The question may be vague, so I'll explain the situation:
We are starting an Adventurer's League group at school for various reasons, but mostly so that the faculty can switch DMs from session to session, and the kids' characters will seamlessly carry over. Plus, this way they can have characters they can use if they go to an outside of school function like a convention or a FLGS. As part of this, we were discussing the idea that each faculty DM should make a dude, to help round out numbers if we ever have a session that is a little short on students. This brought up the debate on what class is the "Guest Star" class, who would be a good gap filler no matter the make up of the party they get stuck into. (Sorry no Blood Hunter, because we are trying to stay AL compliant)
Honestly, a cleric can be a really good option. They can play support, they can heal, they can get into melee or stay back and be a blaster caster. And they have a wide range of themes to fit most settings.
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"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
Druid, be a big hitter causing major damage to enemies, be a tank to absorb damage and play support and healing for the party. It's the be anything, do anything better than anyone else class. The versatility is unmatched...frankly, they may be a bit OP'd in 5e. Hope it doesn't change, because they are my favourite.
Druid, be a big hitter causing major damage to enemies, be a tank to absorb damage and play support and healing for the party. It's the be anything, do anything better than anyone else class. The versatility is unmatched...frankly, they may be a bit OP'd in 5e. Hope it doesn't change, because they are my favourite.
......can I have two votes.....because Druid is actually really good too.....XD
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"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
Spell casting classes are difficult with a steep learning curve for any beginner and newbies are generally directed to melee classes such as fighter or barbarian. They are more straightforward than about any other class. However, if you are going to go for a spell casting class, Druid really isn't too bad and definitely less complicated than Paladins or Wizards without doubt. With any spell casting class, I always recommend getting the supplemental spell card decks by Gale Force Nine, especially for newer players. Very handy, even if you primarily use Beyond.
I will say, my very first character for D&D was a Druid. It is a class I can relate to on a personal level and as such, tend to continue playing a Druid in the majority of campaigns I play in. The biggest part of any character creation is to land a character you will enjoy. That always has to be the first priority. Being forced into any class you are unsure of can result in burnout for the game with newer players. So, if the person playing is new, it's generally best to go over the PHB and discuss the different classes, what they do and discuss what types of things they WANT in a character. But, all that is beside the point, the question posted was regarding versatility. And, it simply can't do better than a Druid. By votes, it's not winning, but by those who are commenting, Druid is winning by a landslide so far. :)
Example of versatility: In a campaign I'm currently playing in, I decimated over 20 enemies on my first turn in group battle combat. I arrived late to the scene, but basically ended the entire battle on my first move. I then followed up by healing the party to nearly full HP. This was after participating in my own melee encounters on my way to the battle.
Lastly...Druids are one with nature. Environmentally, you aren't going to land any other class more adaptive in addition to being able to take on roles of tank, frontline, utility, support, recon and espionage, battlefield control, ally enabler, problem solver, sneak, muscle, and etc. Need I say more? Other classes are more specialized, but none can do all these as effectively as a Druid can without severe downfalls that the Druid is not susceptible to.
I’m really surprised that Bard isn’t winning. It’s so versatile, from the wide range of spell choices, social options, combat options to skill versatility.
I also voted for Bard, but after reading these comments I have some cautionary comments of my own.
First, I would like to point out that younger players tend to think the best solution to ANY problem is to Kill It. Therefore the subtlety of using a Bard may be a problem for younger players. You have to consider your audience, and for younger players maybe a Paladin is a better choice. They have tough armor, attack with anything and may provide healing and other support. However, a young team is likely to be front loaded with "fighter" classes so a paladin may not be filling a role because that may already be covered.
A Bard, particularly a Lore Bard, is very helpful in two ways. First they have high skill check numbers so they fill any role that needs a skill check. They can have high persuasion, intimidation and deception checks, which are typical techniques PCs use to talk their way out of trouble. Bardic Inspiration can help any party member make the hit in a tough situation, which will allow them to help a party member fill a role when they can not. A Bards spells are often situational, but for combat they can throw out Bane to nerf 3 enemy, and Dissonant Whispers, which can cause one opponent to take damage and then flee giving reaction opportunity attacks. The Vicious Mockery cantrip can be used to deliver disadvantage to an opponent that is likely to tear up a lightly armored foe (like the Lore Bard).
In addition to having the Lore Bard is his equipment. He should have stuff equivalent to what the party is already using, but I also recommend giving the NPC Lore Bard Elven Chain. This jacks up his AC without violating any rules and may keep him in the fight.
Enjoy.
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Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
It depends on if you're going for "the best (or very good) at the most things" or "can be good at pretty much every task". If it's the former I'd say Bard, the latter, Artificer. Bards are traditional and literal Jacks of all trades and are much better at supporting others, doing magic and being skill monkeys (especially lore bards). Artificers are reprogramable Swizz army knives on steroids. They can do pretty everything they want, the have Guidance and other enhancing spells for support and they can create magic items. The fact that they can pretty much change their entire focus on a long rest gives them unsurpassed versatility as well.
The fact that Artificers might not always have the right tool at hand can also be handy so that the guest star doesn't outshine the players. If the PCs can't solve the problem "today" the guest artificer can always say "well, too bad we didn't make it. I might have something that can help if we try again tomorrow" then switch out items and spells to something that can better help the party with that particular task.
I voted Ranger because this is about a character filling in a roll that is missing when not enough players are there. And Ranger has versatility. With only slight changes you can have a melee ranger, ranged ranger, healing ranger, support ranger, and so on. You can even tank a bit in lower levels if you pick the right pet with BM. Since we don't know which role will need filling each game and it could change a lot I think Ranger would be a great pick. Followed up by Druid.
Battle Smith Artificers actually make better Beastmasters than Beastmasters. :P And they get better melee, ranged, support and healing (except for goodberries) abilities.
Clerics and Bards are the most well-rounded, but I voted Fighter because they’re self sufficient and unlikely to steal the show. While other classes have burst damage, high skills, and crazy spells that can rob moments of awesome from the kids’ characters, fighters are just classic, consistent workhorses: and they’re easy to run, so you don’t need to worry about an extra burden on the DMs.
The concern I have with some of the comments in this thread is the guest star (n)PC doesn't know the role until seeing which players don't show up.
A variety of subclasses doesn't help unless the character is getting created day of.
I voted artificer. Healing is always useful, medium armor is decent, offensive and CC spells are available, thieves' tools are always available, buffs in the form of spells and infusions, and giving support to the PC's doesn't step on toes.
Bards, clerics, and druids are my runners up, in that order.
I’m really surprised that Bard isn’t winning. It’s so versatile, from the wide range of spell choices, social options, combat options to skill versatility.
Plus you spelt rogue wrong.
GAAAAAAAHHHHH! Why do I always do that? Rogues with rouge on will kill me in my sleep some day....
There seems to be some confusion on the reason for the original question. The substitute character would be played by a faculty member to round out the number of adventures on days when all of the students aren't there, so it wouldn't be played by a newbie, but by a seasoned professional.
I voted Ranger because this is about a character filling in a roll that is missing when not enough players are there. And Ranger has versatility. With only slight changes you can have a melee ranger, ranged ranger, healing ranger, support ranger, and so on. You can even tank a bit in lower levels if you pick the right pet with BM. Since we don't know which role will need filling each game and it could change a lot I think Ranger would be a great pick. Followed up by Druid.
Battle Smith Artificers actually make better Beastmasters than Beastmasters. :P And they get better melee, ranged, support and healing (except for goodberries) abilities.
Agreed if you go by PHB, but if you use the Class Feature variants from the UA, which are very simple to use, it brings BM in line with Battle Smith now. And i still stand by my vote for Ranger. Played by a seasoned vet as said above they can be a help in many situations. And rangers are so easy to swap to different roles, based on what's needed for the student players, it can be done in a matter of 5 minutes or less before the game begins. Most of it is just swapping the prepared spells, a ranged or melee weapon, or swapping to BM with the new Beast of the Air or Beast of the Earth.
Honestly you could just build a Beast master and change his prepared spells and his weapons and it would work just fine. This session they need a tank; he equips melee weapons, prepares support spells, and send pet in to tank damage with him. Next session they need a healer; so you prep healing spells and goodberries, ranged weapon, and let pet distract while they dart around healing and helping. Next they need damage; so you prepare damaging spells equip either melee or ranged(choice is yours) and use the pet bonus action attack to help put on the pressure. You don't even need different subclasses. This is a single character sheet, single build, and he helps the party while not outshining the actual student players.
I voted Ranger because this is about a character filling in a roll that is missing when not enough players are there. And Ranger has versatility. With only slight changes you can have a melee ranger, ranged ranger, healing ranger, support ranger, and so on. You can even tank a bit in lower levels if you pick the right pet with BM. Since we don't know which role will need filling each game and it could change a lot I think Ranger would be a great pick. Followed up by Druid.
Battle Smith Artificers actually make better Beastmasters than Beastmasters. :P And they get better melee, ranged, support and healing (except for goodberries) abilities.
Agreed if you go by PHB, but if you use the Class Feature variants from the UA, which are very simple to use, it brings BM in line with Battle Smith now. And i still stand by my vote for Ranger. Played by a seasoned vet as said above they can be a help in many situations. And rangers are so easy to swap to different roles, based on what's needed for the student players, it can be done in a matter of 5 minutes or less before the game begins. Most of it is just swapping the prepared spells, a ranged or melee weapon, or swapping to BM with the new Beast of the Air or Beast of the Earth.
Honestly you could just build a Beast master and change his prepared spells and his weapons and it would work just fine. This session they need a tank; he equips melee weapons, prepares support spells, and send pet in to tank damage with him. Next session they need a healer; so you prep healing spells and goodberries, ranged weapon, and let pet distract while they dart around healing and helping. Next they need damage; so you prepare damaging spells equip either melee or ranged(choice is yours) and use the pet bonus action attack to help put on the pressure. You don't even need different subclasses. This is a single character sheet, single build, and he helps the party while not outshining the actual student players.
So... Just like the Artificer but you need UA to make it viable? Sure, Ranger is not a bad pick but it's not as versatile as the Artificer.
I voted Ranger because this is about a character filling in a roll that is missing when not enough players are there. And Ranger has versatility. With only slight changes you can have a melee ranger, ranged ranger, healing ranger, support ranger, and so on. You can even tank a bit in lower levels if you pick the right pet with BM. Since we don't know which role will need filling each game and it could change a lot I think Ranger would be a great pick. Followed up by Druid.
Battle Smith Artificers actually make better Beastmasters than Beastmasters. :P And they get better melee, ranged, support and healing (except for goodberries) abilities.
Agreed if you go by PHB, but if you use the Class Feature variants from the UA, which are very simple to use, it brings BM in line with Battle Smith now. And i still stand by my vote for Ranger. Played by a seasoned vet as said above they can be a help in many situations. And rangers are so easy to swap to different roles, based on what's needed for the student players, it can be done in a matter of 5 minutes or less before the game begins. Most of it is just swapping the prepared spells, a ranged or melee weapon, or swapping to BM with the new Beast of the Air or Beast of the Earth.
Honestly you could just build a Beast master and change his prepared spells and his weapons and it would work just fine. This session they need a tank; he equips melee weapons, prepares support spells, and send pet in to tank damage with him. Next session they need a healer; so you prep healing spells and goodberries, ranged weapon, and let pet distract while they dart around healing and helping. Next they need damage; so you prepare damaging spells equip either melee or ranged(choice is yours) and use the pet bonus action attack to help put on the pressure. You don't even need different subclasses. This is a single character sheet, single build, and he helps the party while not outshining the actual student players.
You do this in AL? ;-)
AL likely requires a separate question....
AL is part of the OP. :-)
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The question may be vague, so I'll explain the situation:
We are starting an Adventurer's League group at school for various reasons, but mostly so that the faculty can switch DMs from session to session, and the kids' characters will seamlessly carry over. Plus, this way they can have characters they can use if they go to an outside of school function like a convention or a FLGS. As part of this, we were discussing the idea that each faculty DM should make a dude, to help round out numbers if we ever have a session that is a little short on students. This brought up the debate on what class is the "Guest Star" class, who would be a good gap filler no matter the make up of the party they get stuck into.
(Sorry no Blood Hunter, because we are trying to stay AL compliant)
Honestly, a cleric can be a really good option. They can play support, they can heal, they can get into melee or stay back and be a blaster caster. And they have a wide range of themes to fit most settings.
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
Characters for Tenebris Sine Fine
RoughCoronet's Greater Wills
Druid, be a big hitter causing major damage to enemies, be a tank to absorb damage and play support and healing for the party. It's the be anything, do anything better than anyone else class. The versatility is unmatched...frankly, they may be a bit OP'd in 5e. Hope it doesn't change, because they are my favourite.
......can I have two votes.....because Druid is actually really good too.....XD
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
Characters for Tenebris Sine Fine
RoughCoronet's Greater Wills
I voted druid. Druids are great in most scenarios, but not great for new players.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Spell casting classes are difficult with a steep learning curve for any beginner and newbies are generally directed to melee classes such as fighter or barbarian. They are more straightforward than about any other class. However, if you are going to go for a spell casting class, Druid really isn't too bad and definitely less complicated than Paladins or Wizards without doubt. With any spell casting class, I always recommend getting the supplemental spell card decks by Gale Force Nine, especially for newer players. Very handy, even if you primarily use Beyond.
I will say, my very first character for D&D was a Druid. It is a class I can relate to on a personal level and as such, tend to continue playing a Druid in the majority of campaigns I play in. The biggest part of any character creation is to land a character you will enjoy. That always has to be the first priority. Being forced into any class you are unsure of can result in burnout for the game with newer players. So, if the person playing is new, it's generally best to go over the PHB and discuss the different classes, what they do and discuss what types of things they WANT in a character. But, all that is beside the point, the question posted was regarding versatility. And, it simply can't do better than a Druid. By votes, it's not winning, but by those who are commenting, Druid is winning by a landslide so far. :)
Example of versatility: In a campaign I'm currently playing in, I decimated over 20 enemies on my first turn in group battle combat. I arrived late to the scene, but basically ended the entire battle on my first move. I then followed up by healing the party to nearly full HP. This was after participating in my own melee encounters on my way to the battle.
Lastly...Druids are one with nature. Environmentally, you aren't going to land any other class more adaptive in addition to being able to take on roles of tank, frontline, utility, support, recon and espionage, battlefield control, ally enabler, problem solver, sneak, muscle, and etc. Need I say more? Other classes are more specialized, but none can do all these as effectively as a Druid can without severe downfalls that the Druid is not susceptible to.
I’m really surprised that Bard isn’t winning. It’s so versatile, from the wide range of spell choices, social options, combat options to skill versatility.
Plus you spelt rogue wrong.
I also voted for Bard, but after reading these comments I have some cautionary comments of my own.
First, I would like to point out that younger players tend to think the best solution to ANY problem is to Kill It. Therefore the subtlety of using a Bard may be a problem for younger players. You have to consider your audience, and for younger players maybe a Paladin is a better choice. They have tough armor, attack with anything and may provide healing and other support. However, a young team is likely to be front loaded with "fighter" classes so a paladin may not be filling a role because that may already be covered.
A Bard, particularly a Lore Bard, is very helpful in two ways. First they have high skill check numbers so they fill any role that needs a skill check. They can have high persuasion, intimidation and deception checks, which are typical techniques PCs use to talk their way out of trouble. Bardic Inspiration can help any party member make the hit in a tough situation, which will allow them to help a party member fill a role when they can not. A Bards spells are often situational, but for combat they can throw out Bane to nerf 3 enemy, and Dissonant Whispers, which can cause one opponent to take damage and then flee giving reaction opportunity attacks. The Vicious Mockery cantrip can be used to deliver disadvantage to an opponent that is likely to tear up a lightly armored foe (like the Lore Bard).
In addition to having the Lore Bard is his equipment. He should have stuff equivalent to what the party is already using, but I also recommend giving the NPC Lore Bard Elven Chain. This jacks up his AC without violating any rules and may keep him in the fight.
Enjoy.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Artificer can gift magic items, heal, have a large repertoire of proficiencies, and blast pretty well. They can work in almost any situation.
A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
My Improved Lineage System
It depends on if you're going for "the best (or very good) at the most things" or "can be good at pretty much every task". If it's the former I'd say Bard, the latter, Artificer. Bards are traditional and literal Jacks of all trades and are much better at supporting others, doing magic and being skill monkeys (especially lore bards). Artificers are reprogramable Swizz army knives on steroids. They can do pretty everything they want, the have Guidance and other enhancing spells for support and they can create magic items. The fact that they can pretty much change their entire focus on a long rest gives them unsurpassed versatility as well.
The fact that Artificers might not always have the right tool at hand can also be handy so that the guest star doesn't outshine the players. If the PCs can't solve the problem "today" the guest artificer can always say "well, too bad we didn't make it. I might have something that can help if we try again tomorrow" then switch out items and spells to something that can better help the party with that particular task.
I think it's a cleric, because clerics have subclasses to fit almost any gap in the party
Battle Smith Artificers actually make better Beastmasters than Beastmasters. :P And they get better melee, ranged, support and healing (except for goodberries) abilities.
Clerics and Bards are the most well-rounded, but I voted Fighter because they’re self sufficient and unlikely to steal the show. While other classes have burst damage, high skills, and crazy spells that can rob moments of awesome from the kids’ characters, fighters are just classic, consistent workhorses: and they’re easy to run, so you don’t need to worry about an extra burden on the DMs.
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
The concern I have with some of the comments in this thread is the guest star (n)PC doesn't know the role until seeing which players don't show up.
A variety of subclasses doesn't help unless the character is getting created day of.
I voted artificer. Healing is always useful, medium armor is decent, offensive and CC spells are available, thieves' tools are always available, buffs in the form of spells and infusions, and giving support to the PC's doesn't step on toes.
Bards, clerics, and druids are my runners up, in that order.
GAAAAAAAHHHHH!
Why do I always do that?
Rogues with rouge on will kill me in my sleep some day....
There seems to be some confusion on the reason for the original question. The substitute character would be played by a faculty member to round out the number of adventures on days when all of the students aren't there, so it wouldn't be played by a newbie, but by a seasoned professional.
Breaking down the builds might be helpful. For example, swords / valor bards also cover some combat and knowledge clerics have skills abilities.
You do this in AL? ;-)
So... Just like the Artificer but you need UA to make it viable? Sure, Ranger is not a bad pick but it's not as versatile as the Artificer.
AL is part of the OP. :-)