Which WotC base classes fill the 4 core roles well?

[Glyfair]

Assume you are going to be playing a game where the DM strongly recommends you have the 4 core roles covered. Maybe he's going to be running a lot of published adventures and has little time to customize. Maybe he's just very old-school. Whichever, as a party you need to try to fill those roles.

Which base classes do you feel are reasonable substitutes for the 4 core roles (which the PHB II categorizes as Warriors, Experts, Divine Casters & Arcane Casters)? Right now I'm only discussion WotC published classes in their fantasy series.

For example, of the PHB classes, I think that the Fighter & Barbarian clearly fit the warrior role. The monk, on the other hand, doesn't fill that role very well, although that's the category it falls under. Some arguments might be made about how well Paladins & Rangers fit those roles.

For the Arcane Casters, I think few would argue that Wizards & Sorcerers fit the role well and fewer would argue that the only arcane caster shouldn't be a bard.

Basically, only list the class as viable in the role if you would be comfortable with that class filling that role in your 4 person party. Do your really feel comfortable with a party that has a monk with its warrior substitute in a campaign that won't be designed with that in mind?

 

[Shade]

Warriors: fighter, barbarian, paladin, ranger, swashbuckler
Experts: rogue, scout, ninja
Divine Casters : cleric, druid, healer
Arcane Casters: sorcerer, wizard, psion, wilder

 

[Voadam]

warrior: fighter, barbarian, samurai, paladin, knight,

Expert rogue, bard, ranger not familiar with others

Divine: druid, cleric, favored soul, mystic, the one from heroes of horror whose name I forget

Arcane: sorcerer, wizard, warlock, psion, wilder, wu jen,

I'm not that familiar with most others.

Swashbuckler, hexblade, soulknife, and duskblade, like monk, don't fall into primary warrior slots, they are secondary warriors like a ranger.

 

[Agent Oracle]

Ading some other options:

Warriors: +Knight

Divine Caster: +Favored Soul

The "core four" are the single, most focused examples of heroes. Fighter fights, Cleric heals, rogue sneaks, and arcane caster zaps. dah-dah!

 

[Joshua Randall]

But, the wizard can potentially learn any arcane spell, which the sorcerer et al. cannot.

The cleric has a vast array of spells matched only by the druid (maybe exceeded, depending upon whom you ask). Not so the favored soul. And the cleric turns undead, which is a core ability in D&D. Druids don't. Favored souls don't.

Fighters and rogues can kind-of be substituted for, but I think wizards and clerics are essential for "core" D&D.

 

[Glyfair]

But, the wizard can potentially learn any arcane spell, which the sorcerer et al. cannot.

Well, they can, but they'll need to level or take a feat. The wizard just needs to make a spellcraft roll.

Still, the real question is how important they are. Which leads to....

Not so the favored soul. And the cleric turns undead, which is a core ability in D&D. Druids don't. Favored souls don't.

But do you need to have someone who can turn undead? Fighters can still kill them. Wizards can fireball them, etc. I'm not sure that one ability is needed.

 

[Seeten]

Tank: Fighter, Barbarian, Paladin, Knight
Expert: Rogue, Swashbuckler, Ranger, Scout, Ninja, Spellthief
Healer: Cleric, Druid, Favored Soul, Healer, Archivist
Blaster: Sorcerer, Wizard, Wu-Jen, Warmage, Warlock, Psion, Erudite, Dread Necromancer
5th Wheel: Bard, Hexblade, Marshal, Monk, Shadowcaster, Swashbuckler, Samurai, Shugenja

In some cases classes ended up in 5th wheel instead of primary role because they suck(Samurai) or because I hate them(Shugenja). YMMV

 

[Andor]

I'd also slot the Artificer into the Expert role.

 

[Remathilis]

Core Four Comparisons

WARRIOR: (baseline: fighter)
Ranger: + Skills, Wilderness, Reflex, Spells, - AC, HP, feat choice.
Barbarian: + Damage, HP, Movement, DR - AC, Literacy, feat choice.
Paladin: + Healing, Holy Powers, Turning, Saves - Alignment Restriction, feat choice.
Swashbuckler: + Skills, Criticals - AC, Damage, feat choice.
Hexblade: + Debuffing, spells - AC, feat choice, alignment restriction.
Samurai + Smite, Fear Powers - feat choice, alignment restriction
Knight: + Crowd Control, Movement, HP, Will. - feat choice, fort
Monk: + Skills, Unique powers, # attacks, saves. - AC, HP, BAB, damage, aligment restriction, feat choice.
Duskblade + Spells - AC, HP, feat choice.

PRIEST: (baseline: cleric)
Druid: + wildshape, wilderness, attack magic. - AC, Turning, Spont Heal, Alignment Restriction.
Favored Soul: + Spontaneous casting, Weapon Prof, Saves, ER, DR, Wings - AC, Turning, Spell Selection
Shugenja: Spontaneous Casting, Spell Choices. - AC, Spell selection, Turning, Alignement Restriction
Healer: + Healing, - AC, Turning, Vesatility
Archivist: + Spell Choices, Skills, Knowledges, Lore. - AC, HP, Spon Healing, Turning
Spirit Shaman: + Spontaneous Casting, Wilderness, Spirit Powers - AC, Turning
Dragon Shaman + Combat, Breath Wpn, Auras, HP - Healing, Versatility, AC, Turning

MAGE: (baseline: wizard)
Sorcerer + Spontaneous casting - Bonus Feats, Spell selection
Warmage: + Spontaneous casting, AC, HP, Edges - Versatility, Familiar
Wu Jen + Spell Choice, Init - Bonus Feat, Familiar
Warlock: + HP, AC, Bab, Invocations, Eldrich attacks, DR - Vesaility, Alignment Restriction, Familiar
Dread Necro: + Spontaneous Casting, AC, HP, DR, Turning - Versaility, Aligment Restriction
Beguiler: + Spontaneous Casting, AC, HP, Trapfinding, Skills - Versaility, Familiar

EXPERT: (Baseline: Rogue)
Bard: + Spells, Buffs, Lore, Healing, - trapfinding, Skill Points
Ninja: + AC, Will, Ghost Powers - Limited SA, Skill Points
Scout: + Wilderness - Limited SA
Spellthief: + Spells, - Skill Points, Limited SA

 

[Shade]

But do you need to have someone who can turn undead? Fighters can still kill them. Wizards can fireball them, etc. I'm not sure that one ability is needed.

Heck no! I haven't seen anyone even use that ability to turn undead in ages. It's there for powering Divine feats, etc.