D&D (2024) Party Balance?

[KYRON45]

It's Middle Earth, where the legendary adventurers are heroically rescued by NPC's at almost every turn. ;-)

This is true of most heroes. The true measure of a hero are the friends they keep. Potter, Kirk, Skywalker…all useless without their backup dancers.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

In my experience, the "classic party" construction is actually 1 Fighter (or fighter type) per non-fighter class.

It is wild seeing everyone else's experiences.

In contrast, almost every in-person group I play with is about half-rogues (or thieves, depending on the edition).

 

[Ashrym]

This is true of most heroes. The true measure of a hero are the friends they keep. Potter, Kirk, Skywalker…all useless without their backup dancers.

We're getting off topic here, but those examples don't express the extent of what I am talking about. It's not the friends they keep -- it's the strangers they've never met until they show up and save them.

 

[cbwjm]

For new players, I think the Party Balance text is fine, it gives you someone who can tank a few hits, someone with healing, and a wide variety of skills.

Once they're more comfortable with the game, they'll realise that you can pretty much make a party of any combo and you'll do fine.

 

[Ashrym]

I decided to list the configurations that the PHB claims to be a balanced party to see if that triggered any epiphanies. Then I realized how many permutations that becomes. All y'all can think up interesting combinations of this basic theme without me pointing them all out.

I will point out that bards and rangers are the only two classes that are listed as suitable replacements for multiple other classes in the basic configuration.

I'm more curious if there are fun thematic groups. For example....

• druid replaces cleric
• barbarian replaces fighter
• ranger replaces rogue
• bard replaces wizard

An old school bard focusing on their druidic roots can make for a nature theme for this party.

I mean fun other than

• bard
• fighter
• bard
• bard

;-)

 

[Bacon Bits]

There were no humans in your classic party?

Dual-classing was a pain.

Almost never.

With that group we mostly played 2e, so I don't think we ever threatened to reach the level limits. If you happened to roll well enough to play a ranger or druid, you played a half-elf to multiclass it. Everyone wanted to play the elusive half-elf druid/ranger.

Somebody in the group did the math showing that you were never that far behind a single class character, so it was our conventional wisdom. Nobody liked triple class though, for some reason.

Only if you wanted to play a paladin did you go human or single class, and most of the time that only happened if the DM spotted the player a 17 for Cha.

 

[DragonLancer]

It is wild seeing everyone else's experiences.

In contrast, almost every in-person group I play with is about half-rogues (or thieves, depending on the edition).

Agreed. Early 3rd edition my experience was everyone toe dipped into Rogue for one level just to get D6 sneak attack and evasion. Once evasion was moved to 3rd level, players stopped doing it.

 

[Zardnaar]

they could have given similar advice in 1e (minus the suggestions for alternatives).

I get it, you like 4e, but 4e did not invent TTRPGs, not sure why you pretend it did and everything went downhill from there

It's more like 2E Warrior, Priest, Mage, Rogue.

Warrior any paladin, fighter, barbarian ranger will do.

Mage warlocks and sorcerers close enough.

Priest. Druid, cleric or 5E bard

Rogue. Rogue or Bard or Monk or Ranger right back ground.

 

[Zardnaar]

Almost never.

With that group we mostly played 2e, so I don't think we ever threatened to reach the level limits. If you happened to roll well enough to play a ranger or druid, you played a half-elf to multiclass it. Everyone wanted to play the elusive half-elf druid/ranger.

Somebody in the group did the math showing that you were never that far behind a single class character, so it was our conventional wisdom. Nobody liked triple class though, for some reason.

Only if you wanted to play a paladin did you go human or single class, and most of the time that only happened if the DM spotted the player a 17 for Cha.

Never saw Ranger/Druid at the time.

Seeing it now in clones or 2E with modern players (Mielekki also has them).

Triple class leveled to slow. Low hit points. With spells like magic missile, sleep, cloud kill and very MAD.

I've seen rogues meta their fast leveling to get their hit points and HD above that and ahead of the fighter they have similar thaco.

 

[LordEntrails]

We're getting off topic here, but those examples don't express the extent of what I am talking about. It's not the friends they keep -- it's the strangers they've never met until they show up and save them.

You mean DragonLance? Isn't that the plot of every written DL adventure? You get captured and its not until some totally new group of people come to rescue you that you have no option to escape?