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Flurry of Blows is one of the few bonus actions with specified timing. Unlike Martial Arts, Flurry lets you take a bonus action "After you take the Attack action", not "when you use the Attack action". I believe that means you can't take the Flurry attacks first -- I was disappointed, because...

You can convert spell slots (including your Warlock spell slots, which come back every short rest) into sorcery points and then feed them into quicken spell. For single-target damage, it's probably the most effective use of your spell levels. You can even stack empowered spell on them if you...

In addition to the extra chance of landing your sneak attack when fighting with two weapons that others have mentioned, two weapons in melee gives you higher damage: 2d6 + dex instead of 1d8 + dex. Plus you can split your damage, which is occasionally useful.

After looking at Conjure Animals, I looked right next to it at Conjure Woodland Beings. That lets you conjure 8 pixies, and each of those pixies has a nice list of spells they can cast (and concentrate on) for you. So, for example, Conjure Woodland Beings lets you effectively cast Fly or...

Interesting -- I hadn't read it that way at all. I thought of it as: the familiar zips in and jabs at the monster's head to distract it, then zips away. A second later when the Fire Bolt comes in, the creature is blindsided because it's still watching the familiar to make sure it doesn't come...

Why do you need to ready your spell for this? On its turn, your familiar distracts the target (help action to help you with an attack), then you attack it on your turn with advantage. The help action says "If your ally attacks the target before your next turn, the first attack roll is made...

Yes to 18 str, but I didn't assume rage; I was looking at just the always-on abilities. I'll go through my math in more detail, since you're apparently getting a different result. For the base case: Crit chance (CC) = 1 - 0.95^2 = 0.0975 Hit chance (HC) = 1 - 0.35^2 - CC = 0.78 Damage per...

Polearm Master has been brought up multiple times now as an example of why GWM isn't overpowered because Polearm Master is even better. Polearm Master is indeed a strong feat, but GWM still clearly outstrips it in what I'd consider typical situations. I'll use a 5th-level barbarian with a...

There are lots of ways to improve your chance to hit. Advantage is the big one, but there's Bless, Precision Attack (Battle Master), Bardic Inspiration, Archery style (if ranged), etc. There are lots of ways to get extra attacks. There's the Extra Attack feature, TWF, Martial Arts, Polearm...

Actually, spells that require concentration are where it's likely to be strongest. You're not casting two spells, you're casting a single spell that targets two creatures (it even says "target a second creature in range with the same spell"). Spells that target a single creature and require...

If you consider ranged attackers, a fighter with a hand crossbow and shield is surprisingly strong. With the Crossbow Expert and Sharpshooter feats, your attacks can be at -3 attack (-5 and +2 from archery fighting style) and +10 damage, and you can take a bonus attack every round. You don't...

Until level 11, I think barbarians with the Great Weapon Master feat have the lead. When you combine the -5 attack/+10 damage with Reckless Attack for constant advantage, the damage is enormous. You can often get bonus attacks as well. At level 11, the fighter's third attack mostly evens...

That would be pretty cool if you could go Arcane Trickster and reskin all (or many of) the spells as clockwork gadgets.

The Path of the Berserker grants the Frenzy feature. The effects and aftereffects (exhaustion) are clear, but I'm a little confused about how you can initiate it. The feature says "you can go into a frenzy when you rage. If you do so, for the duration of your rage you can make a single melee...

Yes, if a Sorcerer uses Fireball every round on attack, Shield every round on defense, and eats the opportunity attacks every round to get clear of the Minotaurs surrounding him so he can hit them with the fireball and not himself, he does quite well for those three rounds per day :). Actually...

For comparing Barbarian and Fighter, here are alternate builds: 6th-level Human Berserker Barbarian: Str: 18 (15 + 1 racial + 2 AB), Dex: 14, Con: 16 (15 + 1 racial), Int: 8, Wis: 10, Cha: 8 AC: 17 (15 half plate + 2 dex) HP: 65 Weapon: Greatsword Feat: Great Weapon Mastery 6th-level Human...

Eldritch Blast isn't much better than Fire Bolt on its own, and any caster can pick it up via Spell Sniper or Magic Initiate (though it's most useful for Sorcerer or Bard since it will use Cha). Really it's the Invocations that make it strong, and those are directly balanced against the warlock...

Since both the PHB and MM versions are CR1 -- what's the special familiar deal, exactly? Is it something anyone with Find Familiar can use, or is it an option only for Warlocks who can already have an Imp familiar (via Pact of the Chain)?

I don't think that would work to stop a spell. Readied actions happen "right after the trigger finishes", so if you react to someone casting a spell, the spell will go off successfully and then you'll cast Silence. Counterspell is special in that it's a reaction you can take that interrupts...

Contagion is unique and broken only in that it (effectively) bypasses legendary resistance. It breaks the encounter design of a single legendary creature versus the party, which is clearly something 5E is trying to support. Against non-legendary creatures it's powerful -- maybe stronger than...