D&D 5E Party Synergy

[B. Chaos]

After looking at some of the character optimization builds and guides out there, I started wondering why are there no "optimized parties" or "party optimization guides". So here's what I'd like to know: what is your definition of an "optimized party"? and what would that party look like. Is it a group composed of the four classic roles? Or is there more to it? If you're feeling ambitious post what you think this party would like at the end of each tier: 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th.

I'll be at the drawing board seeing if I can come up with anything good. What is your "Optimized Party?"

 

[transtemporal]

This was discussed in some detail in the following thread: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...ion-vs-Character-optimisation&highlight=party

 

[B. Chaos]

yeah but that thread devolved into an old edition vs new edition fairly quickly. i didn't quite find what i was looking for there.

If you could make a Dream Team out of 4 or 5 characters what would it be? The other thread only had like 3 posts where people put forward they're builds.

 

[transtemporal]

Probably light clr, bear GWM bbn or ancients GWM pally, abjurer wizard, lore bard. Probably add a ranged dpr guy for a 5-man party.

 

[steeldragons]

1st level
Human Fighter [Dueling]
Human Cleric [Light Domain]
Human Wizard
Elf Fighter [Archery]
Dwarf Rogue
Halfling Rogue

At 5th level
Human Fighter is a Battlemaster [Commander's Strike, Menacing Attack, Riposte].
[Human Light Cleric died at 2nd level against some ghouls. First casualty of the game. His sacrifice lives on in song.]
Replaced by...Human Cleric 2 [War Domain]...currently 3rd level.
Human Wizard is a Transmuter.
Elf Fighter is an Eldritch Knight. Take the Magic Initiate Feat for more spell power.
[Dwarf Rogue died at 2nd level fleeing from some ghouls]
Replaced by...Half-Elf Ranger...currently 3rd level.
Halfling Rogue is a Thief.

At 10th level
Human Battlemaster Fighter is a shell of his former self because his lover, the half-elf ranger, died at level 7. Working towards raising an army to wage war against the known Orc tribes/kingdoms [Commander's Strike, Menacing Attack, Riposte, Disarming Attack, Lunging Attack, Rally]
Human War Cleric is 8th level.
[Human Transmuter Wizard slain by demon]
Replaced by a Dragonborn Dragon Sorcerer...cuz...dragons. 7th level.
Elf Eldritch Knight has been fulfilling the role of "party mage", having inherited the Transmuter's spellbook, and has taken 2 levels of Wizard to get to the transmuter tradition to use it to its fullest. So, currently Eldritch Knight 8/Wizard 2. But still likes using his arrows when he can. Doesn't trust the sorcerer very much.
[Half-Elf Ranger slain by orc ambush.]
Replaced with Half-Elf Druid...7th level.
[Halfling Thief Rogue slain by poisoned needle trap.]
Replaced with Halfling Ranger [Hunter]. Currently level 8.
New player showed up around level 8...so add Half-Elf Paladin [Ancients]...sister and "bodyguard" of the new half-elf druid. Based on when they entered the game, is currently at level 7.

So, "by 15th level", looks something like this:
Human Battlemaster Fighter, 15th level. Ready to retire, having decimated the orcish lands and banished the influence of Gruumsh from the world for a thousand years. Ready to settled down in the party's stronghold home base with the half-elf paladin.
Elf Eldritch Knight/Wizard, 10/5.
Dragonborn Dragon Sorcerer, 12th.
Human War Cleric, 13th.
[Half-Elf Moon Druid slain by demonic hordes of Gruumsh. Over the course of 15 levels the player has still not learned how to keep their PC alive. End of campaign. No replacement.]
Half-Elf Ancients Paladin, 12th. Devastated by her brother's death, found solace in the Battlemaster Fighter and now the two are ready to "retire" from adventuring, rule their lands nad start a family.
Halfling Hunter Ranger, 12th.

EDIT: I don't know if this is a "dream team" per se. But sounds like it would be a pretty cool/fun group and game to be in...and expresses some fairly common, to my experience, situations and issues within any given group.

 

[krunchyfrogg]

After looking at some of the character optimization builds and guides out there, I started wondering why are there no "optimized parties" or "party optimization guides". So here's what I'd like to know: what is your definition of an "optimized party"? and what would that party look like. Is it a group composed of the four classic roles? Or is there more to it? If you're feeling ambitious post what you think this party would like at the end of each tier: 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th.

I'll be at the drawing board seeing if I can come up with anything good. What is your "Optimized Party?"

Links to these builds please!

 

[jpbogossian]

My Party would probably go something like this:

Total Defense focused Cleric Healer/Buffer casting Sanctuaries and Warding Bonds and Mounted Combatant
Druid in Bear Form with Sentinel
Control Focused Lore Bard
Paladin

Druid stays in Bear form when enemies are mostly Melee or goes into caster form when enemies ranged. Consider grappling later on when Bear damage stops scaling for additional control/support.

Cleric would mount the Druid - If someone tries to attack the Druid, the Cleric can redirect the attack to him with Mounted Combat, when they are forced to attack the Cleric, the Druid gets a Sentinel attack. Then they have to pass the Sanctuary save in addition to the AC.

Paladin would have his Auras buffing entire party while dealing massive damage. Oath of the Ancients would give Aura of Warding to entire party at level 7 since everyone is melee. Get a few Warlock levels for Eldritch Blast, and you have crazy ranged damage.

Bard would use his amazing spells and cutting words to control the board and keep the damage output of enemies low. Will have Wish later on.

Basically Druid is Tank, Cleric is Heal, Bard is Control and Paladin is DPS. All classes have good healing abilities and no one is a one trick pony, so you have plenty of utility.

The Good: Great sustained battle ability against small groups of enemies and bosses.
The Bad: Lack of reliable AoE damage, although the Paladin does a lot of damage, the overall DPS of the party won't be high, it is a control/sustain focused party, so be sure to support the Paladin as much as possible, because if he falls so does all your damage.

 

[B. Chaos]

So the first pillar of my party would consist of a Tempest Cleric. You've got healing and AoE wrapped up in a nice bow. The second pillar would include this:

• Var. Human Fighter 1/Warlock 4
• Str 16, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 16
• HP 40, Str Sv +6, Con Sv +5, AC 21 (Full Plate, Shield, Defense)
• Fighter Features: Fighting Style (Defense), Second Wind
• Warlock Features: Dark One’s Blessing, Pact of the Blade
• Skills: Athletics +6, Deception +6, Intimidation +6, Perception +3, Persuasion +6
• Feats: Sentinel, War Caster
• Cantrips: chill touch, eldritch blast, mage hand; Spell Slots: two 2nd level
• Spells Known: burning hands, command, hex, hold person, shatter, witchbolt
• Invocations: Repelling Blast, Thirsting Blade

There's lots of battlefield control. Repelling blast to push bad guys around, Sentinel and/or Hold Person to keep them from moving if its more advantageous, and Dark One's Blessing to keep up HP, Pact of the Blade for whatever magic weapon you want to bypass weapon resistance, Chill Touch to keep enemies from healing, and 2nd lvl Witchbolt if 2d12 each turn is more advantageous. Also makes for a decent party face.


A cleric riding the druid sounds awesome! You get the lance damage sitting on top of a crazy animal, and both the rider and mount have healing. If the cleric was a tempest cleric it'd make up for some AoE.

 

[krunchyfrogg]

The Cleric riding the Druid does sound awesome. I know I could never get players to synergize their characters like this in my groups. It's too bad.

Anyway, could you please provide a link to these builds? It would prove interesting. Also, what are these "pillars" you speak of?

 

[B. Chaos]

I would, but haven't finished thinking of them yet. Still at the drawing board. I didn't stat out the Tempest cleric because there really isn't anything complex to it. Be a cleric, pick a race with a wisdom buff, and choose the tempest domain. If you were going with the Cleric rider you could choose Mounted Combat.

Pillars would be the basic roles: someone to draw aggro, another for crowd control, a skill monkey, and a single target massive damage dealer. Not every party needs to have these roles filled. If you have a tank to draw aggro, a skill monkey, and 2 crowd control characters, you might not need that dps character. Maybe one player figures out how to fill out two roles. A vengeance paladin is quite good at drawing aggro and dps. There are lots of variations to consider.