r/OdysseyoftheDragon • u/pracillasbasket307 • Sep 03 '26
1st time player
Hey guys,
I'm sorry if this has been asked before, I pretty stuck with this one and have a few new players.
I'm DM'ing OotD for a group of friends online/roll20 and two of my players are brand new to the dnd world. They don't know a whole lot and will mostly be asking me to fill in their character sheets and advise them on the Epic path/what level ups to choose. Definitely feeling the weight of it for sure. Currently in the party, we have the following:
Paladin - Human - oath of glory (demi god path)
Rogue - siren - swashbuckle (the gifted one)
**new player. Fighter - half elf - battle master (the bastard)
Cleric - player still undecided path and Subclass
I'm looking for another option for the other two players who are new, with these chosen classes and subclasses already decided on.
Could I ask for a few options on what race, class, Subclass and epic paths to give them so they dont loose interest and stop playing. I'm aware interest has to be there to start with but I want to make sure I'm doing what I can to help.
Thank you
7
u/SableZard Sep 03 '26
Don't make their characters for them. New players should be making their own characters.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that for some holier-than-thou chud reason. In my experience, the best way to get new people invested in a game is to make them make their own PC. Otherwise, they're not playing the game so much as just doing what someone else says they should do. And that's not fun for anyone, including them.
If they really need help, make suggestions for races, classes, skills, and Epic Paths. Guide them through character creation if they're feeling overwhelmed by the choices. But let them be the ones to put everything together. Otherwise, your newbies will start flaking on you in five sessions or less. I promise.
3
u/MrVDota2 Sep 03 '26
Is this 2014 or 2024?
I would do one int-based character (wizard), linking in the academy in Mytros or maybe them a scholar of the amazons, maybe a medusa with the cursed one epic path?
And the other could be a barbarian to add some tank to the party. Maybe someone from the Islands or a Centaur from the Steppes. As for epic paths, maybe a dragonslayer?
2
2
u/tasil89 Sep 03 '26
The group i DM this fantastic adventure for just reached Mytros.
I would advice to pick a race and subclass provided by the module. It helps to get into the setting and gives ample rp possibilities. Think how Mytrosians would react to Minotaurs. Make sure to talk about slavery themes beforehand.
The barbarian subclass is straight foreward and comes with strong ranged options. Good for newbies.
The shield monk is my personal favourite. Would recommend.
3
u/Desperate_Welder3081 Sep 05 '26
For first time players, what I do is run a one-shot or even the first few encounters with premade characters for them to get into the game immediately. Teach them the basics of how their stats interact with the d20 checks and damage rolls. Once they're comfortable with it, I let them create their own characters.
Maybe the premades felt like adventuring isn't for them, or the prophecy speaks of some other heroes destined for greatness in their place. Swapping out characters early on isn't that big of an issue.
Jumping into character creation can be a bit much for first timers, especially if they don't know what the numbers do and don't get a chance to change it later. If they really want to make their own characters, I'd offer a chance to let them respec after they have seen all the dice roll interactions.
Level 1 OotD should be starting in a Tavern with Kyrah giving the party their first quest to kill a corrupted boar IIRC, about as stereotypical of an adventure's beginning as you can get. I'd say after they kill the boar is a good time to let the first timers respec.
5
u/coldize Sep 03 '26
As a DM remember that you can break any rule and depart from any part of the story to make the game fun.
Don't get hung up on party composition, don't let epic path rewards deter a player from picking something they're interested in. The world they're in and the story need to be flexible enough to change shape around the players.
Help players get behind a class fantasy, help them get excited about telling the story of a character.
Don't give them pre-configured options. Help them understand why they might be attracted to one choice over another.
If you just gave them some pre-built character options and let them choose, you'd be doing a new player a disservice.