No, but it helps slightly, numbers count for more.

My experience in running two different groups through the Starter Set adventure has revealed to me the following.

• outside of specific class abilities all characters have similar capabilities.
• there is just enough non-clerical healing for a group to recover. Cleric and other healing classes greatly extends the number of times the group can recover.
• Sheer quantity counts for more than any particular mix of characters classes.
• Characters need to employ sensible tactics regardless of the character class mix. Eight fighters rushing a balanced group of four with a wizard are going to get into trouble with area effect spell. However with some basic tactics like dispersing before the charge. The numbers will carry the day.
• 5e monsters generate enough damage that character tend to go down in one or two blows rather than the slow degrading of hit points in classic, or the yo-yo up and down effect of 4e healing surges.

My conclusion is that a party of mix of capabilities can face a slightly larger group. But numbers count more. It is better to add two characters of any class than one character of a particular class.

No, but it helps slightly; numbers count for more

My experience in running two different groups through the Starter Set adventure has revealed to me the following.

• outside of specific class abilities all characters have similar capabilities.
• there is just enough non-clerical healing for a group to recover. Cleric and other healing classes greatly extends the number of times the group can recover.
• Sheer quantity counts for more than any particular mix of characters classes.
• Characters need to employ sensible tactics regardless of the character class mix. Eight fighters rushing a balanced group of four with a wizard are going to get into trouble with area effect spell. However with some basic tactics like dispersing before the charge, numbers will carry the day.
• 5e monsters generate enough damage that characters tend to go down in one or two blows rather than the slow degrading of hit points in classic, or the yo-yo up and down effect of 4e healing surges.

My conclusion is that a party with a mix of capabilities can face a slightly larger group - but numbers count more. It is better to add two characters of any class than one character of a particular class.

No, but it helps.

My experience in running two different groups through the Starter Set adventure has revealed to me the following.

• outside of specific class abilities all characters have similar capabilities.
• there is just enough non-clerical healing for a group to recover. Cleric and other healing classes greatly extends the number of times the group can recover.
• Sheer quantity counts for more than any particular mix of characters classes.
• Characters need to employ sensible tactics regardless of the character class mix. Eight fighters rushing a balanced group of four with a wizard are going to get into trouble with area effect spell. However with some basic tactics like dispersing before the charge. The numbers will carry the day.

No, but it helps slightly, numbers count for more.

My experience in running two different groups through the Starter Set adventure has revealed to me the following.

• outside of specific class abilities all characters have similar capabilities.
• there is just enough non-clerical healing for a group to recover. Cleric and other healing classes greatly extends the number of times the group can recover.
• Sheer quantity counts for more than any particular mix of characters classes.
• Characters need to employ sensible tactics regardless of the character class mix. Eight fighters rushing a balanced group of four with a wizard are going to get into trouble with area effect spell. However with some basic tactics like dispersing before the charge. The numbers will carry the day.
• 5e monsters generate enough damage that character tend to go down in one or two blows rather than the slow degrading of hit points in classic, or the yo-yo up and down effect of 4e healing surges.

My conclusion is that a party of mix of capabilities can face a slightly larger group. But numbers count more. It is better to add two characters of any class than one character of a particular class.