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There are also classes that fall into the gray area between offense and defense. I like the term midfielder. Like in soccer, the midfielder is the last line of offense and the first line of defense. Classes like the ranger, the paladin, and to a certain extent the bard and druid are all midfield characters. What they do is equal parts offense and defense, with a touch of specialization in a particular field.
The paladin can heal and turn undead like a cleric can; he can cast some healing spells and is a capable warrior. The paladin really shines in confrontations against evil such as undead, demons and the like. The best role for the cleric is protecting the mage and supporting the party with healing and protective spells. The best role for the paladin is protecting the cleric and supporting her with healing and protective spells. Having both a good warrior and a backup cleric is always a good bet for a party. Paladins can wear heavy armor and are in fact encouraged to do so, which makes dexterity a less of a desirable trait. Strength, wisdom and charisma are the main abilities for the paladin to focus on.
The ranger has stealth abilities like the rogue, is able to track and is a good wilderness guide, is an accomplished warrior and even has some very minor healing capabilities. The rogue's stealth, wilderness and nature skills make for an excellent scout in the outdoors, though not as effective in trap-laden dungeons. The ability for the ranger to fight with two weapons means that she can attack multiple times while taking a penalty to hit. This can be overcome with feats like weapon focus or weapon finesse. By adding feats like combat reflexes and cleave, the ranger gains even more attacks under certain circumstances. Rangers also gain favored enemies that make the ranger more effective against those types of creature. Rangers don't wear heavy armor, so running in to face tough opponents hand to hand is not always a good practice. Rangers with high dexterities should consider favoring ranged combat over hand to hand.
The druid is also a good midfielder. While her spells can heal and protect like a cleric's, there are also some rather damaging spells, especially those listed in Masters Of The Wild. Druids have an abbreviated weapons list that consists mostly of simple weapons that does not include the crossbow, and the inability of the druid to use metal armor or shields can be a problem in close combat. One advantage that the druid has early in life is her animal companion, who can protect her if things get too close. As she gains levels she can gain additional or more powerful animal companions to increase this advantage. The druid's wilderness skills and abilities make her great for outdoor encounters, especially those involving animals or plants of some kind. The druid's wildshape ability, which comes later in her career, can help her even the odds in combat or provide a means of reconnaissance or escape when necessary. Druids can be tricky to play, since their capabilities can be quite subtle. Like clerics, druids benefit from high wisdom and charisma scores.
The bard is the ultimate midfielder. Bards have many of the skills that the rogue has, plus spells like a cleric and mage, and a decent selection of weapons and armor. The bard can act as a back up cleric, back up mage and a back up rogue. The bard is not the greatest warrior, but her spells can make the group's existing warriors even better. The bard's music ability can help the whole party do things better, or protect the party from spells. Bards are also effective in non-combat situations involving people, such as negotiations and gathering information. Charisma is the bard's primary ability, although dexterity, wisdom and intelligence can also be helpful. The bard is a tricky position to play, since the character is well suited for everything, but not exceptional at anything.
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