Comments on: Deal The Most Damage

By: Benefits to Adventuring in the City — Dungeon's Master

Benefits to Adventuring in the City — Dungeon's Master — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:03:54 +0000

[...] of winning a fight and killing monsters faster is a must have. You’re all about hitting often and dealing the most damage. But what about those PCs who are not as interested in combat? These are the PCs who focus on the [...]

By: Ameron

Ameron — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:49:29 +0000

@Richard
When I wrote this article I was limited to the PHB and MM. Since then more materials have become available and there are other great power builds, like the one you’ve shared. Maybe it’s time for me to revisit this idea.

By: Richard

Richard — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:11:39 +0000

Also consider a Bugbear Barbarian, the ability to use larger weapons. A large Execution Axe is 2d6 instead of a 1d12, hence getting a greater benefit from the Brutal 2. Your min roll for 2d6 Brutal 2 is 6 damage, this especially comes in handy later with Rage Strikes, really upping your min damage, a 5[W] Rage striker has a min roll of 30 damage + modifiers.

By: Top 10 of the Past 200 — Dungeon's Master

Top 10 of the Past 200 — Dungeon's Master — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:14:42 +0000

[...] Deal The Most Damage – Ameron loves to crunch numbers. Here he took a look at melee basic attacks at level 1 and creates the most devastating builds he could think of. [...]

By: Ameron

Ameron — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:26:19 +0000

@Andrew Parliment
This is a killer build. When I was putting this article together we were just looking at melee builds. Now that there are so many other classes available that do ranged attacks perhaps it’s time to do a follow-up article. If so I think this build will make the top 5.

By: Andrew Parliment

Andrew Parliment — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 05:30:48 +0000

Elven Ranger, great bow, twin strike, 2d12 if both attacks hit, and your hunters quarry, total is 30 max, 3 min, 16.5 average, and at a range of 25/50. I don’t see anything more epic then that. There is not a whole lot you can do as far as damage bonuses though sadly. If you allow races from the monster manual, there is something epic you can do with minotaur dual wielding rangers, I don’t remember it off the top of my head.

By: Ameron

Ameron — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:44:56 +0000

@Brains
Very nice. Thanks for suggestion.

By: Brains

Brains — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:27:43 +0000

Barbarians also have Devastating Strike at L1 which is 1[W] + 1d8 + str mod. That would put build #1 at 26 max damage and 18 average. If you went Goliath Barbarian with Goliath Greatweapon Prowess, you could use a Maul and squeak out one more damage point (at the cost of some AC or hps):

Max: 27
Min: 10
Average: 18.5

By: Ameron

Ameron — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:19:06 +0000

@Stankeye
Good point regarding Hunter’s Quarry. I guess since it’s a minor action to initially mark your target with HQ there is always the possibility that you may not be able to apply it right away.

@karolusb
WOW! Talk about an in-depth look at damage. Thanks for crunching the numbers. You’ve inspired me to look at this idea of dealing the most damage again by from a higher power level.

By: karolusb

karolusb — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:31:37 +0000

While I prefer to avoid whacky builds as base damage contructs (granting combat advantage sounds cute but it won’t make for a great long term build).

Regardless your second build above run through my standard calculations (that do include crits rates, distribution of AC’s, hit chance etc. I assume 80% combat advantage for everyone, which a melee group should be able to maintain). Produces a 1st level DPR of 10.7. Which is good. Well behind the 12.2 that a (best) rogue will average assuming 80% combat advantage but well above above the 8.9 that a 1st level ranger produces, or the 8.8 that a reaping strike fighter would produce. Now your stat build is a bit more specialized than I assume (I assume an 16 plus race mod on all main stats). I don’t assume racial feats etc.

Now to run the same build at 8th (15.8) Thats worse than an avenger (16.4 kind of embarrasing), ranger (19.9), and much worse than a rogue (22.3). As fighter builds goes it beats out the reaping strike (14.5) but loses to the Tempest (17.7).

At 16th (22.0). Well out of the striker league now (except avengers, but they suck). Ranger (28.0) and Rogue (29.0) leave this well in the dust. As fighter builds go it beats Reaping strike (20.0) and edges out tempest (21.8).

Using my general build rules (aka 16 str over 18) it would fare less well, but would still look pretty good.