Weekend Question: What character class is your default choice?

[PCG Jody]

I ask the PCG staff a regular Weekend Question and post the answers on the site. If you'd like to throw in an answer here, I'll squeeze the best into the finished article!

This week the question is: What character class is your default choice?

I think most of us have one or maybe two broad types we go back to, whether because we're trying to emulate someone specific (gotta be a sneaky thief so I can pretend to be Garrett again), or we have a preferred playstyle (gotta be a wizard so I can mess around with a tasty, overcomplicated spell system). What's yours? If you're playing Baldur's Gate 3 specifically, what did you go with?

 

[Zloth]

If it's party based then whatever class needs charisma so I can crank up diplomacy. If it's got an archery system where I have to actually arch my shots (like the old Thief games) then I'll go for that. Otherwise, I'll pick a mage.

 

[McStabStab]

Thief / Assassin for RPGs. I like that if I can’t get what I want through merchants, quests, or coercion, I can always lockpick a back door in the dead of the night and take what I want... maybe leave a poisoned food item in its place for the trouble.

 

[Sarafan]

I haven't played BG3 yet, but usually I pick caster classes, especially Sorcerers when it comes to D&D based games. I find melee classes quite boring. Casters need to choose not only what spells to learn on level up, but also which of them use during combat. Fighters, Paladins, Rangers etc. don't have enough special skills to compensate the missing spells. Of course two of these classes have limited access to spells in D&D, but that's simply not enough for me. I usually pick Sorcerers because they're more powerful than standard Wizards, but you have to be very careful when selecting spells on level up, because they can't learn them from scrolls.

 

[Pifanjr]

I usually pick a rogue or ranger class. Stealing can be a nice extra income and shooting things from afar is usually a lot safer than getting into melee.

I do like playing casters as well, but a lot of games have wonky magic systems. I really hate running out of mana points or its equivalent and being forced to run away or take potshots that do almost no damage.

 

[Rensje]

Do you guys ever do the thing where you go like: 'I think I'll play as a mage this time' and then 20 hours in you're a sneaky archer or the dual-wielding barbarian? I am particularly bad with Dark Souls in that regard. Whenever I fancy a new playthrough I usually tell myself I'll play something new this time, something I haven't tried before, but I always end up playing the thing I know and love.

Which is usually a Lightning Spear-chucking miracle build in full Paladin armor.

 

[drunkpunk]

It depends on the game and the systems used. In most RPGs, I'll go the healer class, especially if there's a MP component. If there is no healing focused class, I'll go a magic focused class.

BG3 my first run was with a wizard. Magic classes are usually my go-to in DND, I like the utility that comes with it and the damage can also be pretty good. I'm usually stuck between wizard/sorc, cleric, and bard, but I've been doing a lot of cleric and bard runs in my recent games so I decided to go with wizard.

 

[Frindis]

A Wizard, since you can often choose from different schools of magic and in that way be quite versatile.

 

[DXCHASE]

2 handed melee. I like swinging swords and axes and the like with light armor, a close second is Wizard or some sort, it really depends on the game.

 

[Ryzengang]

I always play Wizard/Mage. Though generally not for any practical in-game reasons; from a fantasy POV I've always thought magic was very cool.

 

[Pifanjr]

Do you guys ever do the thing where you go like: 'I think I'll play as a mage this time' and then 20 hours in you're a sneaky archer or the dual-wielding barbarian? I am particularly bad with Dark Souls in that regard. Whenever I fancy a new playthrough I usually tell myself I'll play something new this time, something I haven't tried before, but I always end up playing the thing I know and love.

Which is usually a Lightning Spear-chucking miracle build in full Paladin armor.

It very much depends on the game. Skyrim is skewed heavily towards the sneaky archer build, so it's easy to gravitate towards it, especially because magic isn't that great. In games like Path of Exile, Titan Quest or Two Worlds II, the magic system is far more interesting, so I'm much more likely to stick with playing a magic based character.

 

[Mr.Vic20]

For single character RPGs, I tend to focus on a balance of combat and magic, and add in thief and healing as I am able, based on the games given progression system.

In party style RPGs I tend to make a warrior or paladin "anchor" as I've found that i tend to live longer at the start of most campaigns. The other party members that invariably come along allow me to bring in magic, healing, as well as thievery and tend to have more interesting stories than the tanks typically, Minsc and Boo being a classic exception!

 

[Rolfil]

Hunter or Necro/Summoner. Basically anything that will attack my pet/minions instead of me as my reflexes are not as good as they used to be.

 

[Dakkon]

Usually warrior for the first playthrough since they're straightforward and easy to play.
Then I'm usually going with mage/sorcerer for that power fantasy.