D&D 5E Party Optimization

[Bayonet]

As someone who hates the idea of party optimization, I would tell you to play whatever you want. It makes the game more interesting, in my opinion. And, RP wise, it works quite well.

"Party Optimization" usually means that one or two people call dibs on what they want to play, and other people get hectored into a character they may not want.

 

[77IM]

I agree with the advice to "play what you want," but since the title of the thread is Party Optimization, I'll assume that that's what's funnest for you.

I'd go with paladin or possibly barbarian. Both are tough, damage-dealing classes with some neat perks. Of those perks, the paladin's spells and healing and auras are probably better than the barbarian's rage and ... whatever else barbarians get. Barbarian is better if your group is trying to stay stealthy and mobile; OTOH that's hard to do with a life cleric, and if your group's cleric is not a life cleric, then the paladin's healing is pretty handy. And a paladin (especially vengeance paladin) can be built stealthy if that's your group's thing.

Fighter is not a bad choice either, I just find it kind of bland, although it gets a lot better at 3rd level when you can pick a subclass. Ranger and monk and valor-bard can also work as front-line blockers, but it's harder, especially at low levels; you have to take a more active approach to managing aggro.

Finally, druid (Circle of the Moon) is an amazing class at lower levels and can easily tank for the group, provide back-up healing, and have some good utility spells. Your role may change if you reach high levels, but I feel higher levels are a little less sensitive to group composition.

 

[Morlock]

Another Rogue, of course.

I'd go with a fighter or wizard, but then, I like fighters and wizards.

 

[Rhenny]

I totally agree with the others who basically toss party optimization out the window. Nobody should ever feel forced to play any particular class. 5e is versatile enough to have very strange party combinations and still work. I like what others have said about making sure that the PC is tied into one or more of the others by way of background or other non-mechanical hook.

I've never had a bad time DMing a group or playing in a group when everyone played what he/she really wanted to play. Enthusiasm for a character concept far outweighs optimization as a party.

One thing you can do is talk with the other players to to see if any of them want to build their character concept along with your character so that you can decide how you might interact together during the campaign. Even when there are multiple rogues or multiple fighters or multiple spellcasters, often by coordinating backstories and personalities, it opens up lots of ideas for healthy inner party competition or bonding/support in other ways.

That said, there are also many players out there who don't mind choosing what the party needs to make it more well-rounded, and those players like the challenge of creating that piece of the puzzle that seems to fit well. If you are that type of player, I'd think about playing a fighter, barbarian or paladin.

 

[Sacrosanct]

If your goal is to optimize, and that's what kind of feedback you want, you'd be better off posting this in the optimization forum. ENWorld has a forum dedicated purely for people who like to optimize. You'd probably get the kind of answers you want and none of the "don't bother' responses. I am not a fan of optimization, so I don't read or post in that forum. And they don't have to worry about me poo pooing their threads. It's a win win for everyone.

 

[Sunseeker]

If your goal is for party optimization, a defensive Fighter, Barbarian, or Paladin would be fitting. Clerics can also be built to be highly defensive as well. Monks with high dex and Wis can make good skirmisher-defenders too. Circle of the Moon Druids can also make good defenders, with the extra HP of their wildshape providing extra defense, so you have a lot of options if you want to fill a void in your party composition.

But it also begs the question of "what sort of optimization". You've told us what your party members are but not what they do in the group.

Is the rest of your party optimized? Is your Cleric a dedicated healer? Given the lack of options for a Sorcerer, I'm going to assume he's a blaster. Are your Rogues skill-monkies? Damagers?

If the rest of your party isn't optimized for specific roles, I wouldn't worry too highly about optimizing yourself.

 

[was]

..something melee based

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Hey guys! I recently started playing in a new 5E party. We currently have 2 rogues, a cleric, and a sorcerer, but I have yet to pick my own class. What class would you advise for this group?

I'm just going to throw a couple of ideas out there to see what catches your fancy.

I'd make some kind of a tank. I've been meaning to try a Fighter 1/Enchanter X for the fun of Instinctive Charm/Hypnotic Gaze combined with AC 21 (+5 for Shield when needed) plus disadvantage from Blur. The first 5E wizard I ever played was an Enchanter so I have a soft spot for them, but the normal Enchanter doesn't get to use his Instinctive Charm much because the situations where it is useful (surrounded by multiple enemies) are exactly the situations wizards should not be in. Making him a plate-armored Fighter at first level fixes that; and Hypnotic Gaze is unlimited-use single-target crowd control (which is even better than Grappling in some ways) which ought to make one- or two-monster encounters a cake-walk. Hypnotic Gaze ends when someone damages the target, but the target does not get a fresh save each round, so your friends should have plenty of time to set themselves up for a win vs. the monster you have hypnotized. For example, grapple/prone the monster (and also tie it up with a net or with manacles) while it is hypnotized and everybody ready actions to hammer it as soon as one person does, so you get almost two rounds of attacks on it before it can respond. That essentially guarantees a kill, which means that encounters where the monsters don't outnumber you are easy--and when the monsters do outnumber you, that's when you bring out the AoEs like Fireball instead relying on cheap-o tricks like Hypnotic Gaze.

When you're not busy hypnotizing, you can always attack in melee with cantrips like Booming Blade.

Another excellent party tank would be a variant human Moon Druid (either Sentinel or Moon Druid, depending on your preferred playstyle). This PC would be more short-rest-dependent than the Enchanter; use it if your party has lots of control over their own tempo so you can rest and regain wildshapes when needed. You have plenty of long-rest resources too, such as the ability to summon a pack of wolves with Conjure Animals, and excellent crowd-control spells like Entangle and Spike Growth plus buffs like Polymorph.

Finally, there is the option, instead of making a tank per se, to go with the flow and make yet another ranged character. I'd go Eldritch Knight Sharpshooter. Pick up Defensive Duelist at some point and you can switch-hit as a tank too (AC 20 + 4 by 9th level).

BTW, talk to the cleric about tanking. See if you can get him to cast Warding Bond on you for +1 AC/saves and resistance to everything.

 

[Athinar]

Play a Wizard just because you want to and then the group can hire a NPC Tank

 

[BoldItalic]

Don't optimise for combat. D&D is only partly about combat but it's 100% about fun. Optimise for fun. Play something whacky.

Example: an Aarakocra Ranger with an Entertainer background. Yodels loudly from mountaintops. Flocks of pigeons follow him about.

Example: a dishonest cleric with a criminal background who sells worthless nostrums the poor and regularly bribes the rich and powerful to look the other way.

Example: a barbarian folk-hero with a shameful secret. He's really a baker's son from Waterdeep and his rages are about as scary as a bread pudding.

Example: an absent-minded wizard with a sailor background. He's forgotten where he left his ship but he's sure it was around here somewhere. Has anyone seen my staff?