Help Build a Party

[Infiniti2000]

We're looking for help in designing a new party from the ground up. No one has yet committed to a particular class except for my wife who will play a druid. Please go ahead and recommend particular races, feats, and powers (even for the druid). We start at 1st-level next Saturday, playing some sort of module (not KotS). I was thinking of a Ranger, but could be persuaded. Valid books are the three Core books and the PHB2. No houserules are being used to our knowledge (e.g. so no monster races).

 

[Blackbrrd]

I started DM-ing a really well balanced party the other day:

Dwarf Fighter (Battle vigor*) 18 str, 15 con
Half-Orc Barbarian 18 str, 18 dex
Elf Ranger (bow-build) 20 dex
Gnome Bard 20 cha
Human Invoker 20 wis

The Gnome Bard took the feat that gives 5 temp hp when he heals, so at 1st level for a char with 28-31 hp he heals 12 and gives 5 additional temp hp. He rocks. In addition, his misdirected mark means that atleast one of my mobs is usually at -2 to hit... It is like having a second defender in the party.

The Dwarf fighter took Dwarven weapon training and does a massive 1d12+10 damage on a hit. His AC of 18 is good enough due to the temp hp he generates himself and the ones he get from the bard

The Barbarian is a damage machine from hell, but that is partially because he crits a lot. The reason he has 18 dex is that he wants high AC, reflex defence and initative. Oh, and he charges all over the place.

The Invoker makes it really hard to swarm the party as his damage for dailies/encounters scale with the number of enemies he targets. Astral Terror for instance does 1d6+wis damage to begin with. In one fight, that was 1d6+wis+7 damage. Auch.

The ranger does damage consistantly.

*Battle Vigor is from Martial Power. If you can't use martial power, you don't want a Dwarf fighter.

 

[blargney the second]

Goliath or minotaur greatweapon fighter - huge damage makes marked enemies think twice about ignoring his mark.

Dragonborn barbarian - gonzo damage.

Elf druid - pretty self-explanatory.

Elf archer ranger - work the prime shot angle by flanking a creature the fighter has marked to deliberately provoke OAs.

Eladrin tactical warlord - with two melee powerhouses, this guy puts out some incredible damage.


With a high-offence party like this, fights don't tend to drag on very long. We have a party very similar to this and we just mow through monsters like nobody's business. Shorter fights generally means less damage taken, which is a nice secondary effect.
-blarg

 

[Herschel]

How many players?

My first suggestion is nobody play a druid.

With the Druid I'd add:

Ranged Ranger (Elf, Shifter or Human)

Avenger (Deva for Retribution or Elf for pursuing or Human for either.)

Swordmage (Assault; Genasi, Human or Eladrin; also covers Arcana and History)

Fighter (with good damage potential)

Cleric (Healing and Radiant smackdown; party faceman)

This party can either hold the line or can attack the enemy backfield.

 

[Kinneus]

Swordmage (Assault; Genasi, Human or Eladrin; also covers Arcana and History)

Any reason you'd recommend Assault over Shielding?
I have to admit I'm a little stunned... don't think I've -ever- heard anybody recommend an Assault Swordmage before.

 

[Infiniti2000]

How many players?

Sorry, standard group: 5.

My first suggestion is nobody play a druid.

No chance of playing any other character. She will play a druid.

Thanks for all the suggestions and recommend stat selections.

 

[Mad Hamish]

I started DM-ing a really well balanced party the other day:

Dwarf Fighter (Battle vigor*) 18 str, 15 con

*Battle Vigor is from Martial Power. If you can't use martial power, you don't want a Dwarf fighter.

Dunno, they still aren't bad without it. Especially with Second Wind as a minor action.
With the PHB 2 races available there might be better options (the only one that sprang to mind of the PHB1 races was Dragonborn) but Dwarven fighters aren't bad.

 

[fba827]

For 5 players, I'd say go for 1 leader, 1 controller, 1 defender, and 2 strikers. In looking at the suggested party mixes from other people above, it seems that many people suggest a similar mix.

Of course, since each class dips in to another role as a secondary role, you can still cover a lot of variation there.

Beyond that, really, it comes down to personal preferences which only your players can answer...

I, for instance, don't get excited by martial classes, or the defender role (with one exception but that's besides the point), but I could still give you the two roles that do excite me.

 

[Blackbrrd]

We have two defenders in our other party, and I am not really impressed by them either. (Pally and Swordmage) I really do like the Battle Vigor Fighter though, he can tank (which the two others can't) and he does a lot of damage.

 

[Lauberfen]

Here's how I'm building a druid- Human, ranged more than beast form. Wis 20, Con 14, Primal defender, fire seed, storm spike, cold wind and savage rend. Twisting vines (enc), fires of life (daily). Feats- improved initiative and primal instict. My druid is a true controller, and aims to start the encounter by acting first and laying down flame seed in the way of the monsters, and helping an ally to act first.

With 4 others to go, I suggest 1 striker, 1 defender, and 2 leaders.

There are many many ways of filling each of these roles. Here are some of my favourites.

Striker- Human/half orc brutal scoundrel rogue, Half-orc/goliath barbarian, elf avenger
Defender- Goliath/human/dwarf warden, human/dragonborn/dwarf fighter, dragonborn/human paladin
Leaders- Dwarf melee cleric, human warlord, gnome/half elf bard, Dwarf/human shaman.