Best New Member for this Party

[LordOfCain]

Wood Elf TWFing Fighter 2
Half-Elf Wizard 2
Half-Elf Rogue 2
Dwarf Barbarian 2
Wood??? Elf Bow Ranger 2
??? Elf Cleric of Elhonna 2 (All domains for some reason)
??? Elf Sword and Board Fighter
Considering accepting a new player into the group. What would be the best new character?
EDIT:
Assume the following:
Half-Elf Wizard 3
Half-Elf Rogue 3
Dwarf Barbarian 3
Wood??? Elf Bow Ranger 2/Bard 1
??? Elf Cleric of Elhonna 3 (All domains for some reason)
??? Elf Sword and Board Fighter 2/Something
Wood Elf Fighter 2/Rogue 1

[HolyCouncilMagi]

That is a lot of characters. (And a lot of elves, but that's less relevant.) I think you should move away from adding more and instead consider splitting it into two groups, but that's just me...

Anyway, you look like you could use a little more casting, and you have a lot of melee, which means a lot of benefit from full-party buffs. As such, I recommend a bard.

EDIT: Although if it's a new player, you probably shouldn't try to shoehorn him into playing the "best" thing. Let him play what he has fun.

[Troacctid]

Bard for sure. Inspire Courage is a powerful force multiplier for such a large party, and an additional arcane caster and skillmonkey would be very welcome in this group.

[AvatarVecna]

Wood Elf TWFing Fighter 2
Half-Elf Wizard 2
Half-Elf Rogue 2
Dwarf Barbarian 2
Wood??? Elf Bow Ranger 2
??? Elf Cleric of Elhonna 2 (All domains for some reason)
??? Elf Sword and Board Fighter
Considering accepting a new player into the group. What would be the best new character?

Party that large with a decent combat base, and a couple mages? Probably the right time for a Bard.

[LordOfCain]

Best race would be an elf subrace. Kinda have an elf thing going. The dwarf was abandoned and taken in by the ranger. But yeah, bard seems pretty good. Also check out the edited thing. Forgot about leveling.

[LordOfCain]

Any ideas for subrace/other classes than bard?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Definitely a Bard, preferably with DFI, especially if that Ranger/Bard isn't going the DFI route. Ideally you would make this a Silverbrow Human, which should easily get along with elves, but you could go with a Forestlord (Wild) Elf to fit in better, in which case I would use the Savage Bard variant.

If flaws are allowed, I would go for Point-Blank Shot and Precise Shot early, along with Melodic Casting and of course Dragonfire Inspiration. Trade your Suggestion song for Song of the Heart, pick up Inspirational Boost as a spell known, and try to begin play with a Badge of Valor in MIC if WBL permits. Consider picking up Words of Creation if you can swing the Int prerequisite and maintain an exalted status.

Get an Elvencraft bow, and put as many wand chambers in it as the number of different weapons it counts as that would need masterwork paid for (two for a shortbow, three for a longbow). Consider using the Ancestral Relic Runestaff (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?267805-Sorcerer-Handbook#4) trick, using the bow as your relic if it's a longbow since it will count as a quarterstaff as well.

Consider dipping a single level of Sorcerer with the Dragonblood Sorcerer 1 substitution level to switch DFI to sonic damage instead of fire, and learn the spell Creaking Cacophony. That also enables you to use a Wand of Wings of Cover, which is still an immediate action to activate if you're holding it (or it's in a wand chamber of the bow you're holding) according to the Rules Compendium. Consider dipping a single level of Dragon Devotee or Mindbender as well.

You'll want to go (Savage) Bard 8/ dips 2/ Sublime Chord, and then use PrCs to advance your SC casting. Alternatively you could go Bard 8/ Virtuoso 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Virtuoso 8, or Bard 8/ dip 1/ Virtuoso 1/ Sublime Chord 1/ Virtuoso 9.

[nedz]

Whatever the player wants to play — it's usually the best approach.

[Troacctid]

Any ideas for subrace/other classes than bard?

Tallfellow Halfling--a halfling raised by elves. Better racial abilities than an elf, and the ability score adjustments work well for a Bard.

[Th3N3xtGuy]

Human Blackguard(Paladin) because who cares about synergy when you can be a wild card throwing group dynamics off. Plus evil shenanigans, blood for the blood god and all that stuff. Just my two cents anyways.

[Theodred theOld]

My first thought was bard but I'm starting to think that a druid might fit this group. Nice BFC and some good buffs for the party. Not the nice passive bonus you'd get from a well built bard but with a small amount of prep the druid can give the party so much more.

[Inevitability]

I feel sorry for that dwarf, being surrounded by tree-hugging hippies. :smalltongue:


But seriously, you have melee presence through the barbarian and fighters (and the cleric), skills through the rogue (and the ranger/bard, to a lesser extent), and two full casters to go with them. Personally, I think you can easy add another wizard in here, given how versatile those are. Gray elf (dragonborn gray elf if your DM is the lenient type) is probably the best race here.

If the wizard is the blasting type, try playing a wizard specializing in battlefield control (Grease, Color Spray, Glitterdust). If your party lacks a buffer, play one. A lack of healing can't be directly solved by the wizard, but you can indirectly soak up damage by being a summoner.

[atemu1234]

Yeah, bard seems like fun. Play a DFI bard, and suddenly melee becomes much better.