D&D 5E What Am I In For With This Party?

iserith · Mar 20, 2018

Wednesday's Viking-themed one-shot will see the following party taking on various Viking-themed challenges:

Fire genasi abjuration wizard 8
Half-orc shadow monk 5 / rogue 1 / fighter 2
Dragonborn conquest paladin 8
Dwarf grave cleric 8
Human berserker 6 / fighter 2

The optional feats rules are not included in this game. The scenario is mostly combat challenges plus one social interaction and one exploration challenge (not necessarily in that order). One of the combat challenges involves a nasty dragon.

What are this party's strengths? What are their weaknesses? Do they have any interesting synergies or tactics available to them? Will I make it through my third Jameson before they TPK?

Thanks in advance for your input.

Nevvur · Mar 20, 2018

They're going to crash and burn without a ranger. :uhoh:

kbrakke · Mar 20, 2018

My quick take is that they are going to be destroyed by the dragon unless they get off a lucky disabling spell or do some exciting shenanigans like dimension door up to the dragon with the monk and stun it.
One fun option might be to have the dragon fight among pillars of stone or something like it. This create things for the melee fighters to climb and then attempt to jump on to the dragon. Naturally risking a big fall if things go wrong.
They look like they excel at fights in close quarters where the Paladin and Barb/Fighter can be a front line and attack things until they die. 10ft wide hallways are their jam.
Their casters are tankier than normal, being an Abjuration wizard and a cleric, so they will not be screwed in a larger brawl if people close on them.
Overall this group looks like they want to take problems head on, and then hit them until they stop being problems. I can't think of anything exceptionally clever at this level that their group can do.

Tony Vargas · Mar 20, 2018

iserith said:
Wednesday's Viking-themed one-shot will see the following party taking on various Viking-themed challenges:

Fire genasi abjuration wizard 8

Half-orc shadow monk 5 / rogue 1 / fighter 2

Dragonborn conquest paladin 8

Dwarf grave cleric 8

Human berserker 6 / fighter 2

So you got one stereotypical Viking? About par for the course, really.

The optional feats rules are not included in this game.

generally a good call, but if you're OK with MCing, I don't see the harm either way

What are this party's strengths? What are their weaknesses?

By 8th (heck by 5th) a 5e party is in pretty good shape. Each of them will have some saving throw blind-spots that are only going to get worse, but overall, they should be up for quite a bit. You've got the standard bases approximately covered, presumably the Shadow Monk will be very good at scouting and handle other traditional thief duties, the obligatory cleric & wizard are there, and you've got two melee types, one a back-up for the cleric. Sounds pretty solid.

Of course, the individual builds could be weird or players whacky, so you never know from just a list of races & classes.

Do they have any interesting synergies

Depends on the prepped casters' spell choices, really.

or tactics available to them?

Yes & no. No, 5e doesn't really go all tactical, and Yes, they could use any number of tactics that, if you find them interesting, may work. Preferably by doing a good job describing what the tactic is supposed to accomplish, and the means by which it's meant to work.

The scenario is mostly combat challenges plus one social interaction and one exploration challenge (not necessarily in that order). One of the combat challenges involves a nasty dragon.

At 8th level, a full-function party should have no trouble handling even a fairly tough series of combats.

Will I make it through my third Jameson before they TPK?

Does the chance of TPK increase with ABV?

Wiseblood · Mar 20, 2018

The monk is going to be interesting to see in action.

jgsugden · Mar 20, 2018

This is a bit like saying that you have flour, sugar, butter and fruit and asking what your dinner will taste like...

That is a fairly standard party of three primarily melee characters and two quality spellcasters. I don't see anything requiring any special preparation.

iserith · Mar 20, 2018

jgsugden said:
This is a bit like saying that you have flour, sugar, butter and fruit and asking what your dinner will taste like...

That is a fairly standard party of three primarily melee characters and two quality spellcasters. I don't see anything requiring any special preparation.

I don't do any special preparations. I'm just curious what others see in this party or how someone with that party might optimize tactics or the like.

Unwise · Mar 21, 2018

Nevvur said:
They're going to crash and burn without a ranger.

"...and without an actor they were like pigs to the slaughter!"

When the warlock got the actor feat in our game, the Team America quotes never ended. Once he left the party there was a near TPK which made it even funnier.

"You are sending us in there without an Actor?! That's suicide!"
turning slowly to the player who swapped from the warlock..."no, not suicide, I call it MURDER!"

Nevvur · Mar 21, 2018

iserith said:
I don't do any special preparations. I'm just curious what others see in this party or how someone with that party might optimize tactics or the like.

I was only being partially facetious with my first post in this thread (fyi to everyone else, I was planning to play a ranger in iserith's game, but wasn't able to make the planned date and time). The big weakness I see is a party without much ranged DPR and a boss monster that can fly.

In addition, frightful presence may also give them trouble. Your barbarian has fear immunity while raging, and the cleric will have decent saving throws so he can hopefully save vs. fear and Calm Emotions (or something) any affected allies. Assuming he has it prepared, of course.

If I were in the party, I would be advising the Cleric to make sure he has his Channel Divinity at hand, and that the Wizard saves a level 4 slot for his most powerful single target damaging spell. That could take a huge chunk off the dragon's HP and give them a major upper hand.

Valmarius · Mar 21, 2018

Speaking on behalf of Fjolki, the doomcrying druid from the last one-shot,
"They're all doomed! The Wyrm of ice and snow will sup upon their cold frozen corpses before the night is through! There is no escape, they must accept that Ragnarok is upon them!"

Also, the paladin is the only inherently charismatic PC, so they may have trouble in the social encounter.
They may also have some trouble in the mobility department, with only the Monk really shining there (barring some appropriate spell selections from the wiz). Although I'm surprised they took one level of rogue instead of getting the shadow monk's teleport.