D&D 5E Party Balanced

[DND_Reborn]

I'm pretty sure if given the opportunity every group would have overcame it that same way.

Nope. I'm just calling it what it is - a minor inconvenience.

If only you lived closer!

Oh, I doubt every group would have. Some groups might have left him behind a bit, others might have used him as bait for a trap, etc. There are options.

How "minor" it is depends a lot on level, how the table plays, creativity of the DM/players, and other factors. We've had near TPKs because the party needed light, and we've been able to make use of not using light when we could to our advantage (that is the other party using light was their disadvantage).

Hmm... well, I used to live in Arizona, and for a while in Ukraine, then there was when I lived in Georgia... are any of those close?

 

[FrogReaver]

Oh, I doubt every group would have. Some groups might have left him behind a bit, others might have used him as bait for a trap, etc. There are options.

How "minor" it is depends a lot on level, how the table plays, creativity of the DM/players, and other factors. We've had near TPKs because the party needed light, and we've been able to make use of not using light when we could to our advantage (that is the other party using light was their disadvantage).

Hmm... well, I used to live in Arizona, and for a while in Ukraine, then there was when I lived in Georgia... are any of those close?

GA would have been the closest

 

[cmad1977]

I haven’t even looked at the squad yet and my answer is:
Your group will be fine. d&D doesn’t really require a certain set of classes or ‘roles’ filled to play.
Now I’m gonna look at the rest of the OP.

Yup. That party looks perfectly capable.

 

[5ekyu]

Seriously - Light cantrip cast on arrow is the only party light source. Shoot that arrow in direction their arrows are coming. Now they can no longer see you but you can see them. (if your arrow goes to far then no one sees each other - in this case just have wizard recast light and shoot another arrow.) It's quite funny when you turn the tables on the things in the dark and become the things in the dark yourselves

But more importantly, if these kinds of situations are coming up all the time then you are giving darkvision far to much weight.

"But more importantly, if these kinds of situations are coming up all the time then you are giving darkvision far to much weight."

Like all things, the frequency and choice of challeges by the GM is what sets up or tears down "balance".

A lot deoends on whether the GM is doing 5e vision RAW or handwaving. RAW most all outdoors at night gives you blinded conditions outside of your light or darkvision.

So, most every oneof encounters at night it becomes an issue.

But it seems many handwave or house rule that and others jyst generate different settings.

Its kind funny that in 5e the best nighttime setup is a halo of well lit areas out away from your camp with you in the dark donut hole inside.

 

[jgsugden]

When joining a party I try to go last in PC design. Then I try to build a PC that fills as many of the gaps that have not been filled in the following list while trying to avoid stepping on the toes of other PCs that have selected something on the list already., with the higher ones getting a greater priority.

Melee 1
Melee 2
Face (Communication)
Leader/Healer
Utility Spellcaster (Rituals, etc...)
Ranged Damage Specialist
Controller
Scout

You can fill multiple of these rolls in one PC. For example, a medium level valor bard can fill all of those rolls.

 

[ad_hoc]

Party Balance - It's really hard to be unbalanced in 5e. Parties just tend to work. The only rule we have at our table is no repeat classes and that is just so that it is easier for people to have spotlight time.

Darkvision - I see some people on the internet saying that Darkvision is the greatest of all abilities and I really don't get it.

It is a good ribbon.

Even with Darkvision characters still have disadvantage to Perception checks relying on sight. I don't want to have -5 to my PP to avoid being surprised.

There are also the traps, secret doors, and whatever else you're never going to find while wandering around in the dark.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Darkvision - I see some people on the internet saying that Darkvision is the greatest of all abilities and I really don't get it.

I see it as barely greater than a ribbon, if that.

Even with Darkvision characters still have disadvantage to Perception checks relying on sight. I don't want to have -5 to my PP to avoid being surprised.

For myself, while useful, I would never rate it among the greatest of all abilities LOL!

True, in darkness, darkvision races have disadvantage on Perception, but blinded races auto fail. I'd rather have a chance to spot something than not at all. And although you won't have disadvantage if you have a light source, bright (normal) light is often limited to 30 feet, and beyond that you have another 30 feet of dim light. In that dim light from 31-60 feet, normal sight now has disadvantage, but darkvision sees normally. Of course, as I've written before, since most darkvision races are limited to 60 feet, both normal vision and darkvision are blind beyond 60 feet if in darkness.

For me, since it is an ability most of the creatures I am likely to face will have, I would like to have it as well to level the playing field (either by choice of race or spell or other feature). It isn't a deal-breaker for choice of race by any means, but something I do consider into the equation.

 

[Blue]

So let's say I have a party consisting of the following characters

Half Elf Devotion paladin (Defense fighting style)
Half Orc Battlemaster fighter (GWF fighting style)
Hill Dwarf Life Cleric
Either a Feral Tiefling Arcane Trickster Rogue or a Lightfoot Halfling Lore Bard
Human Abjuration Wizard

Would this party be considered balanced, or is it lacking something necessary to function properly?

Let's look at the various pillars of play.

Social - the only definite CHR-based character is the Paladin. If they have some decent social skills you're covered here. Background may matter some as well, not just for skills but also for things like Folks Hero or Noble for access and familiarity to various kinds of people. If the player goes Bard you're well prepresented.

Exploration/Discovery - your rogue should be skill monkey enough to cover urban and dungeon, if it gets taken. I'd really need to know their backgrounds to talk about wilderness, and what happens if that player goes bard.

Knowledge skills there's no one better than a wizard - even a cleric (knowledge) or someone with expertise won't juice their INT like wizards do.

Your only good WIS is cleric, so you might have a bit of hit or miss with things like perception or insight where a single failed roll may make you miss something important.

In combat you've got three possible front-liners (Life cleric gets heavy armor and good HPs, they can survive in the front lines healing folks). Minimal ranged attacks - the rogue going archer would be helpful. Wizard nor bard are real single-target ranged damagers.

Wizard is all aaround fantastic utility. Also buffing, area of effect and a lot of other things. Cleric can also buff plus heal. If there's a bard for crowd control and buff/debuff, the wards can focus more and you've got a strong component there. If they go rogue you can have a decent spellcaster component, and add in (hopefully) some ranged and those needed skills.

You have an excellent primary healer, and your paladin is an okay off-healer, either to stand the life cleric back up in combat, to cure poison/disease so the life cleric doesn't blow slots, and eventually getting some good out-of-combat healing.

 

[Ancalagon]

One thing I would caution with this party is the lack of "nature specialist", but that's easily fixed with a background - if one character has "outlander", that's a discount ranger, you'll be fine.

Overall it seems like a strong party, and a tough one too.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

True, and it's really "do we cover the key skills" that is important in 5e, rather than combat roles, and that can be achieved with backgrounds rather than classes.

My current party lacks a party "face" after the bard had to leave, our ability to convince NPCs to help us is sadly limited.