Character Creation Troubles [Archive] - Wizards Community

Character Creation Troubles [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
AdenThornwood
02-14-08, 07:40 AM So, I had recently started a DnD Club and the entire hour of the first meeting (we could only limit to one hour) was spent creating characters. This was mainly because everything they needed for the characters was in the Player's Handbook - and the PHB was being passed around as everyone wrote down information for their character... very slowly. Players who required the PHB at the time and didn't have the PHB passed to them were left with nothing to do. I attempted to occupy them by moving on with the character creation, but they were still left with nothing to do afterwards.

I was just wondering if this was normal for any DM, or is there something I need to work out so that character creation could move faster?
geekling
02-14-08, 07:55 AM I was just wondering if this was normal for any DM, or is there something I need to work out so that character creation could move faster?

If you only have one copy of the PHB, and a group of people that have not played much before. Yes.

In that situation one thing you can do is take advantage of the class information in the srd. http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/classes.htm

Print out a copy of each of the core classes (the ones in the PHB) for your players (or even better, ask them in advance what they want to play, so you which ones you will need.) Then there's less for them to copy out of the PHB and the ones waiting for their turn with the communal book have something to do - read the bits applicable to their character and familiarise themselves with their class abilities.
Green_eyes
02-14-08, 08:05 AM Try using computer character generators. Like Redblade (google it)
drake_vampiel_d
02-14-08, 09:53 AM So, I had recently started a DnD Club and the entire hour of the first meeting (we could only limit to one hour) was spent creating characters. This was mainly because everything they needed for the characters was in the Player's Handbook - and the PHB was being passed around as everyone wrote down information for their character... very slowly. Players who required the PHB at the time and didn't have the PHB passed to them were left with nothing to do. I attempted to occupy them by moving on with the character creation, but they were still left with nothing to do afterwards.

I was just wondering if this was normal for any DM, or is there something I need to work out so that character creation could move faster?

It depends on what level you have them on I had 7 players adding 8 levels to characters which took about 2 hours which drove me nuts, also sometimes the length of time depends on how well your players know what they want. Based on what you said though the best bet would be for everyone to get the PHB and bring it, make it a rule that everyone needs to own the PHB.
Etarnon
02-14-08, 11:31 AM When I invest in a game system, I always buy 3 PHB's or the equivalent, one for me, two to pass around.

For Traveller, I have 5 of them, because we play a lot of Traveller.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
AdenThornwood 02-14-08, 07:40 AM	So, I had recently started a DnD Club and the entire hour of the first meeting (we could only limit to one hour) was spent creating characters. This was mainly because everything they needed for the characters was in the Player's Handbook - and the PHB was being passed around as everyone wrote down information for their character... very slowly. Players who required the PHB at the time and didn't have the PHB passed to them were left with nothing to do. I attempted to occupy them by moving on with the character creation, but they were still left with nothing to do afterwards. I was just wondering if this was normal for any DM, or is there something I need to work out so that character creation could move faster?
geekling 02-14-08, 07:55 AM	I was just wondering if this was normal for any DM, or is there something I need to work out so that character creation could move faster? If you only have one copy of the PHB, and a group of people that have not played much before. Yes. In that situation one thing you can do is take advantage of the class information in the srd. http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/classes.htm Print out a copy of each of the core classes (the ones in the PHB) for your players (or even better, ask them in advance what they want to play, so you which ones you will need.) Then there's less for them to copy out of the PHB and the ones waiting for their turn with the communal book have something to do - read the bits applicable to their character and familiarise themselves with their class abilities.
Green_eyes 02-14-08, 08:05 AM	Try using computer character generators. Like Redblade (google it)
drake_vampiel_d 02-14-08, 09:53 AM	So, I had recently started a DnD Club and the entire hour of the first meeting (we could only limit to one hour) was spent creating characters. This was mainly because everything they needed for the characters was in the Player's Handbook - and the PHB was being passed around as everyone wrote down information for their character... very slowly. Players who required the PHB at the time and didn't have the PHB passed to them were left with nothing to do. I attempted to occupy them by moving on with the character creation, but they were still left with nothing to do afterwards. I was just wondering if this was normal for any DM, or is there something I need to work out so that character creation could move faster? It depends on what level you have them on I had 7 players adding 8 levels to characters which took about 2 hours which drove me nuts, also sometimes the length of time depends on how well your players know what they want. Based on what you said though the best bet would be for everyone to get the PHB and bring it, make it a rule that everyone needs to own the PHB.
Etarnon 02-14-08, 11:31 AM	When I invest in a game system, I always buy 3 PHB's or the equivalent, one for me, two to pass around. For Traveller, I have 5 of them, because we play a lot of Traveller.