Advice Needed: What class should I take to support a melee party?

[Senrioth]

To start: Please forgive any mistakes or breach of etiquette in this post, I'm a first timer and have just finished looking over the rules. If there are any, let me know for the future! If a thread exists that already answers this specific question, I apologize for the repeat and ask to be pointed in the right direction, though I have been looking around for a bit now and haven't found an exact answer...now that I have the disclaimers out of the way on to the actually question! I'm a long time DM and a first time player for a campaign which should last around 3 months give or take. The starting level for the campaign is 5 and the PC's are expected to reach level 10-13ish before it is over. There is not much known about the campaign yet, but based on the DM's personality and what has been told thus far, it should involve a fair amount of puzzle solving and social situations. It also apparently is taking place on an interplanar level with some interactions with mindflayers, gods and such. It is going to be a 4 player campaign for the most part with a possible fifth player joining every other session. Since the fifth player is not likely, I'm not including him as a possibility in the campaign. With this information known: the current party composition (potential as we are yet to start, though these players are definite in their roles) is a 5th level mountain dwarf battlerager, a 5th level variant human champion fighter, and a 5th level blade pact melee warlock (race unknown). The warlock has told us to not expect much in terms of a party face or ranged damage. I was originally planning on making a battle master fighter (polearm, gwm, sentinel feat master combo as goal) but with the nature of the campaign and current party comp I feel like its not the best idea. I know that you can get by without having every 'roll' filled but a lack of ranged damage, social face, magic in general, etc in this campaign feels like a really bad idea. Thus, I am trying to work out a class/class combination that will best act to fill these roles to a decent enough extent. I have been looking primarily at the lore bard, sorceror (unsure of path), and wizard (unsure of path) in order. I'm really unsure what would best support an all melee group. Out of combat I definitely need the skills to be the face and rational mind. I believe the best path for combat would be either hyper offense with a blaster (probably sorceror in this case) or utility support to best help melee participants (lore bard with inspiration, pick up an aura/haste with secrets and such). I assume the first might be better since all combatants are mainly single target and we have no way to deal ranged damage, but I feel a bardish character could fit more of the missing roles though the lack of damage might hurt sorely. With all information considered, the ultimate question is as such: is it better to have a magic blaster for hyper offense in combat and face outside of combat for this group, or auxiliary support inside of combat (buffs, debuffs, minor healing) and face outside? In addition, which class/class combination would suit the role best and how would you generally go about making it? Sorry for the long post, I like to detail as much info as I can ^.^. Thanks in advance!

[Honest Tiefling]

Go full bard. If I have read your post correctly, you are newish so I'd avoid multiclassing until you are more familiar with the rules. A full bard will still be quite good. In my opinion the question of damage vs. support is complicated, but you have 2 fighters and a warlock, so more damage probably isn't going to help as much. Sure, when you can get the drop on the enemy the damage will be great, but if something goes wrong that support can mitigate a disaster or help others do damage.

I'd go Sorcerer if you just don't feel like being support. Remember you get some skills from your background and if your group is inclined to certain tactics Insight/Deception is all you need to get out of half of social situations. But while I feel like the bard is the better choice for teamwork, if you wanna blast, go ahead and blast. Might be harder overall, but so is playing a character you hate.

Another option is to go Warlock, just don't go melee-lock. You already have two fighters, and you can build a warlock that doesn't step on their toes especially if you pick a different pact/pact boon. The familiar can be useful to scout with for instance and I assume he's picked the Pact of the Blade.

Even if the nerfs to dominate and charm spells were needed, wizards make terrible faces. I'd avoid this option in this case. Wizards could be a buffer/controller which would be nice, but just aren't faces.

[fbelanger]

First timer.
Play the character you feel the most.
Don't bother about role, damage, ranged,magic, and social.

[Naez]

You're gonna need someone else to pick up some slack.

You need a Face, a healer, a trapbreaker (maybe, depends on backgrounds), a caster, skill monkey, and artillery. And honestly the only way I can see being able to pull it off is a Lore Bard/Sorcerer multiclass which I'm not even sure how you'd want to do that.

[Senrioth]

Hm thanks thus far for advice everyone. Yes, this is my first time being a player though I have been a DM for around 3 years now. Bit of a reverse order there haha. I think I will go bard in then end, thanks again!

[MeeposFire]

What would be really nice would be a barbarian with the wolf totem level 3 ability. Giving all of your allies advantage would be brutal and would also make you a target (granting your allies advantage and you likely granting advantage by reckless attack makes you a tempting target) where your resistance would help with reducing party damage taken. If going this route somebody should take the healer feat if possible. Sadly this boosts your party's pros but does not cover your weaknesses so the other options will probably be easier even though this option would get a lot of mileage for your party.

[Senrioth]

I had considered the wolf totem path actually, but went against for said weaknesses. I made a wackyish bard that fit basically everything in the end, but the fighter just decided he wanted to play control druid which changes things up a bit. More class stuff to work out for me now, but at least I have the bard done haha.

[JAL_1138]

If you really need the ranged damage, a Fighter 1/Valor Bard X with Sharpshooter (and possibly Crossbow Expert) can do decently well at it, nearly on rough par with a Warlock. Takes a bit to kick in, though starting at level 5 can mitigate the delay a bit. Still a versatile spellcaster and skillmonkey, as well, because bard, but not as good as a Lore bard at it. You can start a Vhuman with two 16s and a feat, so you could get both feats by overall level 5 (or Sharpshooter and a Dex bump, if skipping Crossbow Expert) and still have decent Dex and Cha.

[MrStabby]

Probably pact of the tome warlock. You cover ranged attacks, ritual support, party face and also support through things like counterspells.

One reason why warlock over other classes is resting. You are looking at a set of companions who can keep laying down beatings till they run out of hit dice to heal with. Strong at will damage and short rest recovery is more likely to mesh well with the party than a long rest class like a wizard.

Any time you want to take a rest just let others in the party take damage so they want to expend hit dice - give everyone a mechanical benefit from a short rest.

[Findulidas]

Like previously stated Bard seems like the best choice since its party face and buffing.

However a wis based cleric like a knowledge one, a land druid or a wizard seem like good choices as well. You wizards might not be able to heal like the first two, but healing by magic is pretty weak in 5e and wizards really do have awesome utility and crowd control. Something your group will need.