I'm a what?!?!

There are roles in any good party. A great party knows what roles they will be needing before going into a dungeon or raid. The following are some common roles seen in parties...

The TANK: this is the primary damager in the party. Their job is to gather as many mobs on them as possible and to swing away until everything stops moving.

The Healer: this is the TANK support person. Their job is to make sure the TANK remains alive through buffs and heals.

The Buffer: this sounds retarded but there needs to be one in every group. Usually the HEALER is also the BUFFER, but this isn't always the case. The Bard has awesome spells like stoneskin that GREATLY increases the survivability of any group.

Missile Expert: The TANK has a lot to do, so the next single greatest damager is the ranged person. This can be a Wizard, Sorcerer or Ranger.... and even a bad Cleric or Favored Soul.  The Missile Expert isn't necessary, but comes in handy as they can hit or stop approaching mobs, distant objects and even assist the TANK in damage dealing from afar. They are great with dealing with mobs before lowering a bridge or mobs unreachable by any other means.

Trap Master: Rogues... They are a necessity. I've seen TANKS get dead in one swipe of a giant rotating blade or a room of fire traps. Without Trap Masters, groups come to a screeching halt in various dungeons. Get one or be prepared to die alot.

So there are 5 primary roles and 6 spots in a group, what do you double up on? I suggest a secondary TANK that can help keep the mobs at bay.

You should know your role going into a party. A party with one healer and 5 tanks will die VERY fast as a healer cannot keep up with 5 tanks for long. Keeping an eye on the party build will limit the number of deaths within the group and can make a tough dungeon very easy.

Now when you enter a dungeon, working together as a team is best. I've seen yahoos run in and just start to quickly clear a dungeon and then get ticked when they die cause no one followed THEM. Listen to your group, see if someone steps up as a natural leader. Stay near your Buffer and Healer and watch/ listen for timers until the need to rebuff comes up and your staying power will increase 10 fold. Remember that Healers and Buffers do not have fast running or extraordinary swimming. They can't keep up, so watch out for them. Once they die, you are not far behind them.

I hope this helps you in understanding party roles and how a party should work! Be cool and see you in the game!