1st level battle royale

[Emperor Demonking]

At first level core only, between each class, how would it go?

[Starbuck_II]

At first level core only, between each class, how would it go?

I'd say Druid. You have 2 PCs at level 1 (I consider a 2 HD Riding Dog PC-like at least it is CR 1).
Entangle would win the day versus any non-good Ref savers. Fighter would be stuck. Just Sling stuff at him with Riding Dog inbetween the two of you so can't charge you.

Against Rogues and Monks: Well, the Riding Dog is a Competent warrior.

So I say Druid.

[Kizara]

Elven barbarian wins. Take Power Attack.

1) Immune to sleep.

2) Best damage and hp with rage.

Spiked Chain trip fighter has a good shot too though, but could get screwed by sleep.

EDIT: Nope, above poster is right, elven druid wins.

[cupkeyk]

I would say its a toss up between Barbarian, (with his acceptable Will save while raging, he will walk away from the wizard ('s corpse) ) or the Paladin, with good saves on Will and Fair offensive capability.

[Crow]

I'm going to have to go with the monk on this one...

Just kidding!

We're talking about a Battle Royale here, so everybody is going to be fighting at once, which will somewhat mitigate the druid's advantage in having the animal companion. Barbarian rage isn't going to last long enough to pull him through the whole battle, and the casters just aren't going to have the gas to stay up the whole time.

I'm going to have to go with the elf spiked chain fighter. Reach, combat reflexes. You don't need to trip everybody, just prevent them from getting to you without having to take five-foot steps.

[Closet_Skeleton]

The rogue wins.

Everyone else kills each other, then the rogue sneak attacks the last one.

Healing spells can also effectively increase your hp, giving divine casters another advantage.

[Kurald Galain]

At first level core only, between each class, how would it go?

Whomever wins initiative, I'd say. Most characters can one-shot most other characters at first level.

E.g. barbarian can smash the wizard; or wizard can cast color spray. Whomever goes first probably wins.

[Guildorn Tanaleth]

Whomever wins initiative, I'd say. Most characters can one-shot most other characters at first level.

E.g. barbarian can smash the wizard; or wizard can cast color spray. Whomever goes first probably wins.

Actually, whoever goes first stands a far better chance of winning, due to his or her grammatical accuracy. As Batman himself once said, "Good grammar is essential to crime-fighting."

[Corlis]

It also depends on whether the classes have the opportunity to get ready for the battle; a fighter needn't prepare for combat, so he would have an advantage over a mage who didn't have a chance to cast mage armor. Likewise with barbarians raging and so forth.

[Crow]

This isn't one-on-one. Battle Royale. Everyone is there, at the same time. The importance of Initiative, while usually very important, is somewhat reduced.

[Kurald Galain]

Actually, whoever goes first stands a far better chance of winning, due to his or her grammatical accuracy. As Batman himself once said, "Good grammar is essential to crime-fighting."

proven his wrong, thuogh, on the dragon Magazin.

This isn't one-on-one. Battle Royale. Everyone is there, at the same time.

Okay. In that case, my bet is on the Bard, who has the greatest chance of getting a Wand of Some Area Attack Spell to work.

[Jasdoif]

If I remember the last time this came around...the wizard won by selling the starting spellbook (sale value over 1,000gp) and buying a bunch of trained dogs to maul everyone else.

[Person_Man]

Can I use Core MM races? Is it 1st level, or ECL 1?

[-Cor-]

Why theorize about it? Why not just do it?

Get 8 of your friends, all of you roll up 8 point-buy core-only characters. Have 8 battles in a 100x100 ft room where you all start at equal distances. Roll initiative and go from there.

Track the 8 battles and see who wins more often.

This way you have 8 different opinions on how to build each class at 1st level which "should" run the gamut of builds.

Don't have 8 friends? 4 friends with 8 characters playing two at a time would work as well I suppose.

[Crow]

Why theorize about it? Why not just do it?

Get 8 of your friends, all of you roll up 8 point-buy core-only characters. Have 8 battles in a 100x100 ft room where you all start at equal distances. Roll initiative and go from there.

Track the 8 battles and see who wins more often.

This way you have 8 different opinions on how to build each class at 1st level which "should" run the gamut of builds.

Don't have 8 friends? 4 friends with 8 characters playing two at a time would work as well I suppose.

Last time we did anything like that, the winner ended up being a half-orc with a double axe.

Selling the spellbook and geting the dog pack, while effective, is certainly not in the spirit of the discussion. =)

[Fenix_of_Doom]

To be honest, I don't think you can predict the outcome of this battle, there are simply to many factors. Sure the druid has a good chance, but what if everybody decide he's a thread and gang up on him, any class can be taken out by the sleep spell from the wizard/sorcerer.
My best bet would be half-elf with any class that has diplomacy as a class skill.

[JaxGaret]

Elven Barbarian with a Heavy Crossbow, lots of Crossbow Bolts, and the Run feat could have a decent chance, sticking to maximum bow range.

[Starbuck_II]

To be honest, I don't think you can predict the outcome of this battle, there are simply to many factors. Sure the druid has a good chance, but what if everybody decide he's a thread and gang up on him, any class can be taken out by the sleep spell from the wizard/sorcerer.
My best bet would be half-elf with any class that has diplomacy as a class skill.

Druid have good Will save + Wisdom primary stat: I doubt they will fall asleep.

[OneWinged4ngel]

Either the init winner (unless they get unlucky and miss), or the guy with two people on his team. Be it a duskblade, cleric, barbarian, or whatever class you fancy... all can do very high damage that will pretty much wipe out any single character they hit. Of course, the druid is two people at level 1, so that may not work against him.

[Hyozo]

Druid have good Will save + Wisdom primary stat: I doubt they will fall asleep.

As do Clerics, and while they may not have an animal companion they do get metal armor, effective weapons, and one more first level spell.

[JaxGaret]

Either the init winner

I guess that would be the Human Fighter, who can take three feats that improve Initiative - but that only really helps for a round-robin fight, not so much for a battle royale.

or the guy with two people on his team.

You mean the Bard?

[Setra]

I'm gonna vote the Druid.

[Fenix_of_Doom]

Druid have good Will save + Wisdom primary stat: I doubt they will fall asleep.

which is is +6 if they have WIS 18, a wizard/sorcerer with INT/CHA 18 has a spell DC of 15, if they took spell focus(enchantment) it is 16 giving druid 45% or 50% chance to fall a sleep, not as likely as the fighter but certainly possible.

[Adumbration]

Get something like... Half-orc cleric of Kord, pick Strength domain (enlarge rules low level), get good stats on strength and wisdom and watch the enemies get slaughtered by a 14 feet tall bastard with a greatsword.

You should get away against sleep with your will save.

[OneWinged4ngel]

Get something like... Half-orc cleric of Kord, pick Strength domain (enlarge rules low level), get good stats on strength and wisdom and watch the enemies get slaughtered by a 14 feet tall bastard with a greatsword.

You should get away against sleep with your will save.

Don't forget to throw in things like Blade of Blood or Powerful Charge or Rapid Assault or Law Devotion.

[Setra]

I somehow doubt the Wizard would win.

Everyone would target him first.

[Hyozo]

I'm gonna vote the Druid.

Sure, because a dog is infinitely better than good equipment and 1d8+2 extra hit points.

[Setra]

Sure, because a dog is infinitely better than good equipment and 1d8+2 extra hit points.

Well at level one he could have two wolves.

I had a better explanation for why I voted druid but I forgot it.

[Kurald Galain]

I somehow doubt the Wizard would win.

Everyone would target him first.

That's a good point. Whichever class is considered the "winner" by this thread won't actually win, because everybody will target him first.

If you go with 8 friends, in the second round several people will want to take out the first round's winner. There's a lot of diplomacy involved here, and not of the kind you can override with a charisma check.

[OneWinged4ngel]

Wait, you want to have EVERYONE in there at the same time? It'll practically be luck. You can't really call it in such a mass melee.