Fantasy roleplaying has a tradition of being executed by a party of adventurers whose skills complement each other. Warriors use traditional weapons and armor to handle physical threats, wizards use spells to either give the party an advantage or deal with arcane threats, roguish types sneak into places and disarm traps, clerics heal wounds and hold back supernatural evil, rangers guide the group through trackless wilderness, etc. This tradition has remained strong for decades not only because it adds variety but also because it gives each player at the table a unique role. They know what their job is and the other players want them to do it.
One of the reasons I latched onto fantasy roleplaying when I was younger was I could see the cohesion the class system gave a group. Everyone was supposed to be there. A new person joining a group was welcomed from the start because their character filled a needed role.
The problem, however, is I see this taken too far. There’s a notion in fantasy RPG circles that a party must be balanced or it won’t succeed. Gamemasters assume it’s their job to give a player group every kind of challenge and if they don’t have a specialist that can handle traps or enemy spell casters the party is toast. Any concept can become restrictive if taken too far and I think it’s time more people entertained the idea of an unbalanced party.
I don’t like to see new players joining a group pressured to play a character class that doesn’t appeal to them. Sure, this can sometimes push a player out of their comfort zone and let them explore new options. It can also annoy people. Gamemasters should feel free to let the players’ party have unfilled roles. Better yet, a party that favors one class or one type of class can be a great change of pace.
Unfilled roles are not the problem many people think they are. If there’s no cleric to turn undead then use less undead in the planned adventure. Fantasy roleplaying has long had tools to help a gamemaster make up for any gap in the party that may occur. Hirelings can be the muscle a party needs if it lacks fighters and barbarians. Magic items can heal the party or cast the handful of spells that a wizard might supply.
A focused party – a party of all fighters or all spell casters – allows a gamemaster to focus on one segment of the game world and really develop it. An all-fighter party could portray the battle tactics of different nations or evil races in detail. The doings of lords and generals would be of greater interest. A thief group allows everyone to spend time on how thieves guilds operate. Complicated heists in a castle could take up whole game sessions. A party of all spell casters allow the group to explore the nuances of wizard societies (it worked for Ars Magica). Discovering the true principles underlying magic could be the pivotal point in the campaign.
The unbalanced party is a simple idea but I think it has a lot of potential for the game group that wants to explore it. I have long believed that players rely too heavily on character class to make their character unique. Personality, fighting style, [fantasy] race, interests and specialties are great ways to stand out in a party. Different versions of original D&D White Box are popular these days and it only offers three character classes. The OSR has something to teach us all.
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