Party Balance is Mostly a Myth. Instead, Ask How You're Challenging The Party

A concept that I've seen a lot of DMs talk about from games all across the board is the idea of party balance. One member of the party is too good at something, or one member is falling behind everyone else, so they feel like the have to somehow bring the PCs more in-line with one another. Maybe they want to nerf some of the fighter's abilities so they don't deal so much damage, or they want to take away the wizard's access to certain spells. Maybe they want to completely remove sneak attack, smite, or rage because it's throwing off the balance.

I say this now, knowing that it is not a popular opinion in some circles. Stop that. If one player picks a role and chooses the abilities, equipment, feats, etc. to excel in that role, do not punish them for that. Instead, you should be focused on the overall challenge that your party is facing, and asking what you can do to make sure that everyone is contributing, and working together.

Well... that's that encounter, I guess...

You Worry About Your Side of The Screen

As the dungeon master, you have the ability to alter time and space, and to craft challenges to suit the party that's actually at your table. And having both been a dungeon master, and run my share of campaigns, I can tell you there is often nothing easier than presenting a challenge where everyone can participate, contrary to popular belief.

Trust me, the numbers are in your favor, here.

Let's take one of the more common scenarios where people decry "balance" as an issue; one member of the party deals significantly more damage than everyone else, and almost never misses due to a particularly high attack bonus. As such, whenever there's a fight, they slay the enemy before anyone else gets a chance to do anything. Now you're frustrated because if you bring in an enemy powerful enough to stand up to the fighter, the barbarian, the paladin, or whoever is your party's heavy hitter, it's going to be too strong for the rest of the party to handle.

That is not actually a problem. All you have to do is provide more than one enemy, and suddenly you have gone from one monster getting gut checked into the stratosphere, to a team V. team scenario.

This is, and I speak no hyperbole, the most basic fix that a majority of DMs seem to completely gloss over when looking for other options. Because even if your party's heavy hitter is a monster truck that runs on the blood of the innocent, they cannot be everywhere at once. So even if you have a demonic champion in black armor with a balefire sword, all it takes is throwing in some hellhounds, or a small contingent of winged demons, and now everyone has a dance partner. The archer can shoot down the fliers, the bard can provide inspiration and sling spells, the rogue can take advantage of distracted foes to down them, and so on, and so forth.

You should know who in the party is capable of doing what, and make room in the adventure so that everyone can shine. Give the scholars opportunities to use their knowledge, and to find secrets that aid their companions. Give the melee bruisers plenty of chances to flex, have some chances for the skulkers to sneak around and be stealthy, and be sure the ranged specialists get an occasional Legolas moment here and there.

But don't expect one member of the party to be able to handle someone else's job. Because that's why you have a party in the first place.

Everything is Strong in Some Circumstances

Every character will have scenarios where they are at their best, and others where they are... shall we say less useful.

Some are less useful than others.

The most obvious scenario is your paladins and rangers. If you're fighting undead and demons, a paladin is going to be at their most powerful. If the ranger is facing off against their favored enemies, they become holy terrors. But take them out of that scenario, and they are nowhere near as potent. They can still hold their own against a team of neutral mercenaries, or automatons, but they aren't going to shred through the encounter the way they otherwise would.

But what about scenarios where you need to find traps? Lie to guards? Find a hidden route into a fortress? Identify the different pieces of a spell? Win the attention and friendship of a noble patron? These things may not be the scenarios where those characters' skill sets shine.

I said this back in Challenge Rating is Just a Number, but it bears repeating; every character is going to shine in the scenarios where its abilities are more effective. When designing a challenge for your players, you need to ask who is going to be in the spotlight for a particular situation, and to make sure that even if one person is taking point on it, the others can still participate.

Because even if the barbarian is rushing in, greatax swinging, they shouldn't be able to solo a fight. The wizard or the sorcerer, with all their arcane might, should not be able to conquer the enemy fortress without the aid of their companions. The bard and the rogue, with all their skill and guile, shouldn't be able to handle a challenge without their companions to watch their backs.

The party exists because no one character should be able to handle every, single challenge. Each member should have something unique they contribute, and as a dungeon master you should worry more about ensuring the challenge you offer has something for everyone, and less about whether one particular character is "too good" at one thing.

Because that's their role... but it shouldn't be the only role that needs to be filled for the story to progress.

Also, while I have the DMs here, check out my latest supplement 100 Secret Societies from Azukail Games! It's already gone Copper at time of writing, and whether you need organizations to help or hinder your party, there's something to get the wheels turning between these pages.

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That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday!

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