D&D 5E What Level 20 Class Would Win?

[Phazonfish]

I have to say monk. People forget that a level 20 monk has proficiency in all saves and get to reroll them in the off-chance they fail the first time. The invisibility keeps spellcasters from targeting you while also resisting most damage options if they end up landing. They also get evasion, which makes them even better against spellcasters.

As for melee combatants, if they don't get greedy, they can kite them by bonus action disengaging. Their movement is larger than most and if they're fighting a rogue, the rogue is going to have a hard time following up on their naturally good perception. Meaning it's a toss-up whether the rogue gets to even use it's sneak attack consistently.

Ranged combatants must deal with the monk's Deflect Missile which is basically a guarantee by level 20 unless something's strange is going on for a minimum of 26 damage from one attack. Once the Monk gets in their face, which is possible because of their BA dash and heightened movement, the Ranged combatant is at a serious disadvantage.

As for Druids, they aren't naturally proficient in CON saves and most animals they can wildshape into aren't either. Even with True Polymorph or Shapechange, they don't get Legendary resistance like most high Con creatures and 4 forced saves are hard to beat.

As for if they do become successfully banished or plane shifted, they can use Astral Projection to return to the fight.

Quick point of order: Shapechange and True Polymorph do give Legendary Resistance. It's Legendary Actions that you miss out on.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I want to know what Level 20 Wizard is fighting anyone on anything other than on their own terms.

If it's not on agreed terms than the Level 20 Wizard should just send an army of Simulacra while they hang out in their Magnificent Mansion. Who can assassinate whom is a fun game as well but I don't think it is what we are playing. I assumed an agreed and prearranged date, time, and place.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

The Druid doesn't have to face a Moon Druid, because the challenge is to beat every other class, and access to subclass features was stated in the original post, so I don't know what you are trying to say.

What I am trying to say is that some generally very strong contenders for level 20 dueling would not be terribly effective against absolutely all opponents and, in meeting the requirement of facing anyone the Wizard comes out ahead through sheer versatility in powerful strategies against all possible comers. I thought the ineffectiveness of a wildshaping Moon Druid against another wildshaping Moon Druid would be a fairly clear illustration that would hopefully avoid needing to get into details.

An alternative example would be that whatever build we can dream up that hits the hardest in damage will have no way of finishing off a Zealot Barbarian, who keeps going even upon being reduced to 0 HP as long as he keeps raging, unless they have some sort of way to kill that isn't based on reducing to Zero HP or some way to incapacitate said Barbarian when they get him to O HP. Almost any Wizard could just flip back to the early pages of his spellbook and prepare Sleep that day, which would unfailingly finish him off.

The terms of this fight (preparation, but not building for the specific enemy) favor the versatility of prepared spellcasters, and I think most of us would argue that the Wizard is the most versatile of those overall.

 

[Hohige]

It's easy.
Aasimar Shadow Sorcerer with Umbral Form feature to give resistency against all damage, except force.
Cast a spell and move inside a wall for total cover in your turn. Yes It can move through walls and end your turn there for Invulnerability.
Shadow Sorcerer and his Simulacrum casting Empowered Distant for 620ft range Insect Plague Spell for 5d10 Piercing (It can be upcasted for extra 1d10/level)+20 (Aasimar Racials) that ignores cover. It's completely out the enemy's spellcasting range.
The Simulacrum duplicates it.

Subtle Metamagic to always win a counterspell battle.
The winner is obvious.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I have to say monk. People forget that a level 20 monk has proficiency in all saves and get to reroll them in the off-chance they fail the first time. The invisibility keeps spellcasters from targeting you while also resisting most damage options if they end up landing. They also get evasion, which makes them even better against spellcasters.

As for melee combatants, if they don't get greedy, they can kite them by bonus action disengaging. Their movement is larger than most and if they're fighting a rogue, the rogue is going to have a hard time following up on their naturally good perception. Meaning it's a toss-up whether the rogue gets to even use it's sneak attack consistently.

Ranged combatants must deal with the monk's Deflect Missile which is basically a guarantee by level 20 unless something's strange is going on for a minimum of 26 damage from one attack. Once the Monk gets in their face, which is possible because of their BA dash and heightened movement, the Ranged combatant is at a serious disadvantage.

Good points. Better make the Monk an Aaracokra though, or he'll be pretty disappointed against a Storm Sorcerer.

 

[Asisreo]

Good points. Better make the Monk an Aaracokra though, or he'll be pretty disappointed against a Storm Sorcerer.

Or he could be a 4-elemonk and fly his way to the enemy

 

[Hohige]

Also, Aasimar Shadow Sorcerer's umbral form and Antimagic Field (Via Wish) is really great against spellcaster.
Resistence to all damage, can move through walls for total cover against enemies.
It's attack is weapon damage +DEX +20 Radiant (Assimar's racials).

 

[Asisreo]

I feel like these discussions are much like when there's discussions on "Who's the best superhero by means of fighting each other." IME, a common argument is if they knew who they were fighting, batman would be superior since he always has a plan to take out anyone. But I don't necessarily think that's either fair namely because only Batman gets to define the terms, set up the environment, understands weaknesses, and have near unlimited resources to do his plans. The scenario leans heavily into batman's strength while hardly giving the other heroes a chance to play into theirs.

Likewise, these questions always, and I mean always, lean into the Wizard's strength only because they get the chance to prepare and it's an honorable duel where surprises aren't allowed. Because it becomes less Wizard-sided when the Wizard can't prepare. The Rogue could easily sneak up on the wizard and potentially instakill him, especially if the Rogue is an assassin.

If the battle starts in melee, a Barbarian gets to be extremely more effective than if the Barbarian is allowed to Kite them.

If the Druid doesn't start the battle Wildshaped, an enemy could take them down in the first round.

Actually, a sleep spell is able to keep a Druid from Wildshaping. If you cast it around level 3, which is admittedly high for a sleep spell but it forces no saves, they'll have 9d8 hp to force the sleep which is 40hp average. Now, sleep shouldn't be your first spell but it's a nice finisher when the wildshape form has already taken a beating. I don't believe wildshaping back ends any condition that you have, so the Druid would still be asleep. That's when you cast your highest level spell or use your deadliest attack. They'll autofail any str/dex save and attacks have advantage with crits on attacks within 5ft. Druids without the wildshape tend to be squishy. At least, too squishy to handle that. Even if they survive, the strategy is still in effect.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

It's easy.
Aasimar Shadow Sorcerer with Umbral Form to give resistency against all damage, except force.
Cast a spell and move inside a wall for total cover. Yes It can move through walls and end there for Invulnerability.
Shadow Sorcerer and his casting Empowered Distant for 620ft range Insect Plague for 5d10 Piercing (It can be upcasted for extra 1d10/level)+20 (Aasimar Racials) that ignores cover.
The Simulacrum duplicates it.

Subtle Metamagic to always win a counterspell battle.
The winner is obvious.

The Shadow Sorcerer is susceptible against any area of effect that passes through walls. Umbral Form is defeated by any spell that incapacitates, some of which are low enough level that a 20th level caster can afford to risk wasting them on a held action and some others can pass through walls. The Moon Druid wildshapes repeatedly until the Shadow Sorcerer runs out of resources, and, in Earth elemental form, can both pass through stone and has double damage against walls. If Simulacra are allowed than a Wizard can bring dozens of them. Hiding behind walls will keep the Shadow Sorcerer from being able to counterspell their opponent. Distance advantages are only a huge boon when there is a frontline of allies keeping your enemy from closing that distance and almost no enemy would be fighting them from 620 feet away. One of the few that might is a Warlock with Spell Sniper and Eldritch Spear, so be prepared for 4 d10+5 held Eldritch Blast force damage attacks every time he pops out of cover, from which he has no resistance so don't count on holding concentration. Unless you are metagaming the hiding will keep you from knowing where your enemy goes or what they are doing.

It's a strong contender, but it being the winner is far from obvious.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Polymorphing and then Power Word Killing is an effective tactic.