False truisms in 5th edition

[DEFCON 1]

Ooh! I got one! I'll play!

"Having a fast-build melee character, an all-ranged party, a melee build with feats, a rogue build without feats, or not having a wizard in the party are all bad things."

FALSE: There is nothing wrong with any of these things.

If a party wants to go all-ranged because ranged characters are obviously better, or a melee character wants to take a fast build with feats because a fast feat build is obviously better than a slow featless build, or a player of an arcane character wants to play a warlock, bard or sorcerer rather than a wizard... that's completely okay. There are no issues with any of these character choices occurring, the players will all be happy, and the game will be fine! Yay!

You know... unless of course its the DM who is bored with seeing these same characters over and over and over again. But then again, who gives a hoot if the DM is tired of seeing these characters types repeatedly? They aren't the one playing the characters.

But if it really matters that much to the DM, maybe what they really need to do is either change how they dungeonmaster or get new players so that making these same character choices over and over and over again is not so important to everybody? These character selections are occurring repeatedly for a reason. If that's really an issue, maybe the DM just needs to change the reason from happening anymore? Dump the offenders who do nothing but min-mix all the time and find players for whom character comes first. Then the DM can finally see a party with a Swashbuckler Rogue, Eagle Totem Barbarian, and Transmuter Wizard.

 

[Zardnaar]

Transmuter wizards not that bad. Prof in con saves lvl 6 is good great in a featless game.

 

[Bupp]

Put your melee rouge next to a wolf totem barbarian (While you're raging, your friends have advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature within 5 feet of you that is hostile to you.)

Sneak attack damage with every hit.

 

[cmad1977]

So much facepalming wrongness.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Disclaimer: Do note that in games that aren't actually challenging, none of this matters. So if you aren't playing in a campaign where the difficulty actually rewards optimal builds, this thread isn't for you.

If the game is specifically challenging for the players, and isn't wholesale slaughtering PCs or doesn't provide ample room for error, then your specific build options are irrelevant because the DM is tailoring the game to that exact difficulty. If a DM is going to increase the numbers and types of enemies to a point that an optimized team will succeed where a less-optimized team fails, then they can very well throw your rogue into a "high-wind" zone that makes ranged attacks impossible, or put your warlock into an anti-magic field.

 

[Umbran]

Disclaimer: Do note that in games that aren't actually challenging, none of this matters. So if you aren't playing in a campaign where the difficulty actually rewards optimal builds, this thread isn't for you.

"A 'challenging' game requires optimal builds."

FALSE: Challenge is relative. You can have a game that challenges those with builds optimized for DPR, or with builds that are kind of stock, run of the mill PHB selections with maybe some sub-optimal stat choices, or with builds that are aimed to mechanically shoot yourself in the foot. The scale of danger presented by the GM in combat encounters is arbitrary, and may be chosen to suit the power of the characters.

 

[Dausuul]

"A 'challenging' game requires optimal builds."

FALSE: Challenge is relative. You can have a game that challenges those with builds optimized for DPR, or with builds that are kind of stock, run of the mill PHB selections with maybe some sub-optimal stat choices, or with builds that are aimed to mechanically shoot yourself in the foot. The scale of danger presented by the GM in combat encounters is arbitrary, and may be chosen to suit the power of the characters.

Additionally, a campaign may be designed to challenge the players' creativity and cunning, rather than their mastery of the game mechanics.

"You are a 6th-level party. There are a hundred ogres marching toward your hometown. The cavalry is on its way, but it's going to be six days before they arrive and the ogres will be here in three. What are you going to do?"

Good luck combat-optimizing your way out of that one.

 

[Yunru]

Additionally, a campaign may be designed to challenge the players' creativity and cunning, rather than their mastery of the game mechanics.

"You are a 6th-level party. There are a hundred ogres marching toward your hometown. The cavalry is on its way, but it's going to be six days before they arrive and the ogres will be here in three. What are you going to do?"

Good luck combat-optimizing your way out of that one.

Not to nitpick (a lie, this is totally to nitpick), but with one of the options being six days of retreating combat, combat optimisation would make a huuuge difference

 

[Satyrn]

If the game is specifically challenging for the players . . . then your specific build options are irrelevant because the DM is tailoring the game to that exact difficulty.

I have taken this idea to heart, and it's one of the things I am thoroughly enjoying about DMing a megadungeon. I'm not the one setting the difficulty level the players face. The players themselves make that decision when they decide whether or not go down the stairs or explore more of their current level.

 

[Dausuul]

Not to nitpick (a lie, this is totally to nitpick), but with one of the options being six days of retreating combat, combat optimisation would make a huuuge difference

How, exactly? You're going to engage a hundred ogres continuously for six days?

I suppose a party with certain specific options, such as a warlock with Eldritch Spear*, could try a strategy of staying outside javelin range, taking out any bolt launchers in the warband, and grinding the rest of the ogres down, hour by hour. However, this requires options which are not typically seen as optimization targets; I don't see a lot of warlock guides recommending Eldritch Spear. It also assumes that you can take out the bolt launchers before they take you out.

[SIZE=-2]*To attempt this with an archer, you need to explain where you're getting the ammunition. It's one thing to buy a few dozen arrows; it's quite another to plonk down some gold in a farming community and say "Eight hundred arrows to go."[/SIZE]