D&D 5E What is the best "5th" class?
- Thread starter Mort
- Start date
Can't say I'm too surprised that Bard is running away as the lead option (though a bit surprised at the huge margin).
Also not surprised that Paladin is second though surprised at how distant a second it is. I actually went with Paladin, great martial boost, great party support and helpful in every tier of play. That said, the bard covers all of that too, so I can see the appeal.
I am a bit surprised that sorcerer is dead last. A second full arcane caster has some appeal (though the bard is that too), but I guess no love for the sorcerer!
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Also not surprised that Paladin is second though surprised at how distant a second it is. I actually went with Paladin, great martial boost, great party support and helpful in every tier of play. That said, the bard covers all of that too, so I can see the appeal.
I am a bit surprised that sorcerer is dead last. A second full arcane caster has some appeal (though the bard is that too), but I guess no love for the sorcerer!
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I think usually the Paladin is a top choice for a 4 man group. Believe it or not, from my experience with 5e, the Sorcerer is a popular choice for a 4 man group.
I chose Bard because it's such a complimentary to everything class, but I have only ever seen one played in a 4 man group once. I almost chose Barbarian as my answer. Other than my Barb in a 3 man group, I rarely see a Barb selected in small groups. Wizards and Druids are the 2 classes I have seen the least of in 5e so far, but obviously either would make a great addition to any 4 man group.
So again, Bard is my choice for obvious reasons, but I am also assuming that any 4 man group would have a Pally AND Cleric which is obviously not going to be the case. I would choose either of those 2 over Bard if said group did not contain one of them already lol
TrippyHippy
Hero
The 'core four' Classes aren't as much of a binding factor as they used to be because a lot of the key abilities (combat, magic, healing, stealth) are effectively levied out among a wider range of classes. Bards, for example, can make effective healers so that the requirement for a Cleric in the party is lessened. Rangers too can be a party healer. Most classes have access to spell lists. Any class can pick up stealthy skills and fight with some proficiency (even Wizards can be built to fight with magic these days).
In terms of the archetypal D&D party, with the core four of Fighter, Wizard, Cleric, Rogue - the classic 'all rounder' was nominally the Bard. However, I could also see a Paladin, Barbarian or Ranger also complimenting a typical party well as they boost the core fighting ability of the party with a few extra augmented aspects. Sorcerers and Druids I see as effective alternatives to Wizards and Clerics, respectively, but could occasionally step on their shoes if they are in the same party. Monks and Warlocks are possibly a bit of an indulgence, I guess, but nevertheless fun to play.
In terms of the archetypal D&D party, with the core four of Fighter, Wizard, Cleric, Rogue - the classic 'all rounder' was nominally the Bard. However, I could also see a Paladin, Barbarian or Ranger also complimenting a typical party well as they boost the core fighting ability of the party with a few extra augmented aspects. Sorcerers and Druids I see as effective alternatives to Wizards and Clerics, respectively, but could occasionally step on their shoes if they are in the same party. Monks and Warlocks are possibly a bit of an indulgence, I guess, but nevertheless fun to play.
Azzy
ᚳᚣᚾᛖᚹᚢᛚᚠ (He/Him)
Heh, you'll be pleased to know that there will be two sorcerers in the next campaign I play in.
Ancalagon
Dusty Dragon
Oh!
Alchemist
Healing, skills and blasting D:
https://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/1_UA_Artificer_20170109.pdf
Alchemist
Healing, skills and blasting
D: https://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/1_UA_Artificer_20170109.pdf
Honestly a Lore Bard with the Criminal Background for Thieves Tools proficiency can fill in for a Rogue. Actually so could a Ranger with Thieves Tools proficiency. A Shadiw Monk with the TT Prof as well, thanks to backgrounds Rogues are not irreplacable.
I voted Bard, it's simple the most versatile class, but my follow up choice is the Sorcerer, Divine Soul to be specific, because the Divine Soul has access to both Sorcerer and Cleric Spell lists, and it's Empower Healing can be used on the spells of the parties main healer. It's at will flight (wings) pair with invisibility even can make it a descent scout out in open areas.
Charlaquin
Goblin Queen (She/Her/Hers)
No role is irreplaceable in 5e. It’s just a matter of making sure everyone has a niche. The four archetypes I chose were the classic D&D classes, but there’s no reason those have to be the categories you divide classes into. You could split it by arcane caster (sorcerer, warlock, or wizard), divine caster (cleric or paladin), primal caster (druid or ranger), and martial character (fighter, monk, or rogue) with Bard still as the bit-o everything class. Or tank (barbarian or fighter), spank (ranger, rogue, monk, or warlock), heal/support (cleric, druid, or bard), and crowd control (wizard or sorcerer), with Paladin actually being the best 5th man.
There’s lots of ways to do it, and ultimately thanks to backgrounds, subclasses, multiclassing, and feats, any role division is ultimately arbitrary. Point is, 5e makes it easy to build a party out of just about any combination of classes. There are really no essential roles, you just want to make sure everyone has something they’re the best at so that the spotlight will naturally shift. Bards make the best 5th party member because they have the widest range of niches they can fill, so no matter what the other four players chose, you can usually have something to do as a Bard without stepping on any toes.
Oh, I was thinking about this from a whole different angle: The Starter Set comes with pregen characters, consisting of: A fighter, a cleric, a rogue, a wizard, and... another fighter who's built to resemble a ranger. So to me the best choice is ranger.
It kind of makes sense that the fifth wheel would need to add wilderness skills and archery to the mix, since those domains are not well covered by the traditional core four. As a bonus, the ranger has more and better skills than most classes; still has the HP of a fighter; can be a backup healer; and is very popular thanks to Legolas. (Ironic, since Aragorn was the actual ranger!) In theory they can also be a pet class, but I'm not totally sure that's appropriate for pregens in a Starter Set.
The bard comes in a close second -- swap out archery and wilderness skills and replace with music and people skills. I only rank it second because I think bards are not as popular with kids today as rangers are. Still, bard is one of the most uniquely D&Dish of classes, so it might be a better addition to a Starter Set than ranger.
It kind of makes sense that the fifth wheel would need to add wilderness skills and archery to the mix, since those domains are not well covered by the traditional core four. As a bonus, the ranger has more and better skills than most classes; still has the HP of a fighter; can be a backup healer; and is very popular thanks to Legolas. (Ironic, since Aragorn was the actual ranger!) In theory they can also be a pet class, but I'm not totally sure that's appropriate for pregens in a Starter Set.
The bard comes in a close second -- swap out archery and wilderness skills and replace with music and people skills. I only rank it second because I think bards are not as popular with kids today as rangers are. Still, bard is one of the most uniquely D&Dish of classes, so it might be a better addition to a Starter Set than ranger.
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