How can I support my party? [Archive] - Wizards Community

How can I support my party? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Varek
07-07-06, 03:52 PM Our party consists of

2*fighter
-the first fighter goes TWF and the other 2H
and 2*rogue
-the first rogue wants to become a swashbuckler and then sorcerer the other rogue am I

currently all level 1

When advancing in levels, what class should i pick (I dont like cleric!?)
Rian Lightblade
07-07-06, 04:05 PM Well without a Cleric in the party I'd suggest you take a few level of Mortician, they'll come in very handy. Just kidding ;) ...well kind of.

Seriously, though, without a healer things will be very dangerous for your party. What is it about Clerics that you don't like. Is it the casting spells in Armor? Or is it the variety of support and buff spells?
Varek
07-07-06, 04:15 PM we got 2 DM's and 2 different campaigns. I play a radiant servant of pelor in the other campaign and i want something different in the new.
Shinryouga
07-07-06, 04:36 PM Supporting your party depends on what the party needs. I don't know what the characters can actually do, or what they have been doing. If you'll excuse the assumption, I'm going to assume these characters are being played intelligently within their archetypes.
At first glance I'd say this party needs:
Healing as priority one.
Arcane firepower as priority two.
Social skills as priority three.

As a rogue, you've already got your foot in the door: Use magic device and a lot of skill points. This could allow you, via wands, to fill both priority one and two. If you can spare skill points to diplomacy, bluff, and sense motive, you can also fill out priority three.

If you'd prefer to multiclass, I'd say bard. By multiclassing to bard, you gain access to a lot of spells that you can now use magic items of (scrolls, wands, etc), such as Cure Light Wounds, Dominate, and Charm.

One note, obvious to some, maybe not to others, is that if you do want to support your party, don't expect to be contributing in melee. With two fighters and a rogue/swashbuckler, another melee fighter is just going to diffuse the spotlight. But there's a corner of the stage for you if your willing to take it, and it involves readied actions to shoot the ogre with a lightning bolt from a wand, running across the battlefield to cure the nearly dead fighter, and having everyone look at you with respect and admiration when you successfully read that scroll of prismatic sphere just before the red dragon lands on the party. And technically, you don't even need to multiclass to do it!

Just my two coppers.
Rerecros
07-07-06, 04:41 PM multiclass into ranger, they get some healing and they benefit from the rogue's sneakiness.
Varek
07-07-06, 05:04 PM @Shinryouga: good ideas, i'll probably stay single classed

I have some builds in mind and I would like to present them:

Rogue 7/Duskblade 1/Deepwood Sniper 2
- Use Magic Device + Ranged Combat

Rogue 2/Bard 1/Druid x/ then Advancing Fochlucan Lyrist
- Some Healing Power, but we are playing in an urban setting atm (Waterdeep) and i dont know how to introduce a druid.
Sikyanakotik
07-07-06, 05:20 PM Well, if you want to play a new, non-cleric support class, I'd have to recommend Dragon Shaman from PHB2. While not a caster, it does have some good healing ability, and your passive draconic aura buffs, especially the toughness and vigor auras, will reduce the need for healing in general. Plus you can use your breath weapon to fill in for the missing arcanist, and even tank in a pinch. And you just can't beat the dragon-worshipper flavour.
Rian Lightblade
07-07-06, 05:45 PM we got 2 DM's and 2 different campaigns. I play a radiant servant of pelor in the other campaign and i want something different in the new.

Oh. Good reason.

multiclass into ranger, they get some healing and they benefit from the rogue's sneakiness.

This would be my suggestion as well if you wanted to multi-class. Frankly I think staying stright Rogue until you're ready to enter a PrCs is a better Idea.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Varek 07-07-06, 03:52 PM	Our party consists of 2fighter -the first fighter goes TWF and the other 2H and 2rogue -the first rogue wants to become a swashbuckler and then sorcerer the other rogue am I currently all level 1 When advancing in levels, what class should i pick (I dont like cleric!?)
Rian Lightblade 07-07-06, 04:05 PM	Well without a Cleric in the party I'd suggest you take a few level of Mortician, they'll come in very handy. Just kidding ;) ...well kind of. Seriously, though, without a healer things will be very dangerous for your party. What is it about Clerics that you don't like. Is it the casting spells in Armor? Or is it the variety of support and buff spells?
Varek 07-07-06, 04:15 PM	we got 2 DM's and 2 different campaigns. I play a radiant servant of pelor in the other campaign and i want something different in the new.
Shinryouga 07-07-06, 04:36 PM	Supporting your party depends on what the party needs. I don't know what the characters can actually do, or what they have been doing. If you'll excuse the assumption, I'm going to assume these characters are being played intelligently within their archetypes. At first glance I'd say this party needs: Healing as priority one. Arcane firepower as priority two. Social skills as priority three. As a rogue, you've already got your foot in the door: Use magic device and a lot of skill points. This could allow you, via wands, to fill both priority one and two. If you can spare skill points to diplomacy, bluff, and sense motive, you can also fill out priority three. If you'd prefer to multiclass, I'd say bard. By multiclassing to bard, you gain access to a lot of spells that you can now use magic items of (scrolls, wands, etc), such as Cure Light Wounds, Dominate, and Charm. One note, obvious to some, maybe not to others, is that if you do want to support your party, don't expect to be contributing in melee. With two fighters and a rogue/swashbuckler, another melee fighter is just going to diffuse the spotlight. But there's a corner of the stage for you if your willing to take it, and it involves readied actions to shoot the ogre with a lightning bolt from a wand, running across the battlefield to cure the nearly dead fighter, and having everyone look at you with respect and admiration when you successfully read that scroll of prismatic sphere just before the red dragon lands on the party. And technically, you don't even need to multiclass to do it! Just my two coppers.
Rerecros 07-07-06, 04:41 PM	multiclass into ranger, they get some healing and they benefit from the rogue's sneakiness.
Varek 07-07-06, 05:04 PM	@Shinryouga: good ideas, i'll probably stay single classed I have some builds in mind and I would like to present them: Rogue 7/Duskblade 1/Deepwood Sniper 2 - Use Magic Device + Ranged Combat Rogue 2/Bard 1/Druid x/ then Advancing Fochlucan Lyrist - Some Healing Power, but we are playing in an urban setting atm (Waterdeep) and i dont know how to introduce a druid.
Sikyanakotik 07-07-06, 05:20 PM	Well, if you want to play a new, non-cleric support class, I'd have to recommend Dragon Shaman from PHB2. While not a caster, it does have some good healing ability, and your passive draconic aura buffs, especially the toughness and vigor auras, will reduce the need for healing in general. Plus you can use your breath weapon to fill in for the missing arcanist, and even tank in a pinch. And you just can't beat the dragon-worshipper flavour.
Rian Lightblade 07-07-06, 05:45 PM	we got 2 DM's and 2 different campaigns. I play a radiant servant of pelor in the other campaign and i want something different in the new. Oh. Good reason. multiclass into ranger, they get some healing and they benefit from the rogue's sneakiness. This would be my suggestion as well if you wanted to multi-class. Frankly I think staying stright Rogue until you're ready to enter a PrCs is a better Idea.