The consensus seems to be that individual advancement in 4E is tightly constrained enough that it's very difficult to get very far ahead or behind. The new powergaming rests in setting up synergies within the party. So, the challenge:
Build the perfect party of 1st-level PCs, each including some notes about advancement. Don't use exploits, your goal here is to demonstrate how well pack tactics can work. For purposes of saving space and time, you may omit unecessary details (such as non-combat equipment, how many GP are left over, etc.)
A five-PC party is sufficient. For extra credit, build an 8-PC party using each core race and class exactly once.
Character background & description should be minimal & pithy. Frex: "Morallio is a man with a sword, a mustache, and a mission."
__________________ Lawpack & Transhumanist Guild's Future Civil Rights Attorney for Non-Homo Sapiens Intelligences
1 New Gods Point, 1 Awwwwh...! Point, 1 Awesome Point, 1 Succinct Point, 1 Laugh Point, 1 Guardian Legend Point, 1 Shh! Dammit Point, 1 I really DID make Old Geezer laugh out loud point, 1 Scroll of Fireball, Fuck. You're right. - Candelaris If I'm in a PBP game with you, you may find my rolls here.
Formerly Known as WyzardWhately. But nobody else could spell it, and I didn't know how to pronounce it.
This is harder then you may think. For one thing I don't think the optimal 1st level party will become the optimal 2nd level party.
It also depends on what kind of encounters you will face. You only have ten things happen to you per level so you have to be prepared. The best party will be the versatile one.
In other words I don't think there is a single answer and there can't be a winner to this challenge. 'Course That's what makes it fun.
There are some things which are always of use, no matter what your party consists of. These characters provide substantial benefits and can fit in almost anywhere:
Tactical Warlord - everyone loves bonuses to hit and he provides oodles of them. Be a Battle Captain for added sexiness.
Divine Oracle - who doesnt love never being surprised and having a massive nova enabling daily power
Rangers - they bring lots of striker damage with a side order of yet more damage. Be an archer ranger to further annoy your GM as his monsters chase you futilely around the battlefield
There are some things which are always of use, no matter what your party consists of. These characters provide substantial benefits and can fit in almost anywhere:
Tactical Warlord - everyone loves bonuses to hit and he provides oodles of them. Be a Battle Captain for added sexiness.
Divine Oracle - who doesnt love never being surprised and having a massive nova enabling daily power
Rangers - they bring lots of striker damage with a side order of yet more damage. Be an archer ranger to further annoy your GM as his monsters chase you futilely around the battlefield
Warlords are sad when the tank is a Charisma-based paladin and the strikers are ranged attackers (or low-Strength rogues). If you have a dual-wield ranger, brutal scoundrel rogue, and fighter tank (or even Strength paladin), I'm sure they'd be fun, but that wasn't what I had and so the experience was not great.
Warlords are sad when the tank is a Charisma-based paladin and the strikers are ranged attackers (or low-Strength rogues). If you have a dual-wield ranger, brutal scoundrel rogue, and fighter tank (or even Strength paladin), I'm sure they'd be fun, but that wasn't what I had and so the experience was not great.
Well, here's your chance to build the whole party around that Warlord.
__________________ Lawpack & Transhumanist Guild's Future Civil Rights Attorney for Non-Homo Sapiens Intelligences
1 New Gods Point, 1 Awwwwh...! Point, 1 Awesome Point, 1 Succinct Point, 1 Laugh Point, 1 Guardian Legend Point, 1 Shh! Dammit Point, 1 I really DID make Old Geezer laugh out loud point, 1 Scroll of Fireball, Fuck. You're right. - Candelaris If I'm in a PBP game with you, you may find my rolls here.
Formerly Known as WyzardWhately. But nobody else could spell it, and I didn't know how to pronounce it.
Well, here's your chance to build the whole party around that Warlord.
For a five-person:
Human fighter, one-handed spec, favors longsword. Cleave, Heavy Blade encounter powers, Tide of Iron. If using non-core rules, replace with a minotaur with Opportunity Gore; +4 to hit and knockdown with every opportunity attack is made of win.
Human ranger, dual-wield spec, but offhanding a throwable weapon, perhaps a trident, just in case range is needed.
Human (or bugbear) brutal scoundrel; the accuracy on the dagger makes it the best weapon for just about every rogue build, barring a few wacky drow with hand crossbows.
Dragonborn two-handing paladin; acts as half a tank, half a striker, and half of a leader for extra heals. Since an all-melee party is likely to get sort of crowded, he can carry a reach weapon, though there's no real difference between the halberd and longspear for him.
Dragonborn inspiring warlord; Furious Smash becomes delightful when everyone in the party can use it.
For an eight-class, eight-race party:
Half-elf and warlock are made to go together; since this is a big party, you don't need the infernalock off-tanking so much, so take Fey Pact and pick up Enfeebling Strike as your Dilettante power, just in case you're in melee.
Dwarf gets to be the Wisdom-priest.
Elf then gets the role of archery-ranger.
Eladrin snags the rogue slot, going with brutal scoundrel (opportunity attacks? That's what fey step is for).
Halfling gets to be the paladin, focusing on the Cha defensive powers.
Dragonborn can now pick up the warlord, with inspiring as the obvious choice.
Tiefling gets to be a wizard, using Hellfire Blood to drop accurate and painful fire on everything.
And we're left with a human fighter; with this many people, I'd say polearm-fighter for A) control and B) reaching over the others to hit someone is probably a good plan.
I am inclined to make a party of a singular class such as the ranger, just to see how effective a party can be without versatility. Perhaps to find the minimum amount of versatility needed to be viable?
I noticed earlier that striker stacking makes Solo & elites easier, but minions harder.
Of course, level & build matters a lot
I am inclined to make a party of a singular class such as the ranger, just to see how effective a party can be without versatility. Perhaps to find the minimum amount of versatility needed to be viable?
I noticed earlier that striker stacking makes Solo & elites easier, but minions harder.
Of course, level & build matters a lot
Hmm. I'd think that strikers are not the best route to go; while they'll do the most damage, they'll also receive the most, and have the fewest options to mitigate or recover it. Paladins, or either of the published leader classes, might do better.
Bravura warlords would be my first pick, since their class ability as written stacks.
For race and for pure combatyness, 4 DB's are scary good, but at level 1 I'd be inclined to say human, just because the extra feat is a huge deal in terms of versitility, and of course, action surge rules.
For class feature, combatwise the best bet is probobly 4 bravura warlords, but since that's practically an exploit, split into the 4 different options available. That means that your AP....
Giving HP, Inreasing Chance to hit, giving free melee attacks, + one additional benefit with resourceful. That's for EACH AP.
If any PC goes down, he'll stand up on his next turn when someone throws a minor his way. Unless you can coup him before he has a chance to do anything about it or knock down two in the same segment.
For feats, naturally pick heroic surge, plus one multiclass feat to round out your partys skillset, or use your feat for a variety of the neat little feats.
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One, two, three, four
That's the way we count the hoard
When we loot the bloody corpse
After slaying mister orc
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