At a new table and looking to make friends? Healer/buffer all the way! I think healers, especially divine casters, get a rep for being weak compared to the glass cannon casters. But when you play a healer, you really have to pay attention to what other players are doing and then take actions that build the table chemistry and camaraderie. Plus, with a healer in the party, your squishy level 1s are more likely to survive when the DM roles a critical hit with max damage :)
And as a rule, for shorter bounties and quests, I keep backstory short and simple. (Save the detailed backstory for campaigns where you can develop the character alongside the plot). A good backstory for a short session hits 3 questions: Where am I from? What's my motivation? And what's my flaw? That last one is easy to overlook but usually what ends up making a character fun to play. For instance, my dwarven fighter is gruff and in the throes of a midlife crisis. That's enough flavor to bring him to life in a new scene without getting bogged down in details too elaborate for a 2-hour session.
At a new table and looking to make friends? Healer/buffer all the way! I think healers, especially divine casters, get a rep for being weak compared to the glass cannon casters. But when you play a healer, you really have to pay attention to what other players are doing and then take actions that build the table chemistry and camaraderie. Plus, with a healer in the party, your squishy level 1s are more likely to survive when the DM roles a critical hit with max damage :)
And as a rule, for shorter bounties and quests, I keep backstory short and simple. (Save the detailed backstory for campaigns where you can develop the character alongside the plot). A good backstory for a short session hits 3 questions: Where am I from? What's my motivation? And what's my flaw? That last one is easy to overlook but usually what ends up making a character fun to play. For instance, my dwarven fighter is gruff and in the throes of a midlife crisis. That's enough flavor to bring him to life in a new scene without getting bogged down in details too elaborate for a 2-hour session.
You only get to a TPK taking the healer out first. Otherwise the DM is just playing whack-a-mole. ;)