Four of the same, only not?

[Cedrass]

We were talking the other night my group and I about doing something we never did and thought would be pretty awesome; creating 4 characters of the same class with different roles (Damage dealing, Caster, Rogue-type, Buff and Heal guy).

We thought about Clerics but I don't know it just feels boring. I've got Rogue as a potential class since with UMD we can fill up the caster/buff roles, he's the natural rogue-type. The damage-dealing can work out with a nice build.

I'm wondering if you guys haven't got other ideas we could use. In fact I guess we just got inspired by Rich's Elemental Infiltrators since it's pretty much the same class, but with a real distinct feel. I guess something like this could work too!

Pretty much any Complete book + ToB + Core is allowed. And Prestige Classes too.

[woodenbandman]

Prestige Classes or no?

If yes, then Clerics and Wizards. It comes the most naturally to them with multi/prestige classing (gish, summoner, etc). If no prestige classes, then I'd still suggest clerics, as well as Druids. Also possible are Dread Necromancers, Crusaders, Psions/Ardents/Wilders/Sorcerors...

Any full caster could do it, and pretty much nothing else can. If prestige classes are allowed, though, I'd consider a warlock party. Hellfire Binderlock, Sneaklock, Lockdownlock, Healock, etc.

[holywhippet]

Go for a all bard team - that way you have a mixture of different skills available. Then spend the campaign trying to out grandstand each other.

[Temet Nosce]

We were talking the other night my group and I about doing something we never did and thought would be pretty awesome; creating 4 characters of the same class with different roles (Damage dealing, Caster, Rogue-type, Buff and Heal guy).

We thought about Clerics but I don't know it just feels boring. I've got Rogue as a potential class since with UMD we can fill up the caster/buff roles, he's the natural rogue-type. The damage-dealing can work out with a nice build.

I'm wondering if you guys haven't got other ideas we could use. In fact I guess we just got inspired by Rich's Elemental Infiltrators since it's pretty much the same class, but with a real distinct feel. I guess something like this could work too!

Wizard, focused specialist with each of you giving up the others specialty.

[Cedrass]

Oops, I should have said it, but yeah prestige classes are ok, as long as it's not builds that require 1 level of this, 1 of this, 1 of this, 2 of this, etc. You get the idea!

[Riffington]

4 psion/chameleons.
There's the fact that you actually do specialize at first. And then you can trade up roles a bit later down the road.

[Kylarra]

I've always liked Team Cleric.

[Godskook]

How about daggerspell mages/shapers? Rogue 1/Wizard 4 entry, you'll each have an average of about 10 skill points per level most of the time(levels 3-4 will hurt a little), and 2 caster levels short of full casting. A daggerspell shaper will still feel very much the same, but have a far different spell casting, enabling the heal-bot and tank roles more readily than a wizard could.

Build advice:
1.Able Learner - will help you retain the full rogue-ish benefits from the skill points, especially since daggerspell neglects to have some pretty standard skills as class skills(for a rogue or wizard, that is).

2.Practiced Spellcaster - with 1 flaw and human, or 2 flaws, you can qualify at L5, instead of L6 or L9.

[Vortling]

Factotum/Chameleon? If you specialize right it works out very well. There is a shortage of healing and buffs until your 'casters' can get into chameleon though.

[FMArthur]

Recommending chameleon, too.

[taltamir]

UMD for all magic will get really expensive really fast. And with the amount of skills a rogue has there is really no point of "specializing" in it, everyone can have it.

And the only effective way to heal is via spells... so you are limited to bard, paladin, druid or cleric.

unless your DM just showers you with gold, then any class can do everything via magic items.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Go all-bard and make a rock band.

Arcanist--bard/sublime chord
Priest--divine bard variant
Sneak--bard/rogue/arcane trickster
Tank--bardbarian (bard/barbarian/rage mage)...and he has to wield an axe

[taltamir]

wait, multi classing is ok?

barbarian + bard = barbard

[Xefas]

I always thought it'd be humorous to have four Clerics of vastly different beliefs thrown together into a party and held together by some common bond.

Neutral Good Lesser Aasimar Cleric from Elysium that worships Talisid and the Five Companions and heals/buffs.

Lawful Neutral Warforged Cleric from Mechanus that worships Primus, and provides tankability.

Chaotic Neutral Neraph Cleric from Limbo that worships the Slaad Lords and provides pure damage.

Neutral Evil Lesser Tiefling Cleric from Hades that worships Evil as a whole, and provides utility and stealth.

It would be a hoot if you could get players that wouldn't take things too seriously and could be antagonistic towards one another without resorting to violence (and have fun without hurt feelings).

[BooNL]

I always thought it'd be humorous to have four Clerics of vastly different beliefs thrown together into a party and held together by some common bond.

Neutral Good Lesser Aasimar Cleric from Elysium that worships Talisid and the Five Companions and heals/buffs.

Lawful Neutral Warforged Cleric from Mechanus that worships Primus, and provides tankability.

Chaotic Neutral Neraph Cleric from Limbo that worships the Slaad Lords and provides pure damage.

Neutral Evil Lesser Tiefling Cleric from Hades that worships Evil as a whole, and provides utility and stealth.

It would be a hoot if you could get players that wouldn't take things too seriously and could be antagonistic towards one another without resorting to violence (and have fun without hurt feelings).

This would be great and I was going to recommend the same thing.

Basically any class able to specialize in different areas are viable: psions, wizards, rogues, bards, druids, cleric, etc.

You could also try a party of Warblades, each devoted to a different martial style or a group of druids. One focused on his animal companion, one on casting and one on wild-shaping.

[Eldariel]

Team Cleric, Team Druid & Team Wizard all work pretty well. By extension, Team Sorcerer isn't bad either, and Team Bard works surprisingly well with splats. Other than that, umm, yeah.

[taltamir]

Team Cleric, Team Druid & Team Wizard all work pretty well. By extension, Team Sorcerer isn't bad either, and Team Bard works surprisingly well with splats. Other than that, umm, yeah.

how does team wizard heal or tank?

[Eldariel]

how does team wizard heal or tank?

UMD, Summon. Healing isn't really hard for any class; Use Magic Device, Healing Belts & co. handle it. And yeah, Wizards can Summon to tank, or one of the Wizards can be a Gish, say a Swiftblade focused on controlling if need be (though with so many Wizards, there's plenty of control effects to go around either way, so "tanking" is sorta taken care of).

[taltamir]

UMD, Summon. Healing isn't really hard for any class; Use Magic Device, Healing Belts & co. handle it. And yeah, Wizards can Summon to tank, or one of the Wizards can be a Gish, say a Swiftblade focused on controlling if need be (though with so many Wizards, there's plenty of control effects to go around either way, so "tanking" is sorta taken care of).

doesn't that cost an unreasonable amount of money?
Team warrior can do that too with UMD (since it is practically the norm that "skill focus" also gives you that ability as a class skill).. or you can use multiclass (rogue 1 / warrior X)

[Eldariel]

doesn't that cost an unreasonable amount of money?
Team warrior can do that too with UMD (since it is practically the norm that "skill focus" also gives you that ability as a class skill).. or you can use multiclass (rogue 1 / warrior X)

UMDing Heal is cheap. Wand of Cure Light Wounds (or Lesser Vigor outside Core) gets you as much as you need; you just need someone with UMD in class and/or a decent amount of Cha to gain reliable access to it early on.

[Cedrass]

I always thought it'd be humorous to have four Clerics of vastly different beliefs thrown together into a party and held together by some common bond.

Neutral Good Lesser Aasimar Cleric from Elysium that worships Talisid and the Five Companions and heals/buffs.

Lawful Neutral Warforged Cleric from Mechanus that worships Primus, and provides tankability.

Chaotic Neutral Neraph Cleric from Limbo that worships the Slaad Lords and provides pure damage.

Neutral Evil Lesser Tiefling Cleric from Hades that worships Evil as a whole, and provides utility and stealth.

It would be a hoot if you could get players that wouldn't take things too seriously and could be antagonistic towards one another without resorting to violence (and have fun without hurt feelings).

This, is pretty much as awesome as it gets. I didn't want team Cleric, but you changed my mind. I'll try and make the others agree to this

[valadil]

I ran a thieves guild game once for a group of rogues. They had to be at least 50% rogue, but the rest was up to them.

I made sure to remind them that they were encouraged to collude over party roles. Someone should be able to UMD wands. Someone should be able to do damage without relying on sneak attack. Trap/lock skills are redundant, so only one or two people would need those, meaning that skills were more open than rogues are used to. They stopped listening to me after UMD.

I'd also like to see a wizards only game. I'd probably request focused specialists all around, just so people cast different spells.

[taltamir]

UMDing Heal is cheap. Wand of Cure Light Wounds (or Lesser Vigor outside Core) gets you as much as you need; you just need someone with UMD in class and/or a decent amount of Cha to gain reliable access to it early on.

at low levels where mortality is high, it is completely out of reach. At higher levels, a want of cure light isn't gonna help, you need cure critical and later heals for mid combat healing

[Riffington]

for mid combat healing

You must be new here.

[Cedrass]

at low levels where mortality is high, it is completely out of reach. At higher levels, a want of cure light isn't gonna help, you need cure critical and later heals for mid combat healing

Aside from the fact that mid-combat healing is rarely the best option available, there are way better options for this than wands of Cure (Heal is still a great spell though).

Edit: Ninja-ish.

[RagnaroksChosen]

You shouldn't really need healing in a group of Wizards.
or atleast you shouldn't especialy if the BC has any kind of init enhancer like improve init.

As well as a realy parinoid group of mages should rarly get jumped... and if they do they all try to GTFO untill they can prepare whats nessasary to kill the Enemy.

[Telonius]

Four Artificers should do nicely, particularly if they're all Warforged.

[Gnaeus]

If you DO want a healer in your wizard party, it can be done.

Arcane Disciple (Healing) puts most of the heals on your list, 1/day. Then you can scribe scrolls of healing spells, and craft wands of CLW. Take some pearls of power. Maybe take the reserve feat that gives healing up to half HP.

It requires a moderate Wisdom, and it isn't the best thing a wizard could do with his life, but it isn't the worst.

Or you can make a team of Necropolitan wizards, and stick Black Sand in your boots. It all depends on how broken you want to be.

[RagnaroksChosen]

If you DO want a healer in your wizard party, it can be done.

Arcane Disciple (Healing) puts most of the heals on your list, 1/day. Then you can scribe scrolls of healing spells, and craft wands of CLW. Take some pearls of power. Maybe take the reserve feat that gives healing up to half HP.

It requires a moderate Wisdom, and it isn't the best thing a wizard could do with his life, but it isn't the worst.

Or you can make a team of Necropolitan wizards, and stick Black Sand in your boots. It all depends on how broken you want to be.

ur right actualy.. could take the healing disipline then the heal reserve feat even if your wisdom is like 1 or two it would allow you to heal to half and use wands.

[Eldariel]

ur right actualy.. could take the healing disipline then the heal reserve feat even if your wisdom is like 1 or two it would allow you to heal to half and use wands.

But again, healing in D&D doesn't require a healer. Wands & Healing Belts are plenty sufficient with later Scrolls of Heal entering the picture; all you need is UMD.