this is what i would go with
Inquisitor of Pharasma or sarenrae (preferably with the vampire hunter archetype from inner sea magic)
Magus or Alchemist
Cleric
and a witch, wizard or sorcerer (since its a fairly fast AP a sorcerer might be fun here)
you also can't go wrong with urban ranger, Detective type bard or rogue and fighters aren't too bad, Paladins can be difficult for this AP in my opinion.
There's a lot of opportunities for RP in this AP and a strong need for someone to be good at Diplomacy. So a Charisma based class such as Sorcerer, Oracle, or Bard is helpful.
There's a lot of opportunities for RP in this AP and a strong need for someone to be good at Diplomacy. So a Charisma based class such as Sorcerer, Oracle, or Bard is helpful.
Rogues and Witches can be charismatic:)
outside of DEX the second highest stat for rogues is usually CHA (at least in my games it is:)but yes Bards (especially with Archetypes) and Sorcerers do very well here:)
I'm on the verge of kicking off a monthly session game (at looooong last) for the CC campaign AP.
Many players are old OLD hands who haven't played D&D since 2nd ed and I think in this case Pre-genning the characters is best.
I want to have a party of 5 that can be viable to mutually support if 1 player (and character) is absent at one level or another with some redundacy.
Any suggestions?
I recommend choosing races and classes that have a full gamut of thematic connections to the adventure path.
To permit more connections with the areas they travel to, have your characters be from Ustalav. That means most of them should be human. Having one or two being “monsters” passing for human will work well--it’s easy to connect a changeling, dhampir, half-orc or tiefling (from the demonskin wars on the worldwound border) to the AP.
Have your characters represent different factions within Ustalav. Most should be Pharasmans of varying piety and Varisian descent. Having a Desnan from the minority of still-nomadic Varisians, or even from the Sczarni, would pay off. Also consider including a Kellid nature-worshipper of Gozreh. Give one or more of them an interest in joining the Order of the Palantine Eye, perhaps a relative in the order or an interest in Osirian mysticism. Have one or more be pro-aristocracy and one or more be pro-palentate.
A cleric of Pharasma would be ideal. Pick a player who you know will read his homework and give him or her the chapter on Pharasma from the Trial of the Beast. An inquisitor would work too, but giving the party a positive channeling cleric is huge against haunts, and getting to use Raven’s Head to its full potential is cool too.
Have someone play an alchemist. Trial of the Beast and Ashes at Dawn both have major alchemical plotlines. A Crypt Breaker alchemist would do everything you might need a rogue for, has a connection to Osiria, and has an anti-undead focus.
Having an arcanist who must tread lightly in superstitious Ustalav should be fun. A witch would work well. An undead bloodline sorceror would work well. A white necromancer wizard would work well.
This is probably the best adventure path to be a dirge bard.
Good luck.
I am flicking back and forth between a rogue and an urban ranger or a rogue and an inquisitor with a criminal background...
Do I go Witch (elements for blast spells) or Wizard? Wizards have ALL the spells. Witches can heal as well as cast spells from an interesting spread of spell lists... making them good debuffers, healers and in this case an ok blaster... though without the right patron you lose access to some pivotal spells.
Do I include a magus?
Do I include a cleric and Inquisitor or a Cleric and an Oracle?
Sorry, missed your specific questions.
Either a witch or a wizard would work well. For a witch, a Kellid background makes sense--perhaps this could be your Gozreh-worshipper. For your wizard, a white necromancer with an uneasy sanction from the Pharasman church.
I'd take a ranger over a rogue, one with experience in the Fangwood (favored enemy undead, favored terrain forest) and the Shuddering Wood (2nd favored enemy shapeshifters). Swamp works for favored terrain too.
Inquisitor over oracle for this path. Pharasman Inquisitor works well, but a Iomedean inquistor who was assistant to a vampire hunter from Caliphas would also work.
A magus would be a great way to establish a connection to Adivion Adrissant from day one. Have them be friends or frenemies, with a common background in the dueling societies of Lepidstadt.