Which core class has the best flavor?

[Moon_Goddess]

Due to Sepcrulcrave's Wyre Storyhour I'd have to say that Paladin's have the most potential for cool flavor.

 

[The_Gneech]

Wow, it really varies according to my mood.

One night of butt-kickin' goodness? Barbarian. These guys are just plain FUN.

An extended campaign? Probably ranger. He can infiltrate if he wants to, but he can fight if he needs to ... and there's just something inherently cool about that lonely woodsman archetype.

Strangely enough, I find playing wizards to be very dull, which baffles me because they are the class that can actually do the most. I find the evening turning into an extended reference section, trying to pick which spells I think I'm going to need, or trying to figure out which spell is the most applicable to what I'm doing at the moment. No character involvement, all playing the system. Yawn city. Sorcerers I would expect to be even worse because they're such one-trick ponies.

I've tried to do bards and monks, and couldn't get the hang of either one.

I've had moderate amounts of fun with a cleric, but found it mostly dull (I hate religious discussions IRL as it is), and have yet to try a paladin. I rarely do rogues in dungeoneering games because, in my experience, you're "Mr. Trap Detector." Too limited. In an urban game, they're probably more interesting, but I've never played in one.

-The Gneech

 

[Kai Lord]

Wow. Druids in the lead? Paladins up there with Wizards and Rogues? Unexpected, yet cool. I chose Ranger, but I've always found the new Druid to be tantalizingly compelling. Cool to see I'm not alone.

 

[Olive]

It is utterly irrelevant whether the player is the best in the world or one of the worst. If the same quality of player portrays a character of each class, which do you find to be the most interesting in action? Have the coolest bells and whistles? Abilities?

So it's a what's your favourite class poll? From a non-mechanical perspective?

Wizard, but it has nothing to do with the flavour text in the PHB, which is kinda what I read the poll as being about.

I like wizards.

 

[Bubbalicious]

I'd have to say a toss-up between Bard and Rogue. They are both very broad, general classes, that an imaginitive player can wrap around his or her mind and create something truly original and exciting. For my money, the fighter types (including Paladin and Barbarian) to me are much more predictable and pigeon-holed. They can still be quite fun, of course, but they don't seem to be as satisfying (challenging) to play.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Clerics, playing out pragmatic ethical concerns against the context of abstract devotion is the finest flava.

Plus, the amazing asskickinness clears the palate nicely.

The versatility, discretion, and self-reliance of rogues is a close second.

 

[Mark]

Forget mechanics, which core class, in your opinion, has the best flavor? The greatest dramatic possibilities? The coolest combination of class abilities, whether they be feats, spells, or unique abilities?

You forgot to add the core NPC classes...

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Out of the options you listed, I picked Sorceror. Innate magic, fueled by your confidence? Rumors of dragon blood or other exotic ancestry? Flaunting your powers in front of bookish, nerdy Wizards? There's just too much to work with, here.

My other favorites are the Shaman, who calls forth divine magic from the spirits that surround us all, and can see the invisible beings who shape our destiny-- all while being mechanically more interesting than the Cleric, too. Or the Aristocrat, for his natural leadership abilities and his martial training. The Psychic Warrior's zeal for training body and mind-- and using each to enhance the other-- is also cool, as is the Psion, who by the Will alone sets the mind in motion.

For similar reasons as I named the Psychic Warrior (and Psion), I'd like to say the Monk-- but D&D is built for multiclassing. I derive a lot of character flavor out of multiclass combinations, and a character with this option denied him seems a lot more bland to me. The 3.0 Monk is also badly plagued by Cookie Cutter Syndrome, unless you use the OA rules. Even then, any two Monks are simply too much alike.

 

[Zogg]

Cleric. Pure and simple.

Due to the sheer number of gods (and their prestige classes), you can turn a PC of this class into nearly ANYthing.

 

[TiQuinn]

I chose Paladin.

You can do quite a bit more with the Fighter, the Cleric, the Rogue, and most of the others, but the Paladin is the only class that I feel gives players a very distinct focus. You say you're playing a paladin, and an image immediately pops up into most players' minds. An honorable warrior, bound to god and king, determined to stop the spread of evil while not compromising his or her own vows. You immediately think of possible situations where a paladin's faith and honor will be tested. It is difficult to do, but the paladin is rewarded ten times over for his determination: A special mount bonded to him who will serve him to the end. The chance to gain a holy weapon, possibly a weapon out of legend.

Okay, not every paladin is going to follow these lines, and the class is certainly not the most flexible or the most powerful, but for what it is, a very focused, flavorful class, it is very, very good.