The 5 characters: Human Wizard, Elf Wizard, Dwarf Warlord, Half orc Cleric, Halfling thief. The 2 wizards are following very different rules.
Human Wizard has a spell book with something like X (5 at 2nd, umpteen at 5th and like 30 at 10th) spells in it. He only gets X (2 at 2nd, 5 at 5th, and 7 at 10th)spells per day though. He preps in the morning what spells he wants with no limit (can prep any spell 5 times if he wants). He has a feat (at 5th and 10th) that gives him the ability to make a javelin of fire. It does the same damage as the Dwarf’s javelin, just as fire, and requires an attack roll. He also can once per encounter (from 2nd level on up) use either Burning hands or ray of enfeeblement, prep one and that is his encounter for the day. (he has not used it yet but I think he could prep shield as well).
His daily powers all have (X save for1/2 or negate) the DCs are all set by spell, and we could not back engineer the DCs and how they were set.
He has a wand and a dagger, and he sucks if he needs to attack with the dagger
My elf wizard (who does not have Elvin accuracy) has 5 cantrips at will, 2 of them look like they broke up prestidigitation into 3 and I only have 2 of the 3. I then have mage hand (almost a direct port from 4e), Detect Magic, and Magic missile. MM has the most interesting scale. At second level it auto hits a target in 20ft for 1d4 damage (no mod) at 5th level it auto hits either 1 or 2 targets in 45ft, if 2 targets 1d4 each, if 1 target 1d8 damage. At 10th level can hit 1,2,or 3 targets in 60ft 1d4 each if 3 targets, 1d6 if 2 targets, and 1d10 if 1 target. I can once per encounter at 2nd, and 2times per encounter at 5th and 10th use an evergy bolt (kinda like warlock eldritch blast) that does 2d6+3 (int is plus we think) save for half. I choose when I use it what energy type it deals, fire or acid is a Dex save for half, Electric or Acid is Con Save for half. I have 2/3/4 dailys depending on level, and they are all siloes. The 5th and 10th level versions and have a silo of Fireball/Hast/Dispel Magic, so once per day I can use one of those spells, but no prep. When I cast any spell (except cantrips that just work) I roll a d20 to set the DC, I add what I think is my Int mod to the roll (and the 10th level me gets +1 to the roll more).
Example: Fight 1 I cast Energy Bolt (Fire), I pick a target (lets say an orc) and he makes a dex save. The DC is 1d20+3, lets say I roll great, I get an 18, the DC is now 21. I roll damage well he rolls his save, and my luck holds, I roll a 6 and a 4 (+3) and he gets a 14 save… so I do 13 fire damage
Fight 2 I cast energy bold Electric, I pick another Orc as the target, he makes a Con Save. I roll a bad roll and set the DC at 7 (4 on the roll), and he rolls higher then that before con mod, so I roll damage, get a 4 and a 2 (+3) so I do 4 electric damage to the orc (save for half).
Some monsters have an evasion like ability that if they roll a 20, or double the DC for a save for half they take none.
I use a wand and sword at level 2, at level 5 and 10 I have an elvin sword that functions as an implement. I am way better with melee then the human wizard, but that only places me at 3rd best at 2nd and 5th and 4th best at 10th (when the thief beats me)
The warlord and the Cleric can both heal, at 2nd level the warlord can heal only in combat with hit riders, and the cleric can only heal outside of combat using daily prayers. By 5th level they can both do both (and the cleric can prep prayers by then, and as such change daily). The cleric fights with a mace, the warlord with an axe and shield (he also has a 2 handed sword and a bunch of javalins). The warlord is by far the best melee combatant in the group, and has the most hp.
The hafling thief is interesting. He has 2 daggers, and can fight with both from the start. He makes 2 attacks with a -2 to hit each does 1d4+1 or one attack that does 1d4+3/4 depending on level. If he has advantage (no combat in the phrase) he adds damage. At level 2 he adds 1d6, at level 5 2d8, and at level 10 3d8. He can use this sneak attack with every hit though. He then has a bunch of circumstance powers/modfires. If he is hidden from a target at the start of his turn he can deal an extra d4 damage but he can’t attack with 2 weapons. If he is being flanked and an enemy misses with a melee attack he can deal 3 or 4 damage(depend on level) to the other target flanking him. If he starts his turn not ingaged in melee he can move, attack, move, but again only 1 attack.
He also has a daily on both 5th and 10th level that seems pretty crazy. It lets him turn invisible, and move if he gives up his attack.
at 10th he also has the ability to if he is crit “roll with it” he gives up his next attack, but he can move now, and the crit is turned to just a normal hit.
The two adventures we have we refer to as the Easy undead adventure, and the Deadly Orc Adventure. The undead one is mostly zombies, 2 ghouls, and ends with a vampire. It is pretty strait forward, but with a twist (well the town is being overrun so is the local goblin tribe) The orcs are WAY harder. They are attempting to unlock a mystic sealed gate. They have 2 or 3 hobgoblin mercs with them, and there are traps and killer spiders as well. The orc shaman is pretty badass, but the real kicker is the Orc Chief and his brother, both are half orc half oger.
We tpked against the Chieftain at 2nd level, and only beat him at 5th because of a good tactic, at 10th we won clean. At 5th level we new what was comeing, and we prepped. The cleric blessed the party (+1 to melee attacks and cha saves), I hasted the party (+1 to weapon attacks, +1 AC, +5ft move, and I can give up my standard action any turn to grant a move or standard to anyone else effected), and then I used Invisibility. I spent the whole fight just giving the hafling more attacks.
I know dice can’t be factored in, and luck is a strange mistress, but not one charm or sleep spell has worked yet, saves where made everytime. My wizard seems to be a melee monster (at 2nd and 5th I have +1 less to hit then the cleric and +1 more then the thief, at 10th the thief and cleric get the same to hit). The other wizard goes up 2 to hit between 2 and 5, then 1 between 5 and 10. The thief is the reverse 1 between 2 and 5 then 3 more by 10th. I go up 1 per jump so does the cleric and warlord.
At no point at 2nd level does my wizard need a 20 to hit anything with my sword (although the shaman orc can buff himself up to (for one round), and the chief’s brother has an AC I need a 19 at that level, and the other wiz would need a 20 for)
The warlord has a cool power thing that when he or an ally has advantage over an adjacent enemy they get +3 instead of +2 to hit. He also has a commander strike like ability, and he has something called wolf pact tactics as a feat or class feature (can’t tell diff) that when he hits with his axe he or an ally adjacent to the target can move up to half there speed.
Magic items so far: Gauntlets of Ogre power give +2 str and a push effect power. Ring of prot increases AC and saves. Elvin Long sword functions as a wand. Knives have a returning feature (maybe all magic thrown weapons). Pearls of Power exsist too, and the 10th level wizard has 2 of them.