Best Solo-Friendly Classes for New Players

[Yulrem]

I would strongly recommend choosing a home server and joining a guild then discussing the issue on their discord server. there are too many options you will need to consume before you can build a good solo character

To @zoewalker12,

I’m playing a Wizard solo. Can do, get to and open everything. The only thing I can’t do is disarming traps but my magic and equipment helps me through all.

Depending on your playstyle, if you want to just level up and kill stuff brainlessly, go for it,

but if you want to feel and enjoy the game fully, then I would recommend to explore the game yourself, experiment with characters, find your own way, don't rely on other's opinion and don't join a guild rightaway. Guild buffs are good but experienceing the game without them and without the convenience of the airship would give you the opportunity to actually value everything. It’s a much better experience!

If I were you, I’d prefer playing the game as it was meant to be played, enjoy progression, instead of looking for shortcuts right at the beginnig. Everything will come with time. I would even start a guild for myself to collect the guild renowns and enjoy building up my own airship. It enriches the experience. Later if you feel like it, you can just hand it over to an other character of yours and join a bigger guild.

I play for a year now and at the beginning I was ‘invited’ into guilds, even got money for free from veteran players. It took me about 8 months to realise how much better the early days without all the stuff I was offered.

If this fits your playstyle, resist getting too far too fast. Slow down. Enjoy the game.

Y.

 

[saekee]

IMHO trapping is complicated and requires some gearing knowledge, multiple skills (new players need high spot for example) and even quest knowledge.

Barbs get trap sense and the blood tribute enhancement alone makes for some high survivability. Is half orc FtP? They run fast too which helps with frustration. New players most likely assume you need high STR as a melee at character creation so no later surprises.

If you want to ‘signal’ to groups and others that you are new to the game, just choose halfling as the race for Barbarian and enjoy all the puzzled Tells from folks.

 

[eartheyes]

if you want to flower sniff and learn the game. its hard to come up with a reason not to say arti?

 

[Quartis]

Arti is not f2p.
Trap DC is simple outside of Elite/Reaper and they are not that dangerous in Hard/Normal.

 

[Kimbere]

I'd humbly suggest a pure 20 Spellsinger bard. About the only thing they can't do is traps.

They're not the best at any one thing, but they're good at most things. They're relatively simple to build, gear and play. They get good/great buffs, decent heals, good/great nukes (SLA Shout and Horn of Thunder are really good), decent CC (Soundburt, etc.).

Since their SLAs are viable in elite/r1 from heroics to cap, they're very spell point efficient which is very beneficial to new players and toons. Life gets really good once they get the heal-over-time and spell point regen enhancements to their song buff.

I've recommended this build for favor zerging on a first life / bank toon:

https://forums.ddo.com/index.php?threads/build-to-zerg-house-k-bank-favour.14226/post-172398

It works equally well for not zerging. I've run that build from level 1 to cap as a first lifer in the Hardcore leagues without any problems in the past, too.

 

[Praun]

I'd humbly suggest a pure 20 Spellsinger bard. About the only thing they can't do is traps.

They're not the best at any one thing, but they're good at most things. They're relatively simple to build, gear and play. They get good/great buffs, decent heals, good/great nukes (SLA Shout and Horn of Thunder are really good), decent CC (Soundburt, etc.).

Since their SLAs are viable in elite/r1 from heroics to cap, they're very spell point efficient which is very beneficial to new players and toons. Life gets really good once they get the heal-over-time and spell point regen enhancements to their song buff.

I've recommended this build for favor zerging on a first life / bank toon:

https://forums.ddo.com/index.php?threads/build-to-zerg-house-k-bank-favour.14226/post-172398

It works equally well for not zerging. I've run that build from level 1 to cap as a first lifer in the Hardcore leagues without any problems in the past, too.

Splash two levels of rogue in that build and there is no place it can't go.

 

[Br4d]

Splash two levels of rogue in that build and there is no place it can't go.

Not for a new player though. Bards need Cha and trapping skills are Int and Wis based.

It'd work fine for a vet.

 

[Mornyngstar]

My go to for Hardcore and leveling is Cleric with Sun Domain. You geta ton of SLAs and can selfheal. The buffs overall help the group also. Just remember that the Divine Disciple Tier 3 Prophetic Zenith with Searing Light shares a cooldown with the Sun Domain lv 5 Searing Light.

 

[DDO Gaming]

but if you want to feel and enjoy the game fully, then I would recommend to explore the game yourself, experiment with characters, find your own way, don't rely on other's opinion and don't join a guild rightaway. Guild buffs are good but experienceing the game without them and without the convenience of the airship would give you the opportunity to actually value everything. It’s a much better experience!

the game is supposed to be played in groups, an MMORG/doom fusion allowing gamers to "pew pew" in realtime combat

 

[Kimbere]

Splash two levels of rogue in that build and there is no place it can't go.

Not for a new player though. Bards need Cha and trapping skills are Int and Wis based.

It'd work fine for a vet.

Br4d is correct.

Trying to get trapping skills on a bard stretches it really thin. Plus, losing the capstone on a Spellsinger is a big hit (loses 4 CHA, Heal and Wail) if they plan to take the toon into Epics.

I tried both builds on HCL. Pure bard was a better experience.

 

[Yulrem]

the game is supposed to be played in groups, an MMORG/doom fusion allowing gamers to "pew pew" in realtime combat

None of what you mentioned is opposing the concept of building one's own experience and forming one's own opinion.

But ok, let's put it differently:
Don't join a fully buffed veteran guild. Join one you build together with others from as early as possible.

 

[Coffey]

My go to for Hardcore and leveling is Cleric with Sun Domain. You geta ton of SLAs and can selfheal. The buffs overall help the group also. Just remember that the Divine Disciple Tier 3 Prophetic Zenith with Searing Light shares a cooldown with the Sun Domain lv 5 Searing Light.

Cleric also has SLA (Spell Like Ability) Cure Moderate Wounds (6 Action Points) in the second core of Radiant Servant plus Positive Energy Burst in the third core (11 AP). Both can have Metamagics Empower, Empower Heal, Maximize and Quicken turned on for no extra spell point cost. Positive Energy Burst is an AOE heal and also an attack to Undead creatures.

 

[Praun]

Br4d is correct.

Trying to get trapping skills on a bard stretches it really thin. Plus, losing the capstone on a Spellsinger is a big hit (loses 4 CHA, Heal and Wail) if they plan to take the toon into Epics.

I tried both builds on HCL. Pure bard was a better experience.

Yes, but most new players aren't going in on R1 for their first run either.

A Rogue/Bard is perfect for some new player just learning the game.

 

[Uska]

I like warforged monk can't drown immune to level drain, with shinato can heal yourself and cure things like disease, curse or blindness plus lesser restoration plus evasion but with the coming changes not sure what's going to happen

 

[FaceDancer]

Warforged need to be bought with DDO points or 400 favor otherwise that would be a great race for a new player.

 

[Kimbere]

What do you guys think? Which class would you recommend for a beginner who wants to solo effectively but still contribute in group content later on?

Yes, but most new players aren't going in on R1 for their first run either.

I'm answering the question as the OP asked it. They wanted something that will solo well but still be able to contribute to groups later (aka R1+). A pure bard will do that better.

 

[nix]

Personally, I'd lean toward Arti. Ranged is potent, and the iron defender can distract mobs that get to you long enough to finish them off (If it hasn't gone brain dead)

Not to mention trapping for safety and bonus xp

 

[DDO Gaming]

None of what you mentioned is opposing the concept of building one's own experience and forming one's own opinion.

But ok, let's put it differently:
Don't join a fully buffed veteran guild. Join one you build together with others from as early as possible.

You need to understand how to play the game...inorder to understand how to play the game. The sole way of doing that solo is building lots of characters and trying them on korthos island, deleting them and replacing them with better builds.

Most gamers will find that deeply frustrating and will simply walk away hence the suggestion of joining a ["newbie-friendly"] guild. and EVERY world has a newbie-friendly guild, I'm reasonabkly certain there's a list somewhere

 

[Frisson]

The best class is always the one that resonates with you the most in that moment. After all, playing games is about having fun, first and foremost

If you are new, you don't need to tackle the higher difficulties right away. In fact, exploring and experimenting is totally normal and fulfilling, in its own way.

But to answer your question, I have 2 recommendations:

Palemaster Wizard. This lets you play with all the many spells a Wizard gets access to, whilst benefiting from all the many perks of being Undead(extra fortification, no need to breathe underwater, immunity to energy drain etc.). You can also heal yourself quite readily via the Death Aura spells!

Enlightened Spirit Warlock. It has plenty of survivability through its temp hp (which you can get more of from dipping into Tainted Scholar for Staunch), that it actually gives a new player a nice little buffer to take in everything that is happening in potentially hectic moments. It also lets you survive traps through sheer HP total(though you should try your best to avoid them!)

Best of luck! Let us know how it goes.

 

[Frisson]

IMHO trapping is complicated and requires some gearing knowledge, multiple skills (new players need high spot for example) and even quest knowledge.

Barbs get trap sense and the blood tribute enhancement alone makes for some high survivability. Is half orc FtP? They run fast too which helps with frustration. New players most likely assume you need high STR as a melee at character creation so no later surprises.

If you want to ‘signal’ to groups and others that you are new to the game, just choose halfling as the race for Barbarian and enjoy all the puzzled Tells from folks.

Half-orc was indeed made F2P in Update 53