Build Challenge: Highest First+Second Round Single Target Damage, No Magic Items/Surprise Round

[Giant2005]

Assume that all attacks hit, but none are crits.

That is a terrible ruling. You have essentially removed one advantage or rolling lots of dice (like Rogues and Paladins) and removed the penalties for things like GWM and SS. You are stacking the deck in favor of GWM and SHH builds to the point that it isn't really worthwhile entering anything else, even if other builds are far more capable of inflicting damage.

 

[Z. H. Darkstar]

That is a terrible ruling. You have essentially removed one advantage or rolling lots of dice (like Rogues and Paladins) and removed the penalties for things like GWM and SS. You are stacking the deck in favor of GWM and SHH builds to the point that it isn't really worthwhile entering anything else, even if other builds are far more capable of inflicting damage.

Well I don't have a doctorate in D&D math, so I went for a decision that doesn't require mastery of statistics. If you want a challenge thread that encompasses all of the mathematical minutiae of D&D, go make one yourself. More power to you if you do, but I don't have the time to take every last calculation into consideration.

 

[Giant2005]

Well I don't have a doctorate in D&D math, so I went for a decision that doesn't require mastery of statistics. If you want a challenge thread that encompasses all of the mathematical minutiae of D&D, go make one yourself. More power to you if you do, but I don't have the time to take every last calculation into consideration.

You don't need to get that carried away - just choose a single AC value and compare everything to that. 20 would be an appropriate value for level 20 characters.

 

[mellored]

DM dependant because I'm not sure about the rulling for contagion. There is nothing in Errata.

Contagion is activated after 3 failed saves.

http://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/06/13/contagion-effects/

 

[Trancekat]

Well I don't have a doctorate in D&D math, so I went for a decision that doesn't require mastery of statistics. If you want a challenge thread that encompasses all of the mathematical minutiae of D&D, go make one yourself. More power to you if you do, but I don't have the time to take every last calculation into consideration.

I do have that degree though ...and I have taken those calculations into consideration.

If you're interested, I can share the spreadsheet I created to calculate just this scenario. From my calculations, the highest 1 turn DPR assuming 1 buff action and external haste is a Fi4/Pa6/So6 - note, I stopped at level 16 since there is no realistic way I would ever be able to play in an AOA at a big con.

 

[Cognomen's Cassowary]

Okay, let's see . . . you'd almost certainly want fighter 2, paladin 2, and sorcerer 3. Bump it up to 5 in paladin for the second attack and fill in the rest with sorcerer for spell slots and sorcery points. That makes you a 15th level spellcaster. Half-orc, 20 Str, great-weapon master and polearm master feats, quickened spell and empowered spell metamagics, great-weapon fighting style, polearm.

First round, enemy moves into reach - attack of opportunity, 1d10 +5 Str mod +10 GWM slashing or piercing, smite for 5d8 radiant damage.
PC's turn, quickened hold person. Enemy is paralyzed, all attacks within five feet automatically crit.
Attack #1, 3d10 +5 Str mod +10 GWM slashing or piercing, 10d8 radiant
Attack #2, 3d10 +5 Str mod +10 GWM slashing or piercing, 10d8 radiant

Second round, enemy is unable to move or act.
PC's turn
Attack #1, 3d10 +5 Str mod +10 GWM slashing or piercing, 10d8 radiant
Attack #2, 3d10 +5 Str mod +10 GWM slashing or piercing, 10d8 radiant
Action surge
Attack #1, 3d10 +5 Str mod +10 GWM slashing or piercing, 10d8 radiant
Attack #2, 3d10 +5 Str mod +10 GWM slashing or piercing, 10d8 radiant
quickened scorching ray, 8th level
nine rays, each dealing 4d6 fire damage

Totaling
19d10, coming to 119.7 after fighting style on average +105 from Str mod and GWM, piercing or slashing damage
65d8, coming to 292.5 on average, radiant damage
36d6, coming to 153 after empowered spell on average, fire damage

670.2 average total damage (1031 maximum), potentially +5 from lame dragon sorcerer bonus or +? from two wild-magic surges. That's the best I can come up with.

That's going absolutely supernova, and it would use all your spell slots above third level, as well as 13 sorcery points and action surge. Needless to say, your damage per round would drop off pretty quickly thereafter. Now, if you could rely on an ally giving you haste and another paralyzing the enemy, you could go sorcerer 17/warlock 1/fighter 2 and get pretty insane with guaranteed-crit scorching ray and hex. I'm not going to bother to do that math right now, but suffice it to say, I think you got 'im.

famousringo, sad to say, your approach doesn't work. If you quicken a spell, you cannot cast another spell except a cantrip on the same turn, even if the quickened spell is a cantrip. Or at least that's how I read the rule. You also, by errata, are allowed only one surge per turn.

 

[Gtdef]

Not the best but I want to throw this out here cause it's potent.
Evoker 18/Fighter 2

First Round
Cast Wish-> Hallow
Energy Vulnerability Fire

Second Round
Action Surge-> Hold Monster
Overchannel Scorching Ray lvl 5
(24*6+5)*2=149*2 = 298

 

[Yunru]

Here's a very basic one I've not thought out beyond this:

Sorcerer 17/Fighter 2/Warlock 1:
Turn 1: Move Hex. Meteor Swarm, 40d6. Action Surge, 8th level Scorching Ray, 27d6.
Turn 2: 7th level Scorching Ray quickened, 24d6. Eldritch Blast, 4d10+4d6.
Total: 95d6+4d10. Average of 354.5.
Not accounting for War Caster, Bloodline features, or chances to hit.

 

[Yunru]

Well I don't have a doctorate in D&D math, so I went for a decision that doesn't require mastery of statistics. If you want a challenge thread that encompasses all of the mathematical minutiae of D&D, go make one yourself. More power to you if you do, but I don't have the time to take every last calculation into consideration.

I don't have a degree, hell I've never passed a single statistics exam, but even I can see that it's a terrible ruling. You turn a -5 penalty for a +10 damage into a -0 penalty for +10 damage, and you render the Archery fighting style useless.

Not to mention it's a giant middle finger to crit builds, and crits aren't even hard to work out.

 

[Yunru]

Level 17 Eldritch Knight/3 Sorcerer with Great Weapon Master and Magic Initiate for Hex.
Turn 1: Quicken Haste. Action Surge. 7 attacks at 2d6+15 a piece.
Turn 2: Hex. Action Surge. 7 attacks at 3d6+15 a piece.
Total: 35d6+210. Average: 332.5

Level 20 Battle Master, with Great Weapon Master and Magic Initiate:
Turn 1: Hex, Action Surge, 8 attacks at 3d6+15, +6d12 from Manuevers.
Turn 2: Action Surge, 9 attacks at 3d6+15.
Total: 51d6+6d12+255. Average: 472.5