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I just have a quick question. Of the 11 base classes, which do you think is played most frequently by pathfinder players? Which is played the least frequently?
Perhaps if you take all of the registered pathfinder characters, and find out which one shows up the most frequently that might be a way to find this out.
Any thoughts?
In 3.5, Ranger was always inexplicably popular in my groups. Not sure that holds for Pathfinder, and I'm not sure why that would be.
Bard and Monk are seldom played. Bard least, I'd say.
I think fighters are the most commonly played ... I just seem to see them more often than any other class. Rogues are a close second, because there is no real alternative to having a rogue.
I would say your most common would be the four core classes of old.
Fighter, Cleric, Wizard, Thief.
All of the other classes will be played less... with the monk and bard being the most specialized and IMHO least played.
If I had to pick one for each Human Fighter is the most common and Gnome Monk is the least common. Due to racials working for are against the class.
So far in the game I'm playing in the following classes have appeared:
Paladin
Cleric
Rogue
Sorcerer
Sorcerer/Bard/Druid
Druid
Cavalier
Wizard
Ranger
So I would say we're all over the map. No Barbarians, Fighters, or Monks yet, but if my character dies I've decided that my next one will be a Barbarian/Sorcerer.
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I've 17 players. 1 fighter, 2 bards, 1 paladin, 1 wizard (universalist), 2 sorcerers (aberrant and fiendish), 1 druid and 1 ex-druid(as in ex-parrot), 1 monk, 1 rogue (and one ex-rogue), 1 alchemist, 1 summoner, 1 cavalier, 1 inquisitor, 2 rangers, 1 cleric (pharasma). I don't know if that says anything other than i have a very diverse group.
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Common-
Cleric
Fighter (Moved up from back in 3.5)
Rogue
Sorceror (Pathfinder only, I didn't see a single one of these back when I was playing 3.5: everyone used to prefer Wizards. Edit: No, wait, I did see one in a one-shot that was a Dragon Desciple. Still, the change has been massive.)
Wizard (3.5 only, way less common now that people are liking the Sorceror so much more)
Uncommon-
Paladin (Moved up from back in 3.5)
Druid
Oracle (Impressive given that it's new and the final version isn't out yet)
Rare-
Monk
Ranger
Barbarian
Bard
Wizard (Pathfinder only, way less common now that people are liking the Sorceror so much more)
Cavalier (Probably at least in part because it's new and the final version isn't out yet)
Summoner (Probably at least in part because it's new and the final version isn't out yet)
Witch (Probably at least in part because it's new and the final version isn't out yet)
Expert
Haven't Seen Yet-
Arquebuser (Probably mostly because it's new)
Inquisitor (Probably mostly because it's new and the final version isn't out yet)
Alchemist (Probably mostly because it's new and the final version isn't out yet, One player of mine has expressed interest in running one in an upcoming campaign of mine)
Aristocrat
Commoner
Warrior
Adept
I've also had a huge number of monster characters, with lots of PCs having a fair amount of their CR coming from being monsters.
This doesn't necessarily equate directly to what people are playing but these are the number of unique page views for the basic classes on d20pfsrd.com since January 1st of this year.
Page Unique Pageviews
sorcerer 28574
cleric 28422
wizard 25802
rogue 24728
monk 20261
ranger 20645
druid 20750
fighter 23119
paladin 18989
bard 16833
barbarian 17560
Most common? Probably rogues. Heck, we've got a halfling cleric 1 / rogue 1 in one campaign now, because evidently we can't be without a rogue.
Least common? Bard, easily. The bard fails to fill a distinct role, and remains a buffer. It isn't a good enough combatant to replace a fighter/barbarian/ranger/monk or even rogue. It isn't a good enough caster to replace a wizard or sorcerer, let alone divine casters. The bard remains the fifth wheel, sadly.
Another question is whether people try out a class and decide they don't like it, so nobody ever plays that class again. Pathfinder is too new for people to have figured out what they don't like yet.
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i'd say rangers, wizards, and rogues are the top 3. then i'd say fighters, barbarians, sorcerers, and clerics. Finally, in the bottom i'd say paladins, druids, bards, and monks as they are all very specialized in what they do.
In case anyone is curious, i have been playing for over 12 years with countless players (i'd ballpark it in the hundreds by now). Not sure if that xp is worth much, but it is the trend i've noticed around here.
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Another question is whether people try out a class and decide they don't like it, so nobody ever plays that class again. Pathfinder is too new for people to have figured out what they don't like yet.
I've had multiple people start Bards and then decide they didn't like the class too much, either multicalssing off into other things, starting new characters (this is the only class I've had this happen with in my campaigns specifically because of the class), or just not playing Bards in future campaigns / one-shots.
I had one player who decided he didn't like being a Monk too much, but he stuck with the class for that campaign. He didn't outright hate the class, but he shifted off towards other classes for future things.
Calculating what my gaming group has used over the past ~5 years (not counting campaigns that didn't last very long, 3.5 data included):
3 Binders
3 Crusaders
3 Healers
3 Monks
3 Rogues
3 Scouts
3 Soulknives
4 Clerics
5 Psions
5 Sorcerers
5 Swordsages
5 Warlocks
6 Barbarians
We have seen very few Druids, Fighters, Paladins, or Wizards. We have had ZERO Rangers in any campaign that lasted longer than a month.
I'm not sure about the most played but i'll say the old classics fighter, rogue, wizard and cleric (a fully operational party :D)
Definately the least played for new players are monks and bards because most of the new players (even experienced ) dont know how to make full use of these wonderful classes
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I do feel Lord Gadigan summed it up best above, including the various shifts in popularity between 3.5 and Pathfinder. The Sorcerer has jumped in popularity (bloodlines). I think the Cleric has always been a solid choice, particularly in campaign settings in which their relationship to their gods were well-developed, as they are in Golarion. Among the combat classes, I believe paladins may have gained a rise in popularity. I think Pathfinder has brought many new players to the game, so Fighters are always popular.
It's interesting to note factors which influence class choice. I've run Pathfinder Society at conventions since it's launch, and during the 3.5 period, I've noticed players were often drawn to Amiri (barbarian) due to the artwork of her carrying an over-sized sword, if for no other reason. However, since the release of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, there are now only four official pre-gen character sheets, and Idon't recall seeing anyone create a new barbarian character. Don't underestimate the power of pre-gen characters to promote a class, build or style of play. I really hope the 6 new Advanced Players Guide base classes (not to mention the remaining 7 core classes) receive their pre-gens before GenCon and the APG's release. Last year, GenConOz saw an influx of new Pathfinder players, and a good selection of pre-gens help them get to the table and start playing so much quicker!
It's often difficult to separate personal preference/bias from actual statistical observation, eg, I played two long-running monk characters back in 3.5, so it hurts me a little that monks aren't more popular, but maybe that's what makes my characters feel special, that I'm not jumping on the popular band-wagon. As a long-time monk-players, I'd occasionally note another monk player at my Living Greyhawk or Arcanis table, but I can't say I've noticed any other Pathfinder monks yet.
Sadly, monks, bards, and I'd add barbarians, are the least played, which is surprising, as I remember barbarians being more popular in 3.5. I wonder whether new APG rules will help the status of these classes? There is rumoured to be better options for bards, and I'm intrigued to hear about the Hungry Ghost Monk.
Personally, I believe the monk suffers two problems: 1) player perception/expectations continually making comparisons to the fighter; and 2) it's "oriental" vs "medieval" background. I'd argue that the monk fills it's own niche role in combat, and that Pathfinder is a fantasy setting, not a strict medieval one. But these have been argued ad infinitum in other threads. Though I am looking forward to seeing how a TianXia sourcebook might treat my favourite class.
It'll be interesting to post this same question again in 12 months time after the release of the APG. a) more options for all classes; and b) 6 new base classes! eg, will the bard gain the boost he was looking for? or will he be eclipsed by even more classes competing for his space?
least : barbarian, bard, monk.
monk mostly because we do not like the flavor much, it seems a bit mismatched with the other characters.
bard because, honestly it is quite good in a sizable party, but most characters want to shine from time to time and bards rarely get the oppurtunity to do so.
barbarian, no particular reason, it is generally well liked but it is a bit of an acquired taste in it's typical role, most go for fighter.
most : cleric, there is always at least one cleric. Other classes spread more or less evenly, wizard and rogue might be favored slightly.
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I'd agree that Clerics are easily the most prevalent of classes (you try to convince a group they can adventure without one), but here is my anecdotal evidence using my groups from the last 15 years:
1 Alchemist
2 Barbarian
4 Bard
7 Cleric (technically one was a favored soul)
2 Druid
8 Fighter
3 Monk
2 Paladin
8 Ranger
9 Rogues
5 Sorcerer
6 Wizards
Looks like Rangers and Rogues are also pretty popular in our groups.
In 3.5, Ranger was always inexplicably popular in my groups. Not sure that holds for Pathfinder, and I'm not sure why that would be.
Bard and Monk are seldom played. Bard least, I'd say.
Funny in my group we always have at least one Bard or Monk, Sorcerer on the other hand I don't see a lot of.
My Current Group
Alchemist, Barbarian, Cleric, Monk, Ranger, Rogue, Wizard
Most played: Cleric. Every group needs a healer and no one compares to a cleric in healing. Every group needs a heavily armored damage dealer, but a Barbarian or Paladin can and does do that occasionally.
Least: Bard.
Just my experience. I would agree that monk is likely the next least played, however in my groups there seems to always be a monk...not able to help with anything.
In 3.5, Ranger was always inexplicably popular in my groups. Not sure that holds for Pathfinder, and I'm not sure why that would be.
Bard and Monk are seldom played. Bard least, I'd say.
Why? Which class has full BAB, Hide in Plain Sight, 6+Int-mod skill points and a few spells? If there was a Ranger variant for two-handed weapons I would be in love. (Even though I don't like their capstone that much. Maybe I would multiclass.)
If I look at the last D&D-Campaign I participated in, there was a paladin, a fighter, a rogue/ranger, a wizard, a cleric, a sorcerer, two druids, a monk, a bard and a rogue.
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In 3.5, Ranger was always inexplicably popular in my groups. Not sure that holds for Pathfinder, and I'm not sure why that would be.
Bard and Monk are seldom played. Bard least, I'd say.
Why? Which class has full BAB, Hide in Plain Sight, 6+Int-mod skill points and a few spells? If there was a Ranger variant for two-handed weapons I would be in love. (Even though I don't like their capstone that much. Maybe I would multiclass.)
If I look at the last D&D-Campaign I participated in, there was a paladin, a fighter, a rogue/ranger, a wizard, a cleric, a sorcerer, two druids, a monk, a bard and a rogue.
How does one run for 11 people!? I can barely stand running for six!
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In my last and current campaign:
CotCT: Sorceress (deceased), Ranger (deceased), Fighter/Rogue, Barbarian/Druid, Paladin, Rogue, Wizard (Universalist), Cleric.
CoT: Inquisitor, Ranger, Barbarian, Fighter/Rogue/Phantom/Witch, Paladin/Bard, Rogue
So I'd say Monks are the least represented of the core 11 from my experience and attitudes of players.
For my group I think the most played was easily the cleric. There were times we had 2 of them running around healing, buffing, and summoning things. The least would have to be the bard or barbarian, I just never see them in my games
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Almost every game I have run or played in has had at least 1, if not 2 sorcerers in it. Usually multiclassed, but for a 1 level dip you can get SO much out of it.
Least would be Paladin. I think its the alignment, I tend to attract friends of a chaotic disposition, and with questionable morality sometimes. LG is just too tough to play correctly in many cases.
Bard also very low on the totem pole, although I will be playing a bard/roge multiclass in an upcoming game.
The cleric is in every game. The bard gets the least amount of play.
edit:These are the games I have played or DM'd.
Here's what I've played over the majority of my career (I rarely died, but came close many times) from most to least.
12 Fighters
7 Wizards
6 Rogues
4 Paladins
4 Clerics
1 Druid
1 Ranger
Many of the fighters, rogues, and wizards were multiclass (mostly during 2E, and a few into 3.5E)
Also, here's a few noncore I played.
1 Alchemist (Pathfinder)
1 Ninja (2E)
1 Samurai (3.5E)
1 Sentiel (3.5-Dragon Magazine)
1 Despot (3.5-Dragon Magazine)
In our 3.0 to 3.5 to Pathfinder campaign, the backbone has been:
Cleric
Bard
Monk
Ranger
Sorcerer (NPC).
We’ve also had the following long-term characters at various points:
Barbarian
Fighter
Paladin
Rogue
Wizard
Ranger (NPC).
We just picked up a Summoner.
One of the interesting things about lurking on the Paizo boards for the last few years has been seeing how other people play the game. Our group seems to be much less typical than I thought at first. We have a great time, though. (Our bard and monk players absolutely love playing those classes, by the way.)
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Thank you everyone for you posts. Ill have to re read it to get some of the finer details.
I was expecting the fighter and wizard to be the most frequently played classes, and the cleric an bard the least frequently played classes. it seems my initial assumptions may not be correct.
Perhaps i should add a caveat in terms of the cleric. Of all the roles, i find it is either the last class people choose to play, or the DM frequently has a cleric as an NPC, if none of the players want to play one.
I happen to enjoy playing clerics and often play them, but rarely have I found myself at the gaming table with another cleric.
I
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Most played: Cleric. Every group needs a healer and no one compares to a cleric in healing. Every group needs a heavily armored damage dealer, but a Barbarian or Paladin can and does do that occasionally.
It's interesting that you comment that every group needs a healer, and that role almost exclusively belongs to the cleric; while every group needs a heavy hitter, but there are a range of combat classes to fill that role.
Advanced Player's Guide healers include the Alchemist, Inquisitor, Oracle and Witch. The cleric's exclusive grip on healing is definitely under challenge! Wonder whether players will feel less "obliged" to play the cleric healer, as this role will be dispersed among a wider range of classes, as combat currently is.
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From our local PFS perspective the Barbarian and Monk are the least played in home; they're not terribly flavorful, and they are horribly underpowered relative to Fighters, Paladins, and Monk. With that said, like the forums there are people who randomly love Monks for their Japanese flavor, regardless of their low power.
Clerics and Fighters are probably the most "show ups", with Wizards being "up there". While I personally prefer Sorcerers (only because I like roleplaying high-Cha characters), their "pretty much strictly worse relative to Wizards" makes them relatively infrequent.
In PFS rogue is actually fairly uncommon; this is mostly because modules can never assume you have one, and you can always have the high-save high-hp Pally "test the door". And I guess people don't like randomly showing up with rogues. Thinking about it, I don't know if I've ever even seen a PFS rogue. Maybe they are the least popular PFS character? I know few groups in home games are without one.
Rangers and bard are occasionals, you see people play them, but aren't suprised if the group doesn't have them.
I know for certain I've yet to see a
You see many, many druids running around. I'll admit they are fun to play, since they are the most effective "combat cleric" types (can combat and do out-of-combat healing).
So off-hand I'd say, home or otherwise, Fighter, then Cleric, then Wizard... probably then Rogue in home and Druid in PFS. After that, Bard slightly more than Ranger, PFS would follow that with Monk, and you almost never see Barbarians and Sorcerers.
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I haven't run a PF game yet, but over the years, we've had a plethora of Clerics and Druids, having once fielded a four man group consisting of two Clerics, a Druid and a Ranger...
Fighter, Paladin, Rogue and Monk are extremely rare. Barbarians and Rangers seemed to be the preferred 'tank,' if we had one, and Wizards the only arcane caster.
Sorcerers and Bards are the only two classes that I've never seen played, since 3rd edition came out, except in the Dungeon Delves at Gen Con (and I'm not sure, but the Sorcerer I am thinking of may have been a Warmage, so that might not even count!).
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Well from scanning about half the page people suggested about equally the most commonly played classes were cleric fighter and rogue, and the two least played classes people suggested were bard and monk
Perhaps another way to get an idea of which characters are played most frequently and least frequently would be to see amongst the registered characters for Pathfinder society organized play, which ones show up the most frequently and which shows up the least frequently.
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I just have a quick question. Of the 11 base classes, which do you think is played most frequently by pathfinder players? Which is played the least frequently?
Perhaps if you take all of the registered pathfinder characters, and find out which one shows up the most frequently that might be a way to find this out.
Any thoughts?
For my group, I would have to say Clerics followed by Fighters then Rogues. Least common would be Bards and Monks.