What are the best classes to start a new player on?

[Remathilis]

I'm starting two new players in my game.

One is familiar with the concept of RPGs (having played Word of Warcraft) but never touched D&D.

The other has never touched a game like this in her life, but gets most fantasy tropes (LotR, Princess Bride, Star Wars) and is very much interested in "casual" gaming (not making it a hobby)

What are the best classes for these new players to start with? I'm allowing the base classes from PHB, PHB2, Psionics, and all the "Complete" books (and Mini's HB).

 

[Sejs]

I'm starting two new players in my game.

One is familiar with the concept of RPGs (having played Word of Warcraft) but never touched D&D.

The other has never touched a game like this in her life, but gets most fantasy tropes (LotR, Princess Bride, Star Wars) and is very much interested in "casual" gaming (not making it a hobby)

What are the best classes for these new players to start with? I'm allowing the base classes from PHB, PHB2, Psionics, and all the "Complete" books (and Mini's HB).

Generally speaking, avoid magic, or other magic-like systems (psionics, incarnum, bo9s, etc). The exceptions here would be the Warlock and the Dragon Shaman. Both are very straightforeward. Not a lot of bookkeeping or special rules to keep in mind. Other than that, physical classes are good. Fighter, rogue, barbarian, etc.

 

[kaomera]

Can you pair them off with other, more experienced players?

Honestly, I want to answer "Whatever they want to play." Most people are smart enough to figure D&D out pretty quick, given a chance. And I've seen a few prospective players turned off to the game by being force-fed the "easy stuff", but I can't say the DMs involved in that where much help at selling the game to anyone, either...

The biggest help you can probably give them would be a well-written character sheet with annotations and a few pages of notes for quick reference in play - even if you just stick them with basic up-front beatstick stuff. Even at first level a Human Fighter has three feats he needs to remember (even if they're always-on abilities, the player needs to know that), cut and paste the rules from any online copy of the SRD and print them out on one page.

 

[AFGNCAAP]

Well, here's some options to provide a new player with a variety of options.

IMHO:

• Fighter: Can't get any more basic than this. In 3.X, the Feats add some degree of complexity, but it allows for the player to make a style of fighter (tank, archer, duelist, etc.) that they want to develop.
• Rogue:Good for the clever, skilled character. Class abilities can be viewed as a step-up complexity-wise, but not that much (esp. compared with other core classes).
• Sorcerer: A good introductory class for spellcasting in general. Character casts X spells/day, and knows spells A, B, C, etc.
• Cleric: A decent starting mix of combatant and spellcaster, and mixes prepping spells with spontaneous spellcasting (i.e., dropping prepped spells for healing spells). Not a lot of class abilities to cause issues (like the druid, for ex.).
• Warlock: The blast-away-at-it class. However, it's a bit of a new mechanic (and uses something outside of the core books, which may be a bit confusing for a new player). Also has some alignment selection issues (true Neutral would work just fine for an AL for a new player's PC, since it's a good "average joe" sort of AL). The only chaotic or evil ALs may be a bit of an issue.
• Soulknife: Simple psionics. Psionic ability is limited to developing their psychic weapon's ability.
• Paragon: The racial paragon classes may be an option. They serve to expand the character's racial abilities (and boost certain class abilities to a degree). Human paragon works best--can work great to build a general concept character (craftsman, young noble, etc.) through being able to pick class skills.

The wizard could work well, though it requires spell preparation (feasibly, the cleric class can introduce this idea to the player, though it has the forgiveable "out" of spontaneously casting healing spells, esp. if the new player focuses on the character as a sort of healer).

Psionics is a whole other beast that should be initially avoided (though the soulknife is a good exception to this rule). Classes with paired spellcasting attributes (like Cha & Wis for favored souls) should be avoided--any spellcasters used should have all their abilities focus around 1 stat & not have it split up between 2. Other warrior classes liek Barbarian, Samurai, Knight, Swashbuckler, Paladin, Ranger, etc. should be avoided; they're workable, though they fit around a specific archetype of those classes (a berserking barbarian, an intimidating dual-wielding samurai, etc.); a fighter can be modeled around various archetypes with the right feat selections.

If you're going to limit classes, then perhaps you may want to limit races, as well. Human seems to be the optimal choice, & the best frame of reference for a beginning player. As for alignments, true Neutral would work great as well--it allows for a lot of fudging room, and you could always have the AL shift accordingly from their actions.

 

[Arkhandus]

Barbarian and Fighter are best to start out with. Barbarian is pretty straightforward: You go berserk and hit stuff a lot, then you hit stuff some more, and even more after that. And maybe later you bother to start tracking monsters, or using simple tactics like bull rushing, or more advanced tactics like sundering or grappling.

Fighters have a lot of feats to choose from, but are otherwise straightforward too. Not as simple as Barbarians though.

A Sorcerer is fine to start with, too, if the DM helps pick out widely-useful spells and keep the player sticking to simple ones (not relatively complex stuff like Ray of Enfeeblement, Chill Touch, or Flaming Sphere, frex).

 

[Aristeas]

I'm surprised no one mentioned paladin yet. It's a class with a lot of resonance- you're not just a guy with a sword, you're a hero. Assuming you're starting at low levels, it has fewer things to juggle than almost any other class: fewer feats than the fighter, fewer skills than the rogue, fewer spells than a caster. Many of its features are reactive: immunity to fear, immunity to disease, healing, saving throw bonuses, all of which make the character feel tough and heroic while demanding no management. And the active features it gets all occur one at a time: you start with smiting, then you get a spell (but only one), then you get a horse, etc. All in all the class has lots of flavor, but requires fewer mechanics-oriented decisions than any core class except the barbarian.

 

[Nightfall]

Aris,

yeah but unfortunately newbie paladins tend to upset everyone since they're like "Hey I got a sword, I can kill what I like cause it's EVIL!" That kind of mentality might get on even Hieronous' nerves.

Warlock gets my vote.

 

[Nifft]

From the splatbooks... I recommend a focus on classes that have a lot of "unlimited-use" abilities, because this will encourage the players to actually use their abilities.


Scout: Cool yet straightforward abilities, extra damage is easy to "trigger", and you don't rely on anyone else to function in combat.

Warlock: This is an introductory spellcaster. Help the player pick his Invocations, though.

Dragonfire Adept: The other introductory spellcaster. Again, help the player pick her Breath Effects and Invocations.

Dragon Shaman: Easy "cleric" with unlimited buff spells but still some tactical thinking (to get maximum benefit from the auras).

Psychic Warrior: Wait, wasn't I talking about unlimited use abilities?! The PsiWar's [Psionic] feats are his early combat abilities, his Powers should be considered secondary until he's levels up a bit. Help the player choose his feat & powers.

Fighter: Well, duh.

Ranger: Good skills, nice in an archery role, kinda squishy for a front-liner.

Cleric: Buh?! Well, here's your spell list: remove fear, bless, detect evil, magic weapon, and protection from evil. You can spontaneously convert prepared spells into cure light wounds. Here's a shield, a mace, and some medium armor. Oh yeah, and you get to pick a deity! Remember, Pelor = Satan.



IMHO, these would be bad:

Bard: Complicated to enjoy, since they spend so little time in the spotlight, and yet have a lot of complex abilities.

Barbarian: Limited x/day abilities, and in my experience, they die easy.

Wizard, Druid, Psion, Binder, Spellthief: Too complex.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Nightfall]

Nifft,

Yeah well I'd do a ceremony type thing to allow said Warlock to be able to change out his invocations. Just to save time and energy for all involved. Costs him gold and a little XP, but hey it's still less book keeping!

 

[Sejs]

Nifft,

Yeah well I'd do a ceremony type thing to allow said Warlock to be able to change out his invocations. Just to save time and energy for all involved. Costs him gold and a little XP, but hey it's still less book keeping!

*nod* Retraining rules were a godsend.

We loves them we do.