So we're heading down into an unknown and terribly frightening megadungeon. We joked that we should have an all wizard party, as everyone knows wizards are OP, we somehow morphed into a serious all caster party. The basic idea is to fill all the traditional roles with casters, the stronger the better.
What kicked off the concept was the Seeker sorcerer. It's not quite a wizard, but it's really pretty close. With Disable Device as a class skill, it can handle the trapfinding (disarming) aspect of the rogue. And the rogue doesn't really offer anything else good. As a cha caster, he also handles the diplomacy and social aspects. If this dungeon even has any. Sure, he doesn't have sneak attack, but he does have full spontaneous casting. This is me, by the way.
The second character will be a cleric. Oracles are cooler, but with no real city to speak of, no allies, no spellcasting service for hire, we figured it's much more important to have full access to the divine list than to have a divine bloodline and neat flavor. He's leaning towards Evangelist cleric, so we also steal all the best parts of bardic performance. Not that it'll be great for the casters and their no weapon damage, but it'll help out with saves and summons. Medium armor and 20' movement is overrated anyway. He may be an archer type cleric, or just a standard support type.
So filling the fighter role is a couple interesting concepts: there's a classic conjurer (benefit of the full wizard casting), synthesist summoner (closest to an actual fighter while still having a good list), or master summoner (summon nova, would help us survive long enough to get our leet casting levels). Or just vanilla magus with some good archetype. None of us really knows maguses. Maybe Hexcrafter or something.
As for the last wizard who fills the wizard role? He's thinking a standard controller sort (but who runs around CdGing everything in an all caster party?), or possibly diviner, just for the init benefits.
So. I'm looking for suggestions on the broad strokes: classes, specialties, schools, archetypes. The group is experienced enough to pick their own feats, etc, but I feel like we're missing at least one obvious big change. And beyond that, just how would you optimize first level characters for a mega dungeon?
Thanks in advance.
Seeker Sorc gets trapfinder in all but name, and DD as a class skill. Most of us will have good perceptions one way or another. If traps are extremely prevalent, we'll pool for some lenses and otherwise pump the bejesus out of perception.
No idea if it's RADoG, the DM is playing this one close to her vest. Wouldn't surprise me, as megadungeon + brutality = Bill Webb 9 times out of 10.
+1 Druid. I'd go dervish of dawn/ sound striker bard as your back up fighter.
Druid could work, but would you replace a cleric, or pseudo-fighter with one? Doubling up on divine magic wouldn't hurt, but I don't feel like he'd do tremendously well performing the "distract the enemies with melee attaks" role.
Same thought with the dervish bard. I'm sure he's great at meleeing and also being most of a full caster, but is he going to be able to survive as the sole melee presence?
I think perhaps I misled you in my OP; it's a party of 4. We're looking to refine the concept. We can't actually add more, unless someone wants to pick up a cohort down the line or something.