This could go into another forum, but I think it's particularly relevant to D&D AL, so here it goes. The more I play and read about classes the more I realize they can be divided into three categories:
Resourceless Classes
- Rogue
Encounter Classes
- Druid
- Fighter
- Monk
- Warlock
Daily Classes
- Barbarian
- Bard
- Cleric
- Paladin
- Ranger (partially - combat mechanics are resourcelss, but spells are daily)
- Sorceror
- Wizard (partially, due to spell recharge)
I'm curious if there's a general consensus around whether resourceless and encounter-based classes feel stronger than daily-based ones, given the structure of D&D AL. In an adventure where the players get one or two short rests, the difference between playing a battlemaster fighter and a paladin of any stripe seems pretty marked. They have a similar pool of resources to spend, but the fighter gets all of his back, where the paladin will spend a lot of time blandly clubbing things with a weapon either to conserve resources or because he spent them.
Does this seem problematic?
If anything you should break down into subclasses. Arcane Tricksters and Eldritch Knights are like Rangers, but Thieves, Assassins, and Champions are essentially resourceless. And the Battlemaster is akin to the Monk/Warlock. Though some are pretty universal, even Warlocks that choose once per day invocations are amazing if they can get a short rest.
Yes FIghter's have Indomitable and Second Wind, but they're more defined by their ability to attack continuosly. Unlike Eldritch Knights who are spell-based (daily), and Battlemasters who recharge in an hour. THOSE are their defining features moreso than what they get at level 2, I feel!
Also, maybe a resourceless Daily class could be made for things like Rangers and Paladins. They're still very deadly sans resources, thanks to extra attack and some "always on" class features. Though this is more Ranger than Paladin, really, so perhaps Rangers can just stay as the exception?
(though I take exception to the word "encounter" since you have to rest an hour in 5e, but that's just me being all semantical 
)
Hopefully, there will be balance in the long run. That is, there will be adventures which allow short rests and those that do not provide a natural opportunity to do so.
One of the organized play hurdles is that D&D is not a game designed to be played in 4-hour sittings. For a home group, rests (short and long) come at the pace of plot and the discression of the DM.
If adventures are written in that PCs can take a short rest after every combat encounter without ramifications, then Encounter > Daily.
If adventures are written in that PCs never get a chance to take a short rest, then Encounter powers effectively become Daily powers. Since, by design, daily powers are intended to be more powerful, Daily > Encounter.
it all depend on your group also. if you have a spellcaster with rope trick, then unless you got a schedule to respect you can take as manay short rest as you want since there is no danger to be disturb in a rope trick.
If you got too many player to fit in the rope trick, then rope trick become less effective.
In your party you should generally have some ressourceless character (champion, thief, assassin, etc...) some envounter (warlock, wizard, druid) and some daily (sorcerer, EK, AT). The encounter player will want more encounter, the ressourcelss and the daily player will want to finish the adventure quickly without short rest since short rest is just a chance for more encounter depleting there ressource even more.
Specially in public play where it is impossible to organize a good group using only "encounter" character so that way the entire party benefits from a short rest, or taking daily character only so the party benefit in doing the adventure quickly without wasting time for a short rest.
Hmm hard to know at the moment. It seems like magic items are make/break issues. For example, a wizard with a wand of magic missles moves closer to an encounter character.
There is also the pearl of power, if one is in the DMG, that might greatly alter how some classes work.
Uthrac wrote:
Neeeeeecro! Curious if opinions have changed.
Our main AL party has a warlock, bear totem barbarian, GWM champion, evoker wizard, and a assasin rogue.
My wizard is always the one that wants to rest first. Its difficult deciding if it is worth using spell slots or not. We tend to mow stuff down, so there is a tendancy towards reinforcments arriving or there just being a ton of dudes.
Last session was 12 bandits. Which sucked up a 3rd lv slot from the warlock, but i was unwilling to blast them because we were being watched and i didnt want them to know i could throw fireballs.