D&D 5E The simplest and most effectiv 3 PC team

[FrogReaver]

I think I'd want eldritch blast as the attack, just like the fighter has his sword. Save the spells for healing or other utility. If the spells known are attacks then they will be used in combat rather than the healing ones. Keeping eldritch blast as the attack option keeps it straightforward on choices for resource management and strategy and allows them to be the healer. If you take attack spells you become a little more effective at attacks sometimes but you give up using your limited slot for healing or utility to do so and make it a tougher judgment call on what to do in various situations.

I get that but I personally wouldn't use the celestial warlock here. More likely the fiend as it's a more familiar trope.

I actually think avoiding all but 1-2 utility spells is the way to go. I don't think warlocks get enough healing spells to go with 1-2 utility spells to make up their list.

 

[auburn2]

I think the best way to approach this is who you can eliminate. You can scatch the rogue first of all. The reason being you can get the things you need a rogue for through backgrounds, feats and skills with other classes.

After the next class that can be eliminated is cleric. With healing potions available everywhere and druids, paladins and bards all having substantial healing and more power, not much reason for a cleric in a small party.

After that there are a lot of ways to build it. In general I would say:
1.fighter, barbarian or ranger
2. paladin or moon druid
3. Sorcerer, warlock, wizard or bard

Then from them you need at least one guy who can sneak, one with good perception and one proficient in theives tools.

I like wizard best for the arcane caster because they get a wider spell selection and arcane recovery. Warlock could work well too though, especially if there are a lot of short rests in the campaign.

 

[FrogReaver]

I think the best way to approach this is who you can eliminate. You can scatch the rogue first of all. The reason being you can get the things you need a rogue for through backgrounds, feats and skills with other classes.

After the next class that can be eliminated is cleric. With healing potions available everywhere and druids, paladins and bards all having substantial healing and more power, not much reason for a cleric in a small party.

You talk like all clerics can do is heal. They aren't flashy like a Paladin's Divine Smite but Clerics using spiritual weapon and/or Spirit Guardians do plenty of damage and some subclasses do even better. And perhaps more importantly than the Paladin, they have decent ranged attacks.

 

[auburn2]

You talk like all clerics can do is heal. They aren't flashy like a Paladin's Divine Smite but Clerics using spiritual weapon and/or Spirit Guardians do plenty of damage and some subclasses do even better. And perhaps more importantly than the Paladin, they have decent ranged attacks.

Truely all the 5e classes are good and flexible, Clerics have good spells and the widest selection to prepare, but for offense other full casting classes are better IMO.

A paladin I think can have good ranged attacks with thrown weapons and with bows if they have good dexterity. Better than clerics can usually do with cantrips.

 

[Guest 6801328]

I think the OP wanted to avoid all prepared casters, particularly clerics and druids, because knowing every spell on their spell list puts strain on players, and the OP aims for simplicity and ease of play.

That's why I think Paladin is the way to go. Spell list is so short that it's pretty easy.

As I posted earlier, combine that with a GWM Totem Barbarian who takes Wolf, and a Rogue (Swashbuckler, I guess) who takes Sentinel.

Surround stuff and kill it fast.

 

[Ancalagon]

Re paladin and simplicity: The paladin could simply dump all their spell slots into smites.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Good thing in 5e: it is really hard to have a bad PC. They are all not too complicated on top. But playing with younger players, I can see that casters are indeed more complicated. A barbarian too. Even the choice of reckless attack or not is a decision point that if you are not into statiatics is a bit more difficult to judge without experience.
So I really think, starting with classes that have lesser decisions during your turn is not a bad Idea. I also think a rogue is more difficult than a fighter.
I suggested 2 champions, that are very different in their feel because they are fun to play and easy. Both don't use two weapon fighting, because of two bonus actions that are in conflict. I also would advise to take defensive fighting style for the melee guy, because it is an unconditional bonus and it is hard to explain, why a battle axe is better when used in one hand than in two in the case of duelling fighting style. Ranged fighting style however seems ok, because it is a simple static bonus too.
I chose bard as the healer, because song of rest is helpful and easy to use. If you chose simple spells like thunder wave and healing word, feary fire and some rituals you have a spell for every situation. I would not take attack cantrips but rather utility ones like mage hand and light. A valor bard with 14 dex, a few daggers and a rapier can easily hold his own in combat. So there is not a lot that can go wrong here.