Identify the Major Damage-Dealing Prestige Classes

[Felon]

Hulking Hurler isn't pie-in-the-sky as far as situation, only as far as race. You have to be Large or larger, hence me asking about Powerful Build, because the Goliath is only a LA +1 race. Otherwise, you have to be a minotaur (my favorite for Hulking Hurler characters) or the more traditional giant. Either way, you've got at least a +2 LA, which isn't as pie-in-the-sky as it is just plain depressing.
Regardless, hurling boulders, and then doing it effectively with the HH PrC, is about as much damage in one shot that you can consistently do as a single character.

From what I can tell, you need to be able throw a couple of tons or so to do 20d6 damage, which won't be a medium load for any of those creatures you mention (and that assumes having the overburdened load trick), at least not without a Strength somewhere around 40. And beyond that, having a boulder to throw whenever you need one seems pretty situational.

Looking at the Area Attack trick, I see some problematic issues there, namely that it allows a save but doesn't specify whether it's a save for half or none. The save is based on the Hulking Hurler's ranged attack bonus, which will suffer a -2 for throwing an improvised weapon, and another -2 for each range increment, and then any LA for the race is sinking it even lower. Heck, even the 10 AC for the square stops being a given at a certain distance. On top of all that, there's the last sentence which specifies that this trick only be used with a "Huge or larger weapon", and only actual weapons have size categories.

When you say "your favorite", does that mean you've actually played this class? If so, that would distinguish you from most of the folks who exalt its supreme uberness.

 

[Felon]

Provided you don't mind who is taking the damage: Frenzied Berserker

Definitely a legitimate contender.

Does anyone think that elemental savant qualifies as a heavy-hitter?

 

[pawsplay]

What I'm looking for is consistent, reliable, high damage output. The Hulking Hurler seems to rely on some pie-in-the-sky scenario, so I don't think it qualifies (but certainly folks can contribute to this list what they please),

Powerful build doesn't help meet size requirements for PrC's.

Half-ogre (Str 21) fighter 3/barbarian 3/hulking hurler 2, wearing a +4 Str enhancement (25), raging (+4 Str, for 29) can hurl over 1800 pounds, for 12d6 damage at ECL 10. Adding a feat from Planar Handbook that doubles your carrying capacity will raise that to either 2700 or 3600 pounds, adding either 4d6 or 9d6 damage to that.

Adding 10 levels of War Hulk (+20 Str) for ECL 20, allows you to hurl over 12000 (or 16000) pounds, for a total of at least 55d6+43 damage at ECL 20, without including any other spells or effects.

Now, that's a pretty basic build. With a judicious use of templates, feats, and classes, you can break 5 million d6 without using any questionable rules intepretations, just every method of grabbing Str and/or size you can find.

 

[Victim]

Definitely a legitimate contender.

Does anyone think that elemental savant qualifies as a heavy-hitter?

Not really. Compared to a normal caster, it has a bonus on DCs and SR but a penalty on caster level so its spells probably won't hit any harder. Plus the single element focus can leave the character more vulnerable to immunities and resistances.

The Archmage and Master Specialist seem like good ways to boost arcane caster damage. They each offer caster level bonuses (more damage, better SR penetration). The Archmage has Mastery of Shaping to allow a caster to deliver damage without friendly fire issues, and Mastery of Elements to help bypass resistances.

The Dervish is an effective melee combatant since it offers attack and damage bonuses plus a way to full attack and move. Since it relies on making many attacks, however, it can be screwed by DR.

The Exotic Weapon Master's Uncanny Blow ability significantly improves damage for high STR characters.

The Kensai's Power Surge offers an unnamed STR bonus that can be used to increase damage dealing ability, although the class has some annoying skill requirements and doesn't have full base attack.

 

[Felon]

Suffice to say, terms like "basic build" and "questionable rules" are wide open to interpretation. The improved weapons rules at the back of Complete Warrior that serve as the entire basis for coming up with millions of d6's of damage seem questionable as all get out, since the "1d6 per 200 lbs" progression is pretty self-evidently not designed with infinite scalability in mind. The hulking hurler is a more of an abstract exercise than a practical class that actually gets played. Will a character have a quiver full of 10-ton object to toss around? Probably not.

 

[Felon]

Not really. Compared to a normal caster, it has a bonus on DCs and SR but a penalty on caster level so its spells probably won't hit any harder. Plus the single element focus can leave the character more vulnerable to immunities and resistances.

I was thinking along the same lines.

The Archmage and Master Specialist seem like good ways to boost arcane caster damage. They each offer caster level bonuses (more damage, better SR penetration). The Archmage has Mastery of Shaping to allow a caster to deliver damage without friendly fire issues, and Mastery of Elements to help bypass resistances.

Good points.

The Dervish is an effective melee combatant since it offers attack and damage bonuses plus a way to full attack and move. Since it relies on making many attacks, however, it can be screwed by DR.

I was wondering if the dervish would meet anyone's standards as a major damage-dealer. Despite rampant claims that we're inundated with PrC's and that in most cases they're just powergamer tools, it's actually pretty hard to come with PrC's that offer significant damage boosts.

 

[Machiavelli]

Pawsplay nailed the easiest way to beef up the Hulking Hurler: take War Hulk as well. It's a fantastically effective way to boost strength. You'd have to be very careful or very insane to allow it into your campaign, but it turns any Large martial combatant (melee or ranged) into a force to be reckoned with. With all that extra Str, using Str to hit with a thrown weapon (Brutal Throw, C. Adv.), you can hit AC 10 easily, even taking into account range increments. Now, I have previously considered boulders and such as improvised weapons, and as such any boulder of Huge size or larger would be a weapon usable for an Area Attack. Even if that's wrong, the ability to throw a Huge javelin as a ranged attack still works nicely. Monkey Grip (C. Warrior) works wonders for that.

Oh, and I meant Centaurs. I liked the javelin-throwing, centaur Hulking Hurlers instead of their usual bow-users. A racial +8 Str and +4 from Barbarian rage, augmented by War Hulk levels, really did the trick. Unfortunately, the other players' characters were less optimized for combat, so my character tended to steal the glory. We agreed to kill him off, maybe use him in some other campaign.

I've never actually played a Minotaur. A HH, yes, but no minos.


You definitely will want to add the War Hulk and Hulking Hurler to your list. They can be brutally effective if you "build" them to their strengths.

 

[Felon]

You definitely will want to add the War Hulk and Hulking Hurler to your list. They can be brutally effective if you "build" them to their strengths.

Consider them added.

 

[MarkB]

How about Warshaper. If you can qualify for it (via anything from Bear Warrior to being a changeling or shifter) it gets you +4 Strength, extra/larger natural weapon, and extended reach. I put together a barbarian / bear warrior / warshaper combo recently, and while it lacked for AC, the stacking strength bonuses and improved natural weapon combined for some excellent damage output.

 

[Jack Simth]

Either way, you've got at least a +2 LA, which isn't as pie-in-the-sky as it is just plain depressing.

Psst: Enlarge Person can be made Permanent with a Permanency spell. LA+0, anyone?