Forked Thread: DM advise for an all-striker party?-Pushing/Forcing players into roles

[Shabe]

Forked from: DM advise for an all-striker party?

I would never, ever suggest pushing the players to play different roles if they don't want to. Warn them ahead of time that their choices will make fights dangerous, and show them how various roles compliment one another, but I firmly believe do not ever force them.

After all, when a character dies, it's their funeral. Maybe they'll roll up a different role.

So to open up a debate on forming parties.

When I told my players I was going to run 4e I told them that I would like a balanced party. I had 5 players Two had opted for defenders, One striker and One controller, I told the 5th player more or less that he had to play a Cleric or a Warlord. He opted for a warlord (as it happened a 6th player joined who chose to be a Cleric).

We have played through 7 sessions and as far as I can tell people are having fun.

Is it right or wrong to ask for players to form a balanced party?
Is forcing acceptable, albeit in a very friendly manner of a friend asking a friend?
Does it change if, as i am, you are running a set of predefined modules rather than your homebrew?

 

[Branduil]

Do what's fun for the whole group(including the DM).

 

[Oompa]

Asking them to make an balanced group is normal, and right, just ask normal, dont go forcing them to roles, if you find yourself out of an cleric, just explain how the cleric works, make examples, then someone can freely choose to play one..

If the players all want to play as an rogue... or an cleric.. adjust the adventure to theire needs..

Dont go shouting you NEED to be THIS or THAT.. that aint funny...

 

[darkadelphia]

DMs already put a ton of work in to make a fun game for their players--I think it is absolutely reasonable to ask/nicely force your players to take roles so that you prevent at least one headache in adventure design.

The way I handled it is had my player sign up on a list saying which roles they wouldn't mind filling. From there, I was able to tell players which of their ideas would balance a party. Our group has always been group-minded though--we have very little trouble with people insisting that their desires go before the best interest of the group as a whole.

 

[Yumepenguin]

Asking them to make an balanced group is normal, and right, just ask normal, dont go forcing them to roles, if you find yourself out of an cleric, just explain how the cleric works, make examples, then someone can freely choose to play one..

If the players all want to play as an rogue... or an cleric.. adjust the adventure to theire needs..

Dont go shouting you NEED to be THIS or THAT.. that aint funny...

Oompa, aside from your posting text, I don't think I've disagreed with you yet on these forums.

 

[Oompa]

oompa, aside from your posting text, i don't think i've disagreed with you yet on these forums.

 

[eamon]

Oompa, aside from your posting text, I don't think I've disagreed with you yet on these forums.

What's wrong with his posting text?

 

[Dormain1]

when our group played 3.5 we already used the role aspect, abet less restrictive

have one striker be a frontline tank, another as a ranged controller another sets up the flanking and positioning.....now who could be a striker

If a DM creates an adventure for the players they do have the requirements of assisting him make it fun, much like he is trying to make it fun for them, if players all want to play strikers then maybe a few sessions running an all striker team as a side game to ensure things do not get stale with the normal game

 

[Kzach]

If you're in a group where people are unwilling to fulfil needed roles, I think there are more problems than just forcing people to play certain characters.

My all time favourite role to play is a halfling rogue, yet I'd be more than happy to play a fighter or a cleric or warlord if that is what the group needed.

Being selfish and demanding you get to play what class you want means you are possibly doing so to the detriment of the group. It's far more fun for me to be amongst people who are all having a good time than to insist on playing my favourite role.

 

[thc1967]

When we put together our 4e game, I told the players they must have one Tank and one Leader or every combat encounter would suck horribly. They understood and chose classes accordingly.

Since we've been playing, we've made some revisions. Our Leader is a Warlord, which helps us with tactical combat, but doesn't help quite so much with healing. So our tank decided to switch from Fighter to Paladin; now the healing is quite nice, thank-you.