D&D 5E (2024) Which class is the most durable (level 1)?

[TorgoTheWhite]

That is fair. I was mostly thinking Stoliath barb for stones endurance for the previously referenced situations where you are alpha'd before rage can be online yet.

Otherwise, I didn't reference the post, but I was responding mostly to the one about the fighter with tough+magic initiate (blade ward)

Human barb: tough + lucky would also be quite durable.

I think the OP mentioned not completely ignoring damage dealing as well... but losing a full action to a spell: no weapon mastery application for a turn, sucking action economy into defense should be a big part of a durability conversation. I cannot remember i the Warlock's starting armor/lv 1 AC, makes that temp HP juice worth the squeeze.

I do like the dwarf barb with double-stacked toughness alot though - I agree with there being high bang-for-buck with rage for that build

 

[FrogReaver]

Requires level 2.

But Pact of the Chain works better than you think.
13 AC and 24 HP, for 10GP and an action.

You can easily get 120HP if you dumped money into incense. On top of Armor of Agathys.

Not going to be a long term strategy, but there you go.

They can always attack you instead of your familiar.

 

[TorgoTheWhite]

Plus, if you wanted to tank damage, which I think the OP didn't want to do... Then the barbarian is getting higher relative value sinking more points into CON. Unarmored fighting with a +4 from CON is now bringing your AC right up 19 with right there with the fighter + giving another HP + doubling the mileage from rage.

 

[FrogReaver]

That is fair. I was mostly thinking Stoliath barb for stones endurance for the previously referenced situations where you are alpha'd before rage can be online yet.

Right, it was a great idea.

That said, I think it does even more for the fighter. So potentially that over tough (though that may mean backgrounds granting stats and magic initiate may not align so well).

Otherwise, I didn't reference the post, but I was responding mostly to the one about the fighter with tough+magic initiate (blade ward)

IMO blade ward can often be precast. So it's not like it would be an action every encounter. But some yes. Due to that I think it's a small loss in potential offensive output for a huge gain in defense.

Human barb: tough + lucky would also be quite durable.

Yea. Though I think you have the right idea with Goliath and Stone's Endurance.

I think the OP mentioned not completely ignoring damage dealing as well... but losing a full action to a spell: no weapon mastery application for a turn, sucking action economy into defense should be a big part of a durability conversation. I cannot remember i the Warlock's starting armor/lv 1 AC, makes that temp HP juice worth the squeeze.

Yea. I'm not opposed to using some actions on defense, just as long as it's not most.

I do like the dwarf barb with double-stacked toughness alot though - I agree with there being high bang-for-buck with rage for that build

Yea, one other benefit of dwarf we've not talked about is fighting in the dark. Not a super common situation but the humans and goliaths for any class are going to potentially suck there.

 

[mellored]

They can always attack you instead of your familiar.

So?
Familiar doesn't require you to be awake.

Also, only the fighter with Protection style can do anything about attacking allies.

 

[FrogReaver]

So?
Familiar doesn't require you to be awake.

Also, only the fighter with Protection style can do anything about attacking allies.

It's not about preventing allies being attacked, it's about you being durable. If they attack you instead of your familiar then you aren't durable even if your familiar ultimately ends the encounter after your dead.

 

[mellored]

It's not about preventing allies being attacked, it's about you being durable. If they attack you instead of your familiar then you aren't durable even if your familiar ultimately ends the encounter after your dead.

If your not protecting allies, then you can just stay 100' away, behind a wall.

 

[FrogReaver]

If your not protecting allies, then you can just stay 100' away, behind a wall.

Enemies cannot move 100ft behind a wall?

 

[TorgoTheWhite]

I am admittedly pretty dismissive when it comes to precasting. I rarely let my PC's do that unless they get the drop on a for-sure encounter... problem is, as soon as the caster opens their yapper for the verbal component I request initiative... sometimes I allow the cast to resolve first though.. but it is highly situational. I don't allow a free "aggressive" action to take place straight from a social encounter into combat for example... but maybe if someone is scouting ahead and overhears ambush plans or something highly situational I may allow precasting without prompted initiative. I pretty much never allow it just as a "I cast it every minute because danger is lurking" idea -- if they wanted to do that (not really organic PC RP IMO) then I would have them roll graduating CON saves & start adding fatigue on failure maybe penalize perception due to the PC's nonstop muttering

 

[FrogReaver]

I am admittedly pretty dismissive when it comes to precasting. I rarely let my PC's do that unless they get the drop on a for-sure encounter... problem is, as soon as the caster opens their yapper for the verbal component I request initiative... sometimes I allow the cast to resolve first though.. but it is highly situational. I don't allow a free "aggressive" action to take place straight from a social encounter into combat for example... but maybe if someone is scouting ahead and overhears ambush plans or something highly situational I may allow precasting without prompted initiative. I pretty much never allow it just as a "I cast it every minute because danger is lurking" idea -- if they wanted to do that (not really organic PC RP IMO) then I would have them roll graduating CON saves & start adding fatigue on failure maybe penalize perception due to the PC's nonstop muttering

Yea. That's fair. I don't presume it's always up precombat like the cast every minute cheese.

I do assume that there will be opportunities to precast it, but that's assuming more exploration style encounters. One could presumably cast it before any conversation began and it might last till combat starts, though maybe they just talk longer to give your spell time to drop. Or maybe the mere act of casting any spell triggers combat in your world.

In any event, I think it's fair it can be precast some, maybe not all or most but a significant proportion of encounter like 1/5 at least or something like that.

I tend to think of it mostly like star trek, clearly defensive actions like shields up maybe set another party on edge, but don't constitute combat starting.