D&D 5E The Charismatic Fighting "Hero" - Which Core Class does it Best?

jgsugden · May 8, 2019

Hexblade.

You get to be a great weapon fighter, you can maximize your charisma without losing fighting ability, and you have at least 2 spells per SR to buff allies, etc...

However, I can build a great 'charismatic leader' in a cleric, rogue, bard, paladin, ranger, fighter, druid... any class really.

Ralif Redhammer · May 8, 2019

Though I think it’s more about how the character is played than anything, I went with the Paladin. They’re strong in combat, charismatic, and have that aura. Valor Bard I’d put at a close second to the paladin, but in my experience, they don’t have the staying and melee power. Most of the Battlemaster Fighters I’ve seen at the table focus more on themselves with their maneuvers and are rarely that charismatic.

Draegn · May 8, 2019

How about a druid thief?

TaranTheWanderer · May 8, 2019

Any character with the folk hero background

Tony Vargas · May 8, 2019

Stalker0 said:
It is a very common fantasy troupe. The warrior hero on a quest. His charisma and drive draw in fellow travelers, and eventually he is leading a small group against the big bad.
This has often been an awkward troupe in dnd terms for as long as charisma has been a dump stat for fighters.

Also, the questing warrior-hero rarely casts spells.

Ultimately the judgement is based on 3 criteria:

1) Fighting power.

Fighter & Paladin.

2) Charisma as a mechanical asset.

Bard & Paladin.

3) Ability to inspire and improve a party.

Bard & Paladin.

No contest really. Paladin hits all three squarely. Valor Bard, not quite tough enough, Fighter tough but nothing else to an appreciable degree.

If we do go back and consider that the archetype doesn't typically use a lot of his own magic, though, the Paladin's victory isn't complete. Drawing a distinction between 'Faith' and 'Magic' helps, but only for the charismatic warrior-heroes in the mold of Galahad/Percival.

So the Paladin does a sub-set of the Archetype very well, indeed, and the rest imperfectly, but, on balance, better than the other two.

TwoSix · May 8, 2019

I tend to associate this trope with classic JRPG heroes, and the best fit for that (good fighter, support and healing magics) is easily a paladin.

Mort · May 8, 2019

Elfcrusher said:
Assassin Rogue/Gloomstalker Ranger multiclass.

The whole "I shall save thee!" knight in shining armor types are chumps. But they're useful for finding and trigger traps, I guess.

Maybe the answer to this question depends on how you define "heroic"...

Likely this was meant tongue mostly in cheek - but I really do love the fact that 5e has gone to great lengths to (mostly) divorce the Paladin from the knight in shining armor cliche.

Heck my current Paladin PC has the highest deception and stealth in the party and can pick locks too (granted that's because the party doesn't have a rogue, but the flexibility is nice).

Blue · May 8, 2019

Warlord.

Tony Vargas · May 8, 2019

Blue said:
Warlord.

For the record: I didn't say it.

Mercule · May 8, 2019

Ralif Redhammer said:
Though I think it’s more about how the character is played than anything, I went with the Paladin. They’re strong in combat, charismatic, and have that aura. Valor Bard I’d put at a close second to the paladin, but in my experience, they don’t have the staying and melee power. Most of the Battlemaster Fighters I’ve seen at the table focus more on themselves with their maneuvers and are rarely that charismatic.

Agree with the basic premise, but I voted valor bard. The charismatic leader is rarely the best straight-up fighter in the group. He usually wins by either having great will/resolve (which favors the paladin), by being creative and cunning (which favors the bard), or by being able to inspire his companions to be better than they thought they could be (which also favors the bard).

Either answer could work, but I prefer playing bards.