
Hit points? Fixed based on class, and modified by race (changes to Constitution, if any).
Equipment? Standard packages for each class.
Feats, skills, spells, talents and other abilities? Pre-selected for each class and race.

Get the player playing first, and introduce the various options and greater complexity slowly, after he has gained a better understanding of the game: after the first adventure, give him the option to change out equipment. After one or two more, give him the option to re-train skills and feats and talents, and possibly even the chance to re-do ability scores.

What do you think? Would you want to simplify character creation and if so, how? What sort of decisions would you ask a new player to make?

 

[Szatany]

I think you are trying to simplify too much. Me personally would:

- enforce point buy ability score generation

- issue equipment without purchasing it

- issue starting spells

- move feat progression so it begins with 2nd level

- allow retrain rules so the players don't search for something perfect as they can alter their choises later if needed

Of course I'm talking about 3e, we don't know enough about 4e to speculate here.

And instead of what you are suggesting for totally new players? Just give them pregenerated characters once or twice until they learn the ropes.

 

[Stalker0]

I think streamlining the skills themselves will reduce 25% of character making.

 

[Fenes]

Sample characters as in the 3E PHB can serve for this.

 

[charlesatan]

How about the D&D fastplay characters?

 

[Baumi]

I wouldn't like it as the standard option for 4E, but your Idea can easily be done as an add-on ala starting packages.

I think a character generator for the pc would be awesome that lets you go into a "beginner mode" where you only chose race and class and does all the rest itself (like the suggestion from Firelance). So in the beginning of the session just let him klick some buttons, choose a name and print out the finished sheet ... this should take no longer than two minutes, so you have more time to actually explain he newbie what all the numbers mean!

 

[Glyfair]

The PHB II charts were a good approach to this. Like we had with the Player's Kit, have a PHB bundled with those charts and one or two other bonuses. Have the PHB be paperback to help balance out the cost, so it's in the ballpark of a standard PHB.

 

[delericho]

The complexity in character generation comes from choices. To simplify, you basically need to eliminate choice, which is unfortunately not a desirable thing to do from the point of view of expert players. I don't think there's any real way of resolving this.

I do think that providing new players with pregenerated characters, fast-play characters, or the like is helpful to an extent, but only to an extent. Frankly, if I were a new player in a game where everyone else was creating their own character, I would want to do so, too.

That said, I think there are a couple of things that could be done without damaging too much:

1) Switch the default attribute generation system to 4d6 in order. That right there knocks out lots of choices as sub-optimal.

2) Keep the races largely as-is, rather than adding racial advancement options, lots of subraces, templates, or whatever. Also, don't add 'exotic' races such as the Teifling to the mix - people understand what an Elf or a Dwarf is, Teifling not so much.

3) Add many more classes, but keep them relatively free of customisation. So, we'll have a Swahbuckler class, an Archer class, a Knight, a Gladiator, and so forth, instead of a Fighter that can be customised to fill any of these roles.

4) Switch to the SWSE skill rules. I'm halfway inclined to remove skills entirely, except for Rogues, but I think that would be a bridge too far, even as a thought experiment.

5) Cut right back on the feats in the PHB1. Likewise choice of weapons, and especially spells. These can be expanded on in other books, but keeping the 'core' list short helps new players digest the available options. Additionally, each relevant class should have recommended lists of 1st level choices.

However, I should note that I would not be in favour of most of these being done with 4e as currently proposed (despite my half-formed longing for a new "Rules Compendium"-esque version of the game). I think #1 might have merit (since House Ruling it is trivial), and I think #4 is a good idea in any case, but #2, #3 and #5 don't appeal to me.

 

[greywulf]

I'd go the Mutants & Masterminds route all the way. Provide archetypes rather than character classes, and go all points-based. That way a beginning player can pick an archetype, and start playing immediately, or tweak it a little, or start completely from scratch. Perfect.

For that matter, I'd love to go Mutants & Masterminds all the way, but tha's off topic, so I'll shut up now

 

[Jhaelen]

The PHB II charts were a good approach to this.

Seconded. Nothing more is needed.