Party Make Up – Myths and Realities

by Darkgolem

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“It will be a few minutes; we need to get a cleric.” 

Sooner or later, if you play Dungeon & Dragons Online (DDO), you'll hear someone say this to you. Truth be told, there are situations where party make-up is important. A lot of people feel that a party's make up has to contain a certain combination of player classes or the party will not be successful. This isn't true; but there are certain strategies that a party should have when playing with various combinations of roles.

First and foremost, it is important that the distinction between a character's role in an adventure and a character's class is clear. A character's role is what function they have in making a party successful. A class (for the purpose of this article) is the “skill set” that character uses to fulfill that role. For example, a rogue might have all rogue levels, a very high disable device and search skills, and have feats and enhancements that bring these skills up. This rogue has the role of trap detection and removal. Another rogue might have feats such as improved feint, sap, and enhancements such as rogue's action boost. This rogue might be oriented more toward a combat role, and less effective for traps or other rogue functions.

These are the roles that are found in a party:

1.  Party maintenance (maintaining the health and effectiveness of party members)
2.  Enemy management (bringing enemies to the point they cannot affect the party)
3.  Quest access (managing access to different parts of a quest, such as chests, locked doors etc.)

It is important to understand that the description of the enemy management role means just what it says; that is, enemy management does not mean just killing your enemies.  Since experience in DDO is gained for completing quest objectives, not just killing monsters, often bypassing one's enemies is just as good. For example, if a party's wizard blinds a group of enemies using Glitterdust, and the enemies are not necessary to complete an adventure, then the adventuring party that wizard is a member of can simply walk past the blinded creatures and continue on their way. Blinded creatures fumble around, and eventually they will be left behind.

Party maintenance can include trap removal, healing, buffing the party using spells (such as Haste; Resistance or Rrotection from Energy; the Tumble or Jump spells, and so on).  As long as a role is fulfilled, the means used to do this is unimportant.

A balanced party needs access to all three roles to be fully successful; but all three roles are not generally required for a party to be at least partially successful.  For example, a rogue is necessary to get past certain locked doors and into certain locked checks.  But in most cases, a rogue is not absolutely necessary to complete a quest. A party of adventurers might not get as much treasure or complete all the optional objectives without a rogue, however.

With unusual party combinations, tactics become important. For example, a party made up of fighters, barbarians and rangers has enemy management down pat, but party maintenance is not covered at all. There are many missions where this party can simply have the members with the highest armor class stand in front, shields up, and the remaining party members using arrows and other ranged weapons to annihilate all the enemies in an adventure. As the warriors take damage, the damaged members can be the ranged fighters and the undamaged members can take their turn holding shields and taking damage.

Many classes can affect more than one part of a role. A good example is a wizard using Summon Monster. Summon Monster can be placed at a distance, wherever the reticule for the spell is placed when the spell is cast. So a summon monster spell can be placed beyond a trap, and as the creature returns to the caster, the trap will be triggered (without harm to the party members). This is a form of party maintenance (since the party members will not have damage from the trap, their health is maintained). By the same token, the summoned monster can absorb the affects of poison (from creatures the monster fights), also fulfilling the role of party maintenance.  Of course, killing the enemies of the party is enemy management.

Some classes cannot function in particular roles.  Fighters cannot heal, or buff, or remove curses, or remove traps.  They are almost exclusively enemy management, the only exception being when they have the strength necessary to open stuck valves.

When determining party makeup, one should look for roles to be filled, not classes.  Almost always, a rogue is the best at quest access…but quest access is often not required for completion of a quest. Enemy management and party maintenance are needed, but many classes can fulfill these roles.  A cleric is the best at party maintenance, but wizards have Protection from Energy, and other similar spells. Bards have Cure Light Wounds, and anyone with a high enough use magical device check can use wands. A wizard can be excellent at the role of enemy management, especially with charmed and summoned “blockers” between himself and the enemy, giving the spell caster time to destroy foes with blasts of damaging magic.

By looking at the roles that a group of adventurers can fill, rather than the classes, you are better able to fill the needs of your group, and better able to judge what needs your group has. Furthermore, you'll have a wider selection of options available as you recruit party members, allowing your group to get into the action and advance more rapidly.

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