Pre-Campaign Strategeoryizing

[Wednesday Boy]

Our group talks over what classes we want to play. Typically we try to cover all of the roles. So it usually plays out with roles checked off if some players are eager to play a certain class and the players who are undecided or are open to playing anything filling in the gaps.

We usually voice the race we'll play too but don't worry about the racial party makeup. (Halflings always have too much rogue--I mean rouge.)

Where we often lack in character creation is talking beforehand about how the group knows each other. Too often we play individuals and let the GM bring us together. It's definitely something we need to work on for our next campaign.

 

[Herschel]

Wow! Really? You'd think that with 3 leaders you'd be spamming healing all over the place. Did the lack of a defender make that much of a difference? Were they just not able to keep monsters from getting to their back line?
You've got me wondering if our group with one leader (a runepriest at that) will have enough healing going around 7 of us.

Yes, defenders are that big in many parties. I always like to see a party start with a leader and a defender and fill from there.

The Runepriest will probably be okay if you have multiple defenders to rotate in. With seven PCs, the Runepriest, three defenders, two strikers and a controller would probably be optimal.

 

[jbear]

Zero 'strategeorizing'.

All of my players were new to RPG's and 4e had been out for only a short while. I was still waiting to get some of my books in the post.

So I made 12 PCs myself and at the start of our first session I more or less gave a quick description of each character and people just chose whichever one they liked the sound of best.

 

[Jhaelen]

Wow! Really? You'd think that with 3 leaders you'd be spamming healing all over the place. Did the lack of a defender make that much of a difference? Were they just not able to keep monsters from getting to their back line?

Well, three leaders aren't much help, if all they're doing is healing themselves

Note, that everyone was new to the system. In 4e you really have to start thinking as a team. That takes some getting used to.

The lack of a defender was only part of the problem. The glass-cannon strikers (low AC!) were another part, and the controller (wizard) picking high-damage powers over 'controllery' powers was another.

Things have changed, hence:
The fighter's now a sword & board fighter (the player was the only one to create a completely new character after the party reached level 2), the barbarian has higher AC and more (means to get temporary) hit points, and everyone has become better at positioning. Also, the three leaders have actually sat together to plan out what powers to take next, so they'll synergize better in the future.

I think every party make-up can work well. It just takes a bit of try-and-error to get there.

I'm looking forward to our next sessions