Master summoner - Arcane casting and general overpoweredness(although I wouldn't play this is the group has more than 3 poeple)
Barbarian - absurdly powerful at low levels
Wizard - Arcane casting, utility, blasting, more summoning etc.
Cleric/Oracle - Divine casting, CLW wand.
Alchemist - Any possible role that you want.
Bard - Because they are awesome.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Witch is a passable substitute for wizard, I played one and they do just fine. Just note that the witch is pretty much forced to focus on debuffing where the wizards gets to pick what he wants to be good at (and not so good at). That said the witch is the best de-buffer.
I LOVE the arcane duelist, bards are the best buffers in the game past level 7 (3 buffs in one round) and still pretty good before that. They can be the party face, be the scout or the sneaker, use the CLW wand, have an awesome spell list and are some of the best skill monkeys. Man I just like bards.
Witch has a lot of staying power throughout a typical day, particularly at low levels. Certain Hexes are very powerful. Your spell selection is significantly limited when compared to a Wizard, however. Oracle is just a Sorceror-style caster for the Cleric list, which can be kind of a downer given the versatility of the Cleric list.
The Samurai is extremely powerful and does well as either a ranged or melee character. Both orders are good.
Inquisitor has a lot of versatility and a unique spell list for divine offense. Honestly, this has become one of my favorite classes in the game for its possible play styles. I tend to think of them as being just as versatile as Bards.
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Re: Bards: I haven't actually seen a bard since I switched to pathfinder, I just remember they were next to useless in 3.5, how have they changed for the better?
Bards are bad mother....
"Shut your mouth!"but ladies I'm talking about Bards....
"We can dig!"
Want to know more about Bards? Try here.
Druids get Wildshape, powerful animal companion and a nice spell selection. Defo recommend.
Fighters, particularly certain archetypes pack one he'll of a punch.
And a well built Monk is always a powerful pc.
|
I'd say barbarian just for sheer survivability. D12 hit dice, uncanny dodge, emphasis on a high CON and rage boosts it higher, respectable saves, etc.
Or paladin. Even better saves, D10 hit die, and heals without sacrificing offensive power. Go half-orc for Orc Ferocity and you can take otherwise-lethal hits and heal yourself in your last conscious moment.
Party of all clerics with different domains. Best party possible.
|
I'm gonna have to throw in on the side of the Wizard. Clever use of spells has finessed me out of more dangerous encounters than anything else. Pick an open-ended school like Illusion to specialize in. By 5th level, your ability to flat out deny reality on a regular basis will be stunning.
I haven't seen one in play yet, but Inquisitor looks good on paper. Judgments, Bane weapon at level 5+, 3/4 BAB, 6 skill points, spells, and if you use archetypes, you can craft an Inquisitor to be whatever you want them to be. It just seems like they're only a few good feat choices away from being a primary combatant in addition to a skillmonkey and backup caster.
Magus is capable of some very mean quantities of damage, and the Spell Blending arcana makes it possible to be the utility caster and a primary combatant. Gaining Spell Recall at 4th level is where the awesome truly sets in. Your HP will be low so you'll want a melee buddy who can soak damage, but you can be a primary damage dealer as well as a backup caster.
In combat-heavier games, it's looking like the Ninja or a Fighter/Rogue multiclass will do the Rogue's job better. Either that or a Bard with the Archaeologist archetype - you get Rogue talents, trapfinding, and you're still a 2/3 caster and first rate skillmonkey.
|
Yeah she's gonna be a witch, be our party's potion dispenser and she assures me that you can do some stupid stuff with hexes, and can blast decently if she has to.
Three more spots. Lets talk about me; how are inquisitors? Fighters? Druids?
1) Fighters are the highest damage-dealing melee class and I always recommend them.
2) If your DM likes traps, get a Ranger who's archetype gives Trapfinding. Otherwise, add a Paladin (and make sure it's got the Unsanctioned Knowledge feat!)
3) Wizard. If you've got a Witch for blasting and debuffs, use the Wizard for battlefield control and summons.
This group, IMO, doubles up in a lot of places and doesn't leave any holes. You got combat covered, you got healing covered, you got arcane ass-whooping covered. I think there might be some light buffing in there, too, somewhere. :)
4 Clerics. Win button? Pressed.
| 4 people marked this as a favorite. |
BARBARIAN: The choice is clear! We have the strength and the rage and martial power that smash all before us. We shake off injury, disease, and poison as though it were nothing. In the wilderness, only the ranger is close to our equal. We are the finest, the fittest, and the most ruggedly handsome.
BARD: Ahem. I beg to differ, noble savage. Clearly, it is wit and charm that rules the day (and the night, may I add). Although not as martial inclined as my muscle-bound friend here, I and my fellow bards are no mere pushover actors. We combine spell and steel into an unbreachable whole, while inspiring our comrades to reach dizzying heights unattainable before our voices and dances gave proof to their existence. And really, can any other class wear our feathered hats with such distinction. I think not.
CLERIC: By the Goddess I serve, you are both wrong in your assertion. To be a cleric is to be an avatar of one's deity. I am no less skilled in combat than the fly-by-night bard, and wear armor as thick as that of my barbaric companion. And yet, with mace in hand and holy symbol proudly displayed around my neck, I channel forth the very essence of the divine. I bring water to the desert, create food from nothing for your hungry stomachs, I nourish your spirit, and then to your wounds. And in the last, I care for your dead. That is why that clerics are the most powerful of all.
DRUID: Perhaps the metal that you wear has caused your brain to be poisoned brother, for there is another option: a natural option. To be a druid means to be one with nature, in all of its . . . well, it's elements. We are eternal as the rock, as free as the air, as deep as the ocean, and if pressed, as deadly as the conflagration. We need no outsiders to channel their power through us, for we commune with the trees and the beasts of the field, the sky, the water. The join with us and fight alongside us, in gratitude for what we sacrifice on the behalf of their kin. Truely, the druid is the most powerful.
FIGHTER: Hah! I shatter shields and sunder swords, none, not even the barbarian can stand against me in single combat. Others may wear armor and bear arms, but it is I who excel at using such things well. Oh, the others well have their uses, but when it comes to fighting against those who stand in your way, it is a fighter that you want. A fighter who knows all of the marital secrets that are shared with no one else.
MONK: And yet, you depend upon steel and iron and wooden shield for your strength, my brother. Whereas I depend only upon myself. You do weild weapons well, but I AM a weapon. I quite agree, that one-on-one, he is superior in the realm of arms, but one must consider all facets of a man before realizing the quality of his character. There are few enough who hear what I hear, who see the things that I perceive--only the most agile rogue can match my in silence, and not even the most hard-pressed barbarian can match my stride. I shed spells like water from a rain, and resist magics that would incapacitate my iron-bound kin. And through all of this, let me say, I did it my way.
To be continued . . . .
It's really not the classes it's the party. Making a party that covers each others weaknesses is what makes a strong party. Also avoid most rogues and mounted characters. (unless because of specific builds or open fields)
| 5 people marked this as a favorite. |
PALADIN: Nay, none of these braggarts know the TRUTH. And the TRUTH is that I and those who, like me, have been chosen by the powers of LAW and GOOD are the most powerful. We wield compassion for those who have been injured through the force of our mercy. We perceive EVIL—it tastes like spoiled munster. And we have at our fingertips the tools needed to eliminate that EVIL should it persist in the delusions of victory. We shield the innocent behind us, and we bring ORDER to CHAOS. And it is through the deeds of my brethren and I, we few shining knights of GLORY, that your homes lie safe in the night.
RANGER: Right. Moving on, the holy-roller, the barb, and the others are dead wrong, my friend. Power is survival. And I am a survivor. I live off the land, but don’t worship it like a druid. My companion serves me, because he sees me as the pack alpha. Which I am. I wield bow, and greatsword, and knife—all equally well. Sure, I don’t have the fighter’s kitbag of tricks in my pocket or the clerics spells or the bard’s charm, but I have something that they don’t. I have skill and in my chosen locations I am the hunter. And everyone is my prey.
ROGUE: Nope. All this talk of power, and yet without me, none of them can do jack. Look, fella, we all know that power is about the things you get in this life—and that’s means I accumulate power a heck of a lot faster than these blowhards. I move without being seen or heard, unless I want to be. I know more skills than anyone else, and what do they do when in the deep dark places of the world they run into a simple lock? They break it! Letting all the bad guys know they are there. How sad. And traps? Sure, the cleric has a spell to detect ‘em, but only I can reliably get rid of them. Sneak attack? Look, that was pure PR. Let’s call it like it is, I back-stab people. Heck, it’s a lot safer than going toe-to-toe with them! Believe me, nube, there is power in the shadows, and ain’t no more shady then me.
SORCERER: Magic runs through my blood, unlike these mundane creatures I travel with. Let me explain to you why it is the Sorcerer who is the pinnacle of power. My magic cannot be removed from me by destroying a book, or a symbol. Or a sprig of mistletoe. My blood is inflamed with power that manifests itself through me, and I work my magic with no need of useless trinkets and components. I need not prepare specific spells in advance, no I can use what I know as often as I see fit. And that, my friend, is true power.
WIZARD: As usual, my sorcerous friend is sadly mistaken. Knowledge is power, fledgling. Knowledge is life. And it is I that possesses knowledge. I spend my life accumulating power page by page. And if I cannot freely expend my power as often as the Sorcerer, that matters but little. For, with the right knowledge and the proper wisdom, I can often end a fight before it ever truly begins. My supremacy over matters arcane is unrivaled. My expertise is unique. And my services do not come cheap. That is why a Wizard, child, is the most powerful.
Also if you want to you could make a party of summoners.
|
what is the most powerful character class in the game? well i suppose there are many opinions.
i would recommend a cleric. +3/4 base attack bonus, Good Fort, Poor Refles, Good Will saves, d8 hit points, Simple weapons, Medium armor use,
2 Domains ( domain power and access to spells beyond cleric spell list)
Chanel energy (positive or negative)
Oh and i almost forgot......a cleric is a Full caster.
They are a good all around character that can fight in a pinch, heal, has magic use....is flexible and self sufficient.
|
|
I'm gonna go off the board and say Cavalier. A small Cavalier on a Medium mount never has to be without his steed, and don't forget-- you can use your mount as cover if you really need it. if your mount is combat trained, you also get a pair of hooves or claws as part of your full attack once you've successfully charged an enemy, to say nothing of the extra speed offering battlefield mobility on par with that of a monk (until 10th level or so) and free teamwork feats for the entire table. And that's not even getting started on the Orders you can choose from. Plus you've still got d10 hit dice, martial weapons, heavy armor and shields, and full BAB progression, meaning you can do a decent Fighter impression.
For at 4 man party I would go with this.
Druid shapeshifter, the main damage dealer/tank + companion as second damage dealer/tank.
Wizard, conjurer, battlefield control + summoning allies and a decent damage dealing.
Cleric, supporter + buffer + back up damage dealer and heal if needed. (never focus on a primary healer.. It is a total waste.. Heal is a backup plan)
Rogue, the secondary damage dealer, the scout and the trap disable.
If you are 5 man. I would add this guy.
Wizard, divination. Go to lvl 3. Then take 3 lvls in druid, pick a weather domain. At lvl 7 you go mystic theurge and the spells will be primary damage dealing and debuffing.
+ the spells can be "transmuted" into summon natures ally and therefore nearly endless allies with the conjurer and shapeshifters pet.
This party of 5 man is the strongest I have every played. And We dominated the fights.
1) Fighters are the highest damage-dealing melee class and I always recommend them.
Wrong. A druid with high strength in shapeshift is the highest damage-dealing class. Nothing can out damage it.
Nope. It's still 4 clerics. Maybe a druid thrown in there too. That party can heal, avoid, counter anything.
Three more spots. Lets talk about me; how are inquisitors? Fighters? Druids?
Inquisitor - An excellent filler, in a lot of ways like a solo focused divine bard. They can be combat monsters once the buffs start going and bane is awesome. They can be a good party detective, sneak, and striker. I am starting to ramble: Skill monkey and divine striker that is all you need to know
Fighter - The best consistent damage dealing class in the game. Spells per day, rage rounds per day, performance rounds per day, forget them this guy has one expendable resource, hit points. He stops because the wizard has to go read some more and the cleric has to ask god nicely for more power. The fighters bonuses are static, he is the true master of combat, unfortunately he isn't good at much else. If you have a fighter your other party members are going to have to be pretty versatile.
Druid - Casting based, eh not so good in my opinion, make it a wildshape based build and this class is a combat monster (or perhaps its more appropriate to say beast). Seriously the utility of that class feature is amazing, and the duration is awesome. Forget about rangers, druids are amazing. That being said they require someone who really knows what they are doing as it can be really powerful or really lackluster.
Any of the prepared spell casters are almost unstopable IF you have in-game time and in-game info to use in preparing your spells, potions, scrolls, etc...
If you don't get that in-game time or info, then a spontaneous caster seems to do better.
If the rest of the party can't do a good jop protecting the caster (or the GM/monster tactics often target casters) then a wiz or witch is in trouble.
Alot of it depends on the GM.
Alot of it depends on the group.
Even more of it depends on you.
Unbreakable Fighter: can get up to DR 15 when wearing adamantine armor and gets Endurance and Die Hard as 1st level bonus feats
Magus: using scorching ray with 3 rays and a 15d6 cone of cold to deal up to 27d6 damage in one round
Cleric: because its awesome
Wizard: (see cleric for reason)
Bard: bet skill monkey in the game, plus great buffs
wait never mind wrong fighter archetype not Unbreakable that gets uber DR but instead its the Armor Master Archetype.
Halfling TWF samurai or sohei archer riding a badger.
that's pretty pretty bad@ss
Team summoner for the win obviously, despite everyone pretending the class isn't OP like hell. Summoner is basically the druid of old, a caster with a Fighter++ pet as a class feature. Excellent spell list too despite the bard casting progression.
The divine spell lists for the cleric just isn't what it used to be in 3.5 with splat ... they have a darth of good spells at low level.
Archers are generally stronger than melee in mid level (haste+iteratives). With exception of spirited charge lancers melee takes till 10/11 (barbarian pounce/ fighter mobile) to be able to keep up with them ... other melee will always remain outclassed by the archers.
Don't pick anything but the big cat for animal companion.
I don't get where the summoner has an "Excellent spell list". When I played one, I ended up doing nothing with casting spells other than giving extra evolutions to my pet.
If I was to ever do a druid, I'd have a freeking T-Rex as my pet. That I'd eventually cast awaken/anthropomorphic animal on and permatizie it. Nothing says badass like a full plate mail wearing T-Rex who incidentally still keeps his bite attack.
I don't get where the summoner has an "Excellent spell list".
Haste as a level 2 spell, everything else is icing, but lets look at it anyway:
Enlarge person, Grease, Protection from evil.
Glitterdust, invisibility, phantom steed, resist energy, wind wall
black tentacles, fly, greater invisibility, heroism, wall of fire/ice
magic jar, baleful polymorph, teleport, wall of stone
greater heroism, plane shift, greater dispel magic
create demiplane, maze, incendiary cloud.
Not to mention all of the summon monster SLA's he gets for free and the eidolon surge spells that are good in a pinch and the pit spells.
Yeah summoners got it real rough.
Never said that they "have it rough" But I will say they still are quite limited in spell selection cause they are still spont casters.. Half of those spells are right up on the list of Do Not Take for sorcerers.
I don't know about that, alchemists if they spec right are very hard to kill and if they have a minute to buff they can hit alarmingly hard. Last thing I'd try to melee is an alchemist that has had time to buff.
Edit:Actually clone masters are nigh impossible to kill depending on how determined they are to keep kicking.
Summoners have enough A-List battlefield control and buff spells to do a reasonable impression of a sorcerer with those foci. Obviously they're not all the way up there - you have way fewer spells per day - but sorcerers also don't come with a Fighter+ buddy and Bard-level martial combat ability. If anything, their spell list is a little wan for its level at the top end, but you can always fill those holes with, like, quickened versions of your lower-level stuff. And honestly, if you're "stuck" being "only" able to cast Maze or whatever (which you get at the same time as a sorcerer, incidentally), that's not something to get too torn up about.
My DM is a great guy, really good story teller, creates compelling PCs, hooks and twists that my group legit does not see coming most of the time. He also has no problem pulling a TPK, and has warned us our upcoming campaign will be "quite difficult."
So I ask, what classes are the most powerful? Which classes straight up lag behind their alternatives? How do the witch and oracle compare to wizards/sorcerers and clerics respectively?
We're allowed to use any race, class, alternative class or archetype from the core book, AVP, UM, UC, and the Dragon Empires Gazetteer.
If you want to just curbstomp stuff, I must agree with those who suggest all clerics. 4 clerics is an incredible party from a GMing perspective, and if you guys are Neutral or Evil clerics, you can each sport 4 * CL undead (20 HD / cleric at 5th level) via animate dead, get some great backup via summon monster, and the animal domain gets you animal companions like a ranger. Meanwhile, your entire party is buffers, meleers, ranged combatants, healers, summoners, and by dividing out your skill points into different things, you can cover a wide variety as a team. 3 Clerics + Druid works pretty good too.
|
|
Close Combat - 4x neutral clerics, 2 that channel positive, 2 that channel negative (selective channelling & versatile channelling). That way you don't damage your teammates when you negative burst and if you need healing you don't heal the bad guys.
Slightly Ranged - 3x bomb loving alchemists, 1x cleric. Things go boom. Have one of them spec towards melee (ie feral mutagen) - note the alchemists can pass their mutagens around to keep one guy buffed most of the time. And then only an hour for them all to make new ones.
Ranged - 3x Zen Archers, 1x Archer Cleric - need lots of arrows though.
My DM is a great guy, really good story teller, creates compelling PCs, hooks and twists that my group legit does not see coming most of the time. He also has no problem pulling a TPK, and has warned us our upcoming campaign will be "quite difficult."
So I ask, what classes are the most powerful? Which classes straight up lag behind their alternatives? How do the witch and oracle compare to wizards/sorcerers and clerics respectively?
We're allowed to use any race, class, alternative class or archetype from the core book, AVP, UM, UC, and the Dragon Empires Gazetteer.
I did a quick look, but didn't see....what level will this campaign be? The starting level can greatly determine classes sometimes....
I'm going to throw another vote for Alchemist. They can heal, blast, and have some of the niftiest stuff in the game. If you build a melee alchemist, pick up the simulacrum line for extra bodies.
Synthesist summoner, damn near broke my campaign last night. Don't care what anybody thinks. Our entire group decided it was broken when it started to solo encounters. It did die but only because he was level seven and picked a fight with a cr 13 monster in close quarters. I will have nightmares for many more nights because of this character. It equals auto win.