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I think this would be a better median between a complex system of your starting gear and the story and just starting with odd gear. A few boxes with say 20 random weapons armor 3-4 sets of armor... and then you could easily pretend that this included "your" equipment.
Yeah, I agree that being abducted sets up a context where you don't have full access to "starting equipment" options, but it makes no more sense that my Cleric would wake up with a shield and mace on their body than with a shortsword and a shield...
I actually think your idea about the chest would be a really solid and simple way to address the issue. Having a chest or two nearby with like... "♥♥♥♥ the abductees were carrying when we teleported them into the pod" would make sense, and then the selected starting equipment would further make sense since it was what you had on you before you were zip-zapped and tadpolled.
Lae'zel starts in githyanki half plate and a longsword. The MC starts with armor and weapons as well, I don't see why they don't just let us pick the armor+weapons are character would naturally be wearing prior to be abducted.
Because they then have to write an interface which allows selecting of equipment on startup -- something their character creator is not optimized to do and which adds a ton of extra time at character creature -- especially for new players. You can emulate it just by having a few chests with a few suits of leather, chain shirt, and scale mail, plus a few with a staff, few daggers, shortsword, maces, hand axes, battle axes, longswords, short bows, a light crossbow, etc. Takes no programming time, doesn't slow down or convolute character creation, and takes zero programming time. You can then pretend that some of those weapons would have been yours when captured.
This removes the balance of starting weapons/armor and instead replaces it with a free for all system. Clerics have the choice between a crossbow or another simple weapon. Or a mace and a warhammer. Or what starting armor they want. They don't have access to as much as they can carry to sell to the nearest vendor.
Your solution is an easy bandaid, but I'd rather them take the time in doing more than implementing bandaid solutions.
The setup is you are an abducted prisoner by mind controlling super aliens. The mindflayers never disarmed you, they had no reason to need to. So what you're carrying should probably match what you'd actually use.
Would be a reasonable thing to add, give some options to people. Or start the player disarmed with an equipment chest nearby with all the non magical options you'd want. Couch it in a dialog menu if you don't want people looting an entire armory, just say it holds your equipment and give you options so you get to choose a primary weapon, backup, and your armor set. This is actually very easy to implement.
I mean, I'm not sure it would be all that difficult to add in starting equipment choices, as it would be a relatively similar demand as being able to choose starting spells for a given class. I'm not a programmer, so I don't know exactly what it would take to implement "starting weapon/armor" choices into the player creation screen, but I really can't imagine that it would be that much added labour, especially since it's not like they would be making *every possible item, weapon, and armor* an available option. It would be a handful of choices per character, and again, it could be presented in a similar way as spell selection is.
Like, I am not asking for the *entire* set of gear choices given in 5e (like I said, I'm not looking to choose which equipment pack my character has), but at least starting weapons/armor should be choices that are available. Rolling a DEX based Cleric and hoping to play a ranged build, but then not having access to the weapon my character would naturally have without any actual in-game or narrative reason is actually a bit frustrating. If weapon choice was woven in to the first step or two of the tutorial zone, then that's fine with me, but at least I should have some kind of weapon choice.
If those end up in a chest nearby your start point, that's fine with me. If they choose to just put in a chest that has most basic starting equipment options in it then... as a player I'm ok with the free batch of goods to sell to the first vendor I find I guess.
Their character creation screen is not suitable for large selections on items. Look at feats or say weapon master (which is already missing a bunch of weapon types). Then imagine a new player not knowing what weapons they are proficient in, weight, damage, etc. so all that needs to be displayed. Then imagine new players spending a half-hour selecting weapons, comparing them, etc., etc. Then players wanting the core rules for initial equipment. Then the fact that core starting equipment is better than any mundane weapons you can get in the first Act (chainmail). Then you have the story purists wondering why they leave your exact equipment on you or in a chest next to you.
Far easier just to add a chest with basic equipment to cover all general classes. This is trivial to implement, is "realistic", doesn't leave you with goofy equipment, and you can either pretend it is your equipment, or you were captured while sleeping and have nothing and this is just stuff taken from other travelers/adventurers snatched up.
Lets take a look at starting equipment for cleric:
1. A binary choice between mace or warhammer, which can be handled with a simple radial option.
2. A choice of starting armor, which again can be handled with a simple radial option. If you can't use an armor choice it is greyed out or not displayed.
3. A third radial choice between a light crossbow or a simple weapon of your choice, which can be a simple drop down list.
This is by no means complex, nor would it take the 30 mins you claim it would. More importantly for new players the choices would be optimized for the class already so new players who don't know what they are doing can ignore the new panel.
Even if you believe for some reason that this is still too complex or slow, it is not any more complex or slow than filling an unorganized chest with +50 items and having players sort through what they need. What the box still doesn't address is that starting equipment should still have limits. For example a cleric should not be able to dual wield shortswords with starting gear. Your box can't limit this. It actually incentivizes the character to hold as much as they can so they can sell it later to a vendor.
They don't have drop down lists or binary options. Nor would their current lists fit well within their small area. This means an entirely new screen. Nor do drop downs show me the details on what a mace or warhammer is. Which does more damage, can be used with dexterity. Heck which ones am I proficient in? So now they need a drop down list system which has a hover-over with all the weapon stats. And then you have to program each of these selectors for every single one of the starting classes. And then have defaults or the fact you can change your class or feats -- resulting the weapons switching to defaults or else weapons you might not even be able to use. And you need various defaults for each of the classes and suggested weapons. And none of this helps or prevents you from getting the 'wrong' weapon -- say changing race or ability modifiers and your warhammer is now useless. And all this has to be programmed. And it still isn't going to be fool proof.
Again, the best they have now is the weapon master feat at 4th. It isn't even complete. Imagine a new player trying to select weapons using something like that? Heck, even I needed about 20 minutes (a reload and read through of the forum) to figure out glaives don't cover halberds or pikes and the later two were just missing.
You don't need 50+ items. The goal is not to give you the exact item you could start with in 5e, but to not give you items you can't use or are really sub-optimal at using. No you don't get a rapier, but yes... you get a finesse melee weapon. Leather, chainshirt, and scalemail, plus a dagger, staff, shortsword, mace, battle axe, spear, shortbow, and light crossbow. This way every character has some reasonable armor and a weapon.
You are a prisoner. No one said you were abducted with your full gear and they kindly put it in a box with next to you.
So? Who says a cleric can't start with two shortswords? In PnP... there are rules for just purchasing all your equipment with starting gold. Most DMs are fine with that. Nor I do I know any DM who is going to say "No" if a player made a two weapon fighting cleric and asked to trade a warhammer for another shortsword. In 90% of starts... once play starts the character can just walk to the smithy in town and buy a second shortsword or trade his warhammer for one. And of course they can start with a light mace and dagger.
I also don't get what the issue is if they can start with this? It is hardly game breaking vs. starting with a light mace and dagger and certainly not in BG3 where heavy weapons and armor are insanely rare.
Again, goal isn't to get them their starting equipment, but to not give them equipment they can't use. If it helps... you are kidnapped while asleep. You have nothing. The chest isn't your gear, just random stuff of your follow captives.
Why would the mind controlling super aliens, who can make you do anything they want, be worried you have a spiky stick? They want you to have the spiky stick so they can make you use it.
I'm glad this thread has arrived at the solution: start in the nude and have to fist fight for your first weapon.
But honestly, if they have pop-up windows for spell selection, they could have pop-up windows with limited gear choices (which would have the full information display when you hover over the icon, just like you have to do with spells).
Like, honestly, if people can manage to choose starting spells with the design as is, we could handle "which of these two weapons do you want to start with?" and "which armor do you want of these two options?"