New guy into existing group/...

[ post #1 ]

What do you all do when you get a new player joining an existing group?
DO you start him out as normal, or give him a bump up..

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[ post #2 ]

I bump the new guy to bring him up to par with the rest of the group.

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[ post #3 ]

I don't bump him to equal, but I also don't keep him at regular starting quality (or lack of quality, if you will).

So I get a general feel for the average skill levels of the various PCs, figure about how many skills are at that average level. Figure out how many extra dice that would be, and then knock about 1/4 to 1/2 off.

So if the average PC was +8D above starting, I'd let the new player create a character and give him around +4D or +5D to add on to his regular starting skill dice.

That way he's more experienced than a newbie, but he's not as experience as someone who's taken the time to actually play through all of the adventures. I figure playing gives the players who have been there for a while the "time in service" right to have a better character than a newly started character who's coming into an advanced group.

That's one reason why I instituted a "Veteran Points" system in my games. Makes it easier to figure that stuff out when you get new players to the group. Also helps when a PC dies and a player has to create a new character and a 18D/7D character would just get wasted in the first 5 minutes of the current campaign.

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[ post #4 ]

I agree with Grimace; the new guy should start out a little behind the ones who have taken all the risks and earned their stripes, but not so weak as to be useless to the group.

I like to give a new PC something else useful to the established group, usually information, sometimes a skill that proves critical in the following game. If the player works well with the others and is a good fit into the group, I'll give him some minor bonuses and goodies to get him up to the same level as the others... but only after he's earned it!

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[ post #5 ]

If it was a D6 game there is no reason why the new guy cannot start from scratch. Most PCs can start with 6D in a skill, more for some aliens. Quite often in our old games players would create a new character mid-campaign and play along with the older ones without any problem.

D20 & Saga is more tricky due to the challenge system, so I would normally start the new guy even or just a level behind.

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[ post #6 ]

Originally posted by Sithspawn If it was a D6 game there is no reason why the new guy cannot start from scratch. Most PCs can start with 6D in a skill, more for some aliens. Quite often in our old games players would create a new character mid-campaign and play along with the older ones without any problem.

I'd say that depends on how long the game has gone and how much the original PCs have advanced. I've run campaigns that went on for years and the PCs have moved up to some "best in galaxy" level skills, so a brand new 6d skill PC wouldn't be much use to the others.

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[ post #7 ]

I usually don't boost a new guy up right away. Maybe 1 or 2 levels, max (if the other players are level 10+)

I do, however, plan my adventure arround the new character so he goes with the group rightaway.

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[ post #8 ]

For me, it depends on the group dynamic and the details of the campaign. If it's the kind of game where everyone needs to be on par with each other (say, in some kind of military squad, or a game where PCs don't exactly play nice) then bump the new guy up to compete. But if PCs can readily take a beginning level character under a wing, or if their lower level brings some interesting element to the game, then I'd keep it low. In my experience, these lower PCs tend to catch up to the rest any way, so it's interesting to see the noob make his mark in the group.

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[ post #9 ]

Originally posted by Sarge I like to give a new PC something else useful to the established group, usually information, sometimes a skill that proves critical in the following game.

This.

That way, even if he's a little behind level-wise, the other players will still need to rely on him at stages during the game and that'll help him be involved enough not to get bored.

[ post #10 ]

It's especially funny when a high level guys fail their rolls at a critical moment and the low level guy rolls a natrual 20 for that specific action.

New guy saves the day.

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