how to put the twelve base classes in four characters thought experiment

[pseudodragon]

hello. i am participating in a third-level one-shot soon, and had an idea for how i could set up the characters: we each take one level of each class, so that our party can deal with all the problems as well as possible, my match-ups are:
barbarian-fighter-paladin, cleric-druid-ranger, bard-sorcerer-warlock, and monk-rogue-wizard.
what do you think? could i have put this together better?

[jaydubs]

we each take one level of each class, so that our party can deal with all the problems as well as possible

Is the point of taking 1 level in each class because it sounds fun, or because you're actually trying to build a party that's good at dealing with a lot of different challenges?

If it's the first, cool. Sounds like an interesting one shot. If it's the second, you'd be better off not taking 1 level of every class.

[pseudodragon]

Is the point of taking 1 level in each class because it sounds fun, or because you're actually trying to build a party that's good at dealing with a lot of different challenges?

If it's the first, cool. Sounds like an interesting one shot. If it's the second, you'd be better off not taking 1 level of every class.
because it will be fun! and, this is a thought experiment.

[Jlooney]

Honestly you should lump full caster together. They take such a huge hit from multiclassing if you don't. If you mix a 1/3 like ek with wizard you don't get 2nd level spells till really late. And it's even worse if you have a martial in there.

[pseudodragon]

what do you mean by full caster? and later on will not matter; this would be for a one-shot

[Yorrin]

For the sake of stat synergy I'd make a couple alterations:

Bard-Sorcerer-Warlock is right, as it's all Cha
Barbarian-Paladin-Fighter is also good for Str
Cleric-Druid-Monk for Wis
Ranger-Rogue-Wizard is Dex (with a splash of Int)

Also- I would totally play any of those characters. Sounds like fun!

[Strill]

what do you mean by full caster? and later on will not matter; this would be for a one-shot

Classes with full spellcasting progression - Bard, Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard.

As opposed to characters with half spellcasting progression - Ranger, Paladin

Or characters with 1/3 spellcasting progression - Eldritch Knight, Arcane Trickster

[Giant2005]

If each character is going to be level 3, spread over 3 classes and stay that way for the entirety of their existence, that changes things somewhat.
The following is the abilities of consequence that each class offers with a single level:

Barbarian: Rage, Unarmored Defense, D12 HP
Bard: Inspiration, +1 caster level, D8 HP, +1 skill, light armor proficiency
Cleric: Divine Domain, +1 caster level, D8 HP, medium/heavy armor proficiency, shield proficiency
Druid: +1 caster level, D8 HP, medium armor proficiency, shield proficiency
Fighter: Fighting Style, Second Wind, D10 HP, heavy armor proficiency, shield proficiency
Monk: Unarmored Defense, Martial Arts D8 HP
Paladin: Lay on Hands, +1/2 caster level, D10 HP, heavy armor proficiency, shield proficiency
Ranger: +1/2 caster level, D10 HP, +1 skill, medium armor proficiency, shield proficiency
Rogue: Expertise, Sneak Attack, D8 HP, +2 skills (If chosen as original class)
Sorcerer: Sorcerous Origin, +1 caster level, D6 HP
Warlock: Otherworldly Patron, Pact Magic (1 level 1 spell per short rest), D8 HP
Wizard: Arcane Recovery, +1 caster level, D6 HP

Considering that a level 2 spellcaster is barely any better than a level 1 (Only gaining a single extra level 1 spell slot), your casters should be striving for third level casting which offers 4 level 1 spell slots and 2 level 2 spell slots. However there are only 5 caster classes that offer full spell progression and with only three levels in play, half caster classes won't make up the difference. I'd recommend only having the one dedicated caster and spread the other caster classes out for extra utility among the others.
As for martial combat, they only classes that have anything to offer at level 1 (Beyond proficiencies) are the Rogue, Fighter, Barbarian, Monk and the Cleric. That makes the Cleric an ideal candidate for one of our non-dedicated casters. The other four contenders remaining are: Bard, Druid, Sorcerer and Wizard. Bard and Sorcerer both use Charisma which make them ideal candidates leaving the Druid and Wizard as the final two options. Druid seems like a more likely choice for melee due to his higher HD but the Druid's armor limitations and the Wizard's Shield spell make the Wizard the better choice on a martial class.
the other classes don't really offer a huge amount and are best placed not where they would be the most useful but where they would be the least harmful (Placed where their multiclass requirements mesh best with the other classes).

With the above in mind, I think the best combinations are:

Bard/Sorc/Druid: Chosen primarily for the 2nd level spell slots and those three casters being the most suitable choice.
Rogue/Cleric (War)/Fighter: Cleric for the extra chance for sneak attack and Fighter for the extra to-hit for said sneak attacks (Longbow preferred weapon)
Barbarian/Paladin/Warlock: Barbarian as the primary source of damage and Warlock so the Barb's resistance could potentially double the effect of Armor of Agathys. Paladin because it didn't add any further MADness.
Monk/Ranger/Wizard: Monk for the bonus action, Wizard for utility and shield spell, Ranger because it didn't add any further MADness.