D&D 5E Desperately need help, trying to catch up to party.

[Charlaquin]

It doesn't necessarily break the game, but it can skew the balance in a way that requires the DM to adjust other factors to compensate. For instance, in the above example, a level 8 Barbarian in a loin cloth has equal AC to a level 8 Fighter with Defensive fighting style, due to a combination of unusually high Dex and unusually high Con, without any sacrifice to Strength. The Fighter gave something up to get that armor class, and having an AC that high is meant to be reserved for the folks in heavy armor, to compensate for the drawbacks to heavy armor.

By contrast, I had a level 8 Barbarian made with a point buy. I don't have the sheet in front of me, but her AC was either 15 or 16. I know I put at least one ASI into Con. Comparable to a Dex character at that level with light armor.

This is just a feature of the Class design though. Getting Fighter AC on a Barbarian is possible even with Array or Point Buy stats, it just takes longer to get there. And comes at the opportunity cost of using all your ASIs on Con and Dex instead of Feats and/or other abilities. But still, Barbarians being able to compete with Fighters in the AC department while lightly armored is a feature, not a bug, and if the Fighter has equally high Ability Scores, he’ll outshine the Barbarian in other ways, such as having way more Feats.

If everyone has super high ability scores, the classes should be just as balanced against each other as they are when everyone has average ability scores. The ability scores seem in the OP’s game just set a higher baseline for everyone, there’s something else going on that’s allowing the other players to break the bounds of that baseline. Most likely magic items and/or rules being interpreted strangely.

 

[BookBarbarian]

I think this is a good illustration of how super high ability scores can break the balance of the 5e.

Imagine a Barbarian with the ability array listed up top. 20 STR. 19 DEX. 20 CON. That character would have an Unarmored AC of 19, the same as a Fighter in plate with Defensive Fighting Style. The Barbarian doesn't have to worry about disadvantage on Stealth checks, doesn't have to invest a class resource into the extra point of AC, and gets Fighter level defenses with Barbarian-level HP.

And all the ASI can go into feats

Any Barbarian can put all their ASIs into Feats, and honesty AC is not all that important on a Barb. A Barb with 10 AC can still have large hit-points and damage reduction form Rage (a Barb/Rogue can further reduce it through Uncanny Dodge) which will still give them great survive-ability.

High stats might make my game more difficult for me to GM, but a high AC Barb wouldn't.

 

[Ancalagon]

Any Barbarian can put all their ASIs into Feats, and honesty AC is not all that important on a Barb. A Barb with 10 AC can still have large hit-points and damage reduction form Rage (a Barb/Rogue can further reduce it through Uncanny Dodge) which will still give them great survive-ability.

High stats might make my game more difficult for me to GM, but a high AC Barb wouldn't.

Hmmm.... let me illustrate.

Lets say that a barbarian with 14 AC and his friend the fighter with 19 AC are fighting monsters with +5 to hit. I think we can agree that this is a very reasonable scenario.

The barbarian takes half damage from attacks, and 50% of attacks hit. Meanwhile the fighter takes full damage, but only 25% of attacks hit. In other words, the barbarian is getting hit twice as much! So in reality, the tanking ability of these two characters is almost identical (the barbarian has a few more hp).

If all of a sudden the barbarian also has 19 AC, then the barbarian now tanks twice as well as the fighter...

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[Ancalagon]

Also, if you don't have 20 strength (and have a strength dependent build), taking a feat means delaying that strength for 4 levels. It's a real sacrifice. If you have 20 con, dex and strength... Not such a sacrifice is it?

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[Yardiff]

I don't think it breaks the game it just makes the game play different. Some people like to play a high-powered game.

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Pretty much this.

This is just my opinion and I'm going to make a mean statement.
Just be because some of you like playing in the kiddie end of the pool doesn't mean those who like to play "a higher form of war" aren't allowed to.

 

[Caliban]

Pretty much this.

This is just my opinion and I'm going to make some mean statements.
Just be because some of you like playing in the kiddie end of the pool doesn't mean those who like to play "a higher form of war" aren't allowed to.

Heh, to me needing super high stats for your character sounds like playing in the kiddie pool. Some of us don't need that crutch in order to play the game.

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[BookBarbarian]

Hmmm.... let me illustrate.

Lets say that a barbarian with 14 AC and his friend the fighter with 19 AC are fighting monsters with +5 to hit. I think we can agree that this is a very reasonable scenario.

The barbarian takes half damage from attacks, and 50% of attacks hit. Meanwhile the fighter takes full damage, but only 25% of attacks hit. In other words, the barbarian is getting hit twice as much! So in reality, the tanking ability of these two characters is almost identical (the barbarian has a few more hp).

If all of a sudden the barbarian also has 19 AC, then the barbarian now tanks twice as well as the fighter...

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To that I would say why is a Fighter trying to Tank like a Barbarian? A Barbarian Tanks by Recklessly Attacking which provides very good incentive to enemies to target the Barbarian rather than his squishier party mates. Capitalizing on this the Barbarian is likely using GWM (if feats are allowed) which explains why he is tanking without a shield.

Why is the Fighter Tanking without a Shield? His AC could easily be 21. Or in your scenario is the 19 AC Barbarian in Half-Plate with Dex 14 and a Shield? because if he is he downright deserves to be out Tanking a shield-less Fighter for sure.

I guess it could be a EK that didn't have War Caster. But hopefully that EK that intends to tank without an actual Shield has the Shield spell, so that that 19 AC can become 24 when necessary.

Could you factor that into the scenario? I'm not much of a Math wiz.

Oh, as an aside, I've never considered 5e fighters to really be Tanks until the Cavalier. Barbarians and Paladins sure, but Battlemaster, Champions, and EKs are more Strikers with access to high AC options that don't rely on Dexterity.

 

[Satyrn]

Pretty much this.

This is just my opinion and I'm going to make a mean statement.
Just be because some of you like playing in the kiddie end of the pool doesn't mean those who like to play "a higher form of war" aren't allowed to.

High stats are the water wings of the kiddie pool.

 

[BookBarbarian]

Also, if you don't have 20 strength (and have a strength dependent build), taking a feat means delaying that strength for 4 levels. It's a real sacrifice. If you have 20 con, dex and strength... Not such a sacrifice is it?

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Obviously it's less of a sacrifice. Higher Stats absolutely makes a more powerful character. No one has argued that that isn't the case.

The argument is how much that "Breaks" the game.

I contend it breaks the game less than some people think.

 

[BookBarbarian]

Heh, to me needing super high stats for your character sounds like playing in the kiddie pool. Some of us don't need that crutch in order to play the game.

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Oh yeah. I love my point buy Barbarian/Fighter/Ranger that has no stat above 14 and as many feats as possible.

You'd be surprise how much Advantage and Lucky make up for not having a 20 attack stat. And Mobile works great for defense. Who cares if I don't have a high Con, when I just leave the range of the foe and they can't swing at me with an attack of opportunity?

I would certainly be better with higher stats sure, but It wouldn't be more fun and it's already plenty effective.