Best Addition to Party? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Best Addition to Party? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Shadow466
03-15-06, 05:40 PM Hello, my friends and I just started playing D&D and was trying to determine a good class to accent the current party. Currently, there is a Human Fighter, Elf Ranger, and Halfling Rogue. I don't want to be a cleric. Originally, I wanted to pick a fighter but my friend stuck to that and I thought we better not double up. My next choice was a Bard. Is a bard a capable class for this party? What other classes should I take into consideration? This is assuming only classes from PHB.
Seeker95
03-15-06, 05:56 PM If nobody wants to play a cleric, plan on using up lots of the party treasure on healing. Buy the ranger a wand of cure light wounds. And make sure the rogue dumps ranks in Use Magical Device so s/he can use wands too.
Ashok_Lal
03-15-06, 06:13 PM Wizard or sorcerer. Arcane magic is hard to beat. Can be dificult when just starting out. If you are starting at 1st level its a bit easer as you can learn as you go. So many spells.

Cleric. Cleric are not to be scoffed at thay can cast spells in heavy armour. (nobody else can) GoodBAB. Even not thinking about all the benifits of healing clerics have a good spell list

Bard. Bards are good backup for a party. Jack of all trades master of none.
Using charisma for spell casting and having a lot of charisma skills as class skills is a big bonus. Best played by players who like to talk and roleplay.

This the order in wich i would pick the charicter with Wizard & Cleric hard to choose between. This is only my opinion and other poster may disagree and have good arguments at the end of the day it is your choice!
Darkuwa
03-15-06, 06:18 PM Bards can cast cure spells too, they're decent in combat and they have Inspire Courage, one of the best abilities for a party.
Voran
03-15-06, 06:42 PM Bubblegum Crisis Largo type superboomer with access to a satelite beam weapon.

Oh..wait...

Cleric. :) If picking a deity isn't your thing, you can make a shamanistic type cleric that believes in totems or something.
Varia
03-15-06, 07:17 PM Druid would be a good choice too, if that holds any interest for you? Can be quite melee proficient too, if thats your thing.

If you can and want to cherry-pick you can have some fun with monk 1-2, sorc 1-2, then druid for the rest of your life, if you wanna spike melee (mage armor and wis bonus on ac are nice, plus not getting blown up by aoe spells as much). There are probably other (better?) comboes for melee-capable druids too, but thats the one that crossed my (inexperienced) mind. :)

*Hugs*
Varia
WhiteRaven810
03-15-06, 10:24 PM Wizard would be nice, as Arcane Magic is truely the best kind, but they can be hard to keep alive at early levels.

Monks are another classs you cannot go wrong with. Powerful attacks, bonus to speed, amazing armor class without spending money. Plus the Tattoo Monk from Complete Warrior is pretty kick ass.

If non-core is allowed, look at the Swashbuckler from Complete Warrior. The damage potential is unreal is you think about it. Elven Thin/Light Blade (with Weapon Finess) + Strength + Intelligence + the more then often Critical Hit.

Gesalting a Swashbuckler with Rogue gives me a mini-joygasim just thinking about it.
Board_Rider
03-16-06, 12:30 AM How about a Paladin or Healer? Or maybe a Favored Soul? Healing is always needed. Druid is a very solid option too.
Antioch
03-16-06, 01:43 AM Hello, my friends and I just started playing D&D and was trying to determine a good class to accent the current party. Currently, there is a Human Fighter, Elf Ranger, and Halfling Rogue. I don't want to be a cleric. Originally, I wanted to pick a fighter but my friend stuck to that and I thought we better not double up. My next choice was a Bard. Is a bard a capable class for this party? What other classes should I take into consideration? This is assuming only classes from PHB.

A bard might not be a bad option considering that you can use a curing wand without the need for ranks in Use Magic Device. They are great party-players and can provide some benefits to your group as a whole, both in and outside combat.
DragonDeadite
03-17-06, 01:58 PM Favored Soul is a very cool class if you don't want to go Cleric, but you still need to pick a diety to follow. No domain spells, but you get wings and elemental resistance, it's pretty cool!

If you want to go with a more combat oriented healer, go shamanistic, half Barbarian, half Cleric. Makes for a cool Roleplaying character if you do it right.
SiouLubb
03-17-06, 02:03 PM If you're new to the game, I'd suggest a Sorcerer over a Wizard for you. Your group currently has two men at arms, one jack of all trades and no spellcasting. Taking a sorcerer would give you some casting power. If your party is low level, I'd suggest sleep as one of your spells. (swap if out later though)
If you want advice on how to play a good sorcerer, check out the "Class acts" section of the DnD website and look at the Sorcerer article. Check the Bard one too, it should give you an idea of whether or not you want to be a Bard.
Tzor
03-17-06, 02:18 PM Bard might be the best choice, since he might be the charisma person in the party. He would have some heal/harm/buff ability as well. :)
snowstrider
03-17-06, 03:23 PM I would also suggest bard, or maybe a ftr/wiz(enchantment specialization)/rog if you want to get complicated.

Bards have healing, plus they have various spells, that when used properly, can mean the difference between a tpk and a night spent resting at the inn.

If you are a bard though, make sure to get a spiked lute, nothing is cooler.
Kresalak
03-17-06, 04:31 PM Your group lacks both an arcane and divine spellcaster, so it's time to bring out the Druid. Just go Druid 20-it is, in fact, the most powerful build in the Core game. Best feats to get are Spell Focus (Conjuration), Augment Summoning (Druid already gets great summons, why not make them better), Natural Spell, and then fill the rest with what you need. Since you'll be both the blaster and the divine caster, some metamagic feats might help you out.

Love Wildshape, for it shall give you your power. At low levels, rely on your summons and animal campanion (and allies, of course) more then your own melee skills (which won't be horrible, but won't be really good until level 5 when you get Wildshape).

Bard does work well as a support character, but you have a 4 character party, and you really need a caster of some sort more then a supporter.
Warrior4Life
03-17-06, 08:07 PM I would go with a Barbarian myself. You have many advantages to a Half-Orc Barbarian. Strength, Barbarian rage during battle-but be careful when you use it. A Dwarven Fighter/Cleric is a very powerful combination. Don't rule out mulit-class characters. They are very well rounded, give lots of options and become very powerful at mid to high levels. A Monk or Paladin is a good choice. They start out slow, but then come into their own at 3-5 levels. Make it unique, and give it alot of options. Hope this helps.
PurdueDave
03-18-06, 12:41 AM Since your new and don't want to play cleric, then I'd go with mage or sorceror based on your party. Warmage, if you have access to CA, would work as well...kind of like a sorceror but specialized for nuking.

Druid would be ideal but there's a lot to the class and it might be kind of tough for someone new to the game to get their hands around. Also, there's a lot of bookkeeping with summonings.
zenlike
03-18-06, 01:26 AM Bubblegum Crisis Largo type superboomer with access to a satelite beam weapon.

Oh..wait...

Cleric. :) If picking a deity isn't your thing, you can make a shamanistic type cleric that believes in totems or something.

I was thinking more of a Priss style hardsuit for the fighter with matching motoslave.

Or a Bard is good if you don't like Cleric.
Valkaun_Dain
03-18-06, 01:45 AM Do you want to playa fighter? Play a fighter. First player that has his character killed has to make a Cleric. If you all live you'll be rich bastiches and you can hire a cleric or three.
meatrace
03-19-06, 03:58 AM with that party I'd say 100% bard.
they have arcane magic, lots of knowledge, they're great party buffs, easy and fun to play, and they have minor healing (but that means they can use wands of CLW :) though so does the ranger. one of my favorite combos is ranger/bard. lil arcane, lil divine, best saves, lots of skills, play ranged :)
Ghostwheel
03-19-06, 04:39 AM [OP] You asked about only PHB classes, and stated that you were new to the game, so I will have to endorse the Druid. A Bard is an excellent choice as a "5th man", as is a Monk. But your party will need some sort of primary caster, and will need a ready source of healing. A Druid can, to some extent, fulfill both roles, while still being a strong force in combat.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Shadow466 03-15-06, 05:40 PM	Hello, my friends and I just started playing D&D and was trying to determine a good class to accent the current party. Currently, there is a Human Fighter, Elf Ranger, and Halfling Rogue. I don't want to be a cleric. Originally, I wanted to pick a fighter but my friend stuck to that and I thought we better not double up. My next choice was a Bard. Is a bard a capable class for this party? What other classes should I take into consideration? This is assuming only classes from PHB.
Seeker95 03-15-06, 05:56 PM	If nobody wants to play a cleric, plan on using up lots of the party treasure on healing. Buy the ranger a wand of cure light wounds. And make sure the rogue dumps ranks in Use Magical Device so s/he can use wands too.
Ashok_Lal 03-15-06, 06:13 PM	Wizard or sorcerer. Arcane magic is hard to beat. Can be dificult when just starting out. If you are starting at 1st level its a bit easer as you can learn as you go. So many spells. Cleric. Cleric are not to be scoffed at thay can cast spells in heavy armour. (nobody else can) GoodBAB. Even not thinking about all the benifits of healing clerics have a good spell list Bard. Bards are good backup for a party. Jack of all trades master of none. Using charisma for spell casting and having a lot of charisma skills as class skills is a big bonus. Best played by players who like to talk and roleplay. This the order in wich i would pick the charicter with Wizard & Cleric hard to choose between. This is only my opinion and other poster may disagree and have good arguments at the end of the day it is your choice!
Darkuwa 03-15-06, 06:18 PM	Bards can cast cure spells too, they're decent in combat and they have Inspire Courage, one of the best abilities for a party.
Voran 03-15-06, 06:42 PM	Bubblegum Crisis Largo type superboomer with access to a satelite beam weapon. Oh..wait... Cleric. :) If picking a deity isn't your thing, you can make a shamanistic type cleric that believes in totems or something.
Varia 03-15-06, 07:17 PM	Druid would be a good choice too, if that holds any interest for you? Can be quite melee proficient too, if thats your thing. If you can and want to cherry-pick you can have some fun with monk 1-2, sorc 1-2, then druid for the rest of your life, if you wanna spike melee (mage armor and wis bonus on ac are nice, plus not getting blown up by aoe spells as much). There are probably other (better?) comboes for melee-capable druids too, but thats the one that crossed my (inexperienced) mind. :) Hugs Varia
WhiteRaven810 03-15-06, 10:24 PM	Wizard would be nice, as Arcane Magic is truely the best kind, but they can be hard to keep alive at early levels. Monks are another classs you cannot go wrong with. Powerful attacks, bonus to speed, amazing armor class without spending money. Plus the Tattoo Monk from Complete Warrior is pretty kick ass. If non-core is allowed, look at the Swashbuckler from Complete Warrior. The damage potential is unreal is you think about it. Elven Thin/Light Blade (with Weapon Finess) + Strength + Intelligence + the more then often Critical Hit. Gesalting a Swashbuckler with Rogue gives me a mini-joygasim just thinking about it.
Board_Rider 03-16-06, 12:30 AM	How about a Paladin or Healer? Or maybe a Favored Soul? Healing is always needed. Druid is a very solid option too.
Antioch 03-16-06, 01:43 AM	Hello, my friends and I just started playing D&D and was trying to determine a good class to accent the current party. Currently, there is a Human Fighter, Elf Ranger, and Halfling Rogue. I don't want to be a cleric. Originally, I wanted to pick a fighter but my friend stuck to that and I thought we better not double up. My next choice was a Bard. Is a bard a capable class for this party? What other classes should I take into consideration? This is assuming only classes from PHB. A bard might not be a bad option considering that you can use a curing wand without the need for ranks in Use Magic Device. They are great party-players and can provide some benefits to your group as a whole, both in and outside combat.
DragonDeadite 03-17-06, 01:58 PM	Favored Soul is a very cool class if you don't want to go Cleric, but you still need to pick a diety to follow. No domain spells, but you get wings and elemental resistance, it's pretty cool! If you want to go with a more combat oriented healer, go shamanistic, half Barbarian, half Cleric. Makes for a cool Roleplaying character if you do it right.
SiouLubb 03-17-06, 02:03 PM	If you're new to the game, I'd suggest a Sorcerer over a Wizard for you. Your group currently has two men at arms, one jack of all trades and no spellcasting. Taking a sorcerer would give you some casting power. If your party is low level, I'd suggest sleep as one of your spells. (swap if out later though) If you want advice on how to play a good sorcerer, check out the "Class acts" section of the DnD website and look at the Sorcerer article. Check the Bard one too, it should give you an idea of whether or not you want to be a Bard.
Tzor 03-17-06, 02:18 PM	Bard might be the best choice, since he might be the charisma person in the party. He would have some heal/harm/buff ability as well. :)
snowstrider 03-17-06, 03:23 PM	I would also suggest bard, or maybe a ftr/wiz(enchantment specialization)/rog if you want to get complicated. Bards have healing, plus they have various spells, that when used properly, can mean the difference between a tpk and a night spent resting at the inn. If you are a bard though, make sure to get a spiked lute, nothing is cooler.
Kresalak 03-17-06, 04:31 PM	Your group lacks both an arcane and divine spellcaster, so it's time to bring out the Druid. Just go Druid 20-it is, in fact, the most powerful build in the Core game. Best feats to get are Spell Focus (Conjuration), Augment Summoning (Druid already gets great summons, why not make them better), Natural Spell, and then fill the rest with what you need. Since you'll be both the blaster and the divine caster, some metamagic feats might help you out. Love Wildshape, for it shall give you your power. At low levels, rely on your summons and animal campanion (and allies, of course) more then your own melee skills (which won't be horrible, but won't be really good until level 5 when you get Wildshape). Bard does work well as a support character, but you have a 4 character party, and you really need a caster of some sort more then a supporter.
Warrior4Life 03-17-06, 08:07 PM	I would go with a Barbarian myself. You have many advantages to a Half-Orc Barbarian. Strength, Barbarian rage during battle-but be careful when you use it. A Dwarven Fighter/Cleric is a very powerful combination. Don't rule out mulit-class characters. They are very well rounded, give lots of options and become very powerful at mid to high levels. A Monk or Paladin is a good choice. They start out slow, but then come into their own at 3-5 levels. Make it unique, and give it alot of options. Hope this helps.
PurdueDave 03-18-06, 12:41 AM	Since your new and don't want to play cleric, then I'd go with mage or sorceror based on your party. Warmage, if you have access to CA, would work as well...kind of like a sorceror but specialized for nuking. Druid would be ideal but there's a lot to the class and it might be kind of tough for someone new to the game to get their hands around. Also, there's a lot of bookkeeping with summonings.
zenlike 03-18-06, 01:26 AM	Bubblegum Crisis Largo type superboomer with access to a satelite beam weapon. Oh..wait... Cleric. :) If picking a deity isn't your thing, you can make a shamanistic type cleric that believes in totems or something. I was thinking more of a Priss style hardsuit for the fighter with matching motoslave. Or a Bard is good if you don't like Cleric.
Valkaun_Dain 03-18-06, 01:45 AM	Do you want to playa fighter? Play a fighter. First player that has his character killed has to make a Cleric. If you all live you'll be rich bastiches and you can hire a cleric or three.
meatrace 03-19-06, 03:58 AM	with that party I'd say 100% bard. they have arcane magic, lots of knowledge, they're great party buffs, easy and fun to play, and they have minor healing (but that means they can use wands of CLW :) though so does the ranger. one of my favorite combos is ranger/bard. lil arcane, lil divine, best saves, lots of skills, play ranged :)
Ghostwheel 03-19-06, 04:39 AM	[OP] You asked about only PHB classes, and stated that you were new to the game, so I will have to endorse the Druid. A Bard is an excellent choice as a "5th man", as is a Monk. But your party will need some sort of primary caster, and will need a ready source of healing. A Druid can, to some extent, fulfill both roles, while still being a strong force in combat.