Most versatile single class

[two]

Nutsoid

Particularly if you are talking about a solo adventure, the rogue is absolutely out. Horrible choice.

The rogue is in trouble when grappled, when attacked by magic (low will saves), when attacked by no-save magic (magic missile) because of low hitpoints, and finally can't self-heal without UMD, which at low levels is anything but sure. Can't go head-to-head with any melee monster, however weak. If sneak attack doesn't work in round1 or 2, it's run away time.

Even the bard, who can self-heal and can cast a few low-level attack spells (glitterdust, etc), has a huge advantage here.

Both pale in comparison to a Cleric or Druid. I have to go Druid, if only for the insane hit points generated by a high con animal, plus massive will saves, great summon spells, great healing spells, good direct damage spells, good battlefiend control spells...I could go on but won't.

Druid over Cleric simply because the Druid will have more hit points 99% of the time. Of course a Cleric with the luck domain is sooo wonderful in a solo compaign. Very, very close.

But both Clerics and Druids are heads and shoulders above the rest of the classes.

As somebody already suggested, a party of 5 consisting solely of 5 clerics, or 5 druids, would probably stack up quite well vs. another 5 PC party of more traditionally mixed classes. That's pretty much the meaning of versatility. Can do it alone, can do it when cloned into a party of 4 or 5. Just scary.

In fact, now that I think about it... a party of 5 PC Druids, each with a special schtick (summoner druid, melee druid, healer druid, high DC save druid, and mounted druid) just scares me thinking about it. Of course, the same can be said for 5 PC Clerics (melee cleric, healer cleric, undead-killing cleric, high DC save cleric, utility cleric). Brrrrrr.....

 

[The Souljourner]

Yeah, I gotta go with Two here.... Rogues are fine as long as you never need to see battle. Throw them in a single battle, and they're screwed. No hitpoints, no AC, no healing. They have to run from every battle that doesn't start and end with a stab in the back.

Druids are definitely the most versatile. Wildshape covers *so* many bases. And then they're second only to flat out wizards in damage, and really, not that far behind (as long as fire and lightning can damage the opponent). Good skills, animal companion for some more damage, they can dish it out in melee, wildshaped or not, they can heal, talk over great distances, gain flight.... what's not to like?

-The Souljourner

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

what's not to like?

The only thing I can think of is soft ACs. But with healing, good mobility, some pretty good buffs, a companion that will die for you, and the possibility of HPs competitive with the Barbarian, that is a weak point easy to live with.

 

[Thanee]

In solo adventuring, the versatility of spellcasting will show pretty quick.

There are not many obstacles a wizard (or cleric, druid) cannot get beyond with magic, really.
Sure there could be a dead magic zone, but honestly, how common are those.

Cleric and Druid are better here, since they can also rely on mundane skills to a degree, which the wizard most definitely cannot do.

Bye
Thanee

 

[buzzard]

While I admit a high level wizard is certainly versatile, they still have a few holes. At low levels they are quite fragile. They also don't have any healing capacity, which can be dire. Even at high level their hit points are going to be pretty weak (ie. at 10th level 20 less HP than a comparable cleric or druid).

Then, of course, there's my poor fighter.
sob sob
WAAAAHHHH!!!!!

buzzard

 

[Thanee]

No healing spells!?

false life (sortof)
polymorph
planar binding
limited wish

Dunno for sure, whether summon monster can summon something with healing spells anymore, it used to be with the unicorn on the list.

Bye
Thanee

 

[smetzger]

Definantly Druid....
Best Summoning spells
Can shape change
access to healing spells
access to damaging spells
access to decent number of skills

 

[Felix]

I don't get why folks would knock the rogue for not being able to toe-to-toe with enemies. It's kinda like saying "an Olympic rower isn't the most fit athelete because he can't win in a boxing match against olympic boxers". No kidding the rogue won't be able to melee with anyone; meleeing isn't the point of a rogue. I think they would be able to avoid confrontations that clerics would have to fight or spell their way out of. It's just a different slant on "overcoming challenges".

There a video game called "Thief", and it's a fair one at that. You infiltrate these places, sneak around and steal stuff. There's plenty of enemies around if you want to hack your way through it, but that isn't the point of being a thief... the point is to be sneaky and tricksy. Which is what the rogue is.

So, I think the Rogue is the most versatile class as long as the player doesn't treat all the challenges as "draw sword and attack" challenges. With a little imagination, a Rogue can go in and out of a mission without having had to kill any enemies when the cleric would emerge from the wreckage of his Flame Strikes, objective in hand.

I think the rogue's way is more elegant.

 

[two]

Gah, where to begin

I don't get why folks would knock the rogue for not being able to toe-to-toe with enemies. It's kinda like saying "an Olympic rower isn't the most fit athelete because he can't win in a boxing match against olympic boxers". No kidding the rogue won't be able to melee with anyone; meleeing isn't the point of a rogue. I think they would be able to avoid confrontations that clerics would have to fight or spell their way out of. It's just a different slant on "overcoming challenges".

There a video game called "Thief", and it's a fair one at that. You infiltrate these places, sneak around and steal stuff. There's plenty of enemies around if you want to hack your way through it, but that isn't the point of being a thief... the point is to be sneaky and tricksy. Which is what the rogue is.

So, I think the Rogue is the most versatile class as long as the player doesn't treat all the challenges as "draw sword and attack" challenges. With a little imagination, a Rogue can go in and out of a mission without having had to kill any enemies when the cleric would emerge from the wreckage of his Flame Strikes, objective in hand.

I think the rogue's way is more elegant.

GAh. So wrong. Where to begin.

Do you not see that the way you describe a "rogue's" modus operandi is the opposite of versatile?

Meaning, the rogue MUST sneak, avoid all combat, and hope to accomplish a mission with stealth.

However,

a) not all missions can be accomplished via stealth.
b) sometimes rogues blow a roll and end up in involuntary combat. Then what?

The rogue, in other words:

* can't do effective melee
* can't do effective ranged attacks
* can't survive random damage (low HP's)
* have bad magical/will saves
* have only average AC
* have no native spellcasting ability

A druid, to take our example:

* can do effective melee
* can have effective ranged attacks (spells)
* can survive random damage (good HP's)
* has excellent saves
* has similarly average AC
* is a full caster

Plus, using wildshape and some spell buffs, can infiltrate/sneak/scout nearly as well as a rogue.

So, none of the weaknesses of the rogue, plus using smart wildshaping, will be able to sneak around when desired. OR melee effectively. OR etc.

In other words, simply play a druid like you are playing the rogue. Focus on not getting into combat; into sneaking around; infiltration, etc. Use the druid in way that's not "draw sword and attack." It's legal with a druid. Try it. Get into the enemy camp wildshaped as a war pony. Or as a rat, creep in at night. Whatever.

Then, only if you MUST, and are FORCED, use the druid's spellcasting/melee prowess. Unlike the rogue, the druid won't have to run away immediately. At least, not right after the first round.

See? Versitile. Not a one-trick war pony.

To sum: who the heck told you to play a druid in a way different you would play a rogue? (it's your choice, dude, do what you want. It's not the class's weakness).

 

[Thanee]

Yep. Basically the rogue has only one or two options to get past a challenge, while the druid has half a dozen.

Bye
Thanee