RotRL non-spoilery party advice please

[Ender730]

We'll be playing RotRL, and I'm not sure how to round up the party. There's a rogue, a barbarian, and a bard. All three of them are new players, and will not be optimized. I've heard RotRL gets pretty tough, so I want a character that'll help the entire party be stronger as a team.

I figure that damage will be on the low end aside from the barbarian, so I thought maybe I'd play a druid to let the animal companion help provide damage, which is even more useful since there's a bard in the party. Problem is that the battlefield control won't be too good since it's a druid instead of a wizard (right...?)

Then I thought maybe I'd go Sorcerer with Fey bloodline for animal companion, so that way at least I have access to arcane battlefield control spells, and I still get the animal companion to help out.

Last options would be a wizard summoning specialist (I'd make him diviner, and mainly take crafting feats after Augment Summoning) or a Summoner.

I've been given a basic idea of what to expect, but not sure if any of these are a good choice. My thought is that we're lacking battlefield control and damage. I enjoy playing all sorts of characters, just wanna make one that fits well with the group. Any thoughts?

[Damocles Guile]

I would highly reccomend a Master Summoner - the creatures summoned would help absorb damage you might have a tough time healing otherwise, will offer a nice damage boost and provide versatile answers to a wide variety of threats. Moreover the summoned creatures would benefit from your Bard's buffs and provide your Rogue with many flanking opportunities. Finally Summoners have access to some very useful spells including the Pit line and the Teleportation spells.

If you have any questions or need any help putting one together just let me know.

[Dread]

as far as rolls go- you have a skill monkey, a damager dealer and another skill monkey who can do minor healing and non crowd control arcana.

you need a character who has healing and some crowd control.

I say go Druid

if not, then go Sorcerer and put ranks in use magic device (with charisma being the prime requisite it'll synergize) so you can use the clerical items in the game

(or Witch)

[Ender730]

Both the summoner and druid arguments are very compelling >_< I keep reading about how on higher levels healing in combat isn't so useful, so I'm wondering if a bard with wands are good enough. On the other hand, when you really do need an in-combat heal, would a bard suffice?

Summoner also sounds really really good, but a shaman druid does get standard-action summons, so I'm wondering if that plus the healing ability might be better. Or...... maybe negate healing needs by summoning tons of creatures via the summoner. Argh......

[lantzkev]

Add something brutish! Go recruit Am Barbarian

[Damocles Guile]

Ender730 wrote:

Summoner also sounds really really good, but a shaman druid does get standard-action summons, so I'm wondering if that plus the healing ability might be better. Or...... maybe negate healing needs by summoning tons of creatures via the summoner. Argh......

Standard action summons - but the Summoner's last for minutes rather than rounds. Something to keep in mind.

For what its worth, my Summoner would generally keep one instance of Summoning out at a time, replacing the creature as necessary and casting spells or doing other things in the meantime... BUT there were times, when needed that he was able to do almost unthinkable things by using his Summonses at once (such as laying siege to an entire keep by summoning a horde of 36 augmented earth elementals all of whom could walk through stone walls and earthen floors).

If you really get that torn between otpions, default to what you think will be the most fun for you rather than what might ideally fit your party because, truth be told, you NEVER know what's going to happen. Spend the game being glad of what you chose rather than second-guessing whether or not you made the 'perfect' call.

[darkwarriorkarg]

Witch:
Debuff, sleep, heal, sleep, buff and... sleep.

[B0sh1]

If you have 4 people, the core classes or builds that can perform the core 4 functions (fighter, arcane, divine, rogue) work well. I am not saying other types of parties can't work but RoTRL is somewhat of a old-school type of AP.

[nidho]

Damocles Guile wrote:

If you really get that torn between options, default to what you think will be the most fun for you rather than what might ideally fit your party because, truth be told, you NEVER know what's going to happen. Spend the game being glad of what you chose rather than second-guessing whether or not you made the 'perfect' call.

This.

Almost any character can fit any party. Experience will teach you the strengths and weaknesses of each combination. Just play to them and you'll do fine.

The rogue and the bard both have access to UMD if you need spellcasting which for now appears to be the main weakness of this party. Scouting seems to be a strength, do it.

The advice given above is good though; druid, summoner or witch are strong options for any party. You cannot go wrong with a cleric either. And they come in so many flavors that any concept is possible with them.

One word of advice with this AP though. Think always, ALWAYS, of an escape plan and do not be afraid of retreating.

encounter design mild spoiler:

In occasions, specially at low levels, it can give a false sense of security with many sessions of weak encounters before an unexpected really tough fight, or two...