Do you believe in a balanced party?

[Jeff Wilder]

I think the "need" for a balanced party is heavily dependent upon the kind of campaign the DM runs. At its simplest, I think a campaign based upon published adventures, with light or no modification, requires a balanced group, if the PCs are going to have any chance of success. On the other end of the spectrum, a campaign in which the DM carefully crafts each adventures with the strengths of his PCs in mind will work just fine without all of the archetypes being present.

BTW, I also think there's a similar divide between whether or not PC archetypes need to be optimized. Published adventures, for better or worse, seem to assume that they will be.

 

[Crothian]

BTW, I also think there's a similar divide between whether or not PC archetypes need to be optimized. Published adventures, for better or worse, seem to assume that they will be.

only if they are changing the monsters. the CR system does not assume optimized characters.

 

[ThirdWizard]

You've gotta have a healer. Whether its a PC, a hireling, or a cohort, the party had better have a healer in it. At low levels, a ranger with a wand of cure light wounds will suffice, but at higher levels, with increasingly high damage output from monsters, a cleric, druid, or one of the new classes will be the only way to survive unless the DM specifically tailors all encounters to the players.

I would also say that for my own games, someone with trapfinding is highly reccomended. Highly.

 

[S'mon]

Using the RAW, to run traditional dungeon-bash games at standard difficulty, you need a warrior, an arcane spellcaster, a Cleric, and one other PC - Rogue is good, but another Cleric or warrior type is probably just as good.

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

A party without frontline warriors does not strike me as viable. I don't care if I have to hire thugs or charm monsters, whatever, if noone can act as muscle I'll get someone who can. Whatever the source, someone needs to be a credible speedbump in front of the more fragile members.

Beyond the tanks, good scouts are almost as essential. A good reccie gives so much invaluable information that sound decisions need, without them I'd expect heavier losses.

 

[S'mon]

I agree re frontline warriors, though NPC Warriors, Cohorts or Companion Animals may make viable speedbumps. Scouting abilities can be emulated by Wizard spells though (eg Prying Eyes).

 

[MonsterMash]

I don't think changes need to be made unless the modules requires a very specific solution to a bottleneck part of the adventure. Sometimes, designers have a room that can only get by if a 9th level druid casts warp wood to get past the magical invicible guardian. In that case things might need changed if the party has no Druid. But in most other cases I've found players get really creative for getting past things or dealing with suituations that are a challenge for them.

I would class that as poor module design to have only one possible solution to a problem.

 

[MonsterMash]

For module design effectively the four iconic classes are more or less assumed to be represented, but I voted that it doesn't matter with the balance of the classes as long as the party adapt to the skills and powers they have - no healer then be prepared to hit and run, avoiding prolonged melees, lots of healing and combat tanks then look for dungeons and other environments where close quarter fighting will favour you, no combat tanks then maximise mobility and missile weaponry.

In the two campaigns I'm involved in the partys are sort of balanced, but in different ways:
Campaign I GM
Fighter 2
Druid 2 (Wolf animal companion)
Bard 2
Sorceror 2 (Hawk familiar)
So plenty of spell casting and healing available now (the bard is able to cast spells at 2nd), but a lack of undead turning or trap finding abilities. Because of the familiar, animal companion and druid probably more effective outdoors than indoors.

Campaign I play in
Fighter 2
Cleric 3
Wizard 3
Rogue 3
Rogue/fighter 1/2
Monk 3

Fairly much the 'balanced' party, but the best tactics use the mobility of the monk and fighter/rogue while the cleric and fighter do any close quarter stuff.

 

[FireLance]

Like Corsair, I believe that having distinct functions, so that the characters don't step on each others' toes, is more important than having a specific spread of abilities.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Doesn't matter to me - just so long as everyone is happy and is having a good time.