There are three parts of the game that must be introduced to a new player: the setting, what the players do, and the rules. The first two have to be discussed with the new player before they make character choices. The rules, though shouldn’t be discussed until afterward. Remember, your goal is to give them what they absolutely need to know, but not overwhelm them. There is a lot to learn.

Alright, so you’ve discussed the basics of the setting, and it’s time to create a character for the newcomer. Whatever you do, do not just open the book to the character creation rules and say, “What do you wan to play.” He doesn’t know, and he’ll feel very stupid for not knowing.

Everyone Should Play an Obnoxious Character. Because it provides players with an opportunity to be someone other than themselves, role-playing can be a powerful educational experience, teaching us many valuable social skills. Which is particularly useful, considering that the majority of us grew up as socially inept geeks.

Fleshing out a characters background helps delve deeper into the psyche and allow for greater understanding of this person. But how does one get started?

The most immediately noticeable and commonly used aspect to any character is its name. Your character’s name will stick with you for an entire campaign, so it should be meaningful. Some people have a very difficult time choosing a quality character name, while others don’t even try.

Names come from somewhere. Figure this out, and the rest is easier.