Running First 5e One Shot

[vaz]

This may turn into a campaign eventually, but I am running a 5e game for a group of 5e players who don't like 3.5e. I play 3.5e normally and would like to encourage something like to ease them into it. Starting 2nd level.

32pt Buy, keep the max 15
All classes get an initial feat for free (excl lucky), and a second free feat from the Tool feat list only (from the UA, with additional Homebrewed for other tool profs)
Divorcing ASI from class levels and only Character levels (Fighter 6 and 14, rogue 10 keep their own)
Giving them a magic item to level with them.

It is meant to be a bit higher powered, but what are your opinions of it? Thanks!

[TenaciousJ]

IMO War Caster, Polearm Master, and Crossbow Expert influence play more heavily than Lucky does.  You might consider them off-limits for the free feat.

Divorcing ASI from class levels and only Character levels

I'd reconsider that. Higher ability scores and/or more feats are supposed to be a feature of single-classed characters to make them competitive with multiclassed characters.  For most classes, that makes 4, 8, 12, 16, and 19 dead levels.  You may think you're giving the PCs a power boost this way, but you're weakening single-classed characters.

If you want the players to have higher ability scores as they level, consider giving them a +1 to an ability score occasionally as a reward without breaking the 20 cap.  That way you get the numbers you want without disproportionately affecting single-classed characters.

[vaz]

Thanks. I'm unsure as to what exactly. It's empowering maybe those who want to dip a class by giving them access to an ASI a couple of levels earlier, but if multiclassing was such an issue there wouldn't be such an emphasis on the ASI.

Do you have any examples as to what may be considered more broken than a Warlock 2/Sorcerer X or Warlock 2/Paladin X? I like people coming up with more varied builds, and this is meant to encourage that.

[TenaciousJ]

I think you're misunderstanding me.  I'm not saying multiclassing is broken and doesn't deserve the help.  The PHB ranger and the paladin are the only classes I would say unambiguously gain from multiclassing.  The PHB ranger is so bad it got a UA revision.  Paladin is great, but it has so much synergy with bard and sorcerer that it feels silly not to go into those when the losses for doing so are very minimal.  Every other class is giving up something substantial to multiclass.

I'm saying that you're removing one of the advantages of a single-classed character unintentionally.  The fix I suggest is to give out some +1s to ability scores here and there and not change the rules of ASIs.  This way you stay equitable with both single-classed and multiclassed characters.  You make multiclassing more viable, and the single-classed characters get to keep their feat advantage.

Warlock 2/sorcerer X is not at all broken and is actually a trap.  Delaying spell progression for Eldritch Blast shenanigans is a bad idea, and the build is promoted by people who obsessively calculate at-will DPR to the exclusion of all else as a measure of power.  It's a build that shines up to level 6 and quickly falls off compared to the single-classed sorcerer.  Even at level 17 when you have 9th level spells, going into warlock sacrifices extra 5th-7th level slots that could do a whole lot more in one turn than Eldritch Blast stuff can over an encounter.  Every 9th level caster suffers a bit for multiclassing before 17.

Paladin 6/warlock X is better than warlock 2/paladin X.  Paladin 2/sorcerer X is better than both in the long run, as is paladin 6/sorcerer X.  The warlock versions start stronger because of the short rest slots, but the sorcerer versions pull ahead when accumulating spell slots and metamagic kick in.  Paladin 2 or 6/bard X doesn't bring the raw power of the sorcerer build, but in the long run provides a lot of utility, better spellcasting, and more smiting power than the warlock builds.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

2nd-ing.

Sorc 20 has a 7, a 6 and a 5 spell to use, while
Lock 2 / Sorc 18 has a C, a C and a 4 spell, and some 1s.

The sorc'lock has a smidge more cantrip damage, but
puts 2 Caelic Commandment violations on the whole game.