Looking for class suggestion

[Ozzie831]

My friends and I are going to be playing a Duo campaign, mostly set in an urban environment. My duo partner has already decided to create a stout halfling ranged based fighter. So Ive been tasked to figure out how to compliment that. The DM already said that he was going to be tougher on us this go around. So its either "try to skirt every situations" or "get ready to fight every situation" and if we die, sucks to be us and to get ready to reroll a new character.

I personally dont feel a ranged fighter matches too well in a duo. No real reasoning behind it, I just dont feel like its going to do well.....especially with 7 charisma.......in this game where everyone wants to kill you unprovoked in the first place.......

So I either have to make a character to protect this ranged character. Or just outlive them and wait for them to reroll a new character haha.

Its going to be tough to fill all the rolls with just 2 people. But the dm is going to make it slightly tailored to out class picks. But Ive been thinking of a moon druid that's based on crowed control so the ranger can stay at a distance and so i can basically be a meat shield.


Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[AHF]

With a duo, you might do better to lean into the ranged theme and get a character who is good at that so you guys can snipe and retreat rather than just focus fire on you. A spell caster who can crowd control with some escape option(s) might be a good fit. The halfling fighter might be less optimal in close range combat (although if using crossbow expert that isn’t a huge concern) but should still be fairly stout if someone gets in his face.

Maybe a level 1 cleric for armor (medium if plan on high stealth activity) and full spell casting, guidance, and some useful level 1 subclass ability and then go wizard. Should give you some nice options and allow the two of you ambush opponents. Had success doing that with a rogue in a similar campaign.

[SunderedWorldDM]

It might be wise to strongly consider Cleric, particularly the Forge, War, Grave or Life domains. The former two allow you to fill a tank-healing sort of role, so that you can function in the front lines and be a meat shield as well as being really good at healing/buffing (particularly if you're providing armor buffs and such as a Forge cleric). Any way you slice it, cleric is a really great catch-all for the sorts of niches you'll need to fill, and your domain choice is one of how much you'll want to be on the front lines vs. acting as a resident healer.

If you want to be a bit flashier, you could go with a class near and dear to my heart, the Paladin. You get your lay on hands as a dependable pool of healing, take a couple of nice buff/heal spells, take some enchantment spells to try and avoid fighting if you can (command comes to mind), and then go to town in the front lines. If you're looking to avoid combat, the Redemption paladin is great, especially if you prioritize Charisma and being the party face (which is a role you'd be missing as a cleric, unless you want to be kind of MAD, which might be a viable option for you).

Otherwise, Bards are another place to look: great social skills for avoiding combat, some really nice options to lean into whatever niche you want to occupy (Stealth and subterfuge? Whispers. Face? Glamour. Combat? Swords or Valor. Arcana? Lore.), and the spell list and core abilities practically scream "I'm meant to support my teammates and find out-of-the-box solutions to combat". If you're okay with your fighter friend taking a big spotlight in combat, the bard may be for you.

But all in all, especially if the DM is doing a little bit of customization, you should be able to succeed with any sort of class. Maybe this game is your chance to lean into roleplay and building a really nice character from the narrative first, and not the statistics. Is there a class you've really been wanting to play for the first time? Is there a class you haven't played in forever and want to get back to? Do you want to return to an old go-to with fresh eyes? Whatever you pick, you'll probably adapt to a nice set of tactics pretty soon, especially if you're in rigorous combat often. Hell, I could imagine that you might even be able to make a really cool all-ranged team, sitting on the opposite rooftop and shooting from afar... don't think about it too hard, and make something you want to play. You'll figure out how to work it in time.

Hope this is helpful, and best of luck! :smalltongue:

[nickl_2000]

The best ways to boost a ranged fighter are to either
1: Give them an additional attack (haste)
2: Give them advantage/bonus to be able to hit more with sharpshooter.

Land Druid (Grassland) would be a very good choice. You get Haste, Fairie Fire, Invisibility, Pass without a Trace, and lots of other goodies. You can avoid many encounters, and the ones you can't avoid you can boost your ally to hit hard and fast. Plus since it's a Druid, you have summons that you can throw between the baddies and the PCs. You also have all the healing utility you need.


Light Domain Cleric is another decent choice. You get bless and fairie fire to help the sharpshooter hit every time. You have fireball to lay down the pain on mobs and protection for both of you from being hit. Plus healing of course


Lore Bard. You have the charisma to talk your way out of problems. You have so many skills it's amazing. You can avoid damage with cutting words. You have healing and fairie fire. invisibility to avoid encounters. Sleep at early levels to end encounters. At level 6 you can take haste and counterspell.



Lore Bard is likely the best choice since it's such a swiss army knife class, but the others would work perfectly fine.

[KorvinStarmast]

My friends and I are going to be playing a Duo campaign, mostly set in an urban environment.
My duo partner has already decided to create a stout halfling ranged based fighter.
So Ive been tasked to figure out how to compliment that. The DM already said that he was going to be tougher on us this go around. So its either "try to skirt every situations" or "get ready to fight every situation" and if we die, sucks to be us and to get ready to reroll a new character.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Rogue. Great for urban environment.
Mastermind: once per round you give the Fighter advantage on attack.
Pick a race. A fast one. Wood Elf.

You two have but one objective: hit and run. Your entire schtick is to be mobile. You don't want to mix it up.

[stoutstien]

Artificer. Fighters get alot of milage out of static bonuses and you can provide a ton of them on top of a good all-around support class. The fighter can provide the damage and you can do everything else.

[firelistener]

Rogue. Great for urban environment.
Mastermind: once per round you give the Fighter advantage on attack.
Pick a race. A fast one. Wood Elf.

You two have but one objective: hit and run. Your entire schtick is to be mobile. You don't want to mix it up.

I'd advise against rogue because it'll be pretty difficult to trigger sneak attack with only one ally that prefers to fight at range. Maybe they can ask the DM if there could be some NPC to help in combat for that.

[Ozzie831]

Good to see everyone is as divided as I am haha.

Screw it, maybe I'll just be a necro wizard that runs the city's cemetery and gets free corpses haha

[SunderedWorldDM]

Screw it, maybe I'll just be a necro wizard that runs the city's cemetery and gets free corpses haha

Actually, that would be great! Sounds like a fun character, and if you minomancy enough, you can literally make your front line every combat, solving the need for a tank.

[Neoh]

Swashbuckler Rogue, easy sneak attack procs, very mobile, expertise to get whatever important skills you want (I honestly believe dex skills don't need expertise, better take Athletics for some climbing in an urban setting, Perception/Investigation, Deception/Persuasion, Insight.
If your friend goes for a Battlemaster Fighter, he could even get the Commander's Strike maneuver, allowing you to use your reaction to attack, 2 sneak attacks in a round are really good for a 2 man, the burst potential could allow you to have some easier fights.


Out of all the other frontliner, I'd pick Barbarian with some Cha and proficiency in Intimidation, or if your DM is kind enough, he could let you roll your Intimidation checks out of your Str.


For a spell caster, Wizards get some nice utility and control spells along with classic blasting, find familiar is useful in an urban setting.

Druids get shapeshift, some heals and some nice utility, less control and blasting options but still good.

Bards are awesome, plus Lore Bard allows you to get even more spells to complement your playstyle, ultimate counterspell too. Gives you expertise everywhere. Can heal to an extent.

Sorcerer is mainly a blasting caster but the Subtle Spell metamagic is good in an urban setting, nice Cha skills, the Divine Soul expend your spell selection and get some heals in there.

Clerics could make for an ok frontline but I think it would be more dangerous than a Rogue that could escape and hide or a Barbarian that can mitigate damages very well. Nice spell selection though.

[da newt]

For a two man team, I'd be hesitant to volunteer to act as the one tank/meat shield - it just sounds so vulnerable, so I'd look at skills that compliment what my teammate does (sneak, kite, snipe - guerrilla warfare).

For a two person team I'd look to figure out how to bring more to the fight - minions, summons, familiar, etc. and also look for AoE / control builds.

Make sure you can heal some too.

[Expired]

Artificer. Fighters get alot of milage out of static bonuses and you can provide a ton of them on top of a good all-around support class. The fighter can provide the damage and you can do everything else.
Agreed. You'd be able to support your Fighter best with magical weapons/armor and you can cast Haste on them for an additional attack, x2 speed, and +2 AC. Do you know if your Fighter is going to take Crossbow Expert and Sharpshooter? In a duo where the DM is unforgiving, min-maxing is essential for survival.

[KorvinStarmast]

I'd advise against rogue because it'll be pretty difficult to trigger sneak attack with only one ally that prefers to fight at range. Maybe they can ask the DM if there could be some NPC to help in combat for that. I think you misunderstood the concept I proposed. I've run quite a few all rogue and two man teams in urban environments.

The whole point is to NOT engage in fights. (Though ranged attack with a long bow (wood elf) does not stink at low levels).

It is to move and hide; mobility is the premium tactical mode here. Urban environment. Shoot and move if you are to get into combat at all. When the enemy pursues, set them up for the occasional ambush; that's when sneak attack may be handy. Otherwise, the rogue is supporting the archer by giving them (when Master Mind comes on line) advantage on attacks.
Both characters are mobile. Also, rogue at level 2 gets to Hide as a bonus action; lots of ways to hide in an urban environment. And that allows for "attacking while hidden" which can enable sneak attack, sometimes.

-------------------------------

On the other hand, his idea to be a necromancer and use the city's graveyard as as resource seems to be a fun one.

[CBAnaesthesia]

Good to see everyone is as divided as I am haha.

Screw it, maybe I'll just be a necro wizard that runs the city's cemetery and gets free corpses haha
I think this is an awesome idea.
Otherwise I'd say Cleric (my vote would be for Arcana domain, but any could work fine), or maybe Valor Bard if you really need a party face.