What would you say is the most fun class to play?
Overall?
At low levels?
At mid levels?
At high levels?
Oh, here's the kicker, why?
I ask this, 'cause I have been playing a wizard lately, and while manipulating the universe and whatnot is great stuff, the homework related to it is not. Because I don't want to hold the party up when my turn comes, when it's not my turn I'm pouring through half a dozen different books looking up how the next spell I am going to cast is going to affect, the stats of monsters I might summon, keeping a running track of those spells that are still going, etc. That aspect of it has not been fun at all.
Nobody likes to suck, so power is an issue, obviously, but I think there's more I haven't been considering lately.
Not tier-comparison, not broken vs fixed, none of that. What is fun to play?
There is no right answer to this.
I could give you what's fun for me to play, but it reflects my play style. What's fun for you may vary.
For me? It depends a lot. Currently, I've been looking more at gunslingers. Not because of firearms or effectiveness, but because I like the general theme and typically don't have problems with GMs challenging them.
I'm in a similiar situation lately, been looking at blood raver, swashbuckler and daring champion cavalier. Seeing strong ways to build each in my current campaign, and getting a fun vibe off of each.
Bloodrager for the visceral thrill of hacking, tearing and biting everything on the map. Self buffing, raging, slaughter.
Swashbuckler looks like a more flavorful fighter with more choices than 'do I power attack or not this round'? Some new type of defenses and attack special effects.
Daring cha,pion is much the same, with some more team synergy and party buffing.
Meh, this is an opinion-gatherer by purpose. I'm well aware opinions may vary.
Other people, for example, may love the complicated mess that is a high-level wizard, because for them power is everything, or because they're deeply bureaucratic in their heart of hearts and love complicated stuff, or whatnot.
Ninja, it is an incredibly difficult class to play optimally (especially with a GM who believes they are OP, maybe because I am a pretty tough GM when he is MY player).
But, vanish and sneak attack (or a shuriken storm), nearly every skill ranked up, and some flavorful KI abilities at later levels make this a fun RP and combat tactics class. Being a glass cannon at melee range means there are plenty of heart stopping clutch moments where you kill or die. It is the thinking mans barbarian.
Alchemist (vanilla) is another fun class to just play, once all of the starting paper work is decided. Extracts are simple to use, bombs are hilarious and exciting to toss around and the mutagen is a simple duration to keep track of. I think of them as Wizard light. The simple mans Wizard so to speak (AM ALCHEMIST SMASH!)
Alchemist
What would you say is the most fun class to play?
Overall?
At low levels?
At mid levels?
At high levels?Oh, here's the kicker, why?
I ask this, 'cause I have been playing a wizard lately, and while manipulating the universe and whatnot is great stuff, the homework related to it is not. Because I don't want to hold the party up when my turn comes, when it's not my turn I'm pouring through half a dozen different books looking up how the next spell I am going to cast is going to affect, the stats of monsters I might summon, keeping a running track of those spells that are still going, etc. That aspect of it has not been fun at all.
Nobody likes to suck, so power is an issue, obviously, but I think there's more I haven't been considering lately.
Not tier-comparison, not broken vs fixed, none of that. What is fun to play?
That is all a matter of perspective. I personally choose sorcs over wizards so I don't have to do all of the bookkeeping. I do enough of that as a GM, but it has never really slowed me down with a prepared caster. My witch and cleric always knew what spells was likely to go up next.
If you want the power without the book keeping I suggest trying a sorcerer. If you think that would slow you down then find another concept you would like and ask the GM can you trade the character out.
As for the classes I like the most it is classes like the ranger/bard/inquisitor/slayer/etc who have versatility, and can do whatever I mainly designed them for. Right now in a campaign I find that I can hit things pretty well and still have my skills. I also don't have to track spells, and since studied target is basically "at will" then I don't have to track it like I would rage rounds, smites, and so on.
For me, I like being the party face, having a versatile assortment of (likely very complicated) abilities, and being effective in a fight (though the specific role is irrelevant), but I dislike the Strength and Wisdom stats, religious characters, limited daily resources, and preparing spells (if I could function without any spells at all, that would work best for me, but that's not super doable in Pathfinder). I also favor defense over offense in general.
In 3.5, my favorite classes were Warlock, Binder, Factotum, Dragonfire Adept, Warblade, Swordsage/Monk with the Ascetic Mage feat, and Bard (with specific music-focused prestige classes).
In Pathfinder, my favorite class currently in print is the Bard (some stuff is better in PF, but I really miss those music-focused prestige classes). The Swashbuckler looks like I could enjoy it, though, I might feel the hurt if I got to high levels, since they suffer the same way all martials suffer in the end game. Despite how lousy it is in general, I would be all over the Monk if there was a way to replace Wisdom with Charisma or Intelligence. I think, now that the Savage Technologist exists, I could like Barbarian. I really wish the Warpriest could be done with Oracle style casting and flavor, rather than Cleric (since I dislike preparing spells, Wisdom, and the religion angle, but I love the sacred weapon and fervor stuff).
But, by this time next year, there is little doubt in my mind that my favorite classes in Pathfinder will be the Kineticist and Medium, since they had the promise of being great reskins of the classes I loved most in 3.5. Now, if only Pathfinder would reskin the Factotum and Tome of Battle...
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Any character that is fun to roleplay.
|
I'm finding lately that I'm enjoying most of the gish type classes. Most have enough moving parts to feel like you have options in combat and outside, without having so many options to cause analysis paralysis. That and I still like characters who wade into melee when they need to.
Also, I feel your pain with the homework of high option characters. I recently spent 2 evenings just preparing sheets for wild shaping and summoning for my druid so I wouldn't have to look everything up at the table.
|
I enjoy rogues mostly because my group relies fairly heavily on the skill system. Although the swashbuckler has displaced the rogue in my heart.
I like buckling swash, no matter the level I always feel I have something useful to do.
Bard is also good because again I'm never lost for something to do.
See also: Alchemist, Investigator and Inquisitor.
The brawler is great for exploring feat chains you might otherwise ignore.
What I never find fun is playing high level full spellcasters. I always feel I'm picking from a menu all game, and sometimes my dish doesn't even arrive because of Spell Resistance, good saves or golem. I'm a level 12 Theurgist (Kobold publishing) and I'm pretty much always summoning or casting a spell that'll probably fail.
I'm finding lately that I'm enjoying most of the gish type classes. Most have enough moving parts to feel like you have options in combat and outside, without having so many options to cause analysis paralysis. That and I still like characters who wade into melee when they need to.
Also, I feel your pain with the homework of high option characters. I recently spent 2 evenings just preparing sheets for wild shaping and summoning for my druid so I wouldn't have to look everything up at the table.
It is only for the bestiary 1, but I have a link to these on the site with and without augment summoning.
Well I dont know if I ever posted the wildshape document or not, but the summoning one is online for summon nature's ally and summon monster.
edit: I also think Gauss made an excel sheet that does most of the math for you if you use wildshape.
I haven't played them all, but just about any of the 3/4 BAB, 6-level casting classes are pretty diverse (which is fun).
I'm finding lately that I'm enjoying most of the gish type classes. Most have enough moving parts to feel like you have options in combat and outside, without having so many options to cause analysis paralysis. That and I still like characters who wade into melee when they need to.
Also, I feel your pain with the homework of high option characters. I recently spent 2 evenings just preparing sheets for wild shaping and summoning for my druid so I wouldn't have to look everything up at the table.
It is only for the bestiary 1, but I have a link to these on the site with and without augment summoning.
Well I dont know if I ever posted the wildshape document or not, but the summoning one is online for summon nature's ally and summon monster.
edit: I also think Gauss made an excel sheet that does most of the math for you if you use wildshape.
Yes he did here
On a related note: I absolutely love playing a melee druid. Once you got your excel sheet set up for the forms you need, the work is limited and you end up just flat out owning in melee, while having a huge variety of long lasting buffs (I am looking at you life bubble), can have some healing capability and are probably the only class in the game that can properly use the spell Shapechange. Throw in an Animal Companion that can out damage some melee characters and your only problem becomes the time it takes to roll all of your attacks ;) But seriously, there is nothing quite like being able to run around as a huge dragon :) Except for running around as two huge dragons, thanks to using Shapechange on your AC with the improved spell sharing feat.
I haven't played them all, but just about any of the 3/4 BAB, 6-level casting classes are pretty diverse (which is fun).
Came to this topic to say this. Plus they have good skill points, or use Int for casting and get skill points anyway.
|
I've been having fun with my Dwarf Battlerager. No, he doesn't have Power Attack, but oh my, he loves to make things interesting. He may not be optimized, but has an answer to most things within melee, and if he knows he can't get at something in a normal fashion, well have you ever seen a barbarian/fighter that flies and grapples?
My second character that I've been making is a Dervish Dancer/Lore Warden mixture. Taking a two level dip at levels 3 and 4 into Lore Warden brings what would normally take up to level 7 to gain for a nice assist critical build. Aside from that, I also play him as somewhat squeamish when it comes to adventuring....
I haven't played them all, but just about any of the 3/4 BAB, 6-level casting classes are pretty diverse (which is fun).Came to this topic to say this. Plus they have good skill points, or use Int for casting and get skill points anyway.
Yeah, those are definitely my favorite classes too. They really hit a sweet spot of flexibility that gives you a nice array of options and abilities, and most of the classes are also full of interesting and flavorful abilities.
I've also had a ton of fun with Dreamscarred Press' classes whenever I use them.
|
|
Personally, I like characters with options outside of combat, especially skills, combined with enough personal (usually melee) combat prowess to be effective and feel competent. Pretty good Int and social skills are a must.
For this reason, I really enjoy Bards and Inquisitors. I also like certain specific builds of Barbarian and Paladin that meet my above criteria (and have a flavor that makes me happy inside).
And though I've yet to get to play them (I usually GM), I'm also pretty much positive I'd enjoy Slayer, Skald, Oracle, and most especially Investigator.
Assuming minimum competency
Bard, Inquisitor, Witch, Magus, Hunter, Brawler, and Oracle.
All these classes have fun and interesting ways to interact with the game world. In combat, out of combat, or both.
Right now I'm having tons of fun running a Hunter.
Bloodrager any level, any day, any time! One of the most fun class ever! You want to smash? You smash! Can't smash? You cast spells! With a few wands, there are so much you can do!
However, if you play a rogue with many power gamers with powerful characters, it is extremely rewarding to win the whole campaign by cleverly use of rogue's skills and outsmarting everyone. Feels like a boss when you beat the last boss with no magical item when everyone has so much, some can't even carry them.
Bloodrager any level, any day, any time! One of the most fun class ever! You want to smash? You smash! Can't smash? You cast spells! With a few wands, there are so much you can do!
However, if you play a rogue with many power gamers with powerful characters, it is extremely rewarding to win the whole campaign by cleverly use of rogue's skills and outsmarting everyone. Feels like a boss when you beat the last boss with no magical item when everyone has so much, some can't even carry them.
O.o
The Rogue has always been my favorite class in PFS. Setting up a perfect shot, dice tower rumbling as if a disintegrate had gone off. Or in the nearly immortal words of Merisel
"Stab!"
I like to see a lot of dice spread across the table so I get your point. That might be why I like disintegrate so much even though I know it is not the best spell to use most of the time when I use it.
I like to play spontaneous healers like Oracle or Inquisitor, and combine them with self enhancement before going into Str + medium armor melee.
Makes me having fun at low lvl because I have Str + 2h weapon (A basic, featless formula for early game victory), and when we get hurt, I'm still the guy with the solution because of Cure Light Wounds (The only spell level 1-2 divine casters ever cast during a combat day, in my games anyway)
Plus, both classes can be good for social moments with their skill lists.
Covers my bases of melee combat, healing (I hate seeing another player suffer a crippling debuff, of which Death is one), and out of battle social skills.
|
I like to see a lot of dice spread across the table so I get your point. That might be why I like disintegrate so much even though I know it is not the best spell to use most of the time when I use it.The Rogue has always been my favorite class in PFS. Setting up a perfect shot, dice tower rumbling as if a disintegrate had gone off. Or in the nearly immortal words of Merisel
"Stab!"
Play the DBZ rpg you start off with a few hundred ki power by the android saga your in the 10's of millions and each point of ki is 1d6 so you can make a 5 million d6 attack against their 4.7 million d6 shield.
In palladium systems I'm almost unilaterally a mutant.
In 2e I'm almost unilaterally a wizard.
But in pathfinder?
Evolutionist Summoner. As a long time gm and rarely a player, few classes let me play both a caster and a martial at the same time so effectively, while also allowing me such a versatile set of tools for dealing with the world i'm in. Fluffy as I wanna be, crunchy as I wanna be.
No matter the setting, no matter the job....
Evolutionist summoner.
My favorite that I've played is a mounted summoner lancer with a dragon-themed eidolon.
Evolutions give you quite a few opportunities to open charge lanes, climbing, jumping, leaping off of things. That's all before you get flight, which might be the best option but arguably not as fun.
Lining up that devastating pounce-charge is just great fun for me. The fact that the other players get a chance to do something while I'm getting into position makes it even more fun.
Definitely a glass cannon, I spend a lot of my time coping with the eidolon's sub-par defenses. Ability damage is dreadful.
But of all the characters I've played, this is the one I most enjoy the act of playing.
I've been having a lot of fun with my monk. They're quite useful in dungeon scenarios because of their versatilty and high saves. I suppose it all depends on the setting.
Play the DBZ rpg you start off with a few hundred ki power by the android saga your in the 10's of millions and each point of ki is 1d6 so you can make a 5 million d6 attack against their 4.7 million d6 shield.I like to see a lot of dice spread across the table so I get your point. That might be why I like disintegrate so much even though I know it is not the best spell to use most of the time when I use it.The Rogue has always been my favorite class in PFS. Setting up a perfect shot, dice tower rumbling as if a disintegrate had gone off. Or in the nearly immortal words of Merisel
"Stab!"
I tried rolling 5mild6 in Roll20 and it came out to a result of 3553.
This is a travesty. Roll20 doesn't support DBZ RPG.
|
|
I had a character in GURPS Supers once that had an attack that did 300d6 damage. It was rapid-fire with 12 shots per turn and had homing so it automatically hit whatever you attacked. (Although you could dodge.) Imagine 3600d6 to the eye in a system where most characters have a maximum of 20 hp.
I never actually rolled the damage though...
I prefer to play in and GM for mid level groups.
Hmm... hard to answer.
It seems really weird to paly a game that revolves around magic and not have any of my own. So almost every PC I've even seriously considered playing has at least some spell casting. (Though sometimes, just a bunch of weird abilities can also be fun.)
I do not like the prepared caster at all in some groups.
My current group will rarely make any significant effort to try and find what will be happening during the upcoming day. Even if we try, the GM will rarely give detailed enough information to assist in spell selection.
In a group that is more into and allowing of planning they are much better. However, I still often feel like I didn't pick the right spells for today. I also feel like I have to know umpteen bajillion spells perfectly all the time. That's usually too much work and pressure for my hobby.
I do like how clerics and druids can convert to an at least nominally effective spell. So I rarely get to the end of the day with a bunch of wasted spells prepared that never had a use. Or having rounds with a bunch of spells left and nothing useful I can do. (That has happened the last couple of times I played a wizard). At least my magus can poke something if no good spells are left.
And I really dislike the spellbook tasks of the wizard. The witches familiar is almost as bad. But at least you don't have to figure out how you are carrying 7 heavy tomes and where you hid the backups.
So I much prefer spontaneous spell casters. Unfortunately for me, those are mostly charisma casters. I don't mind being the party face some of the time, but I don't like being stuck with it for every single character. I often prefer a non-charisma caster.
I have been finding that sage sorcerer or inquisitor will cover almost all the concepts that I really like.
But really, the class is only a part of it. I seem to have the most fun when I manage to put something that amuses me into the build.
My nagaji naga aspirant that is prejudice against all the smelly mamals around him.
My magus with a wand of true strike and a whip that can trip or disarm almost anything.
My life oracle that blasts undead, but doesn't like to waste his powers healing people.
My witch that is going to take all the feats, spells, and magic items to make huge use of hero points to be Mr Lucky.
My chelish deva that will try to lie her way out of any situation. (Hoping to get a chance to use this concept soon.)
|
|
I enjoy the hell out of my ifrit twins, Kane and Able. They are both bombastic and arrogant, allowing me to speak in a booming voice saying outlandish things. The table is never dull with them around.
I also love Auris, my vagabond martial artist. Self-taught fighting style, really only concerned with helping others and making sure he is fed.
I miss playing my elven archer. Ever since 3.5 the skirmishing type has been a favorite of mine.
So I can't really say what is the most fun.
For me, it's the "reveal" of a spellcaster who turns out to be far more powerful than is initially assumed by their enemies.
The venerable and helpless crone who overpowers the mighty warrior, disarming him of his own sword and impaling him upon it. Or the simple forest hermit who transforms into a horrible monster and suddenly bites the storm giant in half. Or the little halfling girl who petrifies a demigod. Or the bent-backed wizard with stronger melee might than many of the world's strongest warriors.
|
|
Include me in team 3/4ths caster, I love playing face characters with lots of utility. As long as my character can always contribute something (even if they're not directly assisting), I'm happy.
Alchemist, Bards, and Magus top my list, although when I want to play something a little more 'direct', Barbarians and Gunslingers (Bolt Aces especially) are my go to options.
|
Oh, another one I've been enjoying the heck out of: My halfling shining knight archetype paladin with his riding dog. Both he and dog have insanely good saves, the dog is an outsider with linguistics points and thus can understand and ruff-ly speak common (c wut ah did thar?), and since the dog is medium and intelligent it has no problems using magic to climb walls/fly/etc.
He's a good party face, absolutely wrecks evil things as long as they're not in ultra-cramped spaces, and has a bit of casting utility to boot (he's got the UMD as class skill trait and a high charisma)
The most fun character I ever played was a black dragon back in 3.5 using the Dragon Magazine conversion. It wasn't how powerful he was; he was relatively weak compared to the actual melee characters in the party (although highly mobile). Considering he never made it past wyrmling, he was a little tyrant.
It was definitely roleplaying him. He referred to the rest of the party as his "minions", the person who found his egg and raised him was his know as "my lieutenant", and his share of the treasure (which he kept in the lieutenant's haversack, which he swam through like Scrooge McDuck) was referred to has "my tribute" when presented to him.
Sadly, a dinosaur rolled 3(!!!) natural 20's in a row on him, critting, then critting on the confirm, then critting on THAT confirm, to where the DM just declared "he bites your head clear off" without even rolling damage. I couldn't argue. Three natural 20's. Three.
The most fun I have had with a Pathfinder PC was with a Thug.
An Intimidation-build Rogue who looked and was built like GoT Brienne of Tarth. She eventually changed her ways and dual classed into Cleric (Serenrae.) Absolutely sub-optimal... but the sandbox campaign was about the evolving story of the team and not, "uber-pwnage." It fit her experiences perfectly.
But then I have actually rolled up and PLAYED only four PC's so far: her, a Dwarf Rogue, and I run 2 PC's as a brother (rogue) & sister (druid water-focused) for a DM-converted Pathfinder-ala-Dark Sun campaign.
So... still a newb, no real wide base of knowledge with the game.
Hmm, hard to say.
If you go by what I play, it seems I enjoy playing Barbarians and Sorcerers the most....when I get to play instead of GM that is.
I might brag about playing rogues and other things, but I think apparently I love the chaotic nature of things more than anything else (how else would you explain someone who loves to play Barbs and Sorcs).
I even played a Multiclassed Barb/Sorc once!
That was...unique.