D&D 3E/3.5 Which D&D 3.5 Core Base Class is the Most Powerful (Prepared Casters Excluded)?

[airwalkrr]

Like my previous poll, I want to know which of the following character classes you consider to be the most powerful. I have excluded the top three from the previous poll as there seems to be much consensus that those three (cleric, druid, and wizard) are roughly approximate in power. So let us assume that those classes either do not exist in the campaign world or that the DM is not allowing them as Player Characters for one reason or another. I expect this to be a far more interesting discussion.

The same conditions as the previous poll are in effect (you can skip reading the next part if you read the last thread as it is copy/pasted):

What do I mean by most powerful?

-I want your most objective measurement of the ability of a class to contribute to the successful resolution of any given encounter throughout the level range of 1-20 based on actual play experience. Thus, if you feel class "X" is the most effective in the most types of encounters over the life of a 20th-level character, you choose class "X" for the poll.

-If you have never seen a class played beyond (or below) a certain level, then simply give your best estimation.

-Your choice should reflect both your own characters' experiences and the experiences you have observed from the characters of other players with whom you have played.

-Actual play experience is more important (for the purposes of this poll) than game theory.

-Game theory, when incorporated into your choice should presume standard character generation rules (either 4d6 drop lowest or 25-32 point buy) and standard character wealth by level in a medium fantasy world. You may also consider class design.

-This question is primarily focused on campaigns which utilize the core rules only, but if you feel there are certain source books which are ubiquitous or common to most groups, feel free to consider them in your choice.

-This is NOT a popularity contest or a vote for your favorite class. We all have favorite classes for one reason or another which we may choose to play despite our knowledge that the class we choose to play is not the best.

-This is not a question of which class best fulfills its generally ascribed role in the party, but which class is the most effective on its own merits. If it helps, think of the class which you believe would have the greatest chance of surviving a campaign with a small party of no more than four characters.

Feel free to discuss the merits and weaknesses of the various base classes in this thread, but please keep the conversation civil and do not belittle the opinions of others. This is not a thread for discussion of Pathfinder, other editions of (A)D&D (including 3.0), or how 3.5 classes compare to those systems.

Thanks for voting!

 

[Jacob]

Sorcerer would be the most obvious choice after Cleric, Druid and Wizard, given it's basically a Wizard with without the ability to be flexible. And capable of casting more spells than them over the course of the day. The rest of the classes focus on melee, which any Sorcerer worth their salt can neutralize. Plus it is magic that causes the most amount of change in the world, and even if the casters are made of glass to compensate, hats must be tipped toward the only fully fledged caster left to vote for.

 

[Nigh Invulnerable]

While a sorcerer does have some firepower, he does have kind of a "Every problem is a nail when all you have is a hammer" issue unless the player is willing to pick some really varied spells. I like rangers for versatility, and bards, even though they get a bit of a bum wrap in most quarters.

 

[Dice4Hire]

Sorcerers get my vote.

With the spell selection they have, they have enough to be very versatile.

 

[sr123]

Drop the sorceror, and I'd say bard all the way. Of course, bards get their spells at 1st level, so it's basically just the next rung down on magic, but their easy access to prestige classes and baseline skills makes them ridiculously versatile.

 

[kalgani]

edit:
note for myself: read before typing anything...

second try:
sorcerer

 

[Empirate]

In a core-only environment, Sorcerer aaaall the way. There's just no contest if you pick your spells wisely.

With more books open, Bards might have access to Sublime Chord, bringing them close, or to Dragonfire Inspiration plus other Inspire Courage options, making them damn powerful while keeping their versatility. But still, Sorcerers may now have access to Mage of the Arcane Order (rendering versatility problems null and void), Incantatrix (providing ever so much raw power), or some variant class features (which can benefit Sorcerers immensely if you pick wisely).

The other classes? Can hit things, or can sometimes hit things really hard. In Core, some of them are probably better than a Bard, but never than a Sorcerer. Rogues have some flexibility built in, but simply lack a lot of oomph, and so many things are immune to sneak attack. If more books are open, there are variant class features out there that make potent builds possible: Paladins can go into Inspiring Courage themselves and become very powerful party support. Rangers can pick up Master of Many Forms via Wildshape Ranger (and Mystic Ranger, if you're allowing that kind of thing, is probably even better). Rogues can at least get their hands on a lot of sneak attack related gear/feats/variant class features, enabling them to contribute against Undead and the like. Staggering Strike is probably the one feat that keeps higher-level Rogues alive in melee, and is available outside Core.
But generally speaking, outside Core these classes don't even come close to a Bard, let alone a well-built Sorcerer.

Note that this estimation reflects actual play experience. Sorcerers and Bards have been at my table a lot, as have Rangers, Barbarians, and Rogues. Sorcerers and Bards are good at solving encounters all the time, and often go to outright solve adventures. Rangers, Barbarians, Rogues? Can occasionally do the former, but very, very rarely the latter. Paladins, Fighters, and Monks simply don't hold up well enough anywhere, anyhow (except as dip classes, or in the case of the Paladin with a ton of alternate class features).

 

[delericho]

Sorcerer, then Bard, then Ranger and Paladin, then Rogue, then Barbarian, then Fighter, then Monk.

Basically, you start at the classes with the most magic, then gradually work down until you've eliminated the casters in order. Then you get the Rogue, by virtue of his having Use Magic Device as a class skill, and then the strictly non-magical classes.

However, it is perhaps worth noting that once you get past the Bard, multiclassing becomes a much more attractive option. If you're going the non-magical route, you almost certainly want to be cherry-picking abilities from any of the bottom six classes.

 

[Empirate]

That's because the main "class feature" of warrior classes is their full BAB, and you can get that in four places given the PHB alone... and let's not even go into the fact that many DMs are leery of a lot of multiclassing per se, for no good reason whatsoever.

 

[Ahnehnois]

Probably should have made this poll without full casters. My vote goes to the class that gets Wish.

My vote sans sorcerer would have been ranger. Again, like the druid, the versatility is great.