how to manage a defender heavy group

[Askaval30]

Thanks all of you for the great advice! I'll scribble it all down and start planning encounters ASAP.

thanks again!

 

[Sadrik]

yeah controllers are a 100% optional extra. You do not need them.

Agreed. Minions are not a problem, Cleave kills two a turn and a dragonborn kills more. Strikers are very important. You need to be able to kill 100+ hp creatures at low level and a strikers and damage oriented Fighters are going to be able to do that.

 

[Cadfan]

That sounds like an interesting party. If I were the rogue, I'd go Trickster with Mobility, and intentionally provoke opportunity attacks all the time, just so the fighters can take extra attacks.

 

[Gort]

If I was you, when designing solo encounters, try to use solos that do a lot of damage but don't have too many hitpoints themselves. I DMed a game of Keep on the Shadowfell where the party had no striker and the encounter with the blue slime (level 3 solo, if I remember correctly) went on forever.

Also, will defense attacks will mess this party up horribly, as will immobilising effects (especially AOE ones).

 

[Tony Vargas]

Should be workable, though it depends a bit on the sort of fighters they are. Three greatweapon fighters are very diffferent from three S&B fighters. Three Dragonborn fighters are very different from three Dwarven fighters. Etc.. In a party of 4, missing out on the controller is surviveable and a Warlord will be adequate as a healer. The Rogue will be very effective with three potential, marking, flanking-buddies /and/ the warlord to help him with positioning and making extra attacks (Commander's Strike is a nice little 'do over' for the Brutal Rogue who misses an easy sneak attack).

The fighters can handle minions with Cleave and can pick up some close burst attacks (and close blast if dragonborn). The Rogue could take 'blinding barrage,' as a minionator, too, I suppose. If the Warlord is Tactical, he could even multiclass to Wizard for a little does of controller. Range is going to be an issue, though. While Fighters are proficient in ranged military weapons, thier stats generally have them gravitating to heavy thrown weapons, which are unimpressive basic attacks. The Rogue has good ranged attacks bonuses, due to high DEX, but setting up a ranged SA is harder than a melee one. Range is definitely going to be an issue. Maybe one of the fighters would consider an archer-ranger? Rangers aren't as mystically woodsy as they used to be and could fit the party background.

 

[Ginnel]

I would give the same advice here as I did in the all striker party thread, don't go specially designing fights for them give them the chance to step up to all challenges, let them change their tactics let them fill in any perceived gaps.

The best composition from what I can see would be 2 sword and board fighters, a twohander fighting Fighter
A warlord with a Reach weapon, for granting the twohanded fighter extra basic attacks.
And a rogue dancing about stabbing people in kidneys, perception would be highly, highly recommended for him

For races to min max I'd go dragonborn, dwarf, human for the fighters and warlord. For the Rogue Elf/Halfling. I'd have at least one fighter go plate and at least one stay with scale and also the warlord could either stay in chain or go for scale/plate depending on stats but I'd like a nice spread so someone could make optimal use out of whatever armor they find.