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My last 3.5 game before switching to PF was a rogue/bard only + prestige class eventually set in a megalopolis. What I didn't tell the players was all NPCs were rogues, bards, or experts also, but mostly rogues. Only one player chose to be a rogue when the usual 3.5 march to prestige classes began. Uncanny dodge turned out to be a HUGE advantage.
That setting choice worked out great, as combat turned out to be very deadly, but lots of social skill options meant fights turned out to relatively rare. Perception search/spot being a class skill for rogues mitigated high stealth hide and move silently. Tactical decisions on the battlemap became super important, as the battlecry quickly became "don't get flanked."
I initially wanted to do all-rogues, but had a player revolt for prestige class qualifications. They (mostly) lived to regret the addition of bards.
Wizards have other issues, like carrying capacity and skill checks.Wizards are great at skills, and why assume every Wizard dumps Str?
If you're going for a full party of one class, then you probably want a guy who can mix it up in melee.
A Polymorph focused Wizard might be the order of the day.
Especially if you change Wizard to Arcanist (Brown Fur Transmuter).
They have the skill points, but rarely have the class skills or the stat mods. Hell, even having the skill points is only mostly true, lotta brain skills worth taking for the average wizard. Mind you having knowledge skills that are really high bonus are good for knowing what you're up against and how to kill it.
Staying in light load (kind of important when your AC is low) is hard for a wizard, even with a 12 strength, and even if you go to heavy, at level 1 (which was the purpose of this particular tangent) you have difficulty carrying all the stuff you want to bring and also the dungeon loot (which is usually the armor and weapons of fallen enemies).
That other stuff is for higher levels, and therefore part of a different discussion.
Class skills are useless in PF. It's a measly +3 bonus. That's incredibly underwhelming after the first few levels.
Investigator might be interesting, especially for a city based game.
I'll see your all Bard party and raise you an all Skald party... Less archetype support, but less squishy
Having four Skalds isn't necessarily better than having one Skald because there's no way to get all of their Raging Songs to stack with each other.
I'd also pick Bard, with the following setup:
Half-Elf Chelish Diva - This is your "Inspire and forget" character. Diva archetype gives better armor and Half-Elf race lets you pick a good front-liner weapon like the Falcata or Fauchard.
Half-Orc Archaeologist - Primary damage dealer of the group. Give him a shortbow and watch things fall.
(Any) Archivist - Naturalist looks a lot better when you've already got an Inspire user. The Archivist handles all knowledge skills and disables traps.
(Any) Court Bard - Satire stacks, and that's all you need.
The Archaeologist on this team is getting a total +5 attack and +4 damage from all the performances, including his own luck, which will of course get bigger as the group levels up. That's pretty dang good I think.
My last 3.5 game before switching to PF was a rogue/bard only + prestige class eventually set in a megalopolis. What I didn't tell the players was all NPCs were rogues, bards, or experts also, but mostly rogues. Only one player chose to be a rogue when the usual 3.5 march to prestige classes began. Uncanny dodge turned out to be a HUGE advantage.
That setting choice worked out great, as combat turned out to be very deadly, but lots of social skill options meant fights turned out to relatively rare.
Perceptionsearch/spot being a class skill for rogues mitigated highstealthhide and move silently. Tactical decisions on the battlemap became super important, as the battlecry quickly became "don't get flanked."I initially wanted to do all-rogues, but had a player revolt for prestige class qualifications. They (mostly) lived to regret the addition of bards.
I've thought of using Rite Publishing Way of the Yakuza for the theme of thieves guild, but that wouldn't be one class themed, as even that supplement includes 2 rogue archetypes, 1 fighter archetype, 1 bard archetype and a tattooist wizard archetype to all fit the theme "Yakuza", as well as "gang boss" prestige class. While it has a distinctly Japanese theme, the rules easily adapt to a Euro-based crime syndicate with a change of clothes. There is even rules to design a custom yakuza crime syndicate.
I cannot see a thieves guild that is exclusively rogues, spellcasters fit too well to be left out, among many other member classes.
Arcanists can cover:
Tanking/control with occultist
Healing with unlettered white Mage
Buffing/tanking with brown fur
Druids are still strongest for not being as weak to an anti magic area, but arcanist archetypes are very versatile.
I'll see your all Bard party and raise you an all Skald party... Less archetype support, but less squishyHaving four Skalds isn't necessarily better than having one Skald because there's no way to get all of their Raging Songs to stack with each other.
You're absolutely right... The morale bonus to STR, CON and will won't stack, but the rage powers would still be shared. I could see some pretty crazy benefits of a party using their 6 rage powers each to complete different rage chains that they could share with the party on an as needed basis.
And spell kenning can dip into cleric/wizard spell lists (up to 6th level)-- and items can give other lists-- so there's some cross class utility there.
Sure, Bards could do a full party, and could be tailored to interfere less with each other, but I'd bet a decent combo could be made for these too. I'd make up a party of them to be sure if I wasn't squeezing this post out between family stuff.
Just guessing here at where I'd go, one focuses on superstition chain (saves/Mage killing), one focuses on beast totem chain and natural attacks (pouncing), one focuses on dragon totem/energy stuff (flight/DR/energy), one for utility or another totem. Each will eventually get 6 powers to share, not counting the poet's cloak, which'll give another.
I suppose this is beyond the point here, because any well tailored party will likely have at least a decent chance for success.
An all-cavalier party could be fun, since at that point you're basically a free-roaming cavalry unit.Your horses can support you through the early levels just like a druid's AC would, and you've got ALL the teamwork feats!
I've thought of using the Way of the Samurai (PFRPG) with a mix of 3 samurai archetypes (kuge, nitojutsu sensei, and yabusame), gunslinger teppou bushi archetype, ranger yojimbo archetype, paladin yamabushi archetype, with a standard samurai with mosa prestige class to run a Seven Samurai game - 7 ronin hired to rescue a village from the predations of a local crime boss. It could extend beyond that aiding other oppressed commoners, eventually being sought by a local daimyo as enemies of the state or local heroes depending on how encounters go and with whom the party fights against.
Witch:
Healing Hex + Hex Vulnerability = massive cure all day long
Coven = Boosted CL for spells & hexes = longer duration spells, spell penetration, and higher DC hexes
Familiars = everyone has all spells anyone has & 2 new spells / level / player each level
Spell list = mix arcane & divine, and with selected patrons covers condition removal, healing, buffing & debuffing.
Orc Scared Witch = tank
Winter Witch & PrC(WW) = controller
Evil Eye from several can severely debuff bosses
/cevah
An interesting variation would be to have a single profession campaign. By profession I mean things like priests, knights, thieves, or musicians. So you could have a variety of classes as long as they can fulfill the basic functions of the profession. The profession should be something that requires more than just all having the same professional skill.
And I didn't realise how old of a disscusion this was.
Yeah, but vigilante blows this discussion out of the water anyway.
I'm going to have to go with druid. All the animal companions for a front line you have heal spells and offensive spells and should have a decent amount of skill points or spells to make up for skill points.
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And I didn't realise how old of a disscusion this was.
And you know what this means -- got to have a campaign of all Necromancers!
^Apparently, this actually has a market for it, and even made it into the Paizo Store.
Fighters!Rogue might shine the brightest.Not funny.
I was gonna say rogue or fighter :(