I'd like to invite discussion on parties playing through multiple games--what did people use, what worked?

For Pools and Savage Frontier games:

Human Paladin
Human Ranger (later dualed to Mage)
Human Fighter (later dualed to Mage)
Human Cleric
Human Mage
Dwarf or Half-Elf Fighter/Thief

Paladin and Ranger in Pools series replaced multi-classed Cleric/Mage and Fighter/Mage from Pool of Radiance.


For Krynn games:

Human Knight
Human White Mage
Kender Cleric/Thief
Silvanesti Elf Ranger/Cleric
Qualinesti Elf Fighter/Red Mage
Dwarf Fighter


Basically I want as many classes and races included in my party as possible, if it's practical. In the Krynn games it is pratcical, but not in the Pools games, due to the level caps for demi-humans.

Including elves in the Krynn games is also quite risky when playing Iron Man (since a dead Elf stays dead on Krynn), and leads to some nerve wracking battles where I had to retreat my elves to not get hit by dragon breat or beholder death rays.

In the Pools games the single class Cleric and the Fighter/Thief was pretty useless in combat in the final stages of the game, while in the Krynn games the Kender became less useful in the last game.