Party synergy

[Seriphos]

I see a lot of posts here talking about build synergy-- how to build a single optimal character, which multi classes to pick for synergy, how to solo PotD with said build etc. But there's a question I don't see enough of-- how to build a 5 man party optimally. Soloing is all well and good, but nothing comes close to the satisfaction of having a 5 member party executing a battle plan optimally while taking the least damage possible.

So to that end, I pose the question: what is the most optimal party you can think of?

[Seriphos]

Here's my take on it:

Paladin(Shieldbearer)/Fighter(Unbroken) - Main tank and support. Basically unkillable. Sword and shield. Max engagements. Liberating Command to dispel hostile effects. Lay on Hands for healing and immortality. Shining Beacon. Revives.

Paladin(Shieldbearer)/Wizard(Blood Mage) - Off-tank and CC. Willbreaker (2h) + Body Blows to lower the enemies' Will and Fortitude. Open combat with the usual Wizard buffs (Arcane Shield, Deleterious Alacrity of Motion, Llengreth's Safeguard, etc) and go to town with enemy debuffs so they don't even get a chance to move/attack (Slicken, Ryngrim's Enervating Terror, Ryngrim's Repulsive Visage).  The idea is to have a debuff spell for each of the 4 defenses. Use Blood Sacrifice if you're out of spells and rinse/repeat. Use Lay on Hands to regenerate health.

Barbarian(Berserker)/Monk(Nalpazca) - Dual wield. Swift Flurry. Frenzy. Grab the ability that negates the confusion effect. Get the intellect boosting modal. Take drugs pre-combat and go to town on the enemies debuffed by the Blood Mage.

Wizard (Evoker) - Main damage dealer of the party. Buff with Eldritch Aim and Merciless Gaze and nuke the hell out of everybody, especially those enemies that were proned and terrified by the Blood Mage. Take all the Empower passives and open with an empowered AoE. Everyone should be insta-killed.

Priest (Berath) - Open with the usual party buffs: Devotions, Triumph, Blessings, Circle of Protection, Salvation of Time, etc. Once done buffing, the priest can cast Symbol of Berath and contribute to party damage as well, if an encounter happens to last that long.

Running with this party is hilarious to say the least. I pretty much mop the floor with everyone before the priest's buffs expire, even without casting Salvation of Time. Actually, I don't even think the priest buffs are necessary. Opening with Symbol of Berath makes even quicker work of enemies. The enemies barely get the chance to move or take action due to Slicken and Ryngrim's Enervating Terror, while simultaneously being bombarded by the Evoker and the Barbarian's Carnage/Swift Flurry.

 

 

Edited July 16, 2019 by Seriphos