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#1 Zardnaar May 24, 2015 14:08:04

For a while there we were not playing D&D anything that much due to RL issues (cancer, death in family, work etc) with the D&D schedule turning from weekly to whenever we can squeeze in a game. Winter is coming however so the summer craziness seems over which leaves more time for D&D. Right now we have 5 players although one of them is going to the USA for smmer so his PC will be run by another player until he gets back. I thought I would share what the players have designed for themselves with minimla input from me as I just told them to make a more or less balanced party and left it up to them to sort it out. People come people go and PCs die on occasion. All of the PCs are level 9.   . In my games you get 1 roll and it has to be in front of the DM. If you do not like your PC for whatever reason I usually do let you create a replacement but you forsake your equipment for the most part as part of that price (ie you do not get to carry over your magical items). With a 5th member of the party joining they retired a Sorcerer and Life Cleric and created new PCs.   PC number 1 is a Mountain Dwarf Wizard (invoker). In the playtest people were concerned about this race being overpowered for wizards. I do not think it is the case but I know he rolled his stats. Str 14 Dex 14 Intelligence 18 Wisdom 13 Charisma 12 Feat selection resilient(con), +2 int stat boost.    This PC likes using spells and the player typically rolls with a wizard having previously used a diviner and a transmuter. He is one of my newer players who had not played since 2E and it is a bit weird having a wizard player as we often lacked them in 3E as players usually chose Bards, fighters and Clerics as the most popular classes and I saw more Druids rolled than wizards. I think the old sorcerer may have been better overall but we shall see.   PC number 2 is a gish and is a Fighter1/Valor Bard 8. I used to play a valor bard when one of my players DMed but with the default array the class had some issues namely it was nott that good at fighting. This bard has been built to address those concerns and the player was asking me how I would do it again. His stats were good enough to be single classed (he rolled well) but he wanted to be better at fighting hence the fighter level.   Variant Human    Strength 18 Dexterity 14 Constitution 14 Intelligence 11 Wisdom 14 Charisma 16 Fighitng Style Duelist, Feats warcaster, Shield Master, stat buff (2 +1s). This PC would have been an awesome default human as the base stats rolled were something like 11,13,13,13,15,17. I allow the choice of defuyalthuman or the variant human and I am yet to see the default one being used. Personally I think I would have used the default one with score like that or the variant one if I had to play it from level 1. Basic idea is proficnet in con saves and expertise in athletics knock stuff over as we have a great weapon master Paladin in the party.   PC Number 3 is a bit of an odd one out. I think she used rolled sttas but I am not 100% sure. There may be some Gauntlets of Ogre Power in party treasure they forgot about I suspect she well end up with them. She chose a Cleric as they sort of needed a healer but chose a tempest cleric for the fun part as we have seen one before but I do not think it was that well buit being a 1st PC created back in September. She has chosen no stat bumps and has 3 feats.   Strength 14 Dexterity 11 Constitution 16 Intelligence 9 Wisdom 16 Charisma 13.   Feats Warcaster, resilient, healer.     I guess she doesn't want her spells interupted as she uses bless, call lightning and insect plague as her concentration spells, thunderwave, shatter and destructive wave as boom spells.    The other to PCs have a Oath of the Ancients Paladin and a Fighter1/Warlock8 as the frontline PCs. All spellcasters are putting a heavy focus on constitution saves these days hence my belief warcaster and resilient (con) are basically feat taxes. 8 months into the game I am also starting to see a bit more variety of spells being used with more buff spells and defensive spells being used over boom spells. PLayers are usually choosing to roll stats as they dislike the default array due to the way saving throws work and they enjoy playing concepts the default stat array seems to punish (gish PCs for example).     They are also moving away from pure martial types once again due to game rules. Strength based PCs tend to get hosed at range but all of the current PCs have other options such as eldritch blast/fireball for the Bladelock, moonbeam for the Paladin, and spells for the Valor Bard. Healing is also getting broken up over 3 PCs so no one is stuck being a healbot and the healer feat seems to be getitng selected almost every time these days mostlyas it frees up a lot of cleric spells for being used for other stuff.     In terms of relative power between the classes I am not a massive fan of fighters, Ropgues, Barbarians and Monks in general although i like the fighter the best out of those options. Guidance and Enhance Ability used opn moderate to high dex PCs with the right skills basically replace the Rogue and Rogues do not tend to do that much damage anyway. The 3rd attack of fighters is also not needed when other classes get bonus damage dice in various ways (hex/hunters quarry, smites etc) or get bonus damage such as Warlocks and charisma score to eldritch blast/weapon attacks. Barbarians are not really being picked as the spell casters are saying they can't be bothered healing them so if you want one take the healer feat. Single classed Warlocks are not being picked. General consensus seems to be the Moon Druid is also weak except at level 2 and 10. Hunter Rangers are also well regarded, Beastmasters not so much. 4/8 wizards are good and most of the clerics are good. Land Druids are also good, semi broken if multiclassed. All the Paladins are great to have in the party with the Avenger and Oath of the Ancients being good, PCs prefer the Oath of Ancient one, I prefer it as well and the Paladin player also likes it better than the Avenging Paladin who is really only good at dealing damage to single targets in melee. Sorcerers are also well regarde due to twinned buff spells like haste/greater invisability and proficiency in con saves and the fire one also deals respectable damage.     The focus is also moving away from uber damage builds towards versatility and having a moderate level of damage being spread over multiple PCs. Team based things boosting healing/accuracy/saves are also becoming popular. This means things like bless, Paladins save aura, the healing feat and shield master feats which help the others out are replacing things like Great Weapon Master fighters and Crossbow Expert+Sharpshooter combo. My preferences tend towards Sorcerer over wizard and I really only like 2 wizards anyway (Diviner and Transmuter). Wizards and Rogues have the worst saving throws in the game. Generally I rate "moar damage" low for PC ability.    My favorite classes.   Bards Druid (land) Paladins Sorcerers   Least favorite   Barbarians Fighter (champion) Monks Rogues    If I get the opportunity to play my next PC will be whatever the party needs or I might play the normal Monk as I have not seen one at any 5E table yet. For a 5 memebr party I like 2 front liners, 2 ranged PCs and one hybrid (Cleric, Valor Bard etc) that can go melee or ranged.