Party Role help

[kreenlover]

Hello everyone.

I was wondering if I could get some advice on what roles everyone should try and fill in this party.

We are second level (but plan to go all the way to 20th) and have:
Human Artificer (me)
Elf Druid
Halfling Cleric (Destiny, Dream domains)
Elf Warlock
(occasional) Half-Orc Barbarian

So, what roles should we all try to fill? who should fill in for the melee character when the barbarian is missing (I am tired of being the meat shield with a d6 hit die, as is the small, con penalty cleric)

Any suggestions?

[SciChronic]

a druid's companion should easily be able to fill in for melee until the druid hits level 5 and can do it himself, along with the companion. If your group allows natural spell, he can even do his casting goodness while wildshaped into a desmodu hunting bat and flying up into the sky.

It will take a while, but, again if your DM allows it, the cleric can go into a DMM Persist cleric and place 24hr buffs on your team/himself allowing you guys to take a quite a beating, and getting essentially fast healing through persisted vigor spells. If he can't DMM Persist, then he should focus on buffing and controlling the battlefield, leaving blasting to the warlock unless he can't or the cleric has somehow run out of things to do in the 3 rounds it should take your party to win fights.

the cleric and the artificer can trade around who is healing, the cleric with his spells, and the artificer with a wand (make sure to make healing belts (MIC) for everyone as well to reduce downtime).

The warlock will probably serve best as a blaster and the artificer the skillmonkey.

as for who the Face will be, i suppose it will depend on who has the skill points to spare, and whoever wants to do it.

to be honest, i feel sorry for the barbarian and warlock since the rest of you guys are T1 classes

[Malvanis]

Artificer: support
Druid: Divine Caster/ Animal companion backup melee.
Cleric: heal or
Warlock: ranged damage
Barbarian: primary melee

[SciChronic]

Artificer: support
Druid: Divine Caster/ Animal companion backup melee.
Cleric: heal or
Warlock: ranged damage
Barbarian: primary melee

you'll quickly learn that having a designated healer/healing focused character is pretty bad. It's better to mitigate damage or straight up prevent it rather than heal up the damage after your party has been hit. Healing in-battle is rather inefficient, and healing outside of battle can easily be covered by wands and healing belts

Also, a druid can become a better melee than a barbarian through the use of wildshape + magic items.

[Hanuman]

Warlock may want to try gramarie.

Is this pathfinder or how is that barbarian feeling about his state of affairs in the party?

Cleric and Druid are your hybrid mid-lines, you have enough support to not need a solid backline, technically your warlock fills the backline role due to her range, your barbarian is your frontline.

You guys have no trapfinding and have no skill-monkey, I'd have someone try and fill that role a bit more, probably your warlock.

If it were me I'd just hand that warlock trapfinding, spot and listen. The warlock has UMD compat. and can fill your rogue dungeon role if he plays it smart. Just make sure to get him a few magic items when in town for utility purposes.

As for barbarian, he should be fine as long as he has buffs, heals, an animal companion backing him up, your midline creating some battlefield control and some ranged support. The problem is that without these things a 3.5 barbarian is kind of sunk, and needs to be reliant on your more powerful classes.

[Socratov]

I'd say tge warlock will go lockdown (unless glaive/claw lock) since crafter is handled by Artificer allready.

for the rest Artificer goes arcane primary caster (with wands :smalltongue:)
cleric goes divine caster, druid frontliner when he has wildshape
barbarian primary melee/frontliner/ubercharger

Oh, and the warlock will also go partyface :smallcool: