Need help making a "weird" group

[BobTheCoward]

Hello,

I have an opportunity to introduce some players to roleplaying. I have an idea for an experiment.

In the short time I have been here, it has became obvious there is a perception of some classes being "better" than others. More importantly, there are a lot of classes that seem to invoke general feelings of not being "right." I wonder how much of these feelings stem from experience and expectations of traditional pathfinder? Very few of these "wrong" classes and archetypes come from the core rulebook. Is there something truly off with these classes or is an experience bias?

My current plan is to make some pre-generated characters out of these classes and archetypes with negative reputations to hand out to players, and see how the dynamic changes.

Here was my first take on the list based on very early experiences on this forum

Samurai-negative connotations from the perception of asian culture in a western game

gunslinger-a combination of dislike coming from guns feeling out of place, and a dislike of the firearm rules.

Alchemist-a few ban it from their tables because of style

Synthesist summoner-dislike over power level, plus some feel the image of a summoner floating in a semi-transparant monster is over the top.

If I had a fifth, I would toss on a rogue for the general feeling that it is underpowered.

When it comes to getting an eclectic band of heroes not seen in a favorable light, I think this nails it. Heck, I think if this group showed up to a few GMs on this forum, that GM would ban all 5. But it has problems. I don't think it hits all the roles a group needs. The goal would be a group that could run through rise of the runelords successfully.

So, I ask you, can you make a group of four or five that is weirder, or more disliked, and/or more capable meeting the roles and challenges of an adventure path?

All classes welcome. Prestige classes are welcome. I would like to avoid multiclassing. Weird archetypes for base classes are welcome. Also, weird gods, domains, etc are welcome. For example, if you can't make an effective group without a cleric, but you pick a cleric with two domains that makes a GM say, "Really?" then you are in the right direction.

[SPCDRI]

Monk: Utter headache rules hodge podge cluster!@#$ in the system after 14 years. Works super hard to be almost as good as a typical Full BAB.
Whenever it gets good things, it gets the developer smackdown, pardon me,
"errata is issued." Needs high levels of dumpster diving, equipment specialization and a strong grasp of the rules to achieve competency or anything a bit beyond it.

Paladin: The High King of Game Crushing. Get ready to debate Objective Morality and RAI/RAW and falling/atonement with the wrong groups.
This is mechanically the best fix in Pathfinder, a crowning achievement, but it can still be hell to play. Recently this place had a discussion about stripping a mid level paladin of powers for the blasphemous evil acts of winning 10 gold pieces in a poker game and not buying an informant a drink at a bar.

Funky 3.5 Throwback Classes:
The game is backwards compatible. The designers say as much.
But walk to the table with Psionics, Incarnum, Tome of Battle or something like that and lots of Pathfinder players lose their cool. It has nothing to do with power level or flavor. Hell, lots of these classes are viable 3/4 casters and the like. Binder, Beguiler, Dread Necromancer, Factotum, Dragonfire Adept, Swordsage/Unarmed Swordsage, Warblades and Crusaders and the like.

[Faelyn]

I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head. Most groups can survive without a "heal-bot" (cleric), but if you'd like to maintain the strange factor with a divine based PC.... I would suggest the oracle. Take the Clouded Eyes curse (because it's considered "unoptimized" (personally I think it's awesome RP opportunity)) and take one of the more odd mysteries.

[Vamptastic]

Bob, can I play? I want to play that game.

[Atarlost]

Using thematically unpopular classes could work. The four examples are good.

Using mechanically unpopular classes is asking for trouble. The rogue isn't weird, it's just bad. Same for the monk and to a lesser degree the fighter. It's not just perception: they have real mathematical problems.

The samurai, gunslinger, alchemist, and synthesist are functional and if anything too functional. The rogue and monk aren't really functional. New players especially will suffer with them

[Mordo the Spaz - Forum Troll]

Party familiars and animal companions. Biped allies NPCs.