What should I play?

[isoChron]

Why always create a standard party ? Play what you want ! If it results in a group of four wizards, who cares ? It's about having fun not doing what the DMG suggests. I know groups that can do very well without a rogue or a mage or a cleric.
Adventures where you can only succeed with a standard composed party are boring. There is always another way round some problem.

Otherwise I would recommend a Scout.

 

[DM_Matt]

Druid! Its versatile, does a lot of what the rogue does, and is a great pivot character.

The party is DM is a Cleric, a Sorceror, a Paladin, a Fighter, and a Druid.

Most of what the rogue does is easily subsumed into the others. The paladin and Sorc have high cha so make great facemen, at mid levels Druids in wildshape are at least as good as scouting as rogues and at high levels magic makes it obsolete, spontaneous druid summoning can summon groups of little trapspringer cirtters. Druids are better at spotting threats even than rogues with their spot and listen class skills AND high wis. Sneaking rogues are nice, but when the rest of the party can give a fighter invis, silence, and (iirc) some druid antitrack thingee, thats better. Also, a thousand faces makes them rogue-calss spies too.

More importantly, though, the Druid can "pivot" the party to different strategies, at least starting at midlevel. If they need more muscle up front, he can wild shape and/or summon muscle, and later he can animal growth the heck out of said muscle. If they need more artillery, he has decent burn eventually (flame strike, firestorm) and at L9, control winds, which as long as there are some clouds can blast opponents with an unstoppable tornado of doom. If you arent colossal, bye-bye. If you are colossal, you're stuck. Our druid and wind cleric used control winds/weather to hold back Big T for three days while an entire city evacuated. Even at low levels they have the amazing produce flame which puts them on par or above low-level PC archers. Additionally, druids can back up the cleric in healing, have assorted additional powers like poison immunity and aminal empathy, and unique utility spells that do things like rust that no other class can do, and awesome battle control in natural environments.

Can you tell that I love druids?

 

[Thanee]

If your friend picks up one level of rogue and the Able Learner feat (must be human then), he can be the arcanist and the rogue at the same time and you can play whatever you feel like.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Shellman]

I have a personal preference to rogues myself, but play what you want.

A Rogue/ Scout would be a good mix. Get Sneak attack damage whenever you can get a flank and Skirmish damage whenever you move 10 ft. Get spring attack so you could move hit and move out of threat range again. The skills between the two have a lot of synergy, so you should be able to max most skills out. The Scouts d8 HD gives your rogue a little boost too.

A Rogue / Ranger combo could work too. I am trying that one out right now, so far it works ok, but I went the TWF route so I will wait and see how it works out at higher levels before I make a final judgement.

 

[jgsugden]

Be both the rogue and the wizard. Try a gnome illusionist that is on the path to becoming an arcane trickster. Wizard 3 / Rogue 3 / Arcane Trickster for 10 / then Archamge (or other casting prestige class) for 4.

 

[amethal]

What books to you have / is your DM allowing?

I was looking at Spellthief from Complete Adventurer the other day, and that seems more interesting than playing a "straight" rogue. You get to steal spells from enemies, and even get some casting ability of your own from 4th level onwards. (Stops you being the only guy in the party who can't cast spells!)

Having said that, play what you want! If you fancy being a wizard, don't let other people's likely character choices stop you.

PS - well done guys, all these posts and not one "rouge" reference (although now I'm wondering if "thief" is the correct spelling ......)

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Well, how about a rouge? They're FAAAAAAAABulous!

Seriously...with that party makeup, I'd make sure SOMEONE in the party is some kind of alchemist. The ability to make firebombs, acid bombs, tanglefoot bags, etc. can multiply the effectiveness of your party. Acid solutions can get through locks almost as well as a rogue (except when magical locking is involved).

I personally don't think your party needs a pure meatshield warrior type, especially a barbarian. For survivability for a party of 4, flexibility and multiplication of power is key. Flexibility comes (IMHO) in the form of multiclassed PCs using Rangers, Rogues or Bards with some additional arcane spellcasting ability.

A high- Int ranger is almost as skilled as a rogue, and has much more fighting ability and overall survivability. I'm currently playing a multiclassed Rgr/arcane spellcaster who is almost as good a rogue as the party rogue, at least for things like opening locks, scouting, etc.

Also consider a specialist mage:

A specialist Diviner can do much of the info gathering rogues & scouts do, especially with levels of Ranger or Rogue thrown in.

A specialist Transmuter can buff the party like mad, including nifty spells like Bull's Strength and Spider Climb.

A specialist Illusionist has styyyyyyyyle. They make decent infiltrators and con men, and with good spell use, they can really help control the field of combat to the party's advantage.

 

[Mendota]

Crowbar of knock

In the current campaign I am playing in there is a Wizard, Cleric, Druid and Paladin. The Paladin has a crowbar he affectionately refers to as the crowbar of knock and uses it in place of a thief. He does get knocked around by the traps he can not find but so far his good saves has served him well. Buffing with delay poison helps in these situations also. Of course sooner or later the wizard is going to make an actual wand of knock and end all of the Paladins fun.

 

[Stormrunner]

Having read the first adventure, I'd recommend either a bard or a Charisma-focused "face" rogue with ranks in Knowledge(history). Judging by what we've seen so far, it looks like social interaction (Diplomacy, Gather Info, et al) will be important, and various ancient/obscure legends and prophecies start being fufilled, so Knowledge(history) or Bardic Knowledge will be very useful as well.

 

[kanithardm]

Bard! They're the best AND the most fun!
-blarg

Go Bard!!!