Zardnaar
Legend
The humble quarterstaff is actually a fairly great weapon in 5E. It is the only weapon in the game I have figured out how to use it to hit with charisma, wisdom, dexterity and strength modifiers. The humble staff also has a but strike option with the Polearm Master feat. This is not a great powergaming option but you can put out a surprising amount of damage with this stick. How do you do it? Here's how.
1. Strength modifier. This is an easy and obvious one. Have a strength score of 12+ pick up stick and hit someone with it. Do not try this at home.
2. Dexterity modifier. The staff and spear can be used as a finesse weapon in effect. How? Be a Monk. This bumps its damage up to a d8 if you use it as a versatile weapon (why wouldn't you).
3. Wisdom modifier. Druids can cast the cantrip Shillelagh. So can nature clerics. This lets you turn a stick into a 1d8 weapon that deals wisdom modifier to hit and damage. Throw in the PAM feat and the nature cleric has reduced MAD and is one of the better beat down clerics. An arcane cleric can double dip here and add green flame blade on top of this assuming they can get Shillelagh somehow (probably via feat such as Magic Initiate). Who needs Tempest and war clerics anyway.
4. Charisma. The obvious way here is a Hexblade. A less obvious way is the 3pp Kobold Press Midgrd Heros Dragonkin race. The Edjet (Soldier) Dragonkin gets Shillelagh as a cantrip. Big deal so do Druids and Nature clerics but this Shillelagh is keyed off charisma. Dragonkin Sword and board Paladin keying everything of Charisma reduces MAD and every charisma boost is +1 to hit damage, saves with your Paladin Aura. All Dragonkin get +2 charisma as well.
1. Strength modifier. This is an easy and obvious one. Have a strength score of 12+ pick up stick and hit someone with it. Do not try this at home.
2. Dexterity modifier. The staff and spear can be used as a finesse weapon in effect. How? Be a Monk. This bumps its damage up to a d8 if you use it as a versatile weapon (why wouldn't you).
3. Wisdom modifier. Druids can cast the cantrip Shillelagh. So can nature clerics. This lets you turn a stick into a 1d8 weapon that deals wisdom modifier to hit and damage. Throw in the PAM feat and the nature cleric has reduced MAD and is one of the better beat down clerics. An arcane cleric can double dip here and add green flame blade on top of this assuming they can get Shillelagh somehow (probably via feat such as Magic Initiate). Who needs Tempest and war clerics anyway.
4. Charisma. The obvious way here is a Hexblade. A less obvious way is the 3pp Kobold Press Midgrd Heros Dragonkin race. The Edjet (Soldier) Dragonkin gets Shillelagh as a cantrip. Big deal so do Druids and Nature clerics but this Shillelagh is keyed off charisma. Dragonkin Sword and board Paladin keying everything of Charisma reduces MAD and every charisma boost is +1 to hit damage, saves with your Paladin Aura. All Dragonkin get +2 charisma as well.
