D&D 5E What have you found to be the hardest thing for new players to understand about 5e systems?

[thorgrit]

Things I've seen new players confused over:

Difference between ability score, and ability modifier, and why we even have two numbers. "If Constitution is 12 +1 why not just say 13?"

Spell save DC, and to a lesser extent, spell attack modifier. I don't know why, but I run into new players who, when they ask what that is, will happily learn to write down how to calculate it, but then re-calculate it every single time they want to cast a spell. "Eight plus proficiency bonus plus intelligence modifier" and add that all up fresh each time. It's 13, arg, just write 13 down.

 

[MarkB]

Bonus actions is something new players have taken awhile to get to grips with - specifically, the idea that having a bonus action is universal, but the ways in which you can use it are specialised, and will depend upon your particular character build.

Object interactions I've just flat-out never bothered to explain to anyone - I just let players interact with things naturally on their turn, and rein them in if they get to the point of trying to do half-a-dozen miscellaneous things in addition to their normal actions.

I've had a few players struggle with Concentration, particularly those who've made their spell selections before really experiencing the mechanic in play. I don't soften the Concentration rules because they're there for a reason, but I will let new players swap out known or prepared spells if they realise that the really neat combo they'd come up with will just cancel each other out.

 

[MNblockhead]

I've had a few players struggle with Concentration...

Yeah, me as well. Especially after lunch or when they have their phones at the table.

 

[guachi]

Aside from Concentration as a mechanic it's concentration on the game. Phones at the table being the worst. Because they don't pay attention they not only don't understand what's going on they don't end up understanding other parts of the game. You may only play one race/class combination but you can understand many more by paying attention to your teammates.

 

[shadowoflameth]

Spell slots vs. spells known vs. spells prepared is up there. It's a part of why 4e abandoned Vancean casting. But really, I have had to painstakingkly explain the difference between Action and make an attack. complete with visual aids. i.e. This square on the map is your action you can fill it with the Attack Action in which case you (the ranger) can attack twice with the extra attacks feature that you have, with whatever weapon you like, or (taking the sword mini out of the square) you can fill it with Volley (placing a bow mini in the square) in which case you can attack each target within range once each with a ranged weapon. It was like explaining calculus to a dog.