[RPG] How to help newbies generate characters without being in person

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Background: I am about to start running a virtual D&D5e game over Zoom (I don't have a choice of platform) through the local library. I have invited four of my friends to join, and only one has ever played before (he plays a lvl 5 paladin in my other group and wants to do a paladin or fighter this time). None of them have the 5e books or even know the basics of generating characters.

Usually, when I help new people for their first character, we meet in person and talk, bounce things off each other, banter, interrupt each other, and only then do we even work on the mechanics. However, COVID-19 has made it so we cannot safely do that anymore.

I have access to Roll20, but nobody else does and we cannot use it in game. The library is pretty strict on that. Most communication is done by text, with a little email as well. I effectively have a week to generate 4 characters for 4 mostly-new players before the first session, plus now one for the librarian. We are starting at lvl 7 (that is where the other group is and most will be using the same characters).

How do we generate ideas and then match those with mechanics without being in person?

Update: I emailed the librarian earlier to see if the other players would be willing to make new characters or regress their characters to a lower level, probably lvl 3. I will edit when I get a response. I figure I can point her to all the “start them at lower level” responses here and that should help my case.

Another update: The librarian emailed me back. We’re starting at “a level appropriate for the number of players. Players joining your group from [other GMs]’s groups will regress their characters or create new ones at that level”. I am going to suggest starting at lvl 1, and I have already reached out to the players to update them.

Best Answer

I would honestly handle this the same way I always handle new players in class-based RPG's. Namely, I politely explain that there are a huge number of choices involved in creating a character, many of which may have either no practical effect or have effects which are not immediately obvious, and then I offer to help them build a character where they make the big choices and I take care of all the little details that help make the character easy to play and good for the campaign/module we're running.

In most cases, the new player in question takes me up on this offer, at which point I use the following approach to working with them to generate their character:

  1. Have them come up with a generic concept based around someone from pop culture, literature, mythology, or history. I tend to be pretty strict about not doing 'hybrid' concepts here (IOW, pick one existing figure, and go solely based on that), but it's often not an issue. Maybe they want to be someone like Robin Hood or Batman (yes, I've actually made multiple Batman characters that worked in various systems), perhaps they want to emulate Gandalf the Grey, possibly they want to play a character based on a historical figure such as Ōishi Yoshio, Ecsedi Báthory Erszébet, Mahatma Gandhi, or Winston Churchill (yes, I've had all four before). The idea here is to get a baseline to narrow down possible class+subclass combinations.
  2. Give them a short list of class+subclass combinations based on their selected concept, and explain both how each works in basic terms, and why it may work for their concept. Ideally you want this to be between three and five options, much more tends to overwhelm people, much less and they often feel very limited.
  3. Once you decide on a class, show them the standard list of races, and explain how each one will help or hurt their class choice and impact their character concept in as simple terms as possible. This is when I usually cover the meanings of the different ability scores as well.
  4. Have them select which of the key ability scores for their class they want to be the high one, or for a SAD class have them pick a second score to be their high score other than the one they need from their class. Explain to them how this decision will impact how their character plays. Afterwards, have them pick a single score that they're willing to be bad at.
  5. If they're playing a spellcasting class, determine what they want to focus on in terms of spell selection. My usual approach here is to have them select from single-target damage, AoE damage, buffs, debuffs, tactical support (focused on manipulating the battlefield instead of directly buffing or debuffing), healing, and utility (limiting the list of course based on what's actually available to their class).
  6. Go over the list of backgrounds and traits with them to select ones that fit how they want their character to work. Explain that these have little impact on how the game ends up played, but may provide for story hooks. Also, this is the time to explain inspiration.
  7. At this point, you have everything you need from them for the time being. Using the above input, do the rest of the character creation as for a level one character, creating one character sheet for each way you could optimize them at level one.
  8. Present each of the characters you created to them, explain the differences, and have them pick one.
  9. If starting above level one, simply walk through the level up decisions with them.

In your case, I would go through items 1-6 remotely ASAP, cover 7 on your time, and then deal with 8 and 9 during session zero (and given that you have so many new players, you absolutely need to do a session zero).

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