Roy Greenhilt's Lament: Serious issue underlying a comical play session

[Shadowdweller]

While the OP is quite amusing, I think the problem is mostly illusory. There are any number of ways to cope with the issue of not having a party tank. Not least of which are a fair number of battlefield control spells that a tank might otherwise object to one's casting.

[DM Azure_Zero]

The DM could force the issue and change in perspective with Randomised characters this way everyone have a chance to play something close to what they want.
It forces players to look at things in new ways and some end up enjoying there character and there new respect for certain classes or races.
Heck two applicants rolled the same class and archetype and made two different characters in function and ability

And I think I AdamWarnock is refering to his hilarious Half-Orc Barbarian/Fighter, Gkirkhan. And Gkirkhan is great and fun for the group

[EldonG]

chaoseffect wrote:

Followed immediately by, "Do you think they left his stuff there after they killed him?"

...often followed by, "not the GOOD stuff." ;)

[Shadowdweller]

I suppose one possible solution it might be worthwhile to plan for is to make mercenaries available for hire if the party decides they NEED a tank. Nobody still has to play one so problem solved. Having a stat-block prepared and readily available would likely speed things up.

[Assuming_Control]

Just see how it plays out. I don't understand why everyone feels the need to micromanage party composition.

[AdamWarnock]

DM Azure_Zero wrote:

The DM could force the issue and change in perspective with Randomised characters this way everyone have a chance to play something close to what they want.

It forces players to look at things in new ways and some end up enjoying there character and there new respect for certain classes or races.
Heck two applicants rolled the same class and archetype and made two different characters in function and ability

And I think I AdamWarnock is refering to his hilarious Half-Orc Barbarian/Fighter, Gkirkhan. And Gkirkhan is great and fun for the group

Yup. Int 7 Wis 7,dumb as a brick, but damn if he isn't fun to play.

And I think I was one of the two that had the same class and archetype.

[DM Azure_Zero]

AdamWarnock wrote:

DM Azure_Zero wrote:

The DM could force the issue and change in perspective with Randomised characters this way everyone have a chance to play something close to what they want.

It forces players to look at things in new ways and some end up enjoying there character and there new respect for certain classes or races.
Heck two applicants rolled the same class and archetype and made two different characters in function and ability

And I think I AdamWarnock is refering to his hilarious Half-Orc Barbarian/Fighter, Gkirkhan. And Gkirkhan is great and fun for the group

Yup. Int 7 Wis 7,dumb as a brick, but damn if he isn't fun to play.

And I think I was one of the two that had the same class and archetype.

Yep, you and Robertness both rolled a Cleric(Merciful healer)

[Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan]

thejeff wrote:

Reshar wrote:

Spook205 wrote:

Fighters also have other advantages.

(...)

and the all time favorites...

5.) "RUN! I'll hold them off!"

Most famous death sentence/obituary EVER.

OTOH, not strictly a fighter thing: "Fly you fool"s

Errr, this is where I often point out that the empirical evidence from Tolkein doesn't demonstrate that Gandalf had to be a Wizard as we know them. One could make a convincing Gandalf with a Paladin or Bard I'd wager, or maybe a Magus or Fighter-Sorc

[EWHM]

Parties in a simulationist game can frequently get away with the nearly-all ranged approach up to 8th level or so. The key is you get to choose your targets most of the time and where you're going to fight. You're not typically locked into an adventure path or anything, you're setting your objectives and deciding what to do based on what information you can gather and what your values are.
To make it work, you need at least one scout with really high stealth and really high perception (to see your target before your target sees you). Your scout finds the enemy and then attempts to draw the enemy into the prepared kill zone of your artillery section. Pulling them 'salami-style' is ideal if you can do it to prevent a massed charge. Do this and you can actually get good use out of the long ranged increments of bows and crossbows and you might even discover that in the right circumstances that far shot doesn't suck. You also need to ensure that everyone in your party is fast and can mount up quickly, because if your initial barrage doesn't work, you're going to have to beat feet, or do a 'strategic retreat'.
Foes you fight after that level tend to have combined arms and/or be underground and in dungeons (anything without substantial ranged capability, very fast movement, fly or teleport is dead meat against a flying party unless they can cover for their lacking areas through terrain/dungeon/etc---when I run games in simulationist style, any foes over CR8 or so get radically reduced treasure if they don't either have combined arms or operate in areas where that disadvantage is largely muted).

[Journ-O-LST-3]

Spook205 wrote:

roguerouge wrote:

To quote a wise man about taking risks, "Lady, you're my kind of stupid." I think that's the best way to understand fighters: they ARE the brave ones, the ones who go where angels fear to tread. They do it without divine support, advanced technology, or unknowable arcane power.

Fighters aren't ordinary. They're extraordinary.

Fighters also have other advantages.

1.) "These people are opposed to wizards, we have to hide and..."
"I'll just use my sword."

2.) People tend to take people wearing huge suits of armor with big weapons seriously by default. Wizards always need to do something flashy, or have a good reputation.

3.) "Oh my God, we're in an antimagic zone we can't...'
"So my +17 attack bonus is only a +15 now without my weapon enhancements? I can deal."

4.) "We have to be careful. The overlord's guards don't know magic so we have to be careful and disguise ourselves..and their armor will probably interfere with some spellcasting.. Well, except for Throddik, he just has to use a different weapon."
"I've always wanted to try out a halberd."

and the all time favorites...

5.) "RUN! I'll hold them off!"

Other classes can do those advantages better, with more skills and often spells as well.

[strayshift]

chaoseffect wrote:

Followed immediately by, "Do you think they left his stuff there after they killed him?"

And "He owed me money..."