D&D 5E Party composition with only 4 players

[Gecko85]

We're starting Hoard of the Dragon Queen soon, and it'll be me plus 3 other players. The other three are novices, only me and the DM are experienced players. Wondering what classes we should have the other three play. The rub is I really want to play a bard (preferably Valor Bard). Could we get by without a thief/rogue? Wizard? I thought about maybe not having a cleric, but I really want two front line fighters (my bard would use ranged attacks).

Thoughts?

 

[The Crimson Binome]

As a bard, you could function as a decent replacement for a rogue or wizard or cleric. Stretching to cover all three of those would probably leave you a little thin in each area. Given that you're the experienced player, it would make sense if you took over the arcane utility role, since that requires you to really know your whole spell list.

For entirely new players, it makes sense to give them classes that are less complicated, and it's hard to go wrong with Fighter/Champion, Cleric/Life, and Rogue/Thief.

Really, though, as long as you have a tank and a healer, there's no party composition that will get you killed outright.

 

[Gecko85]

Thanks, that could work (bard/fighter/cleric/thief).

 

[Astrosicebear]

My group consists of a Human Great Weapon fighter, a half-orc barbarian, a half elf bard, and a halfling rogue.

So far its been ok. The barb is a meat shield, the bards out of combat healing is pretty good. The rogue is going arcane trickster, and the fighter kills lots of things.

 

[Thyrwyn]

If the DM is experienced, let them play whatever they want. The DM should be able to play down to the party's capabilities. Or fill in the gap with a DMPC. They will be more engaged playing something they are interested in, than something they have been "assigned."

 

[Gecko85]

They will be more engaged playing something they are interested in, than something they have been "assigned."

I hear what you're saying. They've all read the basic rules, and in email chats about classes, none seem to have any real preference...at least not that they've been willing to step up and declare. I'd imagine they'll all have preferences once they've played a bit.

 

[Joe Liker]

We're starting Hoard of the Dragon Queen soon

I very strongly recommend that your DM look into some of the countless threads about problems and errors and general design complaints about this particular adventure. I'm not trying to warn you off of the adventure (not very hard, anyway), but you'll all have a much better time of it if the DM knows ahead of time which sections might need additional attention (and possibly alteration) on his part.

As for party composition, four characters is the default party size in 5e, and you should be able to get by with any mix you like. Just play to the party's strengths as much as possible. A lot of terrible things are going to happen to you, but try to remember that most of it is not your fault.

 

[PaulO.]

I don't know this particular adventure, but I think the way 5E is set up it is possible to do well with a lot of different style characters as long as they play to their strengths.

In other words, you don't want a melee guy without a decent STR or DEX and a really low AC. So with that in mind, I think almost any mix of melee and ranged will work.

I've been playing a game with a Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, and sometimes a Wizard. It works well enough. I've also watched a game with Bard, Monk, Fighter, and Barbarian work out.

Just make sure everyone brings some Healer's Kits.

 

[Taronkov]

My group in NY(before I recently moved) started with my Paladin, a Barbarian, a Cleric and a Monk. No arcane caster at all, no dedicated thief(I filled in having a Paladin with a criminal background, fun backstory there) and honestly we never ran into a single real issue. That said when I left our numbers had grown to the maximum of seven(for Adventurer's League) and we'd lost two characters along the way(one wasn't part of a faction and the other we couldn't recover the body) so later parts of HotDQ we had a much different composition. I honestly think you'll do fine with whatever possible combination you come up with. The important part is have fun, play what you want and as long as you have an experienced DM who can compensate for the occasional problem you'll do fine.

 

[Unwise]

As a bard and an experienced player, you are in a great position to be the glue that holds an unbalanced party together. I would avoid filling in many details of my character until the other guys make theirs. Once they make up their characters, by just choosing whatever they feel like playing, you can fill in the roles left over.

If you avoid being married to the ranged attacks, you can chuck on a breastplate, pick up a shield go get into the front line with a great AC if there are not two frontline guys. You can pick a rogue-ish background and take care of locks and traps for the party. Being a healer does not even require any effort on your part, just spend less of your spells on other things. The other great thing about a bard is, even though you can be the MVP, you avoid overshadowing other people. I think that is important. If somebody plays a bow ranger/fighter, don't go sharpshooter and poach swift-quiver.