Worst Possible Party Combinations

[Tuzenbach]

Quadriplegic Fighter

I actually once designed a fighter with no legs.











How I got no legs I'll never know!

 

[Kafkonia]

Well, there's certainly nothing saying you can't include how you could make it work.

For instance, in the first campaign I started out in 3.5 with, we had two clerics, a barbarian, and a rogue. No arcane caster in sight. We still managed to survive, and even flourish, thanks in part to one of the clerics being an archer and so still giving us some ranged combat options.

 

[Kafkonia]

Pacifist Assassin
Quadriplegic Fighter
Rhabdophobic Wizard
Atheist Cleric
Tone deaf Bard
Mindless undead Psionicist

This is fun...

See, now you're getting the hang of it!

How about a Frenzied Berzerker and someone with the Vows of Peace and Nonviolence from the BoED.

 

[Rystil Arden]

I'd have to say it depends on the campaign, but IMHO, it'd be a party that leaves out 1 of the 4 "fundamental" classes for purposes of class abilities:

• Good BAB and large class Hit Die (Fighter & other warrior classes)
• Trapfinding & Disable Device (Rogue & other scoundrel classes)
• 0-9 Divine spells & Healing (Cleric & other divine major spellcasting classes)
• 0-9 Arcane spells (Wizard & other arcane major spellcasting classes)

I'd say this is very important with a lot of modules (unless the module says otherwise) because there's a certain built-in level of expectation for these abilities to be present in one way or another.

Now, if you have a limited number of base classes, then this makes things tough, because there'll be an expectation for someone to play one of the classes that has one of these abilities (like rogue or cleric, for example). The increased number of base classes provides a bit more options, in some instances, but it places new limits as well (while a Beguiler has trapfinding & 0-9 spells, the spell list is more illusion-oriented, & doesn't do well for creatures immune to such spells).

Interesting list--so do you think the following party (my new FtF group) is weak?

Human Druid (focused on Summoning and eventually Wildshaping, which is probably a good idea because she has 7 Strength)
Halfling Druid (has Perform, so maybe a Fochlucan Lyrist some day, or maybe not. Currently Magic Stones a lot)
Human Cleric of Red Knight (Augment Healing and Power Attack, with War and Nobility domains--smashes and heals things)
Human Bard (Has CLW, you know, since there apparently aren't enough healers )
Half-Elf Rogue (Fairly stereotypical sneak and trapfinder, but also has UMD in case they find a wand of CLW and the entire party is comatose or something)

 

[Mark CMG]

Four Vedics and a Uni-Thrall?

 

[Particle_Man]

4 Frenzied Berserkers.

 

[spectre72]

Whatever my player choose

Honestly, they are horrible at working together to create any type of balanced party...

 

[IcyCool]

4 Frenzied Berserkers.

Sweet. Zero to TPK before the first encounter.

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

My party has:

Frenzied Berserker
Warlock
Bard
Dragon Shaman
Shifter

The Dragon Shaman, and Bard "buff" the party while the Warlock fires from long range. They're 9th level and 5 CR1 zombies give them fits.

 

[Drawmack]

Bard with no tounge
Halfling Barbarian (need I say more)
Half-Orc Rogue, who is more orc then human with low int, wis, and CHA
Dwarven wisard with wis of 8 i.e. no spells

Yeah that would be fun