D&D 5E (2024) How I Would Do 5.75

[ECMO3]

I agree with this, but there are more than one type of role played, no? A fighter may take on the tank role in combat, but their gregariousness is such that they take on the leader during social encounters and their impatience might lead them to be the one always in trouble during the exploration pillar. What I am trying to say is that these three things can exist within the same character.

That said, a role in combat is very specific. It is a tradition in role-playing games, and even more of a tradition in fantasy. That is what I was discussing. I do not like multi-classing because I think it ruins the role a person plays for the average encounter. I feel it should be up to the DM, who designs the encounter, to highlight certain roles. It's pretty easy for a DM to do that.

Yeah I agree with the first paragraph, but not the second. IMO the player decides the role of their character in combat and I don't want to be tied to a certain role because that is the fantasy trope. I understand others do like that though, and that is fine. Just because I am the fighter I should not automatically get pushed to the front line. From the DM I want impartiality more than anything else, let the party play to the encounter.

 

[Scott Christian]

Yeah I agree with the first paragraph, but not the second. IMO the player decides the role of their character in combat and I don't want to be tied to a certain role because that is the fantasy trope. I understand others do like that though, and that is fine. Just because I am the fighter I should not automatically get pushed to the front line. From the DM I want impartiality more than anything else, let the party play to the encounter.

We agree. I am fine with breaking the trope. Heck, that is part of the fun of character creation and levelling. And I agree with you, your class should not always define your combat role. But, I believe it is the job of the DM to help alleviate that redundancy.

A fighter built to be a tank, should be a tank. But a DM should allow them to shine during certain combats in other ways. That tank is suddenly now the main damage dealer because magic resistance, or the tank is now suddenly the controller because of a tight narrow passage, etc.

In my experience, it's breaking the consistency of their role that helps a player like the role all the more. If you have 10 combats over the course of five session, and your a tank for six, but a damage dealer for three and a controller for one, that helps you enjoy the tank that much more.