Balanced Party [Archive] - Wizards Community

Balanced Party [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
AlphaSquirell
10-22-05, 11:21 PM I've got a fairly well-balanced party so far:

Favored Soul (divine caster)
Warmage (arcane caster)
Ninja (stealth)
Scout (ranged combat)
Psion (Kineticist)
*Beatstick* (hasn't selected class yet)

And one more player. He doesn't care what he plays, he just wants to best balance out the party. Anyone got any good ideas? (I thought "Bard" for musical abilities, but I think that is probably the ONLY class he wouldn't play)
Always-Late
10-22-05, 11:24 PM Do you have access to the marshal class? Rounds out a party like the bard, but without words instead of songs.
AlphaSquirell
10-22-05, 11:26 PM Never heard of it, what book is it from?
Always-Late
10-22-05, 11:28 PM Miniatures handbook, but it's an excerpt on the site:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030906b
Surgo
10-22-05, 11:32 PM Could play a gish as a secondary combatant.
imperialjunkie
10-22-05, 11:43 PM I'd recommend a tank fighter.
strumbleduck
10-22-05, 11:57 PM I agree: the party needs a tank. Basic barbarian/fighter with Power Attack.
Always-Late
10-23-05, 12:10 AM Isn't that what the beatstick is supposed to do?
sirfrancisdrake
10-23-05, 12:50 AM a bard doesnt really have to sing songs and stuff. I always thought that was kind of lame. If you saw the Two Towers, or better, read the book, then you would know Saruman could use his voice to manipulate and enthrall. Thats pretty much what the bard does, and is ten times cooler.

Mike
Jaxgaret
10-23-05, 02:04 AM The party is going pretty light so far on the combat/meatshield side of things, so i would suggest a party member who can absorb/deal some damage non-magically. Your party is also dangerously short on arcane utility magics. So the obvious choice here is: Bard gish. Bard/Ranger or Bardbarian are good. Bard/Paladin can get pretty good, with that Cha crossover, especially with the PrC in Complete Adventurer that lets you freely multiclass between the two. A lot of people prefer Bard/Fighter, but to me that's a waste of heavy armor proficency.

Or you could just go for the obvious, and pick a Druid. It's the best class power-wise, after all, and provides your group with more casting and fairly powerful melee ability, which is what you need.
AlphaSquirell
10-23-05, 05:22 PM Our Warmage is going to progress into a heavy tank/caster for our group. Our "beatstick" is a combo "damage/tank". So we have two tanks, so far, anyways.

Any other ideas? (Druid sounds like a good bet, but I'm still not sure...)

Not that it matters TOO much, but the current characters are "Chaotic" for the most part. (not all have picked alignments, but so far they are CG and CN)
VerinBlod
10-23-05, 05:34 PM I would go for Druid myself. Druid is probably the best class in the book. Or another cleric or go with the bard as a support kind of character.
Nate Jones
10-23-05, 11:48 PM Marshall would be a good class if for nothing else than the dedicated party face.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
AlphaSquirell 10-22-05, 11:21 PM	I've got a fairly well-balanced party so far: Favored Soul (divine caster) Warmage (arcane caster) Ninja (stealth) Scout (ranged combat) Psion (Kineticist) Beatstick (hasn't selected class yet) And one more player. He doesn't care what he plays, he just wants to best balance out the party. Anyone got any good ideas? (I thought "Bard" for musical abilities, but I think that is probably the ONLY class he wouldn't play)
Always-Late 10-22-05, 11:24 PM	Do you have access to the marshal class? Rounds out a party like the bard, but without words instead of songs.
AlphaSquirell 10-22-05, 11:26 PM	Never heard of it, what book is it from?
Always-Late 10-22-05, 11:28 PM	Miniatures handbook, but it's an excerpt on the site: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030906b
Surgo 10-22-05, 11:32 PM	Could play a gish as a secondary combatant.
imperialjunkie 10-22-05, 11:43 PM	I'd recommend a tank fighter.
strumbleduck 10-22-05, 11:57 PM	I agree: the party needs a tank. Basic barbarian/fighter with Power Attack.
Always-Late 10-23-05, 12:10 AM	Isn't that what the beatstick is supposed to do?
sirfrancisdrake 10-23-05, 12:50 AM	a bard doesnt really have to sing songs and stuff. I always thought that was kind of lame. If you saw the Two Towers, or better, read the book, then you would know Saruman could use his voice to manipulate and enthrall. Thats pretty much what the bard does, and is ten times cooler. Mike
Jaxgaret 10-23-05, 02:04 AM	The party is going pretty light so far on the combat/meatshield side of things, so i would suggest a party member who can absorb/deal some damage non-magically. Your party is also dangerously short on arcane utility magics. So the obvious choice here is: Bard gish. Bard/Ranger or Bardbarian are good. Bard/Paladin can get pretty good, with that Cha crossover, especially with the PrC in Complete Adventurer that lets you freely multiclass between the two. A lot of people prefer Bard/Fighter, but to me that's a waste of heavy armor proficency. Or you could just go for the obvious, and pick a Druid. It's the best class power-wise, after all, and provides your group with more casting and fairly powerful melee ability, which is what you need.
AlphaSquirell 10-23-05, 05:22 PM	Our Warmage is going to progress into a heavy tank/caster for our group. Our "beatstick" is a combo "damage/tank". So we have two tanks, so far, anyways. Any other ideas? (Druid sounds like a good bet, but I'm still not sure...) Not that it matters TOO much, but the current characters are "Chaotic" for the most part. (not all have picked alignments, but so far they are CG and CN)
VerinBlod 10-23-05, 05:34 PM	I would go for Druid myself. Druid is probably the best class in the book. Or another cleric or go with the bard as a support kind of character.
Nate Jones 10-23-05, 11:48 PM	Marshall would be a good class if for nothing else than the dedicated party face.