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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Fakegoatee" data-source="post: 5816057" data-attributes="member: 52726">The party in my H1-E3 campaign is about to hit 29th level, having started at 1st. They haven't had any trouble with this lineup:Cleric (multiclass Invoker for Rebuke Undead and one epic level Invoker power)Hybrid Paladin/Ranger multiclass bard2 fighters1 RangerThey don't have a controller, but they have amazing synergy. The Rangers specialize in interrupts. The Cleric specializes in dazes, vulnerability, and an extremely powerful Turn Undead boosted with feats and items. The fighters use Come and Get It and Warrior's Urging to bring the battle to them and lock down the enemy. All but the fighters have astronomical initiative, the party is stealthy, and they work very hard to get surprise rounds as much as possible.The net effect of it is that, by the time a monster gets its first turn, it's often bloodied and dazed or immobilized, unable to reach the archer ranger it really wants to kill. Mantle of Unity has, by then, given the whole party nigh unhittable defenses. If a monster attacks, it's punished by interrupts from the rangers. Then the fighters reel the monsters in and lock them down. If a monster gets a second turn, it's probably still dazed and almost certainly vulnerable to radiant damage, which everyone can cash in on.I know it's partly because of bad encounter design in the mods we're playing (and yes, I've converted everything to MM3 math), but I'm often surprised the players enjoy it, it's so easy for them.They definitely get by without a controller, but they have also paid a lot of attention to priorities to make up for the lack:- Get a surprise round. It's almost as good as having all the monsters start stunned.- Have high initiative. Going first is huge, and in combination w a surprise round it IS as good as having the monsters start stunned.- Let the leader concentrate on damage buffing and whatever control is possible, especially removing actions from the bad guys. Remember: prone, immobilized, and forced movement can have the effect of removing actions when done right.- Ranged strikers with interrupt attacks!- Defenders can execute short range, short duration battlefield control. But with surprise, high initiative, and interrupts, that's plenty.The party does have weaknesses. It's harder for them when they aren't fighting demons/undead, but "harder" means that the Paladin/Ranger might get bloodied or go unconscious and the fight might go 3 or 4 rounds.</blockquote>

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