Help me pick a leader

[Hedgemage]

I'm teaching my nephews how to play D&D and they've made up characters: a Dragonborn Great-Weapon Fighter, and a Halfling Artful Dodger Rogue.

I thought to help round out their party, I would run a leader type character to provide some healing/support and give me an in-game voice for helpful advice.

I thought I'd ask you for your opinion on what would be a good leader for this little band, and any other advice to help me make this a fun learning experience for the boys.

 

[Aulirophile]

I'm teaching my nephews how to play D&D and they've made up characters: a Dragonborn Great-Weapon Fighter, and a Halfling Artful Dodger Rogue.

I thought to help round out their party, I would run a leader type character to provide some healing/support and give me an in-game voice for helpful advice.

I thought I'd ask you for your opinion on what would be a good leader for this little band, and any other advice to help me make this a fun learning experience for the boys.

Dragonborn Bravura Warlord.

You get to hand out more attacks to them, solid healer, pretty durable, also good in melee so you can help the Rogue get Flanking, giving the fighter extra attacks means he has more Marks, and you'll have fun playing it.

 

[OpenPalm]

I'd go with a character who can do things from range (unless the dodger has the right set of powers & items to attack from range) and has wisdom (for perception/insight checks, backgrounds help too.) To me, that leaves laser cleric, prescient bard (who I don't care for) and possibly Battle Cleric, Runepriest, the new Str/Wis Warlord Build and Artificer. At low levels, just having the right background (detective from Scales of War) and the right racial bonuses should be okay though. I still recommend something ranged, but if not and you have the skill bonuses at a level you're comfortable with, I like the Inspiring Warlord. Heals pretty well, helps out with damage surprisingly well and is just overall pretty good. Bravura is something you might want to play with a more advanced group of players because of it's risk-taking style.

 

[Derulbaskul]

I would go with eladrin tactical warlord. Being able to fey step to support the characters might prove handy, not to mention the other usual warlord benefits.

 

[renau1g]

I would go with a healic, your job as the DMPC is to keep the focus on them. Making it easier to hit, plus providing a now-normalized amount of surgeless healing is excellent, especially for the rogue. The healing powers are second to none and with a human cleric, 18 Wis, pacifist healer feat and shielding word you can give some really nice buffs on the healing word.

If you wanted to do warlord, I'd go for the Lazy Warlord build, picking powers to allow the allies free attacks

 

[twilsemail]

Dragonborn Bravura Warlord.

You get to hand out more attacks to them, solid healer, pretty durable, also good in melee so you can help the Rogue get Flanking, giving the fighter extra attacks means he has more Marks, and you'll have fun playing it.

I think a Bravelord would steal a bit too much spotlight for a DMPC. There's a lot of "Hey, lookit what I'm doing!" with a Bravelord.

I would go with eladrin tactical warlord. Being able to fey step to support the characters might prove handy, not to mention the other usual warlord benefits.

This. This will make the party feel even more awesome as you help them kill the baddies instead of doing it for them. Focus on powers that grant attacks. You may alternatel want to try an archer warlord, depending on your style.

 

[Pelenor]

I'd say go with a cleric. Good Solid healing and buffing and not as likely to steal the thunder.

 

[fba827]

I would go with eladrin tactical warlord. Being able to fey step to support the characters might prove handy, not to mention the other usual warlord benefits.

I would suggest a tactical warlord as well, of a race not currently taken by the PCs.

the focus should be stuff like providing other people an attack (so the focus and attack rolls are still done by the players, rather than the DM) and getting off flanks (so that the players enjoy the bonuses when their attack roll comes around), etc. and then some healing tossed in

 

[DEFCON 1]

I would agree with going warlord for the simple fact that both your players are Martial characters, and thus staying with that theme makes the most logical sense. If you were to introduce a divine or arcane leader DMPC, you might be tempted to then introduce plot or story points that are divine or arcane based, and then the only character trained in the skills to deal with it is yourself. You end up focusing the roleplaying against yourself while your nephews watch. If you are all Martial characters, you'll be more inclined to keep the story in the veins that you all are emphasized in.

Now as far as what build of warlord... I would suggest a melee build for the simple fact that having a third PC in hand-to-hand gives your rogue a better chance to get into flanking, and thus get to use his Sneak Attack. With only two PCs in melee... the ability to gain Combat Advantage will be quite less likely for your rogue, and he might begin feeling as though one of his primary class abilities doesn't get to be used. On a similar note... one of your at-wills should definitely be Wolf Pack Tactics, so that you can assist your rogue even further into getting into flank.

Finally... I would concur that Tactical is probably the best build, if for no other reason than to take Commander's Strike, thereby letting both the rogue and fighter attack more often (at a substantial boost to power in addition). Whether you go eladrin for the Fey Step, or human for the third at-will (so that he has an second attack option besides just Wolf Pack Tactics, since your third should be Commander's Strike), that's probably a matter of personal taste (if there is a special effect off one of the other warlord at-wills that would complement the two PCs abilities).

Best of luck to you and your nephews!

 

[sigfile]

Archer taclord. Good range options (the group could use some range), good melee options, reasonable healing, and it'll make the other PCs *shine*. I'd avoid Bravura for the reasons stated above, and there's a lot of decisioning involved with the action point benefit. "Here's a bonus" is simple and makes everyone happy.