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mummy162
2010-03-09, 07:39 PM
Alright, I have a couple of friends who play D&D... and when I say a couple I mean two. We were trying to figure out which two classes could cover the most combat-functional ground. We decided on a duskblade and rogue. This covers the melee character, the skillmonkey, and to a lesser extent the arcane spellcaster. Using the PHB, PHB2, Unearthed Arcana, and Complete Divine, Warrior, and Adventurer, can you think of better two-party-member options?

TaintedLight
2010-03-09, 07:41 PM
I might have gone with Beguiler/Druid myself. Both are spellcasters, which definitely increases survivability. The druid can melee and heal, while the beguiler has some potential to debuff and the like with debilitating enchantments and illusions.

Volkov
2010-03-09, 07:41 PM
Why didn't they go with Cleric and Wizard? The cleric fufills the healer and the fighter, and the wizard fulfills the spellcaster and the skillmonkey (high int score.)

AmberVael
2010-03-09, 07:43 PM
Well, I'm not sure if you're willing to do this, but if you've got UA (or access to the SRD), you could always try out the Gestalt (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/gestaltCharacters.htm) variant, which allows combining two classes. That way you could cover all necessary roles pretty thoroughly with two characters (if not all at the same time...)

erikun
2010-03-09, 07:43 PM
Cleric/Druid with a Factorium/Beguiler will cover most of your bases, I'd think. You'll probably want less traps and orc hordes, and more stealth and social settings.

Tinydwarfman
2010-03-09, 07:43 PM
Druid + Wizard is a very good small group, as long as the wizard picks up a bunch of wands of knock and shatter and the like. Druid covers melee and healing and general casting, and Wizard just does what he does best - be awesome. More in depth, have the wizard dip factotum to become a real skillmonkey, and general utility.

EDIT: Wow, really epic ninjas here.

mummy162
2010-03-09, 07:44 PM
Why didn't they go with Cleric and Wizard? The cleric fufills the healer and the fighter, and the wizard fulfills the spellcaster and the skillmonkey (high int score.)

The cleric is not such a solid fighter at low levels, and the DM likes to throw melee-centric battles at us.

urbanpirate
2010-03-09, 07:45 PM
Alright, I have a couple of friends who play D&D... and when I say a couple I mean two. We were trying to figure out which two classes could cover the most combat-functional ground. We decided on a duskblade and rogue. This covers the melee character, the skillmonkey, and to a lesser extent the arcane spellcaster. Using the PHB, PHB2, Unearthed Arcana, and Complete Divine, Warrior, and Adventurer, can you think of better two-party-member options?


party needs some druid actualy if i was to play in a two member party i am thinking a druid and a wizard, possibly with some prc or multiclassing


edit: it seems ninja is the favored class here

taltamir
2010-03-09, 07:49 PM
let each one of them play 2 characters?
or... and this is my favorite. Give each of them a cohort / follower of their choice which they can generally affect (but isn't suicidal or anything, that you control)

or have both play a tier 1 character; say, a wizard and a cleric... and maybe hang out with some minions (which they can switch around and are totally disposable). naturally later on they can get a golem/etc to complement them.

Volkov
2010-03-09, 07:51 PM
The cleric is not such a solid fighter at low levels, and the DM likes to throw melee-centric battles at us.

Pick the enemy off at a distance. Use intelligent tactics, but avoid using cheap spells. This is more likely to anger a DM or get you punished later on.

taltamir
2010-03-09, 07:52 PM
The cleric is not such a solid fighter at low levels, and the DM likes to throw melee-centric battles at us.

thats what disposable redshirt minions... err... I mean, valuable NPC companions are for.

Volkov
2010-03-09, 07:55 PM
thats what disposable redshirt minions... err... I mean, valuable NPC companions are for.

You...stole....my......PUNCHLINE!!!! :smallbiggrin:

Ernir
2010-03-09, 07:59 PM
The first group I ever DMed for consisted of a Wizard and a Cleric.

Worked fine. For the most part, I could even use the CR guidelines.

taltamir
2010-03-09, 08:01 PM
You...stole....my......PUNCHLINE!!!! :smallbiggrin:

in soviet russia, punchline steals you! :P

Ormur
2010-03-09, 08:11 PM
Why didn't they go with Cleric and Wizard? The cleric fufills the healer and the fighter, and the wizard fulfills the spellcaster and the skillmonkey (high int score.)

I can second this since my first D&D campaign was as a Wizard with a Cleric. He took care of the melee by being very combat oriented and we shared the rest of the roles. The only problem was that we had no way of finding traps. Maybe we could have but the DM arrived at the same conclusion so we never encountered them and therefore never thought of preparing for them.

As the others said a druid could also replace the Cleric (as happened later in the same campaign when the Cleric died and the player made a Druid instead).

Edit: Ah ninjad by the DM in question.

Jack_Simth
2010-03-09, 08:13 PM
Well, I'm not sure if you're willing to do this, but if you've got UA (or access to the SRD), you could always try out the Gestalt (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/gestaltCharacters.htm) variant, which allows combining two classes. That way you could cover all necessary roles pretty thoroughly with two characters (if not all at the same time...)

A very good idea; a refinement:
One is a Druid//Skillmonkey (Ninja, Rogue, Beguiler, or similar), the other is a Druid//Arcanist (Wizard, preferably, but Sorcerer works well too, and a Beguiler can squeak by without too much difficulty).

Druid animal companions: Take melee brutes. If you stick to Core animal companions, that's a Riding dog until 4th, at which point you switch out to either something with Pounce (one of the cats, for doing lots of damage on the first round), or switch out for the Ape. See if you can convince the DM that Natural Bond (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Natural_Bond,all) mitigates the level adjustment for the advanced familiars, and get Barding (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/goodsAndServices.htm#bardingMediumCreatureandLarge Creature) to up the Animal Companions' Armor Class (Masterwork studded leather barding, or regular leather barding - no ACP, so no proficiency needed).

Druid is a 3/4th's or so healer, so with two, you have that role covered. One takes skillmonkey, the other arcanist. As the Animal companion is (at low to mid levels) about a 3/4th's meatshield, with two of them, you've got the meatshield role covered (at higher levels, the Druid is a meatshield anyway).

taltamir
2010-03-09, 08:14 PM
if either the wizard or cleric is an elf and has decent spot he will find traps... and in fact he gets automatic search rolls for some things even if he isn't aware of them.

And disabling a trap is REALLY easy, its called summon monster 1.