What is your "must have" class for a party?

[Creslin321]

I'm trying to decide on my protagonist's class for a PotD game, but I keep going back and forth.  I really like trying out different party builds and since my protagonist will be the only character that I can't swap out of my party, I want to make him the one class that I basically "must have" in my party at all times.

 

Right now, I'm debating between Cipher, Monk, and Druid.

 

That said, what do you think?  Is there a class that you feel like you always need to have in your party?  Or that is extremely beneficial to any party?

[Schyzm]

if ur doing things that u might consider difficult u prob need a priest, there just isn't another class that covers the same design bases as priest, its just the unique flower class of pillars.

[Lasci]

Go with a monk. Grieving Mother is an excellent Cipher. I haven't played with the druid NPC because my first main character was a druid, but he can't be too terrible. There is no monk NPC, however.

Edited April 3, 2015 by Lasci

[Creslin321]

if ur doing things that u might consider difficult u prob need a priest, there just isn't another class that covers the same design bases as priest, its just the unique flower class of pillars.

 

Hmm you may have a point.

 

I was hoping that I could get by with a druid for healing when needed, and a chanter for buffs, but I'm not sure if that will be enough...

[Creslin321]

Go with a monk. Grieving Mother is an excellent Cipher. I haven't played with the druid NPC because my first main character was a druid, but he can't be too terrible. There is no monk NPC, however.

 

So for this game, I'm going to recruit a full custom party, so the companions aren't a big concern.  I've got a hard game that I'm in act 2 on where I'm using the companions, so I wanted my PotD game to be more Icewind Dale style.

 

But yeah, Monk is very tempting, I've heard a lot of good things about them .  Even if my PC isn't a monk, I am definitely going to recruit one.

[waretaringo]

I'd be hard pressed to run this game without three classes: Fighter, Cipher, and Chanter. Fortunately, Kana is excellent, and Eder is more or less passable. I disagree on Grieving Mother being any use at all, she just doesn't have the stat spread to perform the cipher's role adequately.

[Creslin321]

I'd be hard pressed to run this game without three classes: Fighter, Cipher, and Chanter. Fortunately, Kana is excellent, and Eder is more or less passable. I disagree on Grieving Mother being any use at all, she just doesn't have the stat spread to perform the cipher's role adequately.

 

Yeah I'm really leaning towards Cipher now.

 

I think that Schyzm may be right that a priest is required, but I'm kind of curious to see if I can get by without one just for the heck of it.  I'm not doing Trial of Iron (again) so it's no big deal if I die while I'm trying it haha.

 

And I think Cipher is just too good for me to pass up.

[Rooz]

I really like those three:

 

1) Fighter - main tank (thanks to the defender modal ability)

2) Cipher - range DD (Pretty much the best range DD in the game with huge range of awesome skills - what else would you want?)

3) Chanter - either offtank or range DD (I prefer him as an offtank because of all of his debuffs)

 

All of them properly minmaxed, of course

 

Considering that during most of the encounters you could position yourself really good in the doors or other similar bottleneck-friendly locations, I fill the rest of those with one (or several) of the following:

 

4) Paladin - offtank/support. Auras, some reasonably good skills (+3 DT aura, single-target heal, ressurect, cleanse). If I feel that I need someone extra on the first line, I always pick paladin

5) Rogue - Range DD. Best range DD after the cipher, in my opinion. Plus, there should be someone to fiddle with all those locks and traps, right?

6) Barbarian with the pike. The best second-line option, if that's what you want to do

7) Priest - range DD. I tend to just drag him around, using his skills only once  every couple of hours in the tough fights. But still, that's a good safety measure to have

[ErlKing]

Nobody point that only PC Paladin have bonuses from reputation, so if you forming full custom party that going to include Paladin I think you should pick that class.

[Odd Hermit]

^ I agree with ErlKing.

 

At least one Paladin is always nice for revive, dispel, accuracy buff. And they're best as PC - the Faith and Conviction bonuses from dialogue choices can get pretty high making them very good as a tank choice. Plus, a tank needs high Per/Res, which are good conversation attributes to have. They're the ideal choice for a PoD PC IMO. It's what I'm using currently, though I think I'm going to restart once patch comes and try out the altered companion builds.

[Parsong]

Cipher and Wizard Top two MVPs.  CC Too Stronk in this game.  After those two, probably Chanter and Druid secondary MVPs.

 

 

 

The Tanks can be interchangeable.  Monk/Ranger/Barb/Rogue/DPS-Fighter/DPS-Paladin are waste of space in my Elite Seal Team 6 parties, and I'd just rather have another of the above.  I know people will say I'm wrong about Rogue, but I'd rather explode and completely negate the whole screen than have a bit more single target dmg. 

 

 

Priest is the one I'm usually on the fence about.  He's not that necessary at a certain level of Deflection/CC-spam.

Edited April 3, 2015 by Parsong