We are getting ready to game in a few days, and as the GM I have some issues with party composition - what are the group strengths and weaknesses and how should I adjust or modify for them? The party is
Hobgoblin Monk/Alchemist 2/1
Halfling Rogue 3
Tiefling Sorceress (Abyssal) 3
Aasimar Sorcerer (Abysal) 3
Goblin Ranger (Ranged) 3
Tengu Druid (Animal Companion [Monitor Lizard]) 3
Half-Elf Bard 3
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Well, seven is almost a double party, especially with an animal companion in the mix. You can be pretty confident using encounters at CR+2 without overwhelming them. Be sure to add more monsters to your fights rather than bigger ones, though. Otherwise, it would be helpful if we knew what your specific concerns were. I expect folks will also want to know build info for the PCs, beyond race, class & specialty.
The other thing I see is this party really doesn't have what we call a tank or meat shield, basically someone who can take a few hits and keep the big bad guy off the ranged so they can do their thing.
This may not be a problem though considering group size.
Well, seven is almost a double party, especially with an animal companion in the mix. You can be pretty confident using encounters at CR+2 without overwhelming them. Be sure to add more monsters to your fights rather than bigger ones, though. Otherwise, it would be helpful if we knew what your specific concerns were. I expect folks will also want to know build info for the PCs, beyond race, class & specialty.
I have always had the issue of a big party - its a big group of friends, been playing for 13 years or so - and so I feel you on quantity being the key to challenge - bigger monsters get overwhelmed. But that was when we had a fighter, a barbarian, and a paladin in the mix. My worry is what the others expressed - no tank. Damage can surely be dealt, but not taken. And how to heal it back?
I don't really bother with urging my group to create parties up to certain ideal compositions. I've always had to put off my really cool character concept because GMs wouldn't run without a cleric, and they'd turn to me to do it because everyone else complains about not wanting to be the party healer (of course this is because, typically, when things go bad in a combat situation, everyone blames the cleric for not healing rather than realizing the usually bad tactical situation they let themselves get caught in).
I say let people play what they want, and let Pharasma sort 'em out.
This is a group that could be long on stealth and speed, more of a commando unit than heavy infantry. As for weaknesses, the fact there are sevne of them covers for a lot. Here are what I see as potential gaps/issues, which may or may not playe out:
1) Both full arcane casters are sorcerers. That means slower access to higher spell levels. That could hurt in some encounters.
2) No cleric means others will have to do the healing rather than the things they do best or resources will have to be expended.
3) Mix of non-standard races will make it more difficult for them to operate in civilized areas. Prejudice could hurt them in socisl situations.
4) Generally low AC group, which could hurt in some encounters.
5) No tank/primary melee damage dealer, as others have noted.
None of them are show-stoppers, and sounds like it could be interesting.
Have fun! Good luck and good gaming!
Owner - Johnny Scott Comics and Games
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We are getting ready to game in a few days, and as the GM I have some issues with party composition - what are the group strengths and weaknesses and how should I adjust or modify for them? The party is
Hobgoblin Monk/Alchemist 2/1
Halfling Rogue 3
Tiefling Sorceress (Abyssal) 3
Aasimar Sorcerer (Abysal) 3
Goblin Ranger (Ranged) 3
Tengu Druid (Animal Companion [Monitor Lizard]) 3
Half-Elf Bard 3
This is an interesting party to play with. As others have noted, the biggest concerns are the lack of healing (no Cleric) and the lack of a Tank (no Fighter).
As DM, I would work on building encounters that emphasize their strengths rather than their weaknesses, especially at lower levels.
Design adventures around quests and goals rather than mass combat.
Allow the PCs to use their stealth skills and teamwork to overcome obstacles.
To me, combat would be a secondary concern in encounter design, with the use of puzzles, traps, and intrigue being the primary concerns. When combat does come up, use terrain to help boost the party's weaknesses by including items that can be used for cover and concealment, and provide elevation for the party to improve line of sight for their ranged attacks and spells.
Keep in mind, with a potential lack of healing, area of effect spells can be devastating to this party at early levels.
Hope this helps, and good luck with this group!
With 2 sorcs look out for spams of some nasty SoS.
The Monk Alchemist is a very capable melee, but lacks staying power. Expect him to focus on mutagens and have a rediculous strength.
The party as a whole favors quick strikes. They will not like any prolonged battles. They also have a large number. I recomend playing to these and giving them large numbers of foes that they can take out simultaneously, and giving them options where splitting the party is not a bad thing. In fact the first 6 are almost paired into 3 sets of 2 similar guys. They can pick 1 from each group and split up fairly well.
There is just 1 full BAB class in the party. The Bard will offset issues you have to hit, but high AC opponents can be an issue. Rogues are known for how hard they hit, not how often, and multiclassed monks suffer their own penalties. Depending on how often your fighting favored enemies, the ranger is also potentially the weakest of the full BAB classes.
I would encourage the Ranger to take a look at the switch hitter option. Basically, you use your ranger feats to get ranged feats and take melee feats with your normal level ones. You focus on both a bow and THS.
The party has low gear dependancy. Only 2 characters really need weapons at all, the ranger and rogue. Combat in areas where weapons are not allowed could be fun. The rogue and ranger can use stealth to get their weapons in, while everyone else can just walk in. An encounter or 2 like this could be a lot of fun (ex. a diplomatic meeting goes wrong).
Definetely design encounters where they can use their stealth. Rarely does a party have noone who sucks at it. You have no one who will suck at it, so let the players use this to their advantage.
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Well that has to be one mis-match of a racial group as I have seen. Hopefully your campaign isn't full of Klan members. These have been stated but I will repeat them anyways.
Strengths
+Strong face element. Half of the group depends ons Charisma.
+Fire power. Between two blasters and the alchemist bombing stuff, I don't see anything last long if the group focus fires or AOE burns everything.
+Stealth the group has a good scouting element. Heck if the sorcerers have the right spells the whole group can stealth up on almost anything. The goblinoids pop up a lot of racial stat bonuses as well.
Weaknesses
-No heavy melee hitters.
-Lack of Arcane utility.
- The sorcerers are going to hurt regardless of what type of build they go. If they try and make themselves well rounded with spell options they are going to hurt in one area. the sorcerers can split up the utility spells if need be.
-Combat heals. Unless the Druid goes all out healing spells you are hurting on combat heals. If the druid does this then you have lost a great CC element.
-Crowd Control (cc) The druid is going to be in a hurt trying to fill in all the roles that the party is lacking.
So why state the strengths and weaknesses? Use your strengths to overwhelm the opposition.
Here is what you could do to help alievate some of the weaknesses.
Druid: the druid needs to split his spells up between Buffs and heals. He will have to take the role of combat healer.
Two sorcerors: One should focus on half summoning to make up for the lack of tank. Summons and ranger pet should be enough. The other half of his spells should go to Blasting.
The other sorceror needs to focus half on battleground control and the other half of blasting spells. Sorcerers need to ensure there blasting spells are different to cover immunities and what not.
The Rogue, Alchemist and Bard should just fill in the generic roles.
The Ranger needs to go switch hitter and just be ready to adapt to what the fight calls for.
Hobgoblin Monk/Alchemist 2/1
Halfling Rogue 3
Tiefling Sorceress (Abyssal) 3
Aasimar Sorcerer (Abysal) 3
Goblin Ranger (Ranged) 3
Tengu Druid (Animal Companion [Monitor Lizard]) 3
Half-Elf Bard 3
Upthread a lot of people are saying you're short on tanks an healing, but I don't think that will be a problem.
First, you have two healers in the group, a druid and a bard. Although a cleric provides more healing than either of those two individually, working together they should be just fine. If they can't keep up with the raw number of HP needed by a seven member party outside of combat, a couple of low level magic items can make up the difference.
Second, while you don't have a single "tank" character per se, you do have a monk, rogue, ranger, and bard who can all get decent AC & HP, which makes 4 rather than the typical 2 front liners in the party. On top of that, you have the druid's animal companion, and 3 characters capable of summoning monsters: druid, sorcerer, sorcerer.
This group is going to be VERY strong offensively. If they work together and focus fire, they should take down most enemies very quickly.
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Ok Personally I would kill one PC off right now! on purpose.. then make that PC a co GM split the party due to some sort of need and operate as two parties that meet up for mega battles and info sharing against baddies at various points in the story arc... That's just me lots o peeps lots o confusion & work for the DM. If you can make it work without pulling out your hair kudos.. after all your going to have more critters in battle too so it can be a while between turns excreta..
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I see two primary roles for the cleric: the healing already mentioned, and dealing with undead. One PFS module I played had been play-tested by a party with no cleric or paladin, so the undead made the module a challenge for that party. We had a paladin who could channel energy, so we shredded that encounter, destroying all the skeletons in one round. The intent was that the BBEG could cast spells against the party, while the party was forced to attack the intervening skeletons one by one. One positive energy burst did the work of many rounds of combat.
We are getting ready to game in a few days, and as the GM I have some issues with party composition - what are the group strengths and weaknesses and how should I adjust or modify for them? The party is
Hobgoblin Monk/Alchemist 2/1
Halfling Rogue 3
Tiefling Sorceress (Abyssal) 3
Aasimar Sorcerer (Abysal) 3
Goblin Ranger (Ranged) 3
Tengu Druid (Animal Companion [Monitor Lizard]) 3
Half-Elf Bard 3
If I was joining this party, I would make a paladin: healing + combat ability is what they lack (although it depends how the bard and druid are built). A standard cleric, or any combat class, would be a boon to them. As it is, if they have some decent Con scores and aren't afraid to take risks, they could muddle through OK.