One puuuuunch!!!

[FlourescentKing]

Hey Playground! I have two questions:

1) How would you execute the most damage in a single hit?

And if you're up for the challenge...

2) How would you execute the most damage in a single hit with an unarmed strike?

:smallbiggrin:

[Naanomi]

This has been done a few times I think... the end result is generally a caster with a paladin dip for a high-spell-slot smite

[Giant2005]

12 Oathbreaker Paladin, 4 Battle Master, 4 Hunter Ranger.
With great rolls and some time to set it all up, you can achieve 1d4 (Tavern Brawler) + 1d8 (Improved Divine Smite) + 1d8 (Bestow Curse) + 4d6 (Staggering Smite) + 5d8 (Level 4 Smite) + 1d8 (Superiority Dice) + 1d8 (Colossus Slayer) + 5 (Strmod) + 5 (Chamod) for a total of 1d4+9d8+4d6+10 damage on a single punch.

[Giant2005]

Cleric (Life) 14, Paladin 6.
Before the punch, cast Hallow (Vulnerability = Radiant) and a 5th level Bestow Curse on your target.
1d4 (Tavern Brawler) + 10d8 (Smite) + 4d8 (Divine Strike) + 18d6 (9th level Branding Strike) + 1d8 (Bestow Curse) + 5 (Strmod) = 1d4+15d8+18d6+5 on one punch.

[Malifice]

Hey Playground! I have two questions:

1) How would you execute the most damage in a single hit?

And if you're up for the challenge...

2) How would you execute the most damage in a single hit with an unarmed strike?

:smallbiggrin:

Sucker Punch:

High elf - Monk 5, Paladin 2, Lore Bard 10 [banishing smite taken at 10th], Assasin 3. Notable feats - Martial Adept [tripping strike]

The only set up requires you to approach your target hidden and obtain surprise.

On turn one use your bonus action to cast banishing smite. Use your action to cast booming blade. Spam tripping strike, stunning fist and divine smite on a hit.

Damage = [(1d6 from martial arts) + (3d8 from booming blade) + (5d10 from banishing smite) + (5d8 from divine smite) + (1d6 from tripping strike)] x 2 [plus 5].

Damage = [4d6+16d8+10d10+5]. Deals [B]146 points of damage on average.

The target also needs to pass a a Con save or be stunned [and auto fail any Str and Dex saves] and a Str save or be knocked prone.

Finally, if it has 50hp or less after the attack, you also punch it into another dimension.

[Giant2005]

Sadly, the SCAG cantrips don't work with an unarmed strike. Martial Adept was a great idea though.

[Malifice]

Sadly, the SCAG cantrips don't work with an unarmed strike. Martial Adept was a great idea though.

Ah yeah. 'melee attack with a weapon' instead of 'melee weapon attack'.

That parsed text annoys me. Totally unecessary in this case too.

[Giant2005]

That parsed text annoys me. Totally unecessary in this case too.

Agreed on both accounts, although I'm more inclined to blame the errata for stopping unarmed strikes from qualifying as a weapon.

[Malifice]

Agreed on both accounts, although I'm more inclined to blame the errata for stopping unarmed strikes from qualifying as a weapon.

Monks still get the same boost if they wanna use monk weapons so it matters only fluff wise.

Id certainly allow it.

[DeadpanSal]

In 3.5 I had two players in a goblin campaign that were just brutal as hell. A rogue and a cleric. They'd flank a guy and cast desecrate, then they'd both sneak attack and release maximized stored inflict spells and do like weapon damage plus 6d6 sneak +10d6 (always maximized) inflict + smite and a billion of something else I forgot and their modifiers each. And then they'd do it again.

They called the attack "Drop the hammer."

Clarification: Set up: cleric prepares inflict serious wounds x2, inflict critical wounds x1; cleric stores inflict serious wounds in each dagger

Combat:
Turn 1: rogue gets into position; cleric maximizes all inflict spells
Turn 2: rogue double sneak attacks and uses both stored spells; cleric casts inflict critical wounds

Damage output:
At level 10 (which I think is where we were), it's 110 points of negative energy damage, plus whatever the rogue gets from sneak attack (I think I was averaging about 25 damage per sneak). So we would usually get 150+ damage in a round, not counting any secondary attacks I got.

[Foxhound438]

technically not "damage in one hit" but a simple open palm monk can stunning blow (takes enemy turn away) and quivering palm at the same time, and a divination wizard with a pre-rolled failing the save kills the target regardless of HP after hitting the thing only once.