D&D 5E [2024 5e] Too many character ideas for next campaign arc

[thesevenswords]

Our next campaign arc is starting soon and I'm having a difficult time picking just one character. Party consists of Necromancer Wizard, Valor Bard, Barbarian (idk subclass), and our fourth is either going Order Domain Cleric or some flavour of Sorcerer. Homebrew campaign starting at Lv1, I expect we'll be up to Lv3 pretty quickly, and we should go to Lv10 or so.

Based on the party composition and all my previous PCs being spellcasters I want to focus on melee. That said, I have grown accustomed to the flexibility of spellcasting and it's feeling difficult to let that go lol. Only Restrictions are no Warforged or Autognome, and species innate flyspeeds can't fly before Lv5.

My current character concepts:
•Fighter - Eldritch Knight
-Human/High Elf
-17/14/16/8/10/8
-Magic Initiate: Wizard
-Booming Blade & Greatsword/Warhammer
-Lv4 Feat: Mage Slayer, +1 Str

•Monk - Warrior of Shadow
-Tiefling, Infernal/Winged
-8/17/14/8/16/10
-Tavern Brawler
-Daggers & Unarmed Strikes
-Lv4 Feat: Weapon Master // Defensive Duelist, +1 Dex

•Paladin - Oath of Vengeance
-Human/Dragonborn
-17/8/16/8/10/14
-Tough/MI-Wizard
-Glaive
-Lv4 Feat: Mage Slayer, +1 Str

•Rogue - Arcane Trickster
-Astral Elf
-8/16/14/17/10/8
-Squire of Solamnia
-Heavy Crossbow & True Strike
-Lv4 Feat: Elven Accuracy, +1 Int

•Rogue - Swashbuckler
-Cloud Goliath
-8/17/14/8/10/16
-Alert (+10 Initiative @ Lv5)
-Short Sword & Scimitar
-Lv4 Feat: Defensive Duelist, +1 Dex

I played a high elf EK in a Lv5 one-shot and generally liked it. Feels kind of weird trying to port the character over though. In the last arc's finale one nameless human soldier npc was the sole survivor of their platoon, playing around with that story idea.

Shadow Monk seems mechanically fun & interesting, but I don't feel like I have any real character concept. My brain just said "What if ninja, but also devil?"

Vengeance pally also brings a lot of the strengths I'm looking for: high AC, good melee damage, spellcasting, and a little healing if Player 4 opts for Sorcerer.

Lastly, a pair of rogues that seem mechanically interesting. Get Elven advantage and True Strike all my problems away, or rush into the fray for a couple hits before dipping back out.

If anyone has played these subclasses in 5.5e and can provide insight or tips it'd be much appreciated!

 

[mellored]

First answer is to play what's most fun.

But beyond that as you have Int/Cha/Str and maybe Wis covered. I'd recommend Dex.

Shadow monk has issues IMO, unless the rest of your party picks up Blindsight or similar. Then it's really powerful.

So rogue

 

[aco175]

I hear the new monk is powerful, not sure on the subclasses.

I like the rogue and the base rogue with a climbing speed at 3rd level is situational cool.

 

[mellored]

I hear the new monk is powerful,

It's more that the old monk was possibly the weakest class, thus needed the biggest boost.

It's been brought up to be on par with the Barbarian and fighter.

I still don't like shadow though, unless the rest of your party builds around it. Darkness hampers your allies as much as helps you.


Then again, managing Darkness might the the tactical challenge the OP is looking for.