The Best Classes for New Players in Dungeons & Dragons 5e

TIME STAMPS
2:40 - Fighter
4:34 - Barbarian
7:18 - Cleric
13:13 - Wizard
17:09 - Rogue

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[emirefli]

"I would like to rage" is such a polite way of going batshit crazy

[johomoswitness]

I’m a very new player and joined my friends campaign, I’m a Dragonborn moon Druid and DnD is quickly becoming my new obsession.

[yoelbendavid]

I love your choices! I am playing a Druid as my first pc. But I love nerding out on the details of playing!

[BlackIrisBalloon]

Another reason I recommend Cleric for first time spellcasters is that Clerics get Sheild and Medium Armor Proficiency (and some Domains get Heavy Armor), which eases them in a little better since they aren't as squishy as most other Spellcaster options.

[AnimeWolf]

Making some custom, pre-made character sheets for any newbies I might play with. This has been very helpful.

[TrojanManSCP]

I've brought 8 new players into the game over the past few months. I've been really successful in running a table through Discord voice chat and streaming my desk on a webcam (for maps, public rolls, etc). We're running the Essentials Kit (The Dragon of Icespire Peak), and I started with 3 brand new players. Human Barbarian, Dwarf Barbarian, Bard. It's hilarious fun. Many of the side-quests I've polished a little bit to turn them into one-shots. I'll bring a new friend in for a session with a character the party will need (eg a Rogue for the quest with all the traps). It lets the guest player feel really important for a night, it gives them a window into just a small part of the gameplay, and then the outcome of the adventure isn't a huge deal since for them it's just a one-shot, but I always like to try to give them a satisfying arc for their character. For example, the unlucky hero bitten by wererats and cursed with lycanthropy also dealt the final blow to the rat king - at which point all the other wererats dropped to their knees and proclaimed him the new rat king. So he got a "happily" ever after with his harem of (in his words) "mouse babes." And we can get rid of that character, and if they play again, build a new one.
I find a lot of my friends want to play a session or two, but don't want to commit to a long campaign. Or sometimes players need to take breaks, etc. These are all great opportunities to grab new players and either adjust an NPC that they can play, or fill them in on an essential role (or adjust the dungeon to benefit their character choices). It lets the regular party see new challenges they can't overcome alone, it lets new players feel really special, and it fits everyone's level of interest and scheduling availability.
And best of all, as the DM, you can just fit it all into a one-session box, and so the choices for one PC don't need to be considered over an entire campaign. What might be campaign-breaking over 30 sessions can become fun and fresh over just one. So feel free to bring a new player in as some crazy angel-wizard, or centaur-champion, maybe even homebrew some crazy abilities, knowing that those choices can't spoil the entire campaign. If you make that first session for a new player really stand out, they'll be hooked and then you can worry about gameplay and balance. And when the new guy rolls a 20 on his first check/attack, and the whole table just stands up and applauds? It's magic, my dudes. Whatever class you/they pick, the goal should be to get to that one moment where it all clicks.

[hecktate]

My first experience with tabletop RPGs wasn't D&D, but that first character was a bard equivalent. It was a more modern setting, so I got to play a character who was basically an 80s metal rocker. I had a ton of fun with it because I got to go around pretending to be a big deal and just assuming that everyone knew who I was and worshipped me.

[hiromitailor]

Cool how the suggested classes here fall into the fighter-mage-thief trope and also include the 3 original DnD classes.

[carolechenard]

Fighter, Rogue, cleric for sure my top three recommendations, if anyone were to ask me, even before this post. I played a cleric my first campaign, and there just enough spell casting to get the flavour of it. Wizard I believe is more complicated than I would have been able to handle my first go round, but that’s just me.

[vancityband]

Maybe this is a sign that Wizards needs a training class that allows a new player to experience all of the basic character dynamics without being too complex or under/overpowered.

[Scalesthelizardwizard]

My very first character was a wizard and it took me a week to understand the mechanics his name was Pond a curious 12-year-old high elf with a fascination with magic our Barbarin was an Orc that found Pond under a bridge and took him In as his little brother and gave him his name

[livthemoments]

I've gotten a few friends I to D&D and they've chosen many different classes.
One friend chose Ranger because she really liked the playstyle of the Shadow Archer from Skyrim or Cadnis from the Hunger Games. Another friend chose the Paladin because he loved playing them in League of Legends. Another friend chose Wizard because they love that high fantasy Spellcasting vibe even though it has been difficult to learn for them.

[eriklundstrom]

I think Bard is also a good choice for new players cause they are kinda good at everything. So they can try out different avenues. They can fight. They can spell cast. They have lots of skills. So good first time.

[patrickshaw]

Wasn’t expecting wizard lol! Also with Skyrim’s stealth archer, pretty convinced it’s overpowered!

[wdmstr]

My top 3 were listed, but from both sides: Rogue, Cleric, and Barbarian.

[DrPluton]

I think the hardest part for new players of TTRPGs is resource management (spells, abilities with per rest limits, etc.). This is why I always thought Fighters and Rogues are easiest to play to learn the rules. That said, my very first D&D character ever was a 1st edition AD&D cleric at age five. It really depends on the player, but I learned that I prefer spell casters over other classes and find the wizard to be my very favorite due to learning a wide variety of spells.

[simounobrien]

My Top 3 Classes for beginners



1. Paladin
2. Fighter
3. Cleric

[toadofsteel]

I tried to explain Barbarian to new player once. Basically said "You are Conan." His response was "Conan O'Brien?"

And so we flipped that around, and Brian O'Conan was born.

[farmonious]

"A Barbarian makes terrific mistakes, and has a ton of fun doing it." Best line ever!

[emuman]

The best class to start with is the one you get stoked about.