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<blockquote data-quote="Raven Crowking" data-source="post: 5376822" data-attributes="member: 18280">Also, might be related to &quot;spent several hours creating a character&quot;!&nbsp; Yeesh!A couple of hints for DMs addressing first-time players:(1)&nbsp; If using a system that requires several hours to create a character, have some pregens to choose from ready.&nbsp; Then, if his first pregen dies, he can get right back on that bicycle with pregen #2, etc.(2)&nbsp; Don't start the player at mid-level.&nbsp; 1st level is a training ground, where the decisions don't have to be that complex.....and the consequence of making a slightly sub-optimal decision don't have to be so dire.(3)&nbsp; Don't assume that the player should be facing EL-equivilent foes.&nbsp; For a new player, a dire rat or a skeleton can be an exciting foe.(4)&nbsp; Don't throw the player in with the old hands, where his ability to make decisions may very well be drowned out.&nbsp; A solo session may well be in order.(5)&nbsp; Be prepared to follow what is interesting to the player, even if that means an hour or so spent simply wandering around the Keep on the Borderlands and never making it to the Caves of Chaos.(6)&nbsp; Not all foes wish to kill defeated PCs; but every defeat should cost the PC something noticeable.&nbsp; OTOH, if the circumstances dictate that the PC should die, then let the PC die.&nbsp; Likewise, don't hesitate to reward the PC for good decisions.&nbsp; There is nothing that ruins a potential player so much as learning that his decisions don't really impact his PC.&nbsp; Don't be a DM who teaches that lesson!</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Raven Crowking, post: 5376822, member: 18280"] Also, might be related to "spent several hours creating a character"! Yeesh! A couple of hints for DMs addressing first-time players: (1) If using a system that requires [I][B]several hours [/B][/I]to create a character, have some pregens to choose from ready. Then, if his first pregen dies, he can get right back on that bicycle with pregen #2, etc. (2) Don't start the player at mid-level. 1st level is a training ground, where the decisions don't have to be that complex.....and the consequence of making a slightly sub-optimal decision don't have to be so dire. (3) Don't assume that the player should be facing EL-equivilent foes. For a new player, a dire rat or a skeleton can be an exciting foe. (4) Don't throw the player in with the old hands, where his ability to make decisions may very well be drowned out. A solo session may well be in order. (5) Be prepared to follow what is interesting to the player, even if that means an hour or so spent simply wandering around the Keep on the Borderlands and never making it to the Caves of Chaos. (6) Not all foes wish to kill defeated PCs; but every defeat should cost the PC something noticeable. OTOH, if the circumstances dictate that the PC should die, then let the PC die. Likewise, don't hesitate to reward the PC for good decisions. There is nothing that ruins a potential player so much as learning that his decisions don't really impact his PC. [B][I]Don't be a DM who teaches that lesson![/I][/B] [/QUOTE]

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