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Message: <blockquote data-quote="chriton227" data-source="post: 6489556" data-attributes="member: 33263">For me, I'd like to see each PC be better than the rest at something, whether it is a unique ability, some aspect of combat, some out of combat skill, or even some RP based contacts or relationships.  If there is something that they are the best in the party at, then there is something they can contribute that makes the party better. For example, the party I'm currently running through HotDQ has a Dwarf Cleric (best healer in the group and social leader), a Dwarf fighter (hardest to hit and toughest), a Gnome illusionist (only arcane caster in the group and best information gatherer), a human Druid (best crowd control and nature knowledge), and a Dragonborn fighter (best melee and ranged weapon damage).  I'm not worried how they compare to some arbitrary efficiency level, and in fact I prefer that they not be overly optimized because I remember the issues it caused in earlier editions.  I remember the 3.5 characters with their armor class so high that if I used an opponent that had more than about a 20% chance to hit them, the opponent hit the rest of the party on 2s.  The same with saving throws and skills, where if the best PC has a chance to fail, the rest of the party doesn't have a chance to succeed.   The other issue of efficiency is efficiency for what.  There are many different modes of play, and the optimal choices for one mode may not be optimal for another.   For example, the choice to use a shortsword may be better damage than a dagger for a rogue, but if the rogue is looking to be more of an intrusion specialist and is looking for weapons that are more concealable then the dagger would be the more optimal choice (a dagger on you is better than a shortsword you had to leave at the door). Plate armor may be the best armor protection, but it isn't the optimal choice if the campaign is focusing on long sea voyages and ship to ship boarding (unless you like being a boat anchor).  Bows are better than throwing axes, unless you are anticipating long adventures with no chance to restock on arrows.  Just because another PC's choices aren't optimal for the goal that you feel their PC should have doesn't mean that the choice isn't a good one for the goal that they have for their own PC.  And I view those who would berate others on the choices they make for their own PCs the same way I view people in real life that insist on criticizing others in real life on their choice of car or house or cell phone, to me they come across as pompous d-bags.  If a coworker picks a less reliable car than I would have, sure that means that they might have more breakdowns that result in me having to pick up their slack, but it's their car and their choice.  I might ask them about why they picked it, but even that I would do carefully to try to understand them better rather than to try to make them justify their choice to me.</blockquote>

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