Mephistopheles
First Post
I've been looking at making a character for a 4E game; the group needs a defender. I already play a fighter in another game and I don't really want to play a paladin which leaves warden as the only choice and unfortunately the concept doesn't grab me - the game is core only so the swordmage is not an option.
That got me thinking about the breakdown of classes and roles in the core rulebooks.
Player's Handbook I
Defender: 2, 25%; Fighter, Paladin
Leader: 2, 25%; Cleric, Warlord
Striker: 3, 37.5%; Ranger, Rogue, Warlock
Controller: 1, 12.5%; Wizard
Player's Handbook II
Defender: 1, 12.5%; Warden
Leader: 2, 25%; Bard, Shaman
Striker: 3, 37.5%; Avenger, Barbarian, Sorcerer
Controller: 2, 25%; Druid, Invoker
Overall
Defender: 3, 18.75%; Fighter, Paladin, Warden
Leader: 4, 25%; Cleric, Warlord, Bard, Shaman
Striker: 6, 37.5%; Ranger, Rogue, Warlock, Avenger, Barbarian, Sorcerer
Controller: 3, 18.75%; Wizard, Druid, Invoker
At first glance it seems like WotC is not writing enough defender or controller classes, about the right amount of leader classes, and too many striker classes. Then I looked at the breakdown of classes across the three groups I'm playing in.
Group 1
Defender: 2, 28.6%; Fighter, Paladin
Leader: 1, 14.3%; Cleric
Striker: 4, 57.1%; Ranger (bow), Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock
Controller: 0
Group 2
Defender: 1, 16.7%; Fighter
Leader: 1, 16.7%; Cleric
Striker: 4, 66.6%; Avenger, Ranger (bow), Rogue, Sorcerer
Controller: 0 (was 1 until the player of the wizard retired it for the sorcerer)
Group 3
Defender: 1, 16.7%; ? (this will be my character)
Leader: 2, 33.3%; Cleric, Warlord
Striker: 2, 33.3%; Barbarian, Ranger (bow)
Controller: 1, 16.7%; Wizard
Overall
Defender: 4, 21.05%; Fighter x2, Paladin, ?
Leader: 4, 21.05%; Cleric x3, Warlord
Striker: 10, 52.6%; Avenger, Barbarian, Ranger (bow) x3, Rogue x2, Sorcerer x2, Warlock
Controller: 1, 5.3%; Wizard
So looking at the - admittedly limited - data from these three groups it would seem that WotC could have done with another defender class, they got the amount of leader classes about right, they could have included more striker classes, and could almost have dropped the controller role altogether.
It's also interesting to consider how much this distribution is influenced by the proportions provided in the rulebooks and how much by player preferences independent of the rulebooks; the preponderance of damage dealers compared to tanks or healers in the population of the average World of Warcraft server comes to mind - players like to see the big damage numbers floating over the heads of mobs.
How does your group compare in class and role composition? Why do you think your group has the mix of classes and roles that it does? Do you think the supply of classes in each role is matching the demand in your group?
(I've entered the responses into a spreadsheet and attached a couple of charts from that sheet. I'll update the charts if there are sufficient additional responses.)
Current data set
Groups: 22
Characters: 121
Average Group: 5.5
That got me thinking about the breakdown of classes and roles in the core rulebooks.
Player's Handbook I
Defender: 2, 25%; Fighter, Paladin
Leader: 2, 25%; Cleric, Warlord
Striker: 3, 37.5%; Ranger, Rogue, Warlock
Controller: 1, 12.5%; Wizard
Player's Handbook II
Defender: 1, 12.5%; Warden
Leader: 2, 25%; Bard, Shaman
Striker: 3, 37.5%; Avenger, Barbarian, Sorcerer
Controller: 2, 25%; Druid, Invoker
Overall
Defender: 3, 18.75%; Fighter, Paladin, Warden
Leader: 4, 25%; Cleric, Warlord, Bard, Shaman
Striker: 6, 37.5%; Ranger, Rogue, Warlock, Avenger, Barbarian, Sorcerer
Controller: 3, 18.75%; Wizard, Druid, Invoker
At first glance it seems like WotC is not writing enough defender or controller classes, about the right amount of leader classes, and too many striker classes. Then I looked at the breakdown of classes across the three groups I'm playing in.
Group 1
Defender: 2, 28.6%; Fighter, Paladin
Leader: 1, 14.3%; Cleric
Striker: 4, 57.1%; Ranger (bow), Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock
Controller: 0
Group 2
Defender: 1, 16.7%; Fighter
Leader: 1, 16.7%; Cleric
Striker: 4, 66.6%; Avenger, Ranger (bow), Rogue, Sorcerer
Controller: 0 (was 1 until the player of the wizard retired it for the sorcerer)
Group 3
Defender: 1, 16.7%; ? (this will be my character)
Leader: 2, 33.3%; Cleric, Warlord
Striker: 2, 33.3%; Barbarian, Ranger (bow)
Controller: 1, 16.7%; Wizard
Overall
Defender: 4, 21.05%; Fighter x2, Paladin, ?
Leader: 4, 21.05%; Cleric x3, Warlord
Striker: 10, 52.6%; Avenger, Barbarian, Ranger (bow) x3, Rogue x2, Sorcerer x2, Warlock
Controller: 1, 5.3%; Wizard
So looking at the - admittedly limited - data from these three groups it would seem that WotC could have done with another defender class, they got the amount of leader classes about right, they could have included more striker classes, and could almost have dropped the controller role altogether.
It's also interesting to consider how much this distribution is influenced by the proportions provided in the rulebooks and how much by player preferences independent of the rulebooks; the preponderance of damage dealers compared to tanks or healers in the population of the average World of Warcraft server comes to mind - players like to see the big damage numbers floating over the heads of mobs.
How does your group compare in class and role composition? Why do you think your group has the mix of classes and roles that it does? Do you think the supply of classes in each role is matching the demand in your group?
(I've entered the responses into a spreadsheet and attached a couple of charts from that sheet. I'll update the charts if there are sufficient additional responses.)
Current data set
Groups: 22
Characters: 121
Average Group: 5.5
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