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I had this thought in another thread (the one about "max sustained dpr") but didn't want to derail it.
D&D is (usually) a game of cooperation between multiple characters, so I always find those discussions about optimum builds of a single character kind of odd. An interesting intellectual exercise for some, but not terribly...useful?...in the greater game.
A more interesting question, at least for me, is what are some interesting/fun/crazy synergies between multiple characters? For the sake of simplicity, I'm limiting it to 4 characters, and only multiclassing when it's necessary that abilities are combined in one character for the trick(s) to work.
For example, recently I've been thinking about Grave Domain cleric and Rogue. We've got this in a campaign I'm running, and even at low level it's a pretty neat trick: the cleric uses his Path to the Grave ability, then the rogue sneak attacks for double damage.
Even better would be a Rogue Assassin. And even better, a Half-orc Rogue Assassin. At high levels, when the stars all align, there's the potential for ridiculous damage.
For my other two characters I'd use a Ranger or Druid, and a Portent Wizard.
Here's the plan:
- Rogue (or Wizard familiar) scouts out the BBEG
- The druid or ranger casts Pass Without Trace and the wizard casts Invisibility on everybody
- The party sneaks up to within 30' of the BBEG...OR the Wizard just teleports them within range. (There are really numerous ways to get the drop on the BBEG.)
- BOOYAH! The party (hopefully) surprises the BBEG.
- If the rogue beats the cleric on initiative, he/she Holds Action until the cleric uses Path to the Grave
- Cleric uses Path to the Grave
- Rogue Sneak Attacks the BBEG.
- Wizard uses Portent to cause the BBEG to fail the Con save vs. Death Strike.
The numbers:
- 1d6 for shortsword (I hate rapiers) + 9d6 sneak attack = 10d6 + 5
- It's an automatic critical, because of Assassination. 20d6 + 5
- Half-orc adds one more die on a crit. 21d6 + 5
- Purple worm poison adds 12d6. 33d6 + 5
- All damage doubled from Path to the Grave 66d6 + 10
- All damage doubled again from Death Strike 132d6 + 20
That's....wait for it...482 damage on average.
And approximately a 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000002% chance of doing 812 damage. (I didn't type that randomly; that's really about the chance of getting all 6's.)
D&D is (usually) a game of cooperation between multiple characters, so I always find those discussions about optimum builds of a single character kind of odd. An interesting intellectual exercise for some, but not terribly...useful?...in the greater game.
A more interesting question, at least for me, is what are some interesting/fun/crazy synergies between multiple characters? For the sake of simplicity, I'm limiting it to 4 characters, and only multiclassing when it's necessary that abilities are combined in one character for the trick(s) to work.
For example, recently I've been thinking about Grave Domain cleric and Rogue. We've got this in a campaign I'm running, and even at low level it's a pretty neat trick: the cleric uses his Path to the Grave ability, then the rogue sneak attacks for double damage.
Even better would be a Rogue Assassin. And even better, a Half-orc Rogue Assassin. At high levels, when the stars all align, there's the potential for ridiculous damage.
For my other two characters I'd use a Ranger or Druid, and a Portent Wizard.
Here's the plan:
- Rogue (or Wizard familiar) scouts out the BBEG
- The druid or ranger casts Pass Without Trace and the wizard casts Invisibility on everybody
- The party sneaks up to within 30' of the BBEG...OR the Wizard just teleports them within range. (There are really numerous ways to get the drop on the BBEG.)
- BOOYAH! The party (hopefully) surprises the BBEG.
- If the rogue beats the cleric on initiative, he/she Holds Action until the cleric uses Path to the Grave
- Cleric uses Path to the Grave
- Rogue Sneak Attacks the BBEG.
- Wizard uses Portent to cause the BBEG to fail the Con save vs. Death Strike.
The numbers:
- 1d6 for shortsword (I hate rapiers) + 9d6 sneak attack = 10d6 + 5
- It's an automatic critical, because of Assassination. 20d6 + 5
- Half-orc adds one more die on a crit. 21d6 + 5
- Purple worm poison adds 12d6. 33d6 + 5
- All damage doubled from Path to the Grave 66d6 + 10
- All damage doubled again from Death Strike 132d6 + 20
That's....wait for it...482 damage on average.
And approximately a 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000002% chance of doing 812 damage. (I didn't type that randomly; that's really about the chance of getting all 6's.)
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