In/Out-of-Combat Niches

[Catullus64]

Do you have a favorite combination of a combat role with an out-of combat role?

Me, for instance, I like to play melee skirmishers who function as utility casters outside of combat. Hence, the last four major characters I played were a Bladesinger Wizard, an Arcane Trickster with 2-Level Transmuter Wizard dip, a Swashbuckler/Swords Bard, and an Eagle Totem Barbarian with the Ritual Caster feat.

A friend of mine, by contrast, likes Face/Tanks. He plays lots of Paladins, Hexblades, high-charisma Battlemasters.

[JumboWheat01]

I actually have a tendency to focus so much more on out-of-combat than I do combat when creating characters that I don't really see a pattern in my characters for combat/out-of-combat. And even my out-of-combat focus tends to be pretty spread, I've got knowledge characters, social characters, survivalists, crafters, all sorts.

[Bobthewizard]

In combat, I like controllers or tanks and generally dislike playing blasters, including skirmishers or archers. Blasters just don't seem to have to think as much during combat, while controllers have to think about the environment and optimal spells every battle, and tanks need to consider their positioning to best protect the party. Tanks also seem to participate more, getting attacked more often and hopefully getting to make more opportunity attacks.

Out of combat, I like to be a generalist. I don't have to be the best scout or face but I like to be able to contribute in both of those areas. I like healing and utility best if they can be split between at least two characters.

[dragoeniex]

Out of combat, I like playing the face, and my favorite tactics use heavy guile hero tones. Deception, ingratiation, sowing of paranoia... Though I also like faces who are effective because they're just so gosh-darned likable.

This works out since most others in my group hate playing the face.

In combat, I like control. Whether that's slinging debuffs as a bard or slashing away with the battlemaster's superiority dice, my DMs know my favorite thing to do is take toys away from enemies.

I also enjoy nova builds and bits of healing or magic dispelling to help keep teammates going. 5e has a lot of classes I enjoy.

[JellyPooga]

Whether it's in or out of combat, I like to be the utility guy.

- I want to be the Thief picking the lock in a hurry, while the rest of the party hold off the bad guys.

- I want to be the Barbarian holding the portcullis up or bracing the door, so my companions can escape.

- I want to be the Druid who disrupts the ritual with a Gust of Wind to knock the candles around the pentagram into disarray.

I don't necessarily enjoy control aspects, or being a striker, or any other specific role...what I enjoy is being the lynchpin. Even if that means not necessarily being all that useful in a scrap. Especially when it's something that you wouldn't normally expect or think of using. Pain in the butt? Yeah, usually. Miss me when I'm not there and you realise you need me? Absolutely. I *like* niche, I *like* esoteric, I like being able to say "It's funny you should say that, but it just so happens that I have a...[spell][ability][item][solution]...for that!" and people looking at me funny and asking, incredulous, "Why? Just...*why* would you have that?".