Some classes are just better than others, right?

[aquila]

Prefacing this by saying that I hade no Idea about D&D or CRPGs prior to playing this, and I understand that some classes are better suited for different things, but still - after trying to play around as a rogue for some time, I just made my Character a FIghter class like Lae´zel and its just a joke how easy the game becomes with these. two in my team now hit like a truck, get to attack like 6 times during a single round, and have giant health pools.

Shadowheart is completely useless, yes she heals a bit, but hits like a baby and has only one action, although some cool AOE spells. Same with Gale, dishes out decent damage but gets downed rather quick.

I mean its not surprising that a "fighter" class excels in actual fighting, but if every class is supposedly viable, and the game just forces some fights onto you (and these fights tend to be the hardest) then its just not as much fun to play around with anything else than the fat guys with the big swords

[Fast]

Originally posted by aquila:

Prefacing this by saying that I hade no Idea about D&D or CRPGs prior to playing this, and I understand that some classes are better suited for different things, but still - after trying to play around as a rogue for some time, I just made my Character a FIghter class like Lae´zel and its just a joke how easy the game becomes with these. two in my team now hit like a truck, get to attack like 6 times during a single round, and have giant health pools.

Shadowheart is completely useless, yes she heals a bit, but hits like a baby and has only one action, although some cool AOE spells. Same with Gale, dishes out decent damage but gets downed rather quick.

I mean its not surprising that a "fighter" class excels in actual fighting, but if every class is supposedly viable, and the game just forces some fights onto you (and these fights tend to be the hardest) then its just not as much fun to play around with anything else than the fat guys with the big swords

martials are incredibly strong, even in 5e, but particularly here due to itemization, in 5e you dont get items anywhere like what you get in BG3, and martials benefit the most, also, haste is buffed, which in 5e is one of the best spell, in bg3 its the best spell and martials once again benefit the most.

Fighters, Paladins, Monks, are all S tier in this game.

the best casters are those with control and utility for your martials and not damage.

A bard or sorc is perfect for this.

You do not need any type of healer in your party in this game, its rather easy.

[Frei]

Not all classes have the same level of combat performance at level one, and as the levels go on, thought will actually be needed to win battles if you aren't on easy mode, not just mashing the attack button with fighters. Certain Rogue builds, for example, are among the more OP classes after everyone gets around level 5 or so. Before that, they still get stuff to make up for not being able to hit things as hard right away.

Shadowheart hits like a truck when she's built correctly. Every class gets more actions, just generally not at as brainlessly as a fighter. Fighter is meant to be the class that is really, really hard to mess up.

Paladins/Battlemasters are very strong and martial builds tend to get more powerful easier because of the way buffing works in this version of the ruleset. A rogue/thief multiclassed with a gloom stalker can kill most targets in one shot and immediately disappear, reposition, attack again, etc, all as free or extra actions. Mages and Clerics can be built to do loads of damage, especially War Domain clerics. Warlocks and Sorcerers focus more on support and control, and in higher difficulties it's better to use certain classes as support or control, as well. it becomes less about instant damage after the baby levels and on easy mode.

[IRMcG]

It's about balancing your party. Yes, pure fighters do a ton of damage (so do Rogues, but they take a bit more finesse to use since they rely on stealth attacks) but you want the likes of Shadowheart to keep them fighting (and she gets some really powerful spells and can be built to hold her own in combat as you progress).

Casters like Gale are good for crowd control and area damage then you've the likes of Bards and Druids and Rangers that can do a bit of everything to fill out skill and utility gaps.

[Rex is back, baby!]

Ranger always gets the short end of the stick, Alas.
They've since fixed ranger, I believe, but it was wholly underpowered at the start of 5e. I haven't touched the table top game in years though.

[✙205🍉🐆→]

Yes, for some classes you need to know where to find the items

[cults]

Originally posted by Frei:

Not all classes have the same level of combat performance at level one, and as the levels go on, thought will actually be needed to win battles if you aren't on easy mode, not just mashing the attack button with fighters. Certain Rogue builds, for example, are among the more OP classes after everyone gets around level 5 or so. Before that, they still get stuff to make up for not being able to hit things as hard right away.

Shadowheart hits like a truck when she's built correctly. Every class gets more actions, just generally not at as brainlessly as a fighter. Fighter is meant to be the class that is really, really hard to mess up.

How do you build Shadowheart properly?

I want to use her, but I'm having a hard time making clerics work. The weird mix of spellcasting and warrior means they're not really great at either?

[Aegix Drakan]

Originally posted by aquila:

Shadowheart is completely useless, yes she heals a bit, but hits like a baby and has only one action, although some cool AOE spells. Same with Gale, dishes out decent damage but gets downed rather quick.

She is a support character.

You use her for Bless (to make your fighter or your casters with Attack Spells hit more reliably), keeping people alive, doing long-range Revives with Healing Word, saving someone's ass with Sanctuary, etc.

Casters tend to be best with one or two reliable attack options (Magic Missile, Scorching Ray, etc), and the rest of their stuff being situational buffs and debuffs.

Sleep is SERIOUSLY amazing, especially in the early game. There is no save, no roll, you just knock out 24 HP worth of enemies, and get free Critical Hits on them. Illusion is great for stealth or getting a sneak attack in. Crown Of Madness can flip an otherwise problematic heavy hitter enemy into being an asset. Etc.

That said though, I do agree that Fighters and Barbarians and their ilk are unbelievably good (especially when supported properly). I have two on my team right now and it's VERY rare that I swap one of them out.

[Fast]

Originally posted by cults:

Originally posted by Frei:

Not all classes have the same level of combat performance at level one, and as the levels go on, thought will actually be needed to win battles if you aren't on easy mode, not just mashing the attack button with fighters. Certain Rogue builds, for example, are among the more OP classes after everyone gets around level 5 or so. Before that, they still get stuff to make up for not being able to hit things as hard right away.

Shadowheart hits like a truck when she's built correctly. Every class gets more actions, just generally not at as brainlessly as a fighter. Fighter is meant to be the class that is really, really hard to mess up.

How do you build Shadowheart properly?

I want to use her, but I'm having a hard time making clerics work. The weird mix of spellcasting and warrior means they're not really great at either?

you turn her into a sword bard, give her ne'er misser and another hand crossbow, agility armour, saveroks helm, bloodthirst and knife of the mountion or whatever and take 3 levels of thief and watch her clean entire rooms with arrows of the many slaying

[Frei]

Originally posted by cults:

Originally posted by Frei:

Not all classes have the same level of combat performance at level one, and as the levels go on, thought will actually be needed to win battles if you aren't on easy mode, not just mashing the attack button with fighters. Certain Rogue builds, for example, are among the more OP classes after everyone gets around level 5 or so. Before that, they still get stuff to make up for not being able to hit things as hard right away.

Shadowheart hits like a truck when she's built correctly. Every class gets more actions, just generally not at as brainlessly as a fighter. Fighter is meant to be the class that is really, really hard to mess up.

How do you build Shadowheart properly?

I want to use her, but I'm having a hard time making clerics work. The weird mix of spellcasting and warrior means they're not really great at either?

The best build for her is as a beefy frontliner that can tank concentration hits and still heal and nuke. Her biggest damage will always come from her spells, since cleric has some crazy damage spells. War Cleric makes for interesting melee gameplay with the right weapon or divine weapons, but that means you focus on CON and WIS the most, and some DEX if you're keeping her in medium armor.

edit: if we're talking about keeping people in their default classes to try to maintain some semblance of storytelling. theoretically you can make her whatever bugged out build that theorycrafters hammer out in a day without sleep, but most people don't play like that.

[Ackranome]

My understanding is there is a skill or something called "Pack Tactics" that is the best in the game and "Melee" just suck in D&D.

[Orion Invictus]

If you're playing on normal, all classes are viable. Doubly so for easy.

[DeathRow]

no, every class is perfectly balanced

[Cacomistle]

I think shadowheart's problem is her domain. Trickery is useless. Switch to a more useful domain and she's fine. I switched her to light after spolier I'm too lazy to create an actual spoiler for, and it made her a lot stronger. The reaction on light domain can be used repeatedly whereas in 5e I think it can only be used a few times.

In a party of martials, she's basically going to be your way of clearing up small weak enemies with the aoe damage of spirit guardians.


Otherwise though, I would say that you either need to use really specific optimized/abusive builds to make a caster powerful, or sword bard can cast while competing martially with martials because ranged slashing flourish is insane.

[Cacomistle]

Originally posted by cults:

Originally posted by Frei:

Not all classes have the same level of combat performance at level one, and as the levels go on, thought will actually be needed to win battles if you aren't on easy mode, not just mashing the attack button with fighters. Certain Rogue builds, for example, are among the more OP classes after everyone gets around level 5 or so. Before that, they still get stuff to make up for not being able to hit things as hard right away.

Shadowheart hits like a truck when she's built correctly. Every class gets more actions, just generally not at as brainlessly as a fighter. Fighter is meant to be the class that is really, really hard to mess up.

How do you build Shadowheart properly?

I want to use her, but I'm having a hard time making clerics work. The weird mix of spellcasting and warrior means they're not really great at either?

If you're willing to respec, respec off trickery domain.

I think you can just spam spirit guardians and spiritual weapon every fight (or bless early game and in ranged heavy fights). Spirit weapon abuses the ai (they waste turns attacking it), spirit guardians is really good aoe, and if you're not trickery domain you probably have some useful spell to cast (light domain for example gets fireball, and the reaction that imposes disadvantage which is limited in 5e is unlimited in bg3).

[Brady4444]

Have Shadowheart cast Bless (concentration), and then cast Sanctuary (which is a bonus action). The sanctuary means she won't be targeted, so maintaining the bless spell won't be an issue. While she is maintaining bless/sanctuary, she can still heal or provide support.