D&D 5E Tier 1 Sweetspot for One Off (Free RPG Day)

[Kabouter Games]

You've gotten some great commentary. If you were starting a new campaign, I'd say the same - start them at first level.

With a one-off one-shot, that focus shifts. Character development doesn't really matter. The goal changes. 5e PCs don't really start doing "cool" stuff til level 3.

That's where I'd put it. Level 3. I wouldn't go hogwild with the pregens, though; the Core Four classes would get the archetype/background combos from the free Basic Rules. Every other class gets the easiest combo to grok quickly.

If you have experienced players and brand new players at the same table, pair them up. Let the metagame flow between partners, at least for a little while; let the players with experience guide the new player, quietly, so the new player has a plan and isn't sitting there Umming and Erring when their turn comes up.

Good luck! Let us know how it works out.

Cheers,

Bob

www.r-p-davis.com

 

[Tony Vargas]

First level is boring for experienced players, frustratingly lethal for new players, it's far from ideal. 3rd level has a nice feel to it, it allows for optional-MCing-versions of the old fighter/cleric/magic-user or fighter/magic-user/thief, which is nice for returning players from the TSR era, PCs are becoming tough enough to survive inexperienced-player mistakes, and, if you provide pre-gens, including plenty of cool/evocative/familiar non-casters (a Conan-esque berskerker barbarian, a Robin-Hood-esque Archery Fighter, etc) that you steer the new players towards, not too complicated.

But, y'know, WotC doesn't support Free RPG day anymore - maybe run something else?

 

[Kobold Stew]

For a single session, I'd say level 3: every subclass has kicked in; only variant humans have feats.

 

[S'mon]

First level is boring for experienced players, frustratingly lethal for new players, it's far from ideal.

For a one-shot the GM can control the threat level closely. Bandits, Cult Fanatics, Tribal Warriors and similar 1/8 CR foes work great at 1st level and do not create a frustratingly lethal experience IME. CR 1/4 foes such as goblins and skeletons can be used too, but more sparingly. I had a climactic battle with 3 1st level PCs vs 6 skeletons & a cultist that could easily have been a TPK, but 3 skeletons would have been fine.

 

[Tony Vargas]

For a one-shot the GM can control the threat level closely. Bandits, Cult Fanatics, Tribal Warriors and similar 1/8 CR foes work great at 1st level and do not create a frustratingly lethal experience.

1st level is just really randomly fragile, the instant death rule that makes PCs all but un-one-shottable from modest levels on leaves them pop targets at 1st. You can dial down the threat level to housecats and still have the odd TPK, to the resultant punctuate silly & boring. ;P
Just taking it up to 3rd or 4th leaves all that behind, and pregens take care of any build-complexity issues that might intimidate new players, because you can keep enough simple characters on hand to make sure none of them have to tackle the wizard (or whatever), even have simplified pre-gen casters with spells already prepped and just those spells printed out with the character sheet. At 3rd, characters have clear identities thanks to sub-classes and quite adequate resilience to bad luck and learning experiences.
4th could be particularly nice since the more 'advanced' players can have a bit more to play with, including a feat (but still no fireballs).

 

[S'mon]

1st level is just really randomly fragile, the instant death rule that makes PCs all but un-one-shottable from modest levels on leaves them pop targets at 1st. You can dial down the threat level to housecats and still have the odd TPK, to the resultant punctuate silly & boring. ;P
Just taking it up to 3rd or 4th leaves all that behind, and pregens take care of any build-complexity issues that might intimidate new players, because you can keep enough simple characters on hand to make sure none of them have to tackle the wizard (or whatever), even have simplified pre-gen casters with spells already prepped and just those spells printed out with the character sheet. At 3rd, characters have clear identities thanks to sub-classes and quite adequate resilience to bad luck and learning experiences.
4th could be particularly nice since the more 'advanced' players can have a bit more to play with, including a feat (but still no fireballs).

Even at 1st it's pretty hard to get instakilled by a foe doing d6+1.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Even at 1st it's pretty hard to get instakilled by a foe doing d6+1.

Pretty hard - 6 hp wizard, critted for 12+ for instance - but it can just randomly happen out of left field.

(Not that wizards don't deserve it just for being wizards.)

 

[S'mon]

Pretty hard - 6 hp wizard, critted for 12+ for instance - but it can just randomly happen out of left field.

(Not that wizards don't deserve it just for being wizards.)

Well I just straight up killed a 2nd level dragonborn Slayer in my 4e game yesterday, took him from full hp to -bloodied in 1 round, 2 hits. He took an opportunity attack from a zombie hulk moving round it prone, then it stood up
on its turn, its Zombie Smash recharged (d6 roll '6'), hit, and I rolled really well on 4d8... This was a brand new player's first ever character (she's the gf of another player, he's introducing her to D&D), her dragonborn Arjan had a bright future & had acquired a pet guard drake named Draco. I felt kinda bad I'd recently declared that Raise Dead was a level 18 ritual in this game.

 

[Tony Vargas]

So a level 8 re-charge power vs a 2nd level character in one edition is somehow comparable to a 1/8th CR ordinary attack vs a 1st level one in another?

 

[Caliban]

Level 1 sucks, especially in 5e. You can do barely anything, and a strong sneeze will drop even a barbarian.

Level 3 is where the classes truly start being differentiated. You get a sub-class, 2nd level spells if you are a caster, but not the added complication of a feat or ABI choice.