D&D 5E Most powerful class in 5e

[aramis erak]

At my table this becomes one giant encounter, not eight separate encounters.

Same here... tho' I try to keep those in LOS to no more than 2x the deadly threshold at any given point.

 

[aramis erak]

I'm afraid I don't recognize what any of those items/classes are.

The pilot can be any spellcaster. A Major helm (or a minor one, for that matter, properly, "spelljamming helm") converts spell levels to space propulsion. (Lifejamming helms convert hit points.)

 

[machineelf]

(giant ape at level 7 is bananas)

I see what you did there.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Would you be willing to go through that math in a little more detail? My brain is tired and I'm having a hard time identifying all the sources.

Attack with longsword: 1d8 (longsword) + 1d8 (improved smite) + STR, x2 dice for critical because target is paralyzed in melee range = 4d8 + STR
Rider/smite (4th level slot, cost: 6 SP): 5d8 (base) + 1d8 (improved smite), x2 dice for critical = 12d8
Total damage on hit: 16d8 + STR

Extra attack means he does the longsword twice, so 32d8 + Str x2 = 32 * 4.5 = 144 + Str x 2, with Str 16 is 150 damage. You could swap out your longsword for a greatsword to boost your damage slightly but it hardly seems necessary.

Scorching ray has 3 rays + 1 per extra level, so 8 rays at level 7 (3 + 5). (My original post was in error, I miscounted and thought there would be nine rays.) Each ray does 3d6 damage, x2 dice for crit in melee range, +CHA for being a dragon sorc, so 6d6 + CHA. Roll 6d6 + CHA and multiply by the number of rays that hit. If eight rays hit and CHA is 20, that is 8 * ((6 * 3.5) + 5) = 208 points of damage.

150 + 208 = 358. Max damage would be (32 * 8 + 3 * 2) + 8 * (6 * 6 + 5) = 590, but then of course max damage is less interesting than average damage anyway.

So, 358 points of damage, give or take, and you still have a reaction. You spent four 4th level slots (6 SP each), one quickened 5th level slot (2 sorcery points and 7 SP), and one 7th level slot (10 SP IIRC), for 4 * 6 + 7 + 10 = 41 SP and 2 sorcery points total cost.

You could boost this damage total slightly (by 20 points) by using Sacred Weapon + GWM + greatsword, adding approximately 20 points of damage per round. That's not really interesting from the nova perspective but cheap, consistent damage is more my style, so I like that way. Also, as mentioned previously, the nova version relies on your enemy failing his saving throw against Hold Monster, and any enemy who easily fails a save isn't worth spending a nova on anyway, so that is more something you do when someone manages to land a lucky Hold Monster on someone who normally would pass, but has depleted all of his Legendary Resists and also rolled a natural one on his save or something.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Concentration chains don't work. The action of casting a concentration spell cancels the effects of any concentration spells you are maintaining. So before the new effect lands, the old effect is already gone. They don't linger or stack in any way. Hex, Bestow Curse, and Hold P/M are all concentration spells. Their effects end when you cast another concentration spell.

Bestow Curse V isn't concentration, it's just a flat 8 hour duration. But I'd rather land a curse that perma-stuns the target than one that boosts damage by a modest amount.

 

[PnPgamer]

Attack with longsword: 1d8 (longsword) + 1d8 (improved smite) + STR, x2 dice for critical because target is paralyzed in melee range = 4d8 + STR
Rider/smite (4th level slot, cost: 6 SP): 5d8 (base) + 1d8 (improved smite), x2 dice for critical = 12d8
Total damage on hit: 16d8 + STR

Extra attack means he does the longsword twice, so 32d8 + Str x2 = 32 * 4.5 = 144 + Str x 2, with Str 16 is 150 damage. You could swap out your longsword for a greatsword to boost your damage slightly but it hardly seems necessary.

Scorching ray has 3 rays + 1 per extra level, so 8 rays at level 7 (3 + 5). (My original post was in error, I miscounted and thought there would be nine rays.) Each ray does 3d6 damage, x2 dice for crit in melee range, +CHA for being a dragon sorc, so 6d6 + CHA. Roll 6d6 + CHA and multiply by the number of rays that hit. If eight rays hit and CHA is 20, that is 8 * ((6 * 3.5) + 5) = 208 points of damage.

150 + 208 = 358. Max damage would be (32 * 8 + 3 * 2) + 8 * (6 * 6 + 5) = 590, but then of course max damage is less interesting than average damage anyway.

So, 358 points of damage, give or take, and you still have a reaction. You spent four 4th level slots (6 SP each), one quickened 5th level slot (2 sorcery points and 7 SP), and one 7th level slot (10 SP IIRC), for 4 * 6 + 7 + 10 = 41 SP and 2 sorcery points total cost.

You could boost this damage total slightly (by 20 points) by using Sacred Weapon + GWM + greatsword, adding approximately 20 points of damage per round. That's not really interesting from the nova perspective but cheap, consistent damage is more my style, so I like that way. Also, as mentioned previously, the nova version relies on your enemy failing his saving throw against Hold Monster, and any enemy who easily fails a save isn't worth spending a nova on anyway, so that is more something you do when someone manages to land a lucky Hold Monster on someone who normally would pass, but has depleted all of his Legendary Resists and also rolled a natural one on his save or something.

Otherwise good but dragon sorcs get their stat damageboost only on one ray per casting, due to errata.

 

[kerbarian]

So, 358 points of damage, give or take, and you still have a reaction. You spent four 4th level slots (6 SP each), one quickened 5th level slot (2 sorcery points and 7 SP), and one 7th level slot (10 SP IIRC), for 4 * 6 + 7 + 10 = 41 SP and 2 sorcery points total cost.

If you're assuming a previous round of setup and a target that fails its saves like in this example, Quivering Palm can reduce any creature directly to 0, and a monk can do that all day. If someone casts haste on her, she can do it to a new target every round. Stunning Strike is also extremely powerful -- you can lay it on quickly enough to overwhelm even Legendary Resistance. It wins fights, though it doesn't show up as high DPR.

The first round of the combo is solid, though, with a quickened Hold X followed by smites. Cheap enough that the Paladin/Sorc can break it out for any particularly tough target, and it helps the rest of the party with damage and action economy as well. Quickened Bless is also nice to have around for fights where you don't want to spend the resources to nova.

 

[Celtavian]

Not quite "any caster." A warlock, bardlock, etc. can scout and kill as well or better than a rogue at negligible cost.

How do you figure? The rogue can Hide and Dash as a bonus action maintaining secrecy and distance.

Are you talking a bard using Stealth and Eldritch Blast? He can't generally move as fast as the rogue or hide as a bonus action...unless he casts haste or something similar. You could set up a bardlock to do it. I do like Cunning Action for scouting just in case. I imagine a bard might be able to D-Door or misty step if he got in trouble. The rogue can generally do better at lower level.

 

[Jessica]

IIRC the Warlock depending on invocation or pact can get an invisible familiar that they can see through the eyes of. Also at higher levels they can Arcane Eye at-will. Also if they do the scouting themselves, Witch Eye can let them see through illusion and transmutation spells which would let them automatically see through invisibility.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

scorching ray is 2d6 per ray