Pathfinder Is this party balanced? [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

grarrrg

2016-06-20, 11:21 PM

NG Dwarf Inquisitor
TN Dwarf Cleric
CG Human Sorceror
CN Oread Barbarian
TN Halfling Bard

Meat Shield? Check.
Skill Monkey? Check.
Divine casting? Check.
Arcane casting? Check.

Conflicting character alignments? No.

Good enough.

Florian

2016-06-21, 01:47 AM

NG Dwarf Inquisitor
TN Dwarf Cleric
CG Human Sorceror
CN Oread Barbarian
TN Halfling Bard

Not really informative without mentioning the actual builds, at least as a stub.

But it still looks like a good synergy going with only trap handling missing, but you could make that available via trait.

Zhentarim

2016-06-21, 02:06 AM

Not really informative without mentioning the actual builds, at least as a stub.

But it still looks like a good synergy going with only trap handling missing, but you could make that available via trait.

Inquisitor
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=841921

Cleric
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=842229

Sorceror
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=845901

Barbarian
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=843028

Bard
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=846328

BWR

2016-06-21, 03:02 AM

Mystral

2016-06-21, 03:08 AM

Inquisitor
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=841921

Cleric
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=842229

Sorceror
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=845901

Barbarian
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=843028

Bard
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=846328

They look servicable enough. I'd be a bit worried about the bard not contributing enough to a fight, but everyone seems to have found a niche and looks not too overpowered.

I'd have to question the feat of the sorcerer. He knows no conjuration spells, but has spell focus conjuration? But that's more of an RP point.

Zhentarim

2016-06-21, 03:13 AM

Party balance is based on the idea that the DM will create challenges that over the course of the campaign test the PCs roughly equally. So you have to ask your DM if the party is balanced. If you are the DM, create challenges that allow each PC to shine.

I'm the Dwarf Inquisitor. Basically the frontliner who is also a competent monster identifier and bull**** detector.

Something felt...off...about the party but I couldn't put my finger on what it was.

Also, this is Mummy's Mask.

BWR

2016-06-21, 04:16 AM

Ask your DM. If s/he answers you will have a better answer than we can give you. If s/he doesn't want to answer you are sort of cheating by asking other people.

Mystral

2016-06-21, 04:17 AM

I'm the Dwarf Inquisitor. Basically the frontliner who is also a competent monster identifier and bull**** detector.

Something felt...off...about the party but I couldn't put my finger on what it was.

Also, this is Mummy's Mask.

Maybe it's because the party has all the archetypes, but not in their classic incarnation?

It has a skillmonkey, but as a archeologist.
It has frontliners, but no heavy armoured tanks.
It has a druid, but he's more of a spell caster, but with dodge as a feat.
You have an arcane caster, but that's a sorcerer, so you won't have a lot of magical tools.
And you have yourself, sort of a striker? I don't know, little experience with inquisitors.

Generally speaking, your party looks fine, but it might be a bit squishy.

Spore

2016-06-21, 04:38 AM

Something felt...off...about the party but I couldn't put my finger on what it was.

The point is that you don't have any GOOD sources of healing until the Wand of Cure Light Wounds. Your druid has a heal spell prepped occasionally. You have CWL but not MANY spell slots (expect to use this very regularly). The sorcerer has an AC to be used as tank for emergency situations and is probably preparing for Augment Summoning on 3rd level (when summoning spells last long enough to justify casting them).

So your party has to be very cautious up until 5th level or however long it takes you to get to a CLW wand. After that you can be more relaxed but remember: Damage you receive is sticking with you a lot longer than if you had a Paladin, a Cleric or an Oracle.

On the plus side a lack of healing can lead to very interesting fights, more drama and more memorable situations because you tend to start fights not fully healed and suffering from some debuffs if the druid does not have the right answers.

Mystral

2016-06-21, 04:57 AM

The point is that you don't have any GOOD sources of healing until the Wand of Cure Light Wounds. Your druid has a heal spell prepped occasionally. You have CWL but not MANY spell slots (expect to use this very regularly). The sorcerer has an AC to be used as tank for emergency situations and is probably preparing for Augment Summoning on 3rd level (when summoning spells last long enough to justify casting them).

So your party has to be very cautious up until 5th level or however long it takes you to get to a CLW wand. After that you can be more relaxed but remember: Damage you receive is sticking with you a lot longer than if you had a Paladin, a Cleric or an Oracle.

On the plus side a lack of healing can lead to very interesting fights, more drama and more memorable situations because you tend to start fights not fully healed and suffering from some debuffs if the druid does not have the right answers.

The bard could pick up CLW instead of sleep. The party already has a will save group destroyer spell from the sorcerer, that stays usefull for longer.

Florian

2016-06-21, 04:59 AM

Oh, Druid instead of Cleric? On this AP? REALY?!

Pugwampy

2016-06-21, 05:44 AM

NG Dwarf Inquisitor
TN Dwarf Cleric
CG Human Sorceror
CN Oread Barbarian
TN Halfling Bard

The only hole i see is no hero to take care of traps and locks but that depends on Dm,s play style . I really dont think much about bard class . DND thrives on specialists .
I hope the halfling player understands he is not going to stick out very much but once again this depends on DM play style .

You have healer covered . In my opinion you can live without everyone but that class is a MUST . Second Must have warrior class also taken care of . For all I care 2 experienced players take fighter and cleric while the rest of the newbies can fuff around and explore as they please .

Sorcerer is a nice magic missile machine gun for extra damage output .
I read Inquistor class and i am wee iffy about his effectiveness .
I think having dwarves on Cleric and Inquistor class is great for toughening them as well as better weapon options.
I always preferred barbarian class to fighter . Earth elemental blood line sounds ....nice .

Mystral

2016-06-21, 07:26 AM

The only hole i see is no hero to take care of traps and locks but that depends on Dm,s play style . I really dont think much about bard class . DND thrives on specialists .

The archeologist archetype bard is more of a rogue with a few spells than anything else. So he's the trap/locksmith.

You have healer covered . In my opinion you can live without everyone but that class is a MUST . Second Must have warrior class also taken care of . For all I care 2 experienced players take fighter and cleric while the rest of the newbies can fuff around and explore as they please .

Actually not true. A healer can be replicated by any class using a wand of vigor/cure light wounds. Warriors can be substituted by summons or with smart play.

Sorcerer is a nice magic missile machine gun for extra damage output .

You're new here, aren't you? Don't worry. You'll learn.

Psyren

2016-06-21, 09:23 AM

But it still looks like a good synergy going with only trap handling missing, but you could make that available via trait.

They don't even need that; magical traps can be found with Perception and disabled via Dispel (or bypassed entirely via AMF, dimension door etc.)

Florian

2016-06-21, 10:19 AM

They don't even need that; magical traps can be found with Perception and disabled via Dispel (or bypassed entirely via AMF, dimension door etc.)

Cough Mummys Curse cough.

Spore

2016-06-21, 10:46 AM

Actually not true. A healer can be replicated by any class using a wand of vigor/cure light wounds. Warriors can be substituted by summons or with smart play.

I have yet to see a group where a cleric using channel energy or an oracle using their massive amount of healing spells wasn't welcome. There comes a time where you go through the charges of said item like crazy.

Florian

2016-06-21, 10:55 AM

I have yet to see a group where a cleric using channel energy or an oracle using their massive amount of healing spells wasn't welcome. There comes a time where you go through the charges of said item like crazy.

That will largely depend on the optimization level present. The shorter you can keep combats, the less likely in-combat healing will have the desired effect. That said, dealing with debilitating conditions is another, entirely different beast.

Psyren

2016-06-21, 10:57 AM

Cough Mummys Curse cough.

This went over my head.

Florian

2016-06-21, 11:16 AM

This went over my head.

This particular AP changes pace (and how to handle resources) _twice_ with a very hard shift on what classes and abilities are useful during which phase. Careful study of the Player Guide is actually a boon here (I will only spoiler on request and only on the technical side of things).

So while you´re technically correct, what you said is not available at the phase it is actually needed (1-2), becomes available when you don´t need it (3-4) and can be handled either way later (5-6).

This is where the campaign-specific trait comes into it, because it allows non-rogues to handle the task at the time it is actually needed.

It seems to me (@Qwanch) that your group did´t read the Player Guide to this AP.

Psyren

2016-06-21, 11:26 AM

Gotcha - I missed that this thread was for that specific module. In which case, yeah, they probably included that trait for a reason and somebody in the party would need it if they don't have trapfinding natively.

Zhentarim

2016-06-21, 11:34 AM

Spore

2016-06-21, 02:31 PM

That will largely depend on the optimization level present. The shorter you can keep combats, the less likely in-combat healing will have the desired effect. That said, dealing with debilitating conditions is another, entirely different beast.

That being said the average barbarian largely ignores their defense. AC 12? Good enough, no need to upgrade until Level 10.

Florian

2016-06-21, 02:40 PM

That being said the average barbarian largely ignores their defense. AC 12? Good enough, no need to upgrade until Level 10.

You´re mixing things up. There´re things to be done if you have healing at your back and discussed the tactic with your team mates (CAGM) and there´s you being a drain on the team resources and simply bound to die, which you should.