Roles in a Party

If you’ve ever seen a heist movie, then you’re probably very familiar with the “gathering up the crew” montage trope. There’s always the Mastermind who plans everything, the Hacker, the Muscle, the Thief, the Conman who creates the distraction, and who can forget – the Getaway Driver to safely get them away and dodge the police. Every one of these people is highly specialized in their own field and together they make the dream team!

Well, believe it or not, in order to make a well-balanced and highly effective DnD party, you need to think about its composition. Each player will take on a particular role, ensuring the group’s success. A party of barbarians, for example, sounds great – they would make a mean murderous machine, but what if they get low on health, or need to sneak up on someone? They would soon crumble under the pressure of trying to fill roles they aren’t suited for and ultimately would fail on their quest.

Understanding DnD party roles and how they fit together will make your adventuring life much easier – so join me as we delve deep into the makeup of a successful DnD party!

Which Roles Do DnD Parties Need?

Some people in the DnD community might claim that building a party according to certain roles might be outdated and I agree to a certain level. But for someone just starting out, knowing which roles within a party are key to include is going to be super helpful. Also, you need to take into account the things your party is going to go through both in and out of combat. Yes, you’re going to need badass fighters and healers, but you need to have someone to scout out the enemy camp, charm a guard or pick a lock too!

1. Tank. This is a character that is going to be front and center, right in the enemies’ faces. They are simultaneously going to be taking the brunt of the damage from melee attacks and dealing a whole lot of it themselves. So make sure they have a ton of hit points and some heavy armor (possibly even a shield). For this position, it’s crucial to go with a martial class – I would suggest picking a Paladin, Fighter, or Barbarian. In theory, you can go with a Cleric too, but if you choose a Domain that will make them very durable.

2. Damage. You might ask yourself – how is this any different than the Tank? Well, the character whose only job is to deal as much damage as possible, doesn’t have to also defend the party. Since durability isn’t their primary goal, this role is super versatile and can be filled by most (if not all) classes in DnD 5e.

You can go for a blaster like a wizard or a sorcerer that will hit enemies from afar and stay out of harm’s way. On the other hand, classes with good mobility and solid damage output like monks or rogues can be a good choice too.

1. Healer. Sometimes, a good Healer can make the difference between life or death for your party and that’s why they’re crucial for its success. As their name suggests, the main role of a Healer is well, to heal! When a member of your party loses a lot of hit points or is even close to death, your Healer should step in and get them back to their feet. In DnD 5e, the best classes to fill this role are clerics, but an Oath of Redemption paladin, a bard, or even a druid can be a good choice too.

2. Support. The character who’s designated to support others is going to be in charge of buffing party members. Some practical examples are granting them an advantage in attack rolls, saving throws, or dealing damage. Think of spells like Enhance Ability, Guidance, or Bless, for example.

You’re going to be looking for a spellcaster for this role. Sorcerers are a good choice for Support because they have the use of Metamagic. Bards too, because of Bardic Inspiration, and wizards also have a large variety of spells at the ready.

1. Control. In order to keep things going your way during combat, you need somebody to control the battlefield. This is typically going to be a spellcaster who is:

2. to make physical obstacles to protect the allies and hinder the enemies’ movement or

3. alter the enemies’ psychological state to make them unable to fight effectively

They could accomplish these goals through spells like Entagle, Sleep, Blindness/Deafness, Grease, Maze, Tasha’s Hideous Laughter and so many more. Since this DnD party role is all about helping your fellow party members, it can be thought of as a subset of the Support role too.

A wizard is perfect for this role, because of the large variety of spells this class has on hand, then a cleric, and lastly, if you’re looking for environment manipulation – a druid.

1. Scout. The Scout is the eyes and ears of the party – they are sent ahead to eavesdrop in the enemy camp, expected to move quickly, and quietly and stay hidden away in the shadows. Also, if you need to survive in nature, a Scout is the perfect person for the job since they typically have remarkable Survival scores too. The characters who take on this job are usually also tasked with picking locks (and pockets) since they excel in stealth. Rangers and rogues are the best scouts in the game, you truly can’t find better in 5e. But, if you’re

2. Face. If your party ever finds themselves in a situation where they are hugely overpowered and they need to talk themselves out of a bad situation, then you should bring out a character with a high Charisma score aka the Face. This character is fun to have in your party and to roleplay too because they typically like to engage with NPCs and create entertaining situations for themselves and the party as well.

But, this is not a role to base a whole character on, and reducing a PC’s responsibilities to just charming his way through life doesn’t make too much sense. That’s why I believe that it’s best to merge the Face with another role in the party.

Nevertheless, arguably the best choice for the Face is a bard, particularly the College of Eloquence subclass since they have great Charisma modifiers to add to ability checks and saving throws. Also, Fey Wander ranger, Oath of Redemption paladin, and multiple subclasses of warlocks too – simply look for a great Charisma score and you’ll do great.

What to Do For a Small Party?

Okay, this is all fine and dandy if you’re lucky enough to have a large DnD group and are able to have seven party members. But what if you have a four-member party, or an even smaller one? Well, then you’re going to have to double up responsibilities and use versatile classes that can fulfill multiple crucial roles.

For example, a wizard is a great choice for small DnD 5e parties since they can be blasters, control the battlefield, and support their friends too. Clerics can also take multiple roles – like tanking, healing, and control/support too. Add a rogue or ranger for scouting and to be the face of the party and you’re golden! A bigger party might be more effective but don’t worry, if you’re in a pinch, you can make do even with 2-3 players!

There are so many different combinations you can do, so use the tips I gave you as a jumping-off point and create a kickass DnD party of your own!