Ludo-narrative Dissonance
Ludo-narrative Dissonance
If your character's starting off at level one, they're really only getting started with adventuring. You can let that be reflected in their backstory.
If you want to play a badass, starting above level 1 is allowed, though probably not recommended for new players still learning the rules of whatever system you're playing.
Considering that a real world new recruit who's only martial experience is about 8-10 weeks of basic training would probably be a second or maybe even third level fighter, first level characters aren't very impressive. If there's an actual zero next to "Experience" on your character sheet you aren't a grizzled veteran and you haven't seen anything rougher than a barfight. You probably lost that fight, too.
I'd never recommend playing dnd 5e at level 1, even for beginners. Level 3 is where classes get their basic identity and you don't instantly die to everything
The first few levels should be thought of as a tutorial, where there is no true peril no matter what enemies you face.
It's useful to get a feel for a new character before you start piling on all the details of class skills.
But the peril is highest in those first few levels as a strong breeze will kill a level 1 character. I also think it is hard to get a feel for a character if they lack eveything that defines them class-wise imo
"I've never lost a fight."
"Jim, that's only because you've never even been in a fight."
Or play Exalted, initial Chargen gives you an initial badass.
I still maintain DND is kind of a bad first rpg. It's extremely idiosyncratic in its rules, and it's also a dream crusher that squeezes the creativity out of new players.
More people would be happy with Fate.
I'm still traumatized from the crit fail I rolled during a campaign five years ago.
I was playing a gunslinger, and made an admittedly foolish attempt to shoot a vermin crawling near my foot. I rolled a 1, and the DM ruled that meant I shot myself in the foot. I couldn't really argue with that outcome, but it was hard to come back from that. It was a harsh post-apocalyptic setting, which meant that the other characters were obliged to rib me for it incessantly, and my character could never seem to redeem himself afterwards.
I hate fumbles I hate fumbles I hate fumbles.
No, my basically competent character does not shoot themselves 5% of the time when they make an attack.
To be fair, if I was aiming literally anywhere else but down at a rat crawling over my foot, it probably would have been a misfire or a bad ricochet.