What happens when the party is not only short on numbers, but diversity as well?

[Dice4Hire]

Well, you could do what we do in our little group.

We call it Gestalt, and it works liek this.

Choose two classes (you can multiclass as normal)
Choose 4 class abilities from either class (things like healing lore, Healeing word, Ritural caster, etc)
Gain an extra at-will, encounter, utility and daily that can be automatically retrained at each level
Take the best Armor and weapons available
Take the best bonuses to FRW and hit points, surges, etc.

Keep all weapon/implement ability requirements for powers and such.

We find it works well in our little three person party (and even one person is the DM like in your game)

You get your healing and tanking, but a good bonus to available actions, though the group is still limited to Standard-move-minor x3

 

[GeekKen]

Embrace it. Instead of being an adventuring party, they are a strike force...

I am with this completely. Roll with their choices and facilitate the fun.

My campaign is a small group. I've had to helm a companion character to beef up their numbers. It's been a blast. I have 2 suggestions:

- Pick an NPC that compliments the party abilities. You've got that ranger with sneak attack. Getting someone up to gather the attention of baddies so they can slip in and out of hiding (or used a ranged combat advantage feat) for those sneak attacks. Consider having a skill or 2 trained in something to broaden their talents, so they don't get boned on a skill challenge. In short, play a character that will diversify the party and play on its strengths.

- Consider a leader-type NPC. It doesn't need to be a full blown cleric, but something with a secondary leader role will help (paladins are pretty nifty). You don't need a leader. But you will find the group out of resources pretty quickly after 2-3 encounters. This may not be a big deal, but having some leader powers in the party can stretch those healing surges a bit more for the group. Otherwise you might end up with the '2 fight-extended rest' tango for your campaign entirety.

 

[Amaroq]

I'd really echo the sentiment of picking out an NPC that really makes the two PC's shine.

A warlord who focuses on boosting the PC's might really make the campaign:

Tactical Presence gives them a + to hit on their Action Points
Commander's Strike gives them a melee basic attack on NPC's at-will
Opening Shove gives them a melee basic attack on NPC's at-will
Hammer and Anvil gives them a melee basic attack on NPC's encounter L1
Provocative Order gives them a charge on NPC's encounter L1
Fearless Rescue gives them an auto-heal-on drop as NPC's daily L1

Etc ...

 

[eriktheguy]

In a group that lacks variety, 3 strikers is really the best you could hope for! They can handle most combats without healing because their enemies drop so fast, and grind should be minimal.
Use lots of artillery, some brutes, fewer minions and soldiers.
Minions can be thrown into combat occasionally to knock the characters off balance (forcing them to invest a power or two into area damage).
Throw plenty of locks, pick pocket opportunities, traps at them if they have much rogue.
Throw lots of stealth missions at them if they have that going for them.
Throw lots of high profile targets into the combats, and watch their faces light up. Make the targets tough to reach and the combat is not just about attacks anymore.
Drop lots of potions.

 

[Gort]

Make them the assassination squad, sneaking in and attacking enemy leaders while the real war wages, like World War 2 commandoes.

You can even shake it up and have the goal of many encounters to eliminate only one enemy (the leader, naturally) in three rounds or so and escape before his guards can really mobilise to take them out. Given their lack of staying power (healing surges) they'll want to avoid fights lasting too long, and surprise rounds could make all the difference.

Just make sure everyone takes the stealth skill and most people take thievery, then crib from every spy/commando/ninja movie you ever saw.

 

[Wepwawet]

The other character is pending, though I suspect she wants to be a Ranger or Rogue as well. She's toyed with being a Ranger/Cleric though I have no idea how that'd work thematically or mechanically.

Actually it works perfectly!
I once had an Elf Cleric MC Ranger. His Wis and Dex were both 18, which meant good "laser" powers, good AC, his only weapon was a longbow, and he used light armor, which made him very agile.
The other way around would probably work as well. Remember that Wis is the Ranger's secondary stat.

 

[Blackbrrd]

Run a campaign revolving about getting into strange places, taking out very few enemies and getting out with the loot/information/whatever. Make it clear that they are supposed to run if things seems got get hairy and live to try another day.

The party you portrayed isn't a stay-and-fight party. For that you need a defender, a leader and a couple of strikers. You might want to do this a couple of times with NPC's to give them different experiences.

Personally I love sneaky parties that can circumvent normal challenges and make them their own.

 

[LostSoul]

Have them hire some help.

1st: Make a check to attract interested characters. The DC is the level of the character they're looking for; use the Easy/Moderate/Hard categories based on the population of the town.

Modifiers:
Next week: -2
Next day: -4
Specific role: -2
Specific skill: -2
Specific ability (radiant damage, healing, ritual use, etc.): -2

Failure could mean the PCs don't find anyone, they find someone that doesn't fit their description, or they find the person but he doesn't like the PCs/harbours a grudge/something interesting (ie. the enmity clause). This could probably be a random table.

2nd: Once the guy shows up, negotiate terms. The DM should decide what he wants up front; a salary of 1/5 of the total monetary treasure for the NPC's level per month/adventure or a share of the treasure seems right. If the PCs don't offer what he's looking for, make a check; set the DC to a Moderate of the NPC's level.

Modifiers:
Advance or payment up front: +4
Provided good equipment: +2
NPC is interested in PC's adventure: +2
NPC is against PC's adventure: -2
Adventure is risky: -2
Adventure is lucrative: +2

eg. The PCs figure they need some help in the Darkfell Shadowwoods so they put out the word they're looking for someone. They'd like to find a scout of some kind, someone trained in nature and/or stealth, someone who knows the Darkfell Shadowwoods. They set the level at 2.

The DM thinks this fits the description of an elf scout or archer, so that's what they'll get if they succeed. The DC is 15 + modifiers. The DM applies the skill modifier twice (for nature, with a specific knowledge of the Darkfell Shadowwoods, and stealth), for a total DC of 19.

The PCs make this check, but if they hadn't the DM would have had the scout be a paid agent of the Darkfell Shadowwood Shroudmist Darkwalkers (the bad guys).

The DM makes a random roll to see if it's an elf archer or a scout and it's a scout. The DM sets the scene; a hard-bitten elf, scarred, goblin scalps hanging from his belt, walks into the inn the PCs are staying at.

There's some RP as the PCs offer terms. The elf wants 210 gp for this excursion, or a month, whichever ends first. He'll also settle for a share of the loot. The PCs are low on cash, so they offer 150 gp, figuring that this elf hates the Shroudmist Darkwalkers. He does; they have to make a DC 13 check.

They make it, he agrees to help them out, and they have a companion character running around with them.

 

[babinro]

I wouldn't be surprised if the dual striker team dominates. Assuming most battles are two on two, they should be able to focus fire the one opponent down very quickly. The other would get moped up while perhaps only one PC would use a second wind.

Of course, you have the high possibility of swingy battles here. Minions could really dominate a group like this because of numbers. Effects like immobilize from ranged characters could do the same. Be prepared as a DM to have alternate means of failure for the PC's beyond death while you get used to what they can and cannot handle.

At least this combination seems like it can be dealt with. Two eyebiting warlocks would probably ruin a campaign. Or two healing leaders would really make life difficult on the DM.

 

[Amaroq]

Of course, you have the high possibility of swingy battles here. Minions could really dominate a group like this because of numbers. Effects like immobilize from ranged characters could do the same. Be prepared as a DM to have alternate means of failure for the PC's beyond death while you get used to what they can and cannot handle.

Good advice there - I'd be very alert to the swingi-ness potential of the battles.

Rolling an individual initiative die for each non-minion creature may help a bit by staggering PC actions and NPC actions.

High-damage-output monsters will really contribute to that, so you might prefer monsters that hit more often but for lower damage.

As noted immobilize, stun, and daze monsters will be much more deadly against this group than against a party of five.

But the last bit seems like the ideal bit: this party would have a lot of fun trying to escape after being captured, so you might want to plan out "if captured" scenes as the response to a TPK. Besides, that's classic ninja, right? "Who sent you?" "Who do you work for?" .. etc.

I might also suggest allowing them to play infiltrate-via-social-skills adventures: classic James Bond, going to the party at the villain's house, sneaking off to find the McGuffin, adventure ensues when the boss's henchmen come close to discovering them.