D&D 5E Party Balanced

[Tyler Dunn]

So let's say I have a party consisting of the following characters

Half Elf Devotion paladin (Defense fighting style)
Half Orc Battlemaster fighter (GWF fighting style)
Hill Dwarf Life Cleric
Either a Feral Tiefling Arcane Trickster Rogue or a Lightfoot Halfling Lore Bard
Human Abjuration Wizard

Would this party be considered balanced, or is it lacking something necessary to function properly?

 

[iserith]

You'd have to explain what you mean by "balance" for anyone to answer this question accurately.

But the party looks quite functional to me. Player skill matters though, relative to the difficulty of the challenges you intend to present.

 

[aco175]

A couple fighter-types with the fighter and paladin, a couple healer-types with the paladin and cleric, a mage and a thief type. Looks like you have the bases covered.

 

[5ekyu]

"Half Elf Devotion paladin (Defense fighting style)
Half Orc Battlemaster fighter (GWF fighting style)
Hill Dwarf Life Cleric
Either a Feral Tiefling Arcane Trickster Rogue or a Lightfoot Halfling Lore Bard
Human Abjuration Wizard"

Does each character bring unique strengths to the gtroup? Yup.
Are there reasonable area of overlap? Yes.
Are there more than one character able to show in each pillar? Sure.

Then to my standards this is a very balanceable party in play and I would have no problems if it were in my game.

Whether or not it plays out "as balanced" will be determined mostly by the challenges the GM chooses to use in play.

 

[Larnievc]

So let's say I have a party consisting of the following characters

Half Elf Devotion paladin (Defense fighting style)
Half Orc Battlemaster fighter (GWF fighting style)
Hill Dwarf Life Cleric
Either a Feral Tiefling Arcane Trickster Rogue or a Lightfoot Halfling Lore Bard
Human Abjuration Wizard

Would this party be considered balanced, or is it lacking something necessary to function properly?

When you have more than five characters you’re probably covering all the bases. 5e is really forgiving about party balance.

My guys have been playing a year without a rogue or cleric with no worries.

 

[FrogReaver]

So let's say I have a party consisting of the following characters

Half Elf Devotion paladin (Defense fighting style)
Half Orc Battlemaster fighter (GWF fighting style)
Hill Dwarf Life Cleric
Either a Feral Tiefling Arcane Trickster Rogue or a Lightfoot Halfling Lore Bard
Human Abjuration Wizard

Would this party be considered balanced, or is it lacking something necessary to function properly?

What I look for in relation to a balanced party is:
1. Does the party have good melee capabilities
2. Does the party have good ranged capabilities
3. Does the party have a good amount of healing
4. Does the party have good control options
5. Does the party feature good charisma skills
6. Does the party feature good wisdom skills
7. Does the party feature good dexterity skills
8. Does the party feature good intelligence skills
9. Does the party have the skills/spells needed to survive a wilderness adventure
10. Does the party have the skills/spells needed to survive a dungeon adventure

It looks to me like you have mostly everything. You might be lacking 1-2 of those things depending on final setup but overall you have nearly everything. You can't get a party that hits these criteria much better than yours.

 

[DND_Reborn]

So let's say I have a party consisting of the following characters

Half Elf Devotion paladin (Defense fighting style)
Half Orc Battlemaster fighter (GWF fighting style)
Hill Dwarf Life Cleric
Either a Feral Tiefling Arcane Trickster Rogue or a Lightfoot Halfling Lore Bard
Human Abjuration Wizard

Would this party be considered balanced, or is it lacking something necessary to function properly?

Assuming the rogue or bard offers some ranged combat abilities, this party is pretty "standard".

You have two fighter-types (one with some healing/spellcasting)
A cleric/healer
A rogue/bard-type for skills and scouting. also with spells given the two options
A wizard/arcane caster

You have overlap in fighting, divine spells, and arcane-type spells as well, with not just "one" caster of each time in case you need two. Your wizard can even offer protection via abjuration.

Your only issue is the halfling bard option/ human wizard. All the other races have darkvision, so those two will need light as where the others can get by without it (even if they have disadvantage sometimes). Personally, I wouldn't care about the lack of darkvision in some characters, but it might prove inconvenient at times.

 

[FrogReaver]

Assuming the rogue or bard offers some ranged combat abilities, this party is pretty "standard".

You have two fighter-types (one with some healing/spellcasting)
A cleric/healer
A rogue/bard-type for skills and scouting. also with spells given the two options
A wizard/arcane caster

You have overlap in fighting, divine spells, and arcane-type spells as well, with not just "one" caster of each time in case you need two. Your wizard can even offer protection via abjuration.

Your only issue is the halfling bard option/ human wizard. All the other races have darkvision, so those two will need light as where the others can get by without it (even if they have disadvantage sometimes). Personally, I wouldn't care about the lack of darkvision in some characters, but it might prove inconvenient at times.

The lack of darkvision is cured by the light cantrip. Alternatively is it's that bad a drawback the wizard can always learn the spell darkvision and cast it on the ones that lack it. It's just to easy of a limitation to get around to make it worth worry about IME.

 

[Zardnaar]

Looks like a decent party. I look at the roles more.

Warrior
Artillery
Support
Skirmisher

What the classes are doesn't matter to much.

Beyond 5 anything works but once you hit 6+ you want an extra support character.

 

[DND_Reborn]

The lack of darkvision is cured by the light cantrip. Alternatively is it's that bad a drawback the wizard can always learn the spell darkvision and cast it on the ones that lack it. It's just to easy of a limitation to get around to make it worth worry about IME.

Well, it is hardly a big hurdle, but as I wrote it can be "inconvenient" at times. Oh, and having a light source on your party (light, dancing lights, even just torches) is a beacon to those nasties waiting in the darkness beyond what the human and halfling might see...