Identify the Major Damage-Dealing Prestige Classes

[Felon]

I'm putting a spreadsheet together that identifies all of the available pretiges classes in my world. Since there's about 100, I decided to emulate the table that WotC books present at the start of their PrC chapters, which categorizes PrC's by a broad descriptor (e.g. "strong arcane caster progression", "melee warrior", "wilderness expert", etc.).

I'd like to have a category for major damage-dealers. If you had all prestige classes from WotC 3.5e books available to choose from, which would you place in this category?

I'll kick it off:

Bear Warrior (from Complete Warrior)
War Hulk (from Minis Handbook)
Holy Scourge (from Complete Mage)

Note that it doesn't what the source of damage is--spells, archery, melee weapons, whatever.

 

[pawsplay]

Hulking ing Hurler

 

[Machiavelli]

Are you looking for lots of quick and dirty, raw damage, context ignored? For instance, something that would not be good for quick, dirty, raw damage would be something like the Arcane Archer. What makes it "good" for damage is being very far away from what you're dealing damage to, not so much dealing hords of damage at a shot. Similarly, an Assassin can deal enough damage to kill a target outright, but it may not be what you're looking for, because the context in which the Assassin operates is a MAJOR consideration.

Also, yes, Hulking Frellin' Hurler. Nothing beats a 20d6 boulder attack made against not you, with your uber armor of doom +bajillion, but against the ground you are standing on. When that lands, you're in deep crap; you better have a good Reflex save! Would a Goliath be eligible for the Hulking Hurler class, with that Powerful Build racial feature?

 

[Felon]

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.

 

[Solarious]

If you want that, you need all those Cleric PrCs, and give them a minute or two to buff themselves into the stratosphere, using a Candle of Invocation and a Bead of Karma, as well as Divine Metamagic for metamagik goodness.

Then let them wade into battle, dispensing holy justice with extreme prejudice. End of story.

 

[Hammerhead]

Nightsong Enforcer. Good sneak attack combined with full base attack.

 

[Drowbane]

Are you looking for lots of quick and dirty, raw damage, context ignored? For instance, something that would not be good for quick, dirty, raw damage would be something like the Arcane Archer. What makes it "good" for damage is being very far away from what you're dealing damage to, not so much dealing hords of damage at a shot. Similarly, an Assassin can deal enough damage to kill a target outright, but it may not be what you're looking for, because the context in which the Assassin operates is a MAJOR consideration.

Also, yes, Hulking Frellin' Hurler. Nothing beats a 20d6 boulder attack made against not you, with your uber armor of doom +bajillion, but against the ground you are standing on. When that lands, you're in deep crap; you better have a good Reflex save! Would a Goliath be eligible for the Hulking Hurler class, with that Powerful Build racial feature?

There is precident for Powerful Build counting as Large (or large-enough) for feats... PrCs isn't too much of a stretch. YDVMV (your DM's views may vary )

Back to topic: Invisible Blade (complete warrior)? Sure you're nekkid with just a knife or two... but you can sneak away with full attacks (and then get dropped in a single round ).

 

[Machiavelli]

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. Clerics rely on temporary buffs, spellcasters run out of spells, but Hulking Hurlers just keep picking stuff up and chucking it

I think with the right setup, a Cavalier could be pretty nice for damage (except its otherwise great Deadly Charge ability doesn't stack with Spirited Charge, to my dismay).

 

[Simm]

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

 

[Legildur]

Not sure if it qualifies, but Champion of Corellon (sp?) from Races of the Wild allows an elf with its chosen weapon to add Dex bonus to damage, along with Strength bonus, against creatures not immune to criticals. It's tasty, but not sure if it is a "major damage-dealer".