D&D 5E Is character creation at higher levels quick/easy or slow/complex?

[Quickleaf]

Compared to other games you enjoy (or just using your 'gut sense'), would you consider 5e's character creation at higher levels (say starting around 8th level) to be relatively quick-and-easy? Or relatively slow-and-complex?

If you wish it were faster and/or easier, would you prefer to have a default leveling option? Use the Sidekick rules? Use Pregens? Take the Playbook model from other RPGs? Rework the class design or something more drastic?

 

[Asisreo]

It depends on what class is being picked and what the player's mastery of the system is.

If you have a player that has played the game since the edition launched and chooses, say, an assassin rogue, then the most time-consuming aspect would probably be writing down the features themselves (with pen-and-paper) barring that, you could probably make a character extremely quickly.

If you have a player that didn't know D&D was a real thing until last night and they insist on being a wizard, it may take them several hours to compare-and-contrast their options and desires even with DM assistance.

 

[Li Shenron]

I'd say it's slow, but it depends on the class, with the slowest being spellcasters with a limited number of known spells, as they need to choose them wisely. Despite knowing generally a smaller amount of spells compared to previous editions, the fact that they are not a fixed number per level but rather a total makes it quite slow because there is greater freedom.

 

[CleverNickName]

Everyone's gonna have a different perspective on this, and I'm no different:

For me, creating higher-level characters in 5E is about as fast and easy as it was under the BECM or Rules Cyclopedia rules. And compared to 3E, 3.5E, and Pathfinder, it's incredibly fast and almost effortless.

The other RPGs I play either don't have 'higher levels' (like Dread), or they have a vastly different system for leveling that doesn't really allow for a straight apples-to-apples comparison (like Call of Cthulhu).

So I voted "Very quick and easy" because I remember what it was like under other D&D editions. Takes me about 20-30 minutes.

 

[JoeyD473]

It depends largely on your players. Sometimes they know what they want and its quick. SOmetimes tey don't know what they want so they have to make more decisions which can take more time. A more experienced player will more likely take less time then a newer player. Its also normally easier to build a non spellcaster vs a spellcaster. Way too many variables to give a 100% either way of quick/slow, easy/complex

 

[TwoSix]

Seems relatively quick and easy to me relative to other versions of D&D. There's a bit more to record, and a few more decision points, but it isn't a night and day difference from making a level 1 character.

 

[BlackSeed_Vash]

Compared to 3.x and 4E it's a rather quick. As others have said, system master and class are going to be a big determining factor. Another factor to consider is what content is available.
I remember spending 4-5 hours just to build a melee, non-caster level 6 character towards the end of the 3.5 era. I could pump 3-6 level 20 melee, non-casters in the same amount of time in 5E. It would take me even less time if I'm making use of Roll20's charactermancer.

 

[Shiroiken]

Slightly more complicated than AD&D, but much simpler than either 3E or 4E.

 

[Quickleaf]

Compared to 3.x and 4E it's a rather quick. As others have said, system master and class are going to be a big determining factor. Another factor to consider is what content is available.
I remember spending 4-5 hours just to build a melee, non-caster level 6 character towards the end of the 3.5 era. I could pump 3-6 level 20 melee, non-casters in the same amount of time in 5E. It would take me even less time if I'm making use of Roll20's charactermancer.

Sorry, I should have specified that I was asking about creating a character, NOT using automated generators or charactermancers that do the work for you.

Sounds like you're saying about 1 hour, give or take, to make a 6th level character in 5e?

 

[aco175]

Slightly harder than a 1st level PC. Hardest part is trying to negotiate magic items with the DM.