D&D (2024) PHB 2024 Is Hilariously Broken. Most OP of All Time?

[Zardnaar]

3.0 is the most broken edition of all time but it required a lot of non core stuff to do it. 3.5 PHB mostly theoretically higher level stuff and the Druid. 4E had that kill Orcus thing with a Ranger but was mostly theoretical.

So far a few of us have found the following things that seem OP. Even worse they're very self contained and are available fairly early on.

1. Warcaster feat. Reaction casting to buff allies.

2. Grappler feat
Lots of potential builds mostly abusing spike growth and spirit guardians. Basic idea drag opponents through spike growth edge or run around with a cleric and have multiple characters do it.

3. Conjure Minor Elemental. Not 100% sure it's fine at 7 but from 9+ there's some crazy numbers.

4. Some sort of Monk weapon mastery abuse with daggers and unarmed strikes. Still work in progress. Looks like more damage than the -5/+10 feats without the -5 part.

5. Some sort of turn yourself into a Kraken build. Work in progress.

6. Level 10 cleric abuse with spells like hallow.

And this is at levels people actually play (4-10ish)

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

I'm withholding judgement until I see the MM: Can't judge how powerful something is without a basis for comparison.

Generally 2024 seems to have reduced the power range a little: the most powerful builds have been reduced (or at least not buffed) and the least powerful increased, but there are indeed a few outliers.

1, 3 and 10: I think that we are likely to see these errataed, particularly the CME scaling which I'm pretty sure is an actual typo.
2 - Spike growth grappling and dragging was already a thing in 2014 D&D.

4 and 5 - I'll wait to see what these are. We'll see if they're better than the CE/SS/BM, coffeelocks or bladesingers from 2014.

 

[ezo]

Most OP of all time? Debatable.

More OP than 2014 5E? Damn straight!

 

[Oofta]

Eh. It's always been up to the DM and the group do decide how dangerous the game will be. There have always been exploits and edge cases. This isn't anything new.

 

[Zardnaar]

I'm withholding judgement until I see the MM: Can't judge how powerful something is without a basis for comparison.

Generally 2024 seems to have reduced the power range a little: the most powerful builds have been reduced (or at least not buffed) and the least powerful increased, but there are indeed a few outliers.

1, 3 and 10: I think that we are likely to see these errataed, particularly the CME scaling which I'm pretty sure is an actual typo.
2 - Spike growth grappling and dragging was already a thing in 2014 D&D.

4 and 5 - I'll wait to see what these are. We'll see if they're better than the CE/SS/BM, coffeelocks or bladesingers from 2014.

You can still build a coffee lock?

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

You can still build a coffee lock?

I think so, and I don't think that they have been nerfed, but I likewise don't think that they have gotten significantly more powerful while the baseline around them moved up.

 

[mellored]

1: buffing allies is not overpowered, certainly not broken. You still have concentration limits.

2: enemies can grapple you back. High risk, high reward.

3: CME is not broken at 9. It's strong at 11, and at 13 where it gets crazy. Definitely broken though.

4: monk with a Dagger is far from broken. It's perfectly reasonable use of a feat.

 

[pukunui]

1, 3 and 10: I think that we are likely to see these errataed, particularly the CME scaling which I'm pretty sure is an actual typo.

If it was just a typo, they would have already fixed it on DDB but they haven't, so it's more likely a "wait and see before issuing any errata" thing (like they did with healing spirit).

2: enemies can grapple you back. High risk, high reward.

It's also up to the DM to determine whether you can grapple then drag someone through spike growth without moving through it yourself. I, for one, wouldn't allow it.

 

[Ancalagon]

a few more I've seen:

The thief with a 1 level wizard dip, using fast hand to cast true strike and attack as a bonus action, then holding their action to attack as a reaction, granting easy double sneak attack/round.

Agathys Forever: I invented that one, although it is very possible that someone else also came up with it before me.

Basically, changes in the wording of the spell mean that you can now "recharge" Armor of Agathys, allowing you to inflict the cold damage far more often. At mid level, have the warlock cast it (as a level 4 slot) and then have the wizard change the warlock into a giant ape... you still inflict 20 cold damage to anyone who hits you, but you have 157 temp HP of good times until it expires. There are also a lot of other sources of temp HP that could be used.

I'm also rather... alarmed by the nick weapon mastery and how it's being interpreted. I thought that using a nick weapon meant that your bonus action didn't have to be used for the off-hand attack, meaning you could attack twice at low level and still have other things to do with your bonus action. Feels like it makes the fighting style finally balanced!
Instead, you can get two extra attacks if you do use your bonus action. That seems... not right.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

a few more I've seen:

The thief with a 1 level wizard dip, using fast hand to cast true strike and attack as a bonus action, then holding their action to attack as a reaction, granting easy double sneak attack/round.

Very debatable. Probably wrong.

Agathys Forever: I invented that one, although it is very possible that someone else also came up with it before me.

1 minute (edit: it is 1 hour) is not forever.

Basically, changes in the wording of the spell mean that you can now "recharge" Armor of Agathys, allowing you to inflict the cold damage far more often. At mid level, have the warlock cast it (as a level 4 slot) and then have the wizard change the warlock into a giant ape... you still inflict 20 cold damage to anyone who hits you, but you have 157 temp HP of good times until it expires. There are also a lot of other sources of temp HP that could be used.

I'm also rather... alarmed by the nick weapon mastery and how it's being interpreted. I thought that using a nick weapon meant that your bonus action didn't have to be used for the off-hand attack, meaning you could attack twice at low level and still have other things to do with your bonus action. Feels like it makes the fighting style finally balanced!
Instead, you can get two extra attacks if you do use your bonus action. That seems... not right.

Only with a feat. Seems not too unbalanced. Maybe some feats should have been gated like warlock invocations.