Playing without a tank

[Kesh]

So, we've put together a small D&D group, three of us and a DM. The other two players went with a sorcerer and a druid. After thinking it over, I went with an half-orc wilderness rogue, taking the Track feat. I almost went with a ranger, but I figure we need a way to deal with traps and lockpicking, so this was a compromise.

For the record, we rolled up stats and I lucked out, managing a 19 STR and 17 DEX (for choosing half-orc). I'm really considering a composite bow for the extra strength on ranged shots.

I'm more worried that we'll be lacking in direct combat ability in the future, though. Should I stick with rogue, or pick up a different class? If the latter, what would you recommend? And what experiences do folks have with underpowered teams?

 

[Crothian]

Go rogue. Just change your tactics some as a group. The Druid can summom things the rest of you can attack from a far.

 

[Darkwolf445]

What kind of setting and campaign are you playing in? Personally, I tend to tailor my games around what the player's have chosen. It makes it easier for me, as a DM, to plan adventures when there is no front line fighter or cleric simply due to the fact that every combat becomes a threat, allowing me to focus more on non-combat aspects of the adventure. If this situation were to arise in my game, I would allow the hiring of mercenaries (if below 6th level), or give at least one character the Leadership feat as part of their background (if 6th level or above).

I think a lot depends upon group expectations and DM style.

 

[Nightfall]

Well if you got a druid in your party, it's not necessary to have a tank. He can take with the best em, especially if he wild shapes right. That plus summoning spells help too.

 

[Missywelden]

No problem!

My group and I don't have a tank now and we do fine. We did at the start of the campaign (but he died and had to make a new character). But now we have a similar group to yours: a rogue, an artificer and a sorcerer (me) and we do perfectly fine. The NPC that we only sometimes have with us is a ranger and likes to keep his distance general and buggers off alot (we don't know why yet because he is sly and we never pass our sense motive checks).

If your group plays right your should have no problem (because your DM won't let you die unless it really doesn't make sense to still be alive...like your character being held captive and bound by angry, bulky muscled goat-folk and spitting in his face when asked where your equipment was...and being a wizard at level 2...lol).

If your rogue does right he can get a great hit on a foe, even if he hides for a few rounds to get the right moment. I would stick with rogue all the way otherwise. Everybody is right when they say the Druid will be good, they kick butt!

 

[Chupacabra]

No tank should be no worries with the right DM. The DM should (within reason) tailor the game to fit the players PC choices. Nothing inherently wrong with no tank. I DM a campaign with 2 rogues, a sorc, a cleric and a bard. No one has true tank-like AC (its all DEX based, save the cleric) and no one has true toe-to-toe Hitpoints to last in a big brawl. The solution is that I don't throw a ton of "pure" melee encounters at them. I keep the number of bad guys down (not necessarily their EL, but their sheer numbers mind you) for the most part.

Its a two-way street however: the party has to learn (and has done so painfully) when NOT to provoke the rare big batch of bad guys that I thow at them and when to adopt a more subtle approach. Divide and conquer and all that. It's a heck of a lot easier to just wade in behind the big guy with the greataxe. But when that big guy simply doesn't exist and highest party hit die is d8, they gotta figure out Plan B so as not to get swarmed.

Of course when the 2 rogues manage to pull off mutual flanking sneak attacks, ouch! The d6's fly! No barbarian can match them for damage output. You don't need oceans of hitpoints if the bad guys go down fast.

 

[Nightfall]

*thinks as long as you got a druid, you're okay* Tanks aren't as hard to come by as healing guys.

 

[Destil]

Lean on the druid, between an animal companion and summon nature's ally you have lots of disposable tanks. A few earth elementals and a dire bear make a great front line.

 

[Nightfall]

Plus if he takes Dragon Shape, that's always a plus too.

 

[Shades of Green]

Use stealth. Your rogue probably has Hide and Move Silently; your druid probably have nature-centric stealth spells, and your sorcerer should take spells such as Invisibility. Take your enemy by surprise, use hit-and-run tactics, or even avoid enemies by stealth if possible.