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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celtavian" data-source="post: 6639688" data-attributes="member: 5834">When discussing rules, I always assume we're discussing core rules and their effect on the game. The damage output of individual classes and the roles they play in a group are important to me as a DM. I consider the fun of players highly important. That means tracking class ability. I don't do this just because I want this perfectly balanced game. I do it because I want players to be able to choose options for given roles that are relatively balanced in terms of effectiveness. I weight a lot of different factors when doing so. Some of the factors I weight:1. General Versatility: This is of first importance to me when measuring comparative DPR. If a class can fill multiple roles or excel in multiple aspects of the game (social, exploration, combat...the pillars), I tend to not focus on damage quite as a much. I like to see how a class works during actual play before I judge it, to as high a level as possible. Some classes don't shine at low level, but shine really bright at high level. This is usually the case with casters like wizards which tend to have a non-linear sort of advancement gaining access to more and more powerful effects that no class but a caster can match. 5E wizards aren't as potent as previous editions, but they're pretty damn potent being able to attack the weaknesses of any creature due to six saves and spell versatility. I don't worry about them as far as pure damage output goes. To sum it up, versatility is important to analyze before you concern yourself with pure damage. 2. Combat Versatility: This is extremely important to measure before you rate DPR. How well can the class heal himself? This is a big one. You don't want a class outputting insane DPR if he can heal himself of a large amount of damage. You will have serious balance issues if this happens. That's why I understand keeping a tight cap on cleric DPR. You don't want that headache of them turning into the ultimate, indestructible combat machine. Paladins are fairly close right now to being out of whack. The main thing that keeps them somewhat balanced is they have to enter melee to smite. If they could smite at range, the paladin would be ridiculously overpowered. AoE damage versus single target. How many different effects can they do in combat. How many weaknesses can they attack. Ranged versus melee effectiveness. A lot of little factors to take into account when measuring the combat capabilities of a class beyond DPR.The sorcerer is a tricky class. If you build a pure sorcerer blaster, he can be quite weak, especially with the new Twinned Spell clarification. But if you built an effect caster with Heighten Spell, the view might be quite different. Or the Sorlock and his nearly endless ability to cast Eldritch Blast with Quicken converting warlock slots to sorcery points. Not much is immune to force damage. You can make a very tough Sorlock blaster that can for all intents and purposes can double Eldritch Blast with hex all day. A Sorlock can even twin spell his hex providing disadvantage on an ability check to two targets while a party cast a restraining spell and lets the Sorlock nuke them to death. I believe the Twin Spell clarification was to stop the Sorlock, not the scorching ray combo. As has been stated, scorching ray and magic missile are nothing compared to Twinned eldritch blast.To sum it up, DPR is an important factor in balancing classes. It isn't the sole factor, but definitely a major factor, especially when you have classes that fill a similar role in a group like a monk and a rogue. You want the player to be able to choose either class and be equally effective in combat, while hopefully being able to fill a similar or at least equally valuable non-combat role. You don't want the player pick a class that makes them feel like a second wheel, while everyone around them is doing something outstanding be it DPR, scouting, battlefield control, social skills, party buffing, or some other aspect of the game. It isn't fun when classes are imbalanced to the point where choosing to play it makes you feel weaker than others due to inherent flaws in the class mechanics, including DPR if the class is one that should shine bright when doing damage in combat.</blockquote>

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