Quickleaf
Legend
Nagol said:They really aren't combat kings though. Oh, don't get me wrong; they are solid at combat, but all the classes are at least OK at combat. Having a Fighter-less party is easily within the bounds on normal play.
Can't you make that same point about any class though really? I mean you need certain archtypes such as healer but you really don't need a specific class such as cleric to have an effective healer In your group.
Let's say your party healer is a druid with cure wounds. What do you forgo by not having a cleric? And is it significant? In other words, what's unique to the cleric (That the druid doesn't get)?
- Turn Undead
- Channel Divinity unique to subclass (e.g. banishing magical darkness & dealing radiant damage)
- Cleric-only spells like spare the dying (very useful for keeping low-level parties alive), sacred flame, thaumaturgy, guiding bolt, augury, prayer of healing, warding bond, spirit guardians, blade barrier, forbiddance, harm, planar ally, word of recall, conjure celestial, divine word, holy aura, & mass heal.
Not an amazing amount of differentiation, but it's definitely enough to distinguish having a Cleric from having a Druid as party healer.
Now turn it around, what is forgone by swapping out a fighter for a paladin or barbarian as the party tank? Maaaybe Action Surge?