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

[Zardnaar]

unless we are talking about this kind of experiment, I have not seen a fighter take Defense style with anything unless focused on 2Handed melee as GWF style is complete rubbish.

and if planning of playing battlemaster, you will take the style for extra maneuver and dice.

Defense is for great weapon and lvl 7 champions.

 

[FrogReaver]

He likely has the same AC as the fighter at level 1 though so why would they take more hits before rage happens? They will probably both be AC 17 though both could be AC 18 at level 1 if they push it.

I clock the fighter at 19. (Heavy armor, Shield and Defensive style) Barbarian I clock at 17. (Medium armor and Shield).

It’s theoretically possibly to go dex and con and have an 18ac barbarian, but is extremely rare.

 

[FrogReaver]

unless we are talking about this kind of experiment, I have not seen a fighter take Defense style with anything unless focused on 2Handed melee as GWF style is complete rubbish.

and if planning of playing battlemaster, you will take the style for extra maneuver and dice.

Defense is for when you know the dm does random magic items and you’ll want to use the best weapon that gets rolled and know your fighting style will work with it.

It’s also great to start out as more durable using it and a shield before transitioning to great weapons later by the time you pick up great weapon master.

 

[Horwath]

Defense is for when you know the dm does random magic items and you’ll want to use the best weapon that gets rolled and know your fighting style will work with it.

It’s also great to start out as more durable using it and a shield before transitioning to great weapons later by the time you pick up great weapon master.

I make characters under assumptions that DM will not be a jerk.

 

[FrogReaver]

I make characters under assumptions that DM will not be a jerk.

That isn’t being a jerk.

 

[Horwath]

That isn’t being a jerk.

maybe not, maybe that is just not thinking what your PCs need.
but why would you give bunch of magic items no one will use?

just give a sack of gold/gems then. it's the same thing.

sure, now and then you can give item that has sense for NPC that is set against the party, but not throw those around.

1. You ran not making fun for players, as selling stuff is not fun 90% of the time.

2. You are wasting your time as you are finding items that are useless to the party.

it's a lose-lose situation.

And I have witnessed that, when the DMs will for D&D drained from his face.

we got 4 custom made magic items, and that took work to design them,

4 of us looked at them and decided that we will "vendor" them and buy a bunch of +1 generic items because those actually made out characters better(atleast from our perspective).

effort was made for those items and we treated them as truck load of scrap metal to be sold.

 

[Mistwell]

Because the fighter has 19 AC

ONLY if they chose Defense as their fighting style, which is unlikley.

and picks up blade ward with magic initiate.

That's silly. Barbarian could do the same thing. They both get the same feat at level 1.

The barbarian has 18 AC and damage reduction. The fighter heals damage instead of soaking it.

The difference is the fighter picks up additional defenses not available to a raging barbarian.

Not at level 1 they don't.

Assuming they are either human with tough as well or dwarf then the fighter has 15hp and the barbarian has 17hp. It takes 9 hits of 4 damage halved to drop the barbarian. It take 4 hits to drop the fighter who spends a bonus action on second wind twice to get to the 7 hits to drop him.

Why would the fighter get the benefit of racial choice and not the barbarian? And why is the barbarian only taking even sums of hits? This is weird spin.

 

[Mistwell]

Yes, you can. Both Fighters and Paladins start with chainmail in 5.5e. That's the third-best ordinary heavy armor in the game.

It's not "good" though and I assumed chain in my next sentence! They have the same AC.

Barbarians do not start with any armor, not even medium.

They start with the same cash to buy it. They have the same AC, if they want.

The best heavy armor Fighters can afford is, as stated, chainmail which provides 16 AC. If the Barbarian sacrifices a bunch of their starting gold for it (two thirds of it, in fact!), they can get scale, which only gives the 16 AC, meaning the Barbarian is still behind (even with a shield!) because of fighting style.

The Barbarian can afford medium armor, shield, and Dex +2 for the same AC. I spelled it out.

Why would any Barbarian do this? They cannot use Dex for weapons. Sure, finesse weapons exist, but they're incompatible with Rage.

+2 Dex is pretty standard for melee types of any kind. Initiative, ranged attacks, saving throws, and their built-in AC if they wear no armor. Most Barbarians I've seen have a +2 Dex.

"When you make an attack using Strength—with either a weapon or an Unarmed Strike" etc., emphasis added. (Believe me, I'd LOVE it if Rage worked with Dex, because then I might be able to sell a DM on allowing the Zealot subclass to function as a 4e Avenger, which would be a significant thing for me.)


Why would any Fighter specifically trying to be durable at 1st level NOT do this?

Why are they specifically trying to be durable?

 

[Mistwell]

I clock the fighter at 19. (Heavy armor, Shield and Defensive style) Barbarian I clock at 17. (Medium armor and Shield).

It’s theoretically possibly to go dex and con and have an 18ac barbarian, but is extremely rare.

Barbarians usually have a +2 dex. Too much depends on it.

And why would Fighter be taking Defense?

 

[FrogReaver]

Barbarians usually have a +2 dex. Too much depends on it.

And why would Fighter be taking Defense?

It's not "good" though and I assumed chain in my next sentence! They have the same AC.


They start with the same cash to buy it. They have the same AC, if they want.



The Barbarian can afford medium armor, shield, and Dex +2 for the same AC. I spelled it out.



+2 Dex is pretty standard for melee types of any kind. Initiative, ranged attacks, saving throws, and their built-in AC if they wear no armor. Most Barbarians I've seen have a +2 Dex.


Why are they specifically trying to be durable?

I assumed +2 Dex.

The difference was chain shirt vs scale mail. I do agree in retrospect that scale mail can be obtained just as easily, giving the barbarian 16 ac or 18 ac with a shield. That’s 1 point less than the defense style fighter.

Why Defense Style? It’s good (though maybe not the best) and it enhances our durability which is the goal for this character. It’s not like it’s a crap option. If so i wouldn’t have included it.