DM Here. I have ten eleven year olds in an after school club. They are all enamored with playing spellcasters and its looking distinctly likely they will end up with eight druids a wizard and a cleric. Any selling points for straight forward fighters? It seems to me like the Fighter class is still the core frontline class for a well balanced party.
Well there's alway eldritch knight if they want to be sword and spell type. But there are so many cool fighter subclasses in Xanathar's guide alone that I want to play all of and probably won't get the chance to. Samurai is great and can be good for roleplaying, cavalier is the classic mounted combatant that's great, and arcane archer (again uses the schools of magic) and is my favorite 5e subclass.
Honestly, if they want to play druids, wizards and clerics, let them. Fighter's a great class if you want to play a soldier, knight, gladiator, or anyone that wins fights by virtue their physical prowess and skill with weapons and armor but none of the matters if that's not the character they want to play.
Druids, wizards and clerics all have options to hold their own in close combat and in the very worst case scenario, you have the power to adjust encounters if there's a challenge they simply can't overcome, which is unlikely with that many spellcasters.
Fighters dont run out of spells, so thats a selling point for players who tend to 'empty the magazines', but only after the first time it happens. Some classes appeal to players more than others, unless there is an underlying reason they all chose spellcasters rather than organically choosing from personal perspective you may just have to roll with it.
* They're durable. They have a larger Hit Die, generally a solid AC, they get a bit of healing every Short Rest, and later on they can reroll the occasional saving throw failure.
* Swords don't need spell slots. Seriously though, a big reason why my go-to caster class is Warlock is because managing your spell slots over the course of a full day is annoying.
* It's a very versatile class. Especially with Xanathar's Guide out now, there are archetypes for a wide variety of play styles.
All those casters, they better hope they never run into a Rakshasa :)
You could also direct them to Barbarian, Bard, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, and Warlock as well as Fighter. Really, not every group needs a Fighter; Barbarian and Paladins are equal in this role you are trying to fill, and even then you don't need to have any of them to still have a balanced party. Still, you do want variety. Perhaps make it a requirement that no two characters may be the same class, then give some examples of Subclasses. I'm sure at least one of them will be interested in Eldritch Knight, Hexblade, or Avenger.
Ya know what, I think having a magic heavy group will be interesting for them to work around some of their lacks. If they have druids they kinda already have their frontline fighter if any of them are circle of the moon (which seems to be the most popular), even if they are not circle of the moon the wildshape can help give them meat shields of hitpoints.
Lots of crazy stuff they can do if multiple people are giving concentration spells to a single fighter. It should be interesting, means the story should follow their interests, like searching for ancient lost knowledge, maybe the ability to craft magic items. Or clearing a massive library of demonic/undead/evil taint. That group will get a lot of use out of any scrolls and such that are found.
I myself have found my group in a position where nobody is a has access to healing magic (we have had a rotating roster of people and most of them that had healing have moved on) so to compensate I have made sure they find more healing potions and our rogue (thief) has become their triage healer with Fast Hands, and Tabaxi movement bonuses to get healing potions where they are needed at a moments notice. The Tabaxi Rogue Chemist of sorts.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
DM Here. I have ten eleven year olds in an after school club. They are all enamored with playing spellcasters and its looking distinctly likely they will end up with eight druids a wizard and a cleric. Any selling points for straight forward fighters? It seems to me like the Fighter class is still the core frontline class for a well balanced party.
Well there's alway eldritch knight if they want to be sword and spell type. But there are so many cool fighter subclasses in Xanathar's guide alone that I want to play all of and probably won't get the chance to. Samurai is great and can be good for roleplaying, cavalier is the classic mounted combatant that's great, and arcane archer (again uses the schools of magic) and is my favorite 5e subclass.
Published Subclasses
Honestly, if they want to play druids, wizards and clerics, let them. Fighter's a great class if you want to play a soldier, knight, gladiator, or anyone that wins fights by virtue their physical prowess and skill with weapons and armor but none of the matters if that's not the character they want to play.
Druids, wizards and clerics all have options to hold their own in close combat and in the very worst case scenario, you have the power to adjust encounters if there's a challenge they simply can't overcome, which is unlikely with that many spellcasters.
Fighters dont run out of spells, so thats a selling point for players who tend to 'empty the magazines', but only after the first time it happens. Some classes appeal to players more than others, unless there is an underlying reason they all chose spellcasters rather than organically choosing from personal perspective you may just have to roll with it.
Goodluck and i hope its fun for everyone.
Some nice things about Fighters:
* They're durable. They have a larger Hit Die, generally a solid AC, they get a bit of healing every Short Rest, and later on they can reroll the occasional saving throw failure.
* Swords don't need spell slots. Seriously though, a big reason why my go-to caster class is Warlock is because managing your spell slots over the course of a full day is annoying.
* It's a very versatile class. Especially with Xanathar's Guide out now, there are archetypes for a wide variety of play styles.
All those casters, they better hope they never run into a Rakshasa :)
You could also direct them to Barbarian, Bard, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, and Warlock as well as Fighter. Really, not every group needs a Fighter; Barbarian and Paladins are equal in this role you are trying to fill, and even then you don't need to have any of them to still have a balanced party. Still, you do want variety. Perhaps make it a requirement that no two characters may be the same class, then give some examples of Subclasses. I'm sure at least one of them will be interested in Eldritch Knight, Hexblade, or Avenger.
Ya know what, I think having a magic heavy group will be interesting for them to work around some of their lacks. If they have druids they kinda already have their frontline fighter if any of them are circle of the moon (which seems to be the most popular), even if they are not circle of the moon the wildshape can help give them meat shields of hitpoints.
Lots of crazy stuff they can do if multiple people are giving concentration spells to a single fighter. It should be interesting, means the story should follow their interests, like searching for ancient lost knowledge, maybe the ability to craft magic items. Or clearing a massive library of demonic/undead/evil taint. That group will get a lot of use out of any scrolls and such that are found.
I myself have found my group in a position where nobody is a has access to healing magic (we have had a rotating roster of people and most of them that had healing have moved on) so to compensate I have made sure they find more healing potions and our rogue (thief) has become their triage healer with Fast Hands, and Tabaxi movement bonuses to get healing potions where they are needed at a moments notice. The Tabaxi Rogue Chemist of sorts.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
Higher hit points, able to do things on their own without assistance, and no concentration spells fizzling out.