What's your Fifth?
- Thread starter Hussar
- Start date
cmrscorpio
Explorer
As a DM and as a player, I've seen several groups form or attempt to form via face-to-face, openrpg, and maptools. overwhelmingly, strikers are the most often repeated role. From what I've seen, unless the DM mandates that the party have each role covered, in a 5 man group, there will be at least two strikers and one role will go vacant.
ppaladin123
Adventurer
I think doubling up on strikers is a good strategy. I think it is a bad idea to forgo a controller for a third striker however. There are times when you need a ritualist, or someone who can otherwise make your party fly or invisible or who can teleport you to safety, etc.. Those times don't necessarily come up that often, or even as part of combat, but you'll seriously miss your controller/"magic guy" when they do.
Voted Cake.
In the Living 4th on Enworld, the group I'm in my first adventure with is:
Dragonborn Eartstrength Warden(me), Longtooth Shifter Beast Master Ranger(MC Druid), Eladrin Tactical Warlord, Orc Thaneborn Barbarian, and a two-weapon ranger.
So, Defender, leader, striker striker striker. No real control since we're all level 1 (Except the Warlord who is level 2)
In the Living 4th on Enworld, the group I'm in my first adventure with is:
Dragonborn Eartstrength Warden(me), Longtooth Shifter Beast Master Ranger(MC Druid), Eladrin Tactical Warlord, Orc Thaneborn Barbarian, and a two-weapon ranger.
So, Defender, leader, striker striker striker. No real control since we're all level 1 (Except the Warlord who is level 2)
Iron Sky
Procedurally Generated
In our two 4e campaigns up to this point, group compositions were:
Game 1: 3xStriker, 1xLeader, 1xDefender
Game 2:
Initial group: 2xStriker,1xLeader,1xController,1xDefender
Then the Leader was killed:
Group 2: -1xLeader, +1xController
Then one of the Controllers was killed:
Group 3: -1xController, +1xLeader
Then we had a near TPK(everything but 1xStriker died):
Group 4: 2xStriker,1xLeader,1xController,1xDefender
Then the new Controller died:
Group 5(current): 3xStriker,1xLeader,1xDefender
Edit:
We also have a pick-up game with a variable amount of players, randomly selected character classes, and a high fatality rate.
Initial group: 1xStriker,1xLeader,1xDefender
Striker and Leader died in the first fight:
Group 2: 1xLeader,1xController,1xDefender
The Defender went from full health to negative bloodied in 1 round vs and elite:
Group 3: 1xLeader,1xController,1xDefender
The new group lasted until level 2, then TPKd(and we picked up a new player):
Group 4: 2xLeader,2xDefender
The new group actually kicks ass. We all focused on DPS as much as possible, since with 1 Shaman, 1 Cleric, and a Paladin, we have healing pretty much covered. Surprisingly solid, decent DPS, extreme-durability group.
Game 1: 3xStriker, 1xLeader, 1xDefender
Game 2:
Initial group: 2xStriker,1xLeader,1xController,1xDefender
Then the Leader was killed:
Group 2: -1xLeader, +1xController
Then one of the Controllers was killed:
Group 3: -1xController, +1xLeader
Then we had a near TPK(everything but 1xStriker died):
Group 4: 2xStriker,1xLeader,1xController,1xDefender
Then the new Controller died:
Group 5(current): 3xStriker,1xLeader,1xDefender
Edit:
We also have a pick-up game with a variable amount of players, randomly selected character classes, and a high fatality rate.
Initial group: 1xStriker,1xLeader,1xDefender
Striker and Leader died in the first fight:
Group 2: 1xLeader,1xController,1xDefender
The Defender went from full health to negative bloodied in 1 round vs and elite:
Group 3: 1xLeader,1xController,1xDefender
The new group lasted until level 2, then TPKd(and we picked up a new player):
Group 4: 2xLeader,2xDefender
The new group actually kicks ass. We all focused on DPS as much as possible, since with 1 Shaman, 1 Cleric, and a Paladin, we have healing pretty much covered. Surprisingly solid, decent DPS, extreme-durability group.
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kigmatzomat
Legend
We have 2 defenders. I'd much rather have a 2nd striker. The leader (cleric) seems to be able to keep the party alive and as the wizard I think I've been able to either block the baddies or funnel them to the defenders and the striker. Our problem is a lack of damage output.
I'd really suggest the 2nd striker be a ranged striker if you don't already have one. Being able to rapidly bring the pain down on the optimal target is something our group really lacks with the melee focused "brutal scoundrel" rogue striker who has to move and find a position. Might not be as bad if we had a Warlord instead of a cleric.
Right now my wizard is playing the junior-league ranged striker with magic missile + gloves of piercing + staff of missiles. That lets my 18th level wizard dish out 2d4 + 7 (int) + 4 (gloves) + 4 (staff implement) +4 (special of staff of missiles) = 2d4 + 19. It's not a bad choice if I've already got a damaging sustained effect active on multiple baddies.
I'd really suggest the 2nd striker be a ranged striker if you don't already have one. Being able to rapidly bring the pain down on the optimal target is something our group really lacks with the melee focused "brutal scoundrel" rogue striker who has to move and find a position. Might not be as bad if we had a Warlord instead of a cleric.
Right now my wizard is playing the junior-league ranged striker with magic missile + gloves of piercing + staff of missiles. That lets my 18th level wizard dish out 2d4 + 7 (int) + 4 (gloves) + 4 (staff implement) +4 (special of staff of missiles) = 2d4 + 19. It's not a bad choice if I've already got a damaging sustained effect active on multiple baddies.
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I agree. Rat Swarm+All single target melee characters(Where the entire party has a total of 3 Area/burst powers) is not particularly fun. The swarm didn't hurt me much, but mangled the BM Ranger and the barbarian a bit... and hit the Warlord at least once before we killed it. Granted, we were all stuck in difficult terrain.
