So looking over i was wondering (without multi-classing necessarily) what each role a class can bring to the table... here's what i have so far just from looking at it.
Barbarian: DPR/ TANk
Bard: DPR, Off-Heals/ Support
Cleric: DPR, Off-Tank, Main Heals or Support Heals
Druid: DPR
Fighter: DPR or TANK
Monk: DPR
Paladin: DPR or TANK, Supp Heals.
Ranger: DPR
Rogue: DPR
Sorcerer: DPR
Warlock: DPR
Wizard: DPR, Supp/Utility
i mean looking at it i'm sure a class can fill more than what i put up there, but what my question is, am i missing something from that list?
also, am i wrong in looking at it but is a druid really only for DPR? like, can i not be a support/ healing druid akin to a Bard ( probably won't be as good as a Cleric Healing i'm sure but still).
Mainly, my question is, what roles do you think each class can fill, whilst still bringing something to the table and not having to spend a ridiculous amount of time building that character, only for it to wind up being sub-par because you spent so much time trying to build a character against it's "Nautral" role. but without multi-classing necessarily... the campaign i run with my friends we usually don't multiclass, and if we do, we usually only allow 1 class so no Fighter/Rogue/Mage etc... just Fighter/Mage or Fighter/Rogue etc. And even then we're iffy bout it.
Druids get Cure Wounds and Healing Word, so they can heal easily as well in-combat as a Valor Bard. Lore Bards can heal slightly better by nicking Paladin-Only healing spells via their class feature.
oh, woops i didn't even see druids could get that rofl, So then for straight up healing you'd rank it like so?
Life-Cleric
Lore Bard
Valor Bard/ Druid
Paladin?
daspian wrote:
I wonder if its a sign of the times that when I see leader as a role I think Tanis Half-Elven, tank Caramon Majere...not who has dpr or qpc or wtf
When did peoples characters stop being about character?
When Dragonlance ended.
Arawn76 wrote:
It's for maintaining a balanced team. You want a healer for when you take damage, a tank to be obvious and take said damage, a controller to **** them over and a striker to **** them up.
Asides from their designated roles they're all still unique characters.
Oh, don't get me wrong... i like to encorporate story and depth to my characters... but at the end of the day... i also like to have a group that has a well-formed mixture of roles, and we don't struggle with certain encounters etc, i'd label myself amongst my friends the RP'er, i was the one who interested D&D to them, but amongst my friends ( yea as i am sure you've figured im probably young compared to some of you) we grew up in the Video Game Generation, and they like to look at things in a MMO perspective, one of my friends is more of the " what can i do to hit-hard and just kill stuff and get rich" he usually throws me an idea or two for his backstory... and then makes me write the entire backstory, which i don't mind sometimes, just wish he'd... RP it.
i mean i grew up on the Dragonlance books to, hell Raist is perfectly engrained into my mind as one of the greatest mages ever and a better story of fall to evil and redemption than Star wars imo.
also...who can forget Tass......geeeen-yus.
Edit: Aye what Yun said.
I would also say out of combat "roles" should be included. Mouthpiece, explorer, scout, and stuff like that. As these are just as important as the combat ones. Granted, every class gets access to these utilities, but specific classes will shine more than others.
ha ha perhaps I'm feeling my age or the shocking preponderance of threads devoted to mechanics about dpr(?)
The old school DM In me just misses the days when my group would just choose characters without a thought to tanking or control and I'd just adjust the adventure based on their capabilities.
Still carry on and ignore a grouchy old man 
daspian wrote:
Arawn76 wrote:
daspian wrote:
Fighter, Monks: can be support/utility by moving or weakening opponents using Battlemaster/Openhand technique. Thats before you even start looking at the spell-using variants of those classes.
Druids can heal, and have a lot of useful spells for support and utility.
Rangers, Rogues apply utility through skills such as stealth and obstacle bypass capabilities.
Sorcerors have almost the same spell list as Wizards. Likewise Warlocks. Why did you think that they were only able to cast damaging spells?
Captain_Kobold wrote:
Walstafa wrote:
NN1 wrote:
I would say that bard has "good" DPR (area damage(Shatter, Snipe fireball + black tentacles + reverse gravity) and single target), great Controller (Batlefield Control and single target), Utility (lots of skills + 1/2 prof on non-prof skills, Great illusion school access), Best Healing (6th level snipe paladin's Aura of Vitality for 70 HP, Song of rest, Cure light wounds @ 1st), Top notch Leader (buff/debuff spells, Bardic inspiration).
borg285 wrote: