D&D 5E Levels 1-4 are "Training Wheels?"

[Cadence]

There are tons of games that have people who enjoy them causally, but have others who strive to develop their skills and seek mastery.

D&D is one such game. Playing D&D is a skill and you can develop it and get better at it. Doesn’t mean any insult to those who just want to play causally.

As I said above, if low level is too meat grinder (which is as disparaging a term as training wheels in my mind)/ boring just start at the higher level that would give you the experience you prefer.

But some people enjoy what you call ‘meat grinder’ play and enjoy the challenge of overcoming greater challenges.

I apologize if my joking was taken as disrespectful to any play style.

One of the first big games I played in was certainly a grinder. Something like 1/3rd of the 1st level characters died each night and it was an accomplishment to make it to 2nd. It's apparently not the kind of game I or my friends run anymore since we haven't in ages, but I would dearly love for a time machine to take me back to those games almost 40 years ago that Bev DMed at her store Toad Hall. (I'd also like my bed time to be about 1 hour later than it used to be so that I could stay to the end of all of the sessions).

 

[SkidAce]

The game is called Dungeons and Dragons.
I would not be surprised than a fan thinks the game has dragon encounters as a major theme.

If it isn't D&D needs new name.

I've had a homebrew world with absolutely no dragons in it. Was still playing d&d.

 

[Jacob Lewis]

Do you agree? If not, how do you address this? Start at 5th level? Speed through Levels 1-4? House rules to give more power or better options?

"It's not a bike. You're not a toddler. If you want to start at level 5, that's fine. But let's ask the others first. If they want to do that, great. If not, we'll call you when everyone else reaches level 5, and then you can join the game."

 

[Older Beholder]

If I’m running a game for new players I do tend to treat level 1-2 as a bit of tutorial, but you can still set up a lot of the campaign plot in the process.

 

[Jacob Lewis]

The game is called Dungeons and Dragons.
I would not be surprised than a fan thinks the game has dragon encounters as a major theme.

If it isn't D&D needs new name.

Or better fans.

 

[Mordhau]

I got to wonder how do people deal with encounter building for level1 characters?

3 goblins is considered a ‘hard’ encounter for a level one party. So, if that’s all you get to deal with, then I get why people would think low level is boring and just training wheels.

If low level characters only ever get a steady diet of balanced encounters, it’s going to feel like a monotonous cakewalk.

Toss the idea of balanced encounters and those low levels become more tense and exciting than any other level of play.

It's not really about balanced encounters. It's more about appropriate adventure sites. D&D modules have had intended level ranges from the beginning.

 

[Monayuris]

I apologize if my joking was taken as disrespectful to any play style.

One of the first big games I played in was certainly a grinder. Something like 1/3rd of the 1st level characters died each night and it was an accomplishment to make it to 2nd. It's apparently not the kind of game I or my friends run anymore since we haven't in ages, but I would dearly love for a time machine to take me back to those games almost 40 years ago that Bev DMed at her store Toad Hall. (I'd also like my bed time to be about 1 hour later than it used to be so that I could stay to the end of all of the sessions).

Yeah, I apologize as well. I totally missed the joke.

I sometimes see people who disparage a certain playstyle that I like and I overreact.

I was actually playing a low level B/X game recently. Survived as a 1st level thief with 3 hit points because we were pretty cautious, planned well, and retreated at the right time. I enjoyed it because I knew death was around every corner and yet I survived. I feel like my choices in the game make a difference. Of course, sometimes, I make a bad choice and my character gets killed.. I like that its my mistake that led to the death... try to do better next time.

I get that some people don't find that fun and they want to kick butt from the beginning and not have to be so cautious. My argument is just start at higher levels. When I see suggestions to power up 1st level to be more heroic, I bounce off of that strongly because it makes a certain style of play harder to achieve.

To me it works better that way... you can have one game accommodate a wide range of playstyles by just focusing on certain level ranges.

 

[Minigiant]

I've had a homebrew world with absolutely no dragons in it. Was still playing d&d.

Of course. You don't need dungeons either.

But both are major temes in D&D. And It isn't farfetched to think the part of the gaame that can't handle both Dungeons and Dragons doesn't display the true experience of the game.

 

[Malmuria]

Training wheels seems like the wrong metaphor. Perhaps, early levels can be thought of as the "training wheel stage," in which the characters are learning to do things that they will later perfect. The "training wheels" would be whatever supports them in those early levels to make sure they don't fail while they are learning (dm intervention?). Meanwhile, b/x has no training wheels; you learn by falling, repeatedly.

 

[guachi]

1-2 are training wheels. Unless you play a Cleric and then, ha ha, you have to pick your subclass at level 1. Sucks to be you brand new D&D player.