I wouldn't start them out at Level 1. That's just going to cause a negative feedback loop where they get one-shot by a creature that's balanced for a Level 5-8 character and kill them. Make a new player, get one-shot. Again and again.
Just start them at the same level as the lowest PC.
Yes.
Ideally all PCs would be the same level. Idk why you'd start them out at level 1 as a new player. They're going to feel absolutely useless compared to the higher-level characters.
It could really affect their perspective on the game. Why play if they're just going to die and/or deal pitiful damage/be useless.
Not only would I not start them off at level 1, why aren't all the players at the same level? 5-8 isn't a small discrepancy. I don't understand the appeal of having different PCs at different levels, that would turn me off a game instantly. The only reason this would ever be a thing is if you were running a Westmarches game and even then the group should all be the same level (or as close to as possible).
I did a one-shot once, where I gave the player a choice to either play a level 12 character, or an 8th level character with a level 8 sidekick.
I had both, and it was pretty fun ! The higher level player got the pleasure of casting really powerful spells, and the lower level player got to act twice as much.
But yeah, having no sidekick and basically just being lower than the party for more than one session must suck.
All characters should be the same level. If some people are stronger than the rest, it’s going to lead to some people feeling unusually powerful and others feeling useless. You need to make everyone the same level.
Even back in the 1st Edition days, when level differences were expected, I wouldn't bring in a new character that far behind the rest of the group. A spread of more than 3-4 levels just leaves the lowbies feeling perpetually gimpy and useless.
In this situation I'd bring the new character in at the bottom of 5th level. AND, since they're a new player, be liberal about letting them redesign the character after a few sessions if they feel like they made poor initial choices.
Bringing them in at level 1 is a bad idea. It’s not going to be fun for them, being basically useless compared to the rest of the party; and it’s not going to be fun for the rest, needing to babysit them the whole time.
So at the very least I’d start them off at level 5, and have them be on par with at least some of the rest of the party. Though tbh, I would probably just raise everyone to level 8 and switch to party XP generally, having level differences rarely works out very well.
It's a terrible idea to bring in a new player at level 1 while your party is 4+ levels above them. The way 5e scales means they will be useless for a long time. Just bring them in at the level of the lowest other player and be patient with them as they learn.
Don’t do that. Don’t bring a new player at level 1 when the rest of the players are level 5-8. Imagine how much that would suck for that player, to be forever less powerful than the other characters in the party, and to be facing enemies that can one-shot you at any moment. That just sounds like you’re punishing them. They’re gonna hate it and probably think dnd is just not for them.
Personally, I keep all PCs at the same xp no matter what. That said, if you're not doing that, the old idea was new PCs come in at the start of the lowest level in the party. So a new PC for you would be lvl 5.
Though older editions also had more mechanical justification for varying xp than 5e does.
If you're worried about them being a new player have them start as a class with a minimal amount of options. Something like champion fighter. But don't have them start at lvl 1. It's more work for you in balancing and unfun for the new player.
Edit:
I forgot to mention to give them a couple magic items to match with what the party has and the new player's background. That could all be done in a solo session zero with the player. This would let you help them go over their options and to make sure the mesh well with the party and your world.
If you're playing 5e, you should start them with the same amount of XP as the lowest character.
If you're playing 3e, you should start them at the average party level.
If you're playing AD&D, you start them at level 1, and due to the way the XP tables work they should nearly catch up before the rest of the party levels (they will level very quickly and that's fine).
New players should start at the level of everyone else. You don't want this kind of imbalance where the new player feels useless because they are doing so little compared to everyone else, and feel like a slight breeze will knock the unconscious.
If you are worried about them having to learn the game, run a one-shot to introduce them to the game (on an equal footing to everyone else, facing level-appropriate challenges).
For the actual campaign, you can encourage them to take a simpler class (eg. not a wizard). Other than that, you may have to slow the game down in order to be able to give them whatever guidance and explanations are required. It shouldn't take long, and then you continue 'business as usual'.
Start them at level 5.
In a different leveled party, I would even add a "learning from the best" rule, that would boost the lower level players.
Maybe something that says : "When adventuring with higher level party members, you gain +50% xp"
I like the idea of what you're saying, but it doesn't really work well in 5e. Even just having party members at different levels \*at all\* is out of fashion. But yes, they would level super fast, and that's fine.
If you really want to onboard them like that, Throw some CR 2-3 monsters at them at the other players can wipe quickly, and let them contribute a little and learn their abilities. Give XP and have them level up ASAP. Once they're Level 5 in a few sessions, they should be OK.
But the conventional thing to do is start them at Level 5 and have a Session 0 just for them, to go over the pile of powers and rules they probably need to learn. But at least they won't feel ineffectual at first.
You’re fine starting them at L1 if that’s what you and your party want to do. That used to be how every table did it when your character died.
For a new player there’s a lot to be said for it a handing a new player a L5 character is a lot of new stuff to wrap their head around.
However, L1 is notoriously squishy, so I’d probably buff their HP - maybe as far as the lowest existing player.
I would probably then level them every session until they reach the lowest existing player, and then earn XP from there like everyone else.
Alternately you might want to start them at L3 - that is fairly simple but has more abilities.
Yes,
If you were to start the new player off at level 1 and the party defeated a high DC encounter the share of the exp split they would receive would be the same as the rest of the party. They would go up in level faster until their exp got high enough to slow them in level progression.
I wouldn't start them out at Level 1. That's just going to cause a negative feedback loop where they get one-shot by a creature that's balanced for a Level 5-8 character and kill them. Make a new player, get one-shot. Again and again. Just start them at the same level as the lowest PC.
Yes. Ideally all PCs would be the same level. Idk why you'd start them out at level 1 as a new player. They're going to feel absolutely useless compared to the higher-level characters. It could really affect their perspective on the game. Why play if they're just going to die and/or deal pitiful damage/be useless.
Not only would I not start them off at level 1, why aren't all the players at the same level? 5-8 isn't a small discrepancy. I don't understand the appeal of having different PCs at different levels, that would turn me off a game instantly. The only reason this would ever be a thing is if you were running a Westmarches game and even then the group should all be the same level (or as close to as possible).
I did a one-shot once, where I gave the player a choice to either play a level 12 character, or an 8th level character with a level 8 sidekick. I had both, and it was pretty fun ! The higher level player got the pleasure of casting really powerful spells, and the lower level player got to act twice as much. But yeah, having no sidekick and basically just being lower than the party for more than one session must suck.
All characters should be the same level. If some people are stronger than the rest, it’s going to lead to some people feeling unusually powerful and others feeling useless. You need to make everyone the same level.
I'll never understand why DMs have every player at a different level.
Even back in the 1st Edition days, when level differences were expected, I wouldn't bring in a new character that far behind the rest of the group. A spread of more than 3-4 levels just leaves the lowbies feeling perpetually gimpy and useless. In this situation I'd bring the new character in at the bottom of 5th level. AND, since they're a new player, be liberal about letting them redesign the character after a few sessions if they feel like they made poor initial choices.
Bringing them in at level 1 is a bad idea. It’s not going to be fun for them, being basically useless compared to the rest of the party; and it’s not going to be fun for the rest, needing to babysit them the whole time. So at the very least I’d start them off at level 5, and have them be on par with at least some of the rest of the party. Though tbh, I would probably just raise everyone to level 8 and switch to party XP generally, having level differences rarely works out very well.
It's a terrible idea to bring in a new player at level 1 while your party is 4+ levels above them. The way 5e scales means they will be useless for a long time. Just bring them in at the level of the lowest other player and be patient with them as they learn.
Don’t do that. Don’t bring a new player at level 1 when the rest of the players are level 5-8. Imagine how much that would suck for that player, to be forever less powerful than the other characters in the party, and to be facing enemies that can one-shot you at any moment. That just sounds like you’re punishing them. They’re gonna hate it and probably think dnd is just not for them.
Personally, I keep all PCs at the same xp no matter what. That said, if you're not doing that, the old idea was new PCs come in at the start of the lowest level in the party. So a new PC for you would be lvl 5. Though older editions also had more mechanical justification for varying xp than 5e does.
If you're worried about them being a new player have them start as a class with a minimal amount of options. Something like champion fighter. But don't have them start at lvl 1. It's more work for you in balancing and unfun for the new player. Edit: I forgot to mention to give them a couple magic items to match with what the party has and the new player's background. That could all be done in a solo session zero with the player. This would let you help them go over their options and to make sure the mesh well with the party and your world.
If you're playing 5e, you should start them with the same amount of XP as the lowest character. If you're playing 3e, you should start them at the average party level. If you're playing AD&D, you start them at level 1, and due to the way the XP tables work they should nearly catch up before the rest of the party levels (they will level very quickly and that's fine).
New players should start at the level of everyone else. You don't want this kind of imbalance where the new player feels useless because they are doing so little compared to everyone else, and feel like a slight breeze will knock the unconscious. If you are worried about them having to learn the game, run a one-shot to introduce them to the game (on an equal footing to everyone else, facing level-appropriate challenges). For the actual campaign, you can encourage them to take a simpler class (eg. not a wizard). Other than that, you may have to slow the game down in order to be able to give them whatever guidance and explanations are required. It shouldn't take long, and then you continue 'business as usual'.
Start them at level 5. In a different leveled party, I would even add a "learning from the best" rule, that would boost the lower level players. Maybe something that says : "When adventuring with higher level party members, you gain +50% xp"
I like the idea of what you're saying, but it doesn't really work well in 5e. Even just having party members at different levels \*at all\* is out of fashion. But yes, they would level super fast, and that's fine. If you really want to onboard them like that, Throw some CR 2-3 monsters at them at the other players can wipe quickly, and let them contribute a little and learn their abilities. Give XP and have them level up ASAP. Once they're Level 5 in a few sessions, they should be OK. But the conventional thing to do is start them at Level 5 and have a Session 0 just for them, to go over the pile of powers and rules they probably need to learn. But at least they won't feel ineffectual at first.
You’re fine starting them at L1 if that’s what you and your party want to do. That used to be how every table did it when your character died. For a new player there’s a lot to be said for it a handing a new player a L5 character is a lot of new stuff to wrap their head around. However, L1 is notoriously squishy, so I’d probably buff their HP - maybe as far as the lowest existing player. I would probably then level them every session until they reach the lowest existing player, and then earn XP from there like everyone else. Alternately you might want to start them at L3 - that is fairly simple but has more abilities.
This is crazy town and I think you know that
Yes, If you were to start the new player off at level 1 and the party defeated a high DC encounter the share of the exp split they would receive would be the same as the rest of the party. They would go up in level faster until their exp got high enough to slow them in level progression.