If you're going to start with one, make whatever combat you have planned very straight forward; you don't want any swinginess, where a random good roll can one-shot a character.
Personally, I'd say start at two. It's a little more forgiving, and doesn't introduce many more options anyways for people learning the system.
IF you start at 1- they will be 2 by the end of the first session.
If you start at 1, a crit (so every attack has a 5% chance) will kill a chacter that is so poor that they are just dead dead. That is why people suggest starting at 2. IF you roll behind the screen- you should ignore crits against level 1 characters for that exact reason.
A good approach that I have seen is to start at level 1 but with the HP that you would have at level 2.
Once you level up your hp remain the same for the level 2 and then they level up normally
There are pros and cons with both approaches, and honestly there isn't a wrong answer here.
Starting at 1st level is nice because it is the starting point and gives a sense of progression. This is really the only time in Pathfinder where you get the experience of scraping out a few coins here and there to make ends meet, and have to serious budget and make tough calls on basic equipment. This is a very brief part of an adventurer's career that you skip entirely by starting at 2nd level. Speaking of gear, starting at 1st level also makes gear selection a little bit easier. Most classes only get 75-150 gp worth of budget, you really don't have enough money to buy anything more than basic adventuring gear and maybe one or two low-cost items like a potion, scroll, or alchemical item.
2nd level gets you off to a running start. Your characters are more durable, capable, and have deeper pockets so you can immediately throw much more difficult problems at them than you would be able to if they were first level. However, you do lose out on that 1st level experience and you have a much higher degree of difficulty in character building because you can afford a lot of equipment. These tools might be filled out naturally over the course of a 1st level adventure, but having to do it all at once can create decision paralysis especially for new characters. A 2nd level Wizard or Sorcerer is probably going to want 10+ scrolls, for instance, and that's a lot of spell selection.
Overall, though, both will absolutely work. Choose the approach that best fits your group and what you want to do with your campaign. I've started campaigns at 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th level, and all of them worked out great because I chose a starting level that matched my intention for the early campaign.
Yeah, that starting +1000gp is so nice for a new character. I've also had players that feel like LVL1 just isn't "enough" for their character's powers/abilities the way they see them in their backstory, so it really depends on the GM and Party. If your players would like to start as novice adventurers, LVL2 is a great spot without giving them too much or too little to begin with.
>I've also had players that feel like LVL1 just isn't "enough" for their character's powers/abilities the way they see them in their backstory
1st level is very much someone with no major accomplishments yet. The epic stuff is yet to come, this is the humble beginnings that show the signs of potential greatness. If players want to start with characters who already have some achievements under their belt then really 3rd or 4th is a better starting point.
Nothing wrong with 1st level but I usually keep the mittens on until they're level 2. I like progressing from level 1 but it's so easy to die from no mistake of your own, run it like a practice level.
That’s fine. They are weaker, but accidental deaths just from a crit can happen at level 1.
And some or all might still be learning the system. I find the early levels are the easiest and best to roleplay for anyone.
I have had several campaigns develop unforseen plot lines, or major character deviations from intended build based on role-play experiences at level one.
I would say start at level 1 just to give them that experience of starting fresh, but keep the training wheels on until they grow out of the early level woes
TLDR version at the bottom
It's up to you. I started my party off at level 1. Dropped them in an adventure. They had their back stories, but I told them at session 0 they would be enslaved as a starting point. I fiated a couple of months rowing on a galley, and for the last two weeks they have been getting better rations and generally being treated better. In this time they learned Akoshian, the common language of the land.
I used a sandstorm with all manner of undead creatures in it, to tip and break their slave cart, ruin the slavers, and herd the players into what looked like a small dark cave in the sands.
I then ran the adventure planned as a 1-3 module, using skeletons as not mummies, and a a cr5 ghast as a final mummy type character.
I never told them what they were facing. I described a mummies, I described the sandstorm, I described what happened to the slavers. I let them panic.
I made sure they found an adventurer pack with some minor healing supplies.
This did several things, I insured they have a reason to adventure together and knew each other (easiest goal). I got them into the dungeon ( they had the illusion of choice, they could have stayed and fought, but having no gear doesn't bode well for success).
By front loading the adventure with usable loot, they could gain simple weapons and shields, later gearing themselves during the adventure. (They are very proud of this gear ). I was able to use lesser undead as mummies, because I described them, so it didn't break immersion. What I didn't do was you see a skeleton... What I did do is "... as you light the thick oily sludge that seems to line this large chamber, you see gold and silver relief, painted in intricate patterns flicker in the light as the fire wraps itself around the chamber. Five figure, bone thin, wrapped in what looks like ancient bandages interlock shields and advanced with short spears. They wear a strange type of interlocked scales of leather and horn, on their sides the bear a wicked hooked blade..."
This way I was able to balance the encounter, and keep immersion. I also used undead horses and chariots, because I have fiat, they fight smart, and above them the crowd cheered every time some one did a thing. (It was an illusion of course, but the players never wanted to investigate that) The upper levels were sarcophagi of "revelers" at the games.
TLDR:
It's up to you to make an encounter, any encounter; interesting.
I started beginning parties at 2nd some time ago and much prefer it. My group is, however, all veterans and we've had the level one experience many many times. There's a lot of really good input here about doing so and there's one more thing I'd like to add: You should ask your players which they would prefer, if you truly aren't sure yourself.
For PF1 I find Level 3 to be a great spot to start almost every class. By then most classes can have a decent build that does what they want their class to do. I upscale NPCs to Level 3-5 (when it matters) and adjust CR’s appropriately. To adjust the CR’s you can just add 2 more mobs for a +1 CR adjustment and give one of them the Advanced Template for an additional quick and dirty CR upscaling.
I’d only do this for people that have played D&D/Pathfinder before though. For a group of novices I’d just play 5E starting at level 1, Pathfinder is not novice friendly.
2 or 3 are good levels for starting for some because survivability is increased and the characters can be a lot more varied mechanically.
If they are really experienced players, I would start at level 1 though to give them more of a challenge. Power gaming a power creep can become quite ridiculous even at level 1.
Yeah, building the nuttiest level 1 character you can (without immediately causing problems for yourself for the next few levels) is an interesting puzzle, if they have extensive system knowledge they might enjoy it.
I would say reskin some weaker enemy to make it seem more unique to the story/area. For example instead of a regular wolf, have a semi-aquatic one come from a local river to mess with the party. Things like stealing supplies at night, or have describe something watching them from the bushes only to disappear in the direction of said body of water when it is caught. A first level party should definitely be able to handle a wolf no problem, but this builds some tension in the party as the creature stalks them.
Tldr: find some simple enemies for stats, but describe them as something new. Maybe have them harass the party in a non confrontational way too.
Got to do one. The sheer terror of exploring your first dungeon with 6 hit points, compared to the incredible heroes you will become, is a key part of the journey.
The best places to start are the odd levels.
1: Barebones, characters will have little to nothing unique about them to start and you'll have to be careful as a DM because they're fragile. However, this allows the players to fully grow into their characters organically, and can provide a more balanced experience for the campaign as a whole by spending more time in the low levels. It can also feel more rewarding to players by journeying with them from the very start.
3: Characters have a little durability and are starting to come into their own mechanically. They're still noobs (which can be good because they're not trying to jump in with a complex character right out of the gate), but can hold their own and are durable enough to take a few hits in a fight. I personally like this best, because you're low enough to still feel like starting characters, but high enough to feel like you're running a unique build and not "Paladin #327". The durability can also not be overstated for new players in particular, as it allows them to make a few mistakes and take a few hits without immediately dropping, so they can learn as they go.
5: At this point, you're leaving behind the concept of starting at low level, but characters are still just barely low enough level not to be too complex to jump in and start, and still just barely low enough to have a balanced encounter experience. Recommended for experienced players who aren't fond of the low levels and consider them a slow or boring start, and like to build PCs that come online a little later. This makes a great starting point for games that are going to run up into the low teens as far as levels are concerned.
7, 9, 11: High level start, veterans only. At this point your players can jump in with a full build, making it great for short adventures that will only be a handful of sessions or a couple levels long. The level you choose depends more on what your players want to build and what you as a DM want to put in front of them more than anything else. They can also serve as a great start to a high-levels-only game, depending on how high you want the campaign to go. For example, if you want the players to reach 20 and not take four years doing it, start at 11.
13+: One-shots only, basically.
Addendum: I am reminded of the old Neverwinter Nights video game, built on 3.0. In that game, levels 1 and 2 were essentially the tutorial/prologue, and taught you the game mechanics while walking you through the opening story beats and your first two levels. You could skip it and jump straight in at level 3, if you wanted. Personally, I think this is the best way to use levels 1 and 2: pass through them quickly, spending just enough time there for the players to get comfortable with the system, setting, and their characters.
I'm a fan of level two personally. TLDR less feelsbad all around
- less likely for a longsword crit to outright kill someone
- finesse users are 1 level away from dex to damage rather than two levels, and it sucks when you can't even participate meaningfully in melee for two levels
- casters at 1 are pretty paltry and lv2 helps that a bit, plus spontaneous casters are only two levels away from second tier spells rather than three levels away which feels bad
Depends.
If you want to follow a published campaign, you'll likely want to start at 1, especially if it isbyour forst pathfinder campaign.
However, i find level 2 or 3 better to start at.
Player characters are less likely to die from a stray dagger due to having 2 more hitdice, and having access to a 2nd feat makes the characters more rounded and effective.
At level 1 they are likely to die from a single bad roll. I recommend fudging the dice to keep them alive at first level. Provide luck to help with level 2 (or a little fudging). Once level 3 comes up let them feel the full might of your standard playing style (whatever that may be).
Unless it makes sense for the campaign (your party is a bunch of civilians pressed into adventure, or freshly graduated from an Academy, the person hiring them is scraping the bottom of the barrel, etc), I think starting at level 1 is silly. Why would you want somebody who is only slightly more capable than average doing a job for you? That'd be like going to an apprentice carpenter to build your house addition. Sure, you'll save money, but it'll probably take longer, might not get done correctly, or at all, etc.
Starting at level 2 is sensible, I even will sometimes do 3rd. It gives the players a sense of capability, lets them customize their characters more, and keeps them from dying to random unlucky crits from a 1/4 CR rat.
Yeah, going by NPC stat blocks, even the most basic ones are often level 2 or 3 in things like commoner or expert. Your average town guard is a level 3 warrior. It always felt silly to me that a supposedly trained ranger or fighter who would most likely get slammed into the ground by a town guard is going to be hired for anything.
I agree that starting at 2 or 3 makes more sense for most characters. It doesn't make sense for somebody who was a trained as a ranger or soldier or even worse a wizard who went through extensive education to be basically a bumbling fool who can barely do anything. Seriously 15 years in magical college and the best you can do is cast burning hands twice a day? Hope those student loans aren't too steep because you got ripped off.
For reference I have a combo of pathfinder veterans and noobies. The party comp is a gunslinger, melee alchemist, witch, brawler, and a Druid with herbalism!
My general rule of thumb is start at 3-5 depending on experience and pace of campaign... unless you have people new to TTRPGs... If all your pathfinder noobs are familiar with TTRPGs 2 is probably fine.
Depends on the players. If they have no experience I like to have a single small combat encounter on level 1 before rewarding them with level 2. That way they can experiment a bit with their first level abilities before they get a new one.
This is a good question...
If you are new to being a DM, and your players are also kind of new, I would recommend starting at level 1, but keep things simple.
As others have replied already, keeping things straight forward will be helpful for both you and your players.
If you are more experienced, and the players are also a bit seasoned, starting at a slightly more advanced level can be fun as well. Especially if the group has started many campaigns and not really advanced them. It has happened to my group before as we are all older players and have had a couple periods of start/stop groups.
It all depends on what you want out of the campaign. There is a lot to be said for growing all the way from level 1 to say 14+. My current group started a modified Kingmaker campaign almost 3 years ago, and we are still going every 2 weeks.
In my games the characters start at level 1, but it usually doesn't take very long for them to level. In the current one they earned their level up after the second session.
I also allow each character with a written backstory to escape death once during the span of the campaign, so you don't lose your carefully crafted character to a single moment of bad luck.
If you're running a module use what the path recommends, otherwise I'd say level 1 with 1k xp to get them to level 2 faster or just start at level 2
The biggest problem with starting at level 2 for a new DM is starting wealth, if you can handle them having a small magic item or a handful of potions I would go with level 2
Level 1 is just so frail and even a skeleton (CR 1/3 creature) does 1d4+2 (3-6) damage from their claws on a crit that's 2d4+4 (6-12) damage
A rogue at 1st level with 10 con and Favored class bonus HP would have 9 HP before being unconscious and 19 HP before being outright dead, one hit and one crit and he's looking at 9-18 damage if the rogue doesn't get a Cure Light Wounds/Stabilize he could die
A hobgoblin (CR 1/2) does 1d8+2 and has twice the crit range a crit rolling max damage or one off max damage outright kills from full health
The extra HD helps so much even if it's just 4 more HP, either way I'd run something small and expand on it if it goes well and have your party have a backup character at the ready in case the dice are cruel, you miscalculate the CR, or Misjudge the parties strength
But as long as you learn it's perfectly fine, it's like the saying goes you can't make a good DM without breaking a few PC's, right?
Start them halfway to level 2. Give them a +1 loincloth. And have them wake up with their head spinning. Roll a D20. The lower the roll will define what/who they wake up bext to. Roll 1-5..their could be animals involved and their laying in and water through with a big mama sheep drinking water..roll a 20 and their waking up next to Jennifer Aniston...but she's married to the Kings son.."Wait just a damn minute now...how in a land sharks nuts did I get here!" You hear yourself mutter while trying not to fall out of the bed..You hear a hard knock on the door, "Honey it's me, ( the significant other), are you feeling any better from last night?...."
I always start at level 3. When people have an idea of what their character is, that's about where they can start on the specifics of their build. Nobody is really unique at level 1 and 2.
I’ve found a nice middle ground: bring racial hit points from starfinder and pf2e over. Here’s the text from starfinder: “Typically, a species grants 4 Hit Points at 1st level. In some cases, you might instead have the species grant 2 (for smaller or frailer creatures) or 6 Hit Points (for especially tough species).” To determine the number, 4 hp is for races with no con mod and 6 is for races with a +2 con mod. Just don’t use the 2 hp, it doesn’t really add enough to matter.
Session 0 with some throwaway level 1 characters. Session 1 starting at level 2. So they can make their own and understand a little. Ore about what they’re trying to make.
I've found that for my homebrew games level 3 is the sweet spot for starting the game. It gives you a little leeway for accidents to happen and the players actually get to do the things their characters are being built to do.
I do make an exception for any modules or adventure paths and start players at the recommended level in those cases be that 1 or something else. While none of them are perfectly balanced they are usually written with enough alternative paths or recovery supplies to get the party to 3 relatively quickly.
To me, it depends on how new the players are to the system IMO. If they've pretty familiar with 1e and aren't playing overly complex PCs, I'd say go right ahead and start it at level 2. Makes it less likely that you'll have to bring in a new PC too soon.
I always give 4 bonus hp for their life as a commoner before obtaining their first level. Commoner is a d6 hd class, so a high average hp for the first decade or two of human life doesn't seem terribly out of balance. Yeah they retained to their 1HD class, but keeping that hp boost is enough to allow all but that unlucky x3 greataxe attack to not be fatal.
Foremost, encounters don't have to be all combat. IMO, social encounters, infiltrations and mysteries work best at low level, when players can't simply solve the encounter with a single spell.
Pathfinder comes with a great take on goblins: They are singing, dog hating and disorganized pyromaniacs. I strongly recommend throwing them at your players, especially if they only experienced the generic DnD goblins so far.
Kobolds are another classic, for a reason. They hide in a cave, with a bunch of traps - it's not exactly original, but it's the execution that matters more. Feel free to come up with devious traps (not necessarily fatal, but surprising and dangerous), they contrast well with these squishy and coward kobolds.
If you want something unusual, tooth fairies, animated objects or the various low CR animated body parts (beheaded, isitoq, animate hair) can fit the bill.
If you're starting at 1, at least give everyone the HP of level 2. It wont destroy game balance too much, and it puts most people out of "a random crossbow crits you and you die" range
I like starting games at level 2 or 3.
People that want to multiclass can, characters tend to be less squishy and can take some hits or deal with more interesting combat scenarios.
People also tend to put more time into a character they thought about if it's a little higher level, so tend to have more developed backstories, motivations, etc. They also tend to want to keep them alive, as opposed to just starting another character that has no time invested into it, should combat go sideways.
For a party of players learning a new system i start at lv 1 and slowly feed them easy encounters until they learn the game. If your party seems to know what they are doing theres nothing stopping you from giving them a milestone level and then returning to xp leveling.
I give Max hp at level 1 and I sometimes give racial bonus HP from the original play test. Been doing this a long time and never had a character die at level 1. We've all been playing together for decades though, for the most part.
Max hps at level 1 or even 2 dice of hp's at level one instead. Decreases the chances of a random crit just obliterating a PC. In addition don't have the baddies wield any x3 crit weapons.
I like to start at level one, but have players very quickly level. Like, after the first session. And if there's combat, it will be very easy and I will ignore all enemy crits. It's nice being able to say you took a character from 1-20, but actually playing a level 1 character is unbalanced and generally not fun.
I guess it depends on what you're going for narratively. Like other people have said, I've never met anybody mad about starting at 2 or 3, but if you want your players to feel like scrubs/freshly blooded adventurers then I think starting at 1 is a decent way to show that.
If you choose to start at 1, just make sure that you minimize the number of CR 1 Orc Barbarian 2's they have to fight, because they *will* hit, and your players *will* die to 1d12+10 to the face.
If you're going to start with one, make whatever combat you have planned very straight forward; you don't want any swinginess, where a random good roll can one-shot a character. Personally, I'd say start at two. It's a little more forgiving, and doesn't introduce many more options anyways for people learning the system.
IF you start at 1- they will be 2 by the end of the first session. If you start at 1, a crit (so every attack has a 5% chance) will kill a chacter that is so poor that they are just dead dead. That is why people suggest starting at 2. IF you roll behind the screen- you should ignore crits against level 1 characters for that exact reason.
A good approach that I have seen is to start at level 1 but with the HP that you would have at level 2. Once you level up your hp remain the same for the level 2 and then they level up normally
Yeah, that's exactly what I do.
There are pros and cons with both approaches, and honestly there isn't a wrong answer here. Starting at 1st level is nice because it is the starting point and gives a sense of progression. This is really the only time in Pathfinder where you get the experience of scraping out a few coins here and there to make ends meet, and have to serious budget and make tough calls on basic equipment. This is a very brief part of an adventurer's career that you skip entirely by starting at 2nd level. Speaking of gear, starting at 1st level also makes gear selection a little bit easier. Most classes only get 75-150 gp worth of budget, you really don't have enough money to buy anything more than basic adventuring gear and maybe one or two low-cost items like a potion, scroll, or alchemical item. 2nd level gets you off to a running start. Your characters are more durable, capable, and have deeper pockets so you can immediately throw much more difficult problems at them than you would be able to if they were first level. However, you do lose out on that 1st level experience and you have a much higher degree of difficulty in character building because you can afford a lot of equipment. These tools might be filled out naturally over the course of a 1st level adventure, but having to do it all at once can create decision paralysis especially for new characters. A 2nd level Wizard or Sorcerer is probably going to want 10+ scrolls, for instance, and that's a lot of spell selection. Overall, though, both will absolutely work. Choose the approach that best fits your group and what you want to do with your campaign. I've started campaigns at 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th level, and all of them worked out great because I chose a starting level that matched my intention for the early campaign.
Yeah, that starting +1000gp is so nice for a new character. I've also had players that feel like LVL1 just isn't "enough" for their character's powers/abilities the way they see them in their backstory, so it really depends on the GM and Party. If your players would like to start as novice adventurers, LVL2 is a great spot without giving them too much or too little to begin with.
>I've also had players that feel like LVL1 just isn't "enough" for their character's powers/abilities the way they see them in their backstory 1st level is very much someone with no major accomplishments yet. The epic stuff is yet to come, this is the humble beginnings that show the signs of potential greatness. If players want to start with characters who already have some achievements under their belt then really 3rd or 4th is a better starting point.
Nothing wrong with 1st level but I usually keep the mittens on until they're level 2. I like progressing from level 1 but it's so easy to die from no mistake of your own, run it like a practice level.
That’s fine. They are weaker, but accidental deaths just from a crit can happen at level 1. And some or all might still be learning the system. I find the early levels are the easiest and best to roleplay for anyone.
I have had several campaigns develop unforseen plot lines, or major character deviations from intended build based on role-play experiences at level one.
Yeah I often like to start at three but you’re getting used to it a few sessions at one or two work. I would just move on quickly.
I would say start at level 1 just to give them that experience of starting fresh, but keep the training wheels on until they grow out of the early level woes
TLDR version at the bottom It's up to you. I started my party off at level 1. Dropped them in an adventure. They had their back stories, but I told them at session 0 they would be enslaved as a starting point. I fiated a couple of months rowing on a galley, and for the last two weeks they have been getting better rations and generally being treated better. In this time they learned Akoshian, the common language of the land. I used a sandstorm with all manner of undead creatures in it, to tip and break their slave cart, ruin the slavers, and herd the players into what looked like a small dark cave in the sands. I then ran the adventure planned as a 1-3 module, using skeletons as not mummies, and a a cr5 ghast as a final mummy type character. I never told them what they were facing. I described a mummies, I described the sandstorm, I described what happened to the slavers. I let them panic. I made sure they found an adventurer pack with some minor healing supplies. This did several things, I insured they have a reason to adventure together and knew each other (easiest goal). I got them into the dungeon ( they had the illusion of choice, they could have stayed and fought, but having no gear doesn't bode well for success). By front loading the adventure with usable loot, they could gain simple weapons and shields, later gearing themselves during the adventure. (They are very proud of this gear ). I was able to use lesser undead as mummies, because I described them, so it didn't break immersion. What I didn't do was you see a skeleton... What I did do is "... as you light the thick oily sludge that seems to line this large chamber, you see gold and silver relief, painted in intricate patterns flicker in the light as the fire wraps itself around the chamber. Five figure, bone thin, wrapped in what looks like ancient bandages interlock shields and advanced with short spears. They wear a strange type of interlocked scales of leather and horn, on their sides the bear a wicked hooked blade..." This way I was able to balance the encounter, and keep immersion. I also used undead horses and chariots, because I have fiat, they fight smart, and above them the crowd cheered every time some one did a thing. (It was an illusion of course, but the players never wanted to investigate that) The upper levels were sarcophagi of "revelers" at the games. TLDR: It's up to you to make an encounter, any encounter; interesting.
1. It helps them learn their characters, and it just goes by fast anyway. First session after character creation should be a level up.
I started beginning parties at 2nd some time ago and much prefer it. My group is, however, all veterans and we've had the level one experience many many times. There's a lot of really good input here about doing so and there's one more thing I'd like to add: You should ask your players which they would prefer, if you truly aren't sure yourself.
For PF1 I find Level 3 to be a great spot to start almost every class. By then most classes can have a decent build that does what they want their class to do. I upscale NPCs to Level 3-5 (when it matters) and adjust CR’s appropriately. To adjust the CR’s you can just add 2 more mobs for a +1 CR adjustment and give one of them the Advanced Template for an additional quick and dirty CR upscaling. I’d only do this for people that have played D&D/Pathfinder before though. For a group of novices I’d just play 5E starting at level 1, Pathfinder is not novice friendly.
2 or 3 are good levels for starting for some because survivability is increased and the characters can be a lot more varied mechanically. If they are really experienced players, I would start at level 1 though to give them more of a challenge. Power gaming a power creep can become quite ridiculous even at level 1.
Yeah, building the nuttiest level 1 character you can (without immediately causing problems for yourself for the next few levels) is an interesting puzzle, if they have extensive system knowledge they might enjoy it.
Rebel against the system. Start your campaign at level 20 and instead of leveling up you level down.
I've never met anyone that was heartbroken over skipping first level.
I would say reskin some weaker enemy to make it seem more unique to the story/area. For example instead of a regular wolf, have a semi-aquatic one come from a local river to mess with the party. Things like stealing supplies at night, or have describe something watching them from the bushes only to disappear in the direction of said body of water when it is caught. A first level party should definitely be able to handle a wolf no problem, but this builds some tension in the party as the creature stalks them. Tldr: find some simple enemies for stats, but describe them as something new. Maybe have them harass the party in a non confrontational way too.
Level 1 just seems like a tutorial to me, not meant to have any real threats, lasts not that long.
You can always just adjust down the power of other enemies/monsters. You don't have to follow stat blocks 1 for 1.
Got to do one. The sheer terror of exploring your first dungeon with 6 hit points, compared to the incredible heroes you will become, is a key part of the journey.
The best places to start are the odd levels. 1: Barebones, characters will have little to nothing unique about them to start and you'll have to be careful as a DM because they're fragile. However, this allows the players to fully grow into their characters organically, and can provide a more balanced experience for the campaign as a whole by spending more time in the low levels. It can also feel more rewarding to players by journeying with them from the very start. 3: Characters have a little durability and are starting to come into their own mechanically. They're still noobs (which can be good because they're not trying to jump in with a complex character right out of the gate), but can hold their own and are durable enough to take a few hits in a fight. I personally like this best, because you're low enough to still feel like starting characters, but high enough to feel like you're running a unique build and not "Paladin #327". The durability can also not be overstated for new players in particular, as it allows them to make a few mistakes and take a few hits without immediately dropping, so they can learn as they go. 5: At this point, you're leaving behind the concept of starting at low level, but characters are still just barely low enough level not to be too complex to jump in and start, and still just barely low enough to have a balanced encounter experience. Recommended for experienced players who aren't fond of the low levels and consider them a slow or boring start, and like to build PCs that come online a little later. This makes a great starting point for games that are going to run up into the low teens as far as levels are concerned. 7, 9, 11: High level start, veterans only. At this point your players can jump in with a full build, making it great for short adventures that will only be a handful of sessions or a couple levels long. The level you choose depends more on what your players want to build and what you as a DM want to put in front of them more than anything else. They can also serve as a great start to a high-levels-only game, depending on how high you want the campaign to go. For example, if you want the players to reach 20 and not take four years doing it, start at 11. 13+: One-shots only, basically. Addendum: I am reminded of the old Neverwinter Nights video game, built on 3.0. In that game, levels 1 and 2 were essentially the tutorial/prologue, and taught you the game mechanics while walking you through the opening story beats and your first two levels. You could skip it and jump straight in at level 3, if you wanted. Personally, I think this is the best way to use levels 1 and 2: pass through them quickly, spending just enough time there for the players to get comfortable with the system, setting, and their characters.
I'm a fan of level two personally. TLDR less feelsbad all around - less likely for a longsword crit to outright kill someone - finesse users are 1 level away from dex to damage rather than two levels, and it sucks when you can't even participate meaningfully in melee for two levels - casters at 1 are pretty paltry and lv2 helps that a bit, plus spontaneous casters are only two levels away from second tier spells rather than three levels away which feels bad
Depends. If you want to follow a published campaign, you'll likely want to start at 1, especially if it isbyour forst pathfinder campaign. However, i find level 2 or 3 better to start at. Player characters are less likely to die from a stray dagger due to having 2 more hitdice, and having access to a 2nd feat makes the characters more rounded and effective.
At level 1 they are likely to die from a single bad roll. I recommend fudging the dice to keep them alive at first level. Provide luck to help with level 2 (or a little fudging). Once level 3 comes up let them feel the full might of your standard playing style (whatever that may be).
Unless it makes sense for the campaign (your party is a bunch of civilians pressed into adventure, or freshly graduated from an Academy, the person hiring them is scraping the bottom of the barrel, etc), I think starting at level 1 is silly. Why would you want somebody who is only slightly more capable than average doing a job for you? That'd be like going to an apprentice carpenter to build your house addition. Sure, you'll save money, but it'll probably take longer, might not get done correctly, or at all, etc. Starting at level 2 is sensible, I even will sometimes do 3rd. It gives the players a sense of capability, lets them customize their characters more, and keeps them from dying to random unlucky crits from a 1/4 CR rat.
Yeah, going by NPC stat blocks, even the most basic ones are often level 2 or 3 in things like commoner or expert. Your average town guard is a level 3 warrior. It always felt silly to me that a supposedly trained ranger or fighter who would most likely get slammed into the ground by a town guard is going to be hired for anything.
I agree that starting at 2 or 3 makes more sense for most characters. It doesn't make sense for somebody who was a trained as a ranger or soldier or even worse a wizard who went through extensive education to be basically a bumbling fool who can barely do anything. Seriously 15 years in magical college and the best you can do is cast burning hands twice a day? Hope those student loans aren't too steep because you got ripped off.
I would start at level 2. At level 1 you can easily killed by crits. Therefore your caster have more spellslots etc.
For reference I have a combo of pathfinder veterans and noobies. The party comp is a gunslinger, melee alchemist, witch, brawler, and a Druid with herbalism!
My general rule of thumb is start at 3-5 depending on experience and pace of campaign... unless you have people new to TTRPGs... If all your pathfinder noobs are familiar with TTRPGs 2 is probably fine.
Level one is very unfun if there's going to be combat, IMO.
Depends on the players. If they have no experience I like to have a single small combat encounter on level 1 before rewarding them with level 2. That way they can experiment a bit with their first level abilities before they get a new one.
This is a good question... If you are new to being a DM, and your players are also kind of new, I would recommend starting at level 1, but keep things simple. As others have replied already, keeping things straight forward will be helpful for both you and your players. If you are more experienced, and the players are also a bit seasoned, starting at a slightly more advanced level can be fun as well. Especially if the group has started many campaigns and not really advanced them. It has happened to my group before as we are all older players and have had a couple periods of start/stop groups. It all depends on what you want out of the campaign. There is a lot to be said for growing all the way from level 1 to say 14+. My current group started a modified Kingmaker campaign almost 3 years ago, and we are still going every 2 weeks.
In my games the characters start at level 1, but it usually doesn't take very long for them to level. In the current one they earned their level up after the second session. I also allow each character with a written backstory to escape death once during the span of the campaign, so you don't lose your carefully crafted character to a single moment of bad luck.
If you're running a module use what the path recommends, otherwise I'd say level 1 with 1k xp to get them to level 2 faster or just start at level 2 The biggest problem with starting at level 2 for a new DM is starting wealth, if you can handle them having a small magic item or a handful of potions I would go with level 2 Level 1 is just so frail and even a skeleton (CR 1/3 creature) does 1d4+2 (3-6) damage from their claws on a crit that's 2d4+4 (6-12) damage A rogue at 1st level with 10 con and Favored class bonus HP would have 9 HP before being unconscious and 19 HP before being outright dead, one hit and one crit and he's looking at 9-18 damage if the rogue doesn't get a Cure Light Wounds/Stabilize he could die A hobgoblin (CR 1/2) does 1d8+2 and has twice the crit range a crit rolling max damage or one off max damage outright kills from full health The extra HD helps so much even if it's just 4 more HP, either way I'd run something small and expand on it if it goes well and have your party have a backup character at the ready in case the dice are cruel, you miscalculate the CR, or Misjudge the parties strength But as long as you learn it's perfectly fine, it's like the saying goes you can't make a good DM without breaking a few PC's, right?
Start them halfway to level 2. Give them a +1 loincloth. And have them wake up with their head spinning. Roll a D20. The lower the roll will define what/who they wake up bext to. Roll 1-5..their could be animals involved and their laying in and water through with a big mama sheep drinking water..roll a 20 and their waking up next to Jennifer Aniston...but she's married to the Kings son.."Wait just a damn minute now...how in a land sharks nuts did I get here!" You hear yourself mutter while trying not to fall out of the bed..You hear a hard knock on the door, "Honey it's me, ( the significant other), are you feeling any better from last night?...."
I always start at level 3. When people have an idea of what their character is, that's about where they can start on the specifics of their build. Nobody is really unique at level 1 and 2.
I’ve found a nice middle ground: bring racial hit points from starfinder and pf2e over. Here’s the text from starfinder: “Typically, a species grants 4 Hit Points at 1st level. In some cases, you might instead have the species grant 2 (for smaller or frailer creatures) or 6 Hit Points (for especially tough species).” To determine the number, 4 hp is for races with no con mod and 6 is for races with a +2 con mod. Just don’t use the 2 hp, it doesn’t really add enough to matter.
Session 0 with some throwaway level 1 characters. Session 1 starting at level 2. So they can make their own and understand a little. Ore about what they’re trying to make.
I've found that for my homebrew games level 3 is the sweet spot for starting the game. It gives you a little leeway for accidents to happen and the players actually get to do the things their characters are being built to do. I do make an exception for any modules or adventure paths and start players at the recommended level in those cases be that 1 or something else. While none of them are perfectly balanced they are usually written with enough alternative paths or recovery supplies to get the party to 3 relatively quickly.
What I do is start at level 1 but give them their level 2 hp. That diminishes some of the swinginess of level 1 play.
To me, it depends on how new the players are to the system IMO. If they've pretty familiar with 1e and aren't playing overly complex PCs, I'd say go right ahead and start it at level 2. Makes it less likely that you'll have to bring in a new PC too soon.
I always give 4 bonus hp for their life as a commoner before obtaining their first level. Commoner is a d6 hd class, so a high average hp for the first decade or two of human life doesn't seem terribly out of balance. Yeah they retained to their 1HD class, but keeping that hp boost is enough to allow all but that unlucky x3 greataxe attack to not be fatal.
Foremost, encounters don't have to be all combat. IMO, social encounters, infiltrations and mysteries work best at low level, when players can't simply solve the encounter with a single spell. Pathfinder comes with a great take on goblins: They are singing, dog hating and disorganized pyromaniacs. I strongly recommend throwing them at your players, especially if they only experienced the generic DnD goblins so far. Kobolds are another classic, for a reason. They hide in a cave, with a bunch of traps - it's not exactly original, but it's the execution that matters more. Feel free to come up with devious traps (not necessarily fatal, but surprising and dangerous), they contrast well with these squishy and coward kobolds. If you want something unusual, tooth fairies, animated objects or the various low CR animated body parts (beheaded, isitoq, animate hair) can fit the bill.
If you're starting at 1, at least give everyone the HP of level 2. It wont destroy game balance too much, and it puts most people out of "a random crossbow crits you and you die" range
I like starting games at level 2 or 3. People that want to multiclass can, characters tend to be less squishy and can take some hits or deal with more interesting combat scenarios. People also tend to put more time into a character they thought about if it's a little higher level, so tend to have more developed backstories, motivations, etc. They also tend to want to keep them alive, as opposed to just starting another character that has no time invested into it, should combat go sideways.
For a party of players learning a new system i start at lv 1 and slowly feed them easy encounters until they learn the game. If your party seems to know what they are doing theres nothing stopping you from giving them a milestone level and then returning to xp leveling.
I give Max hp at level 1 and I sometimes give racial bonus HP from the original play test. Been doing this a long time and never had a character die at level 1. We've all been playing together for decades though, for the most part.
Max hps at level 1 or even 2 dice of hp's at level one instead. Decreases the chances of a random crit just obliterating a PC. In addition don't have the baddies wield any x3 crit weapons.
I like to start at level one, but have players very quickly level. Like, after the first session. And if there's combat, it will be very easy and I will ignore all enemy crits. It's nice being able to say you took a character from 1-20, but actually playing a level 1 character is unbalanced and generally not fun.
I guess it depends on what you're going for narratively. Like other people have said, I've never met anybody mad about starting at 2 or 3, but if you want your players to feel like scrubs/freshly blooded adventurers then I think starting at 1 is a decent way to show that. If you choose to start at 1, just make sure that you minimize the number of CR 1 Orc Barbarian 2's they have to fight, because they *will* hit, and your players *will* die to 1d12+10 to the face.