Radiant Damage Build (Melee)

[WereRabbitz]

Anyone have suggestions on a Radiant Damage Build for melee?

Best I can come up with is a Paladin / Cleric

I figure a Melee build would be something like
12 Devotion Paladin / 8 War Cleric

With the idea of using Smites & Improved Divine Smite + Divine Strike to add lots of extra Radiant damage to your normal attacks.

Bonus Damage from things like Crusaders Mantle for extra Radiant Damage & Polearm Mastery for a Extra attack that procs Imp Smite.

With regular smites as icing on the cake.


Any other suggestions to max out Melee Radiant Damage? Looking for more per turn damage then Burst but both work.

Thanks!

[gkathellar]

I dunno how optimization-friendly it is, but you might want to look into Sun Soul monk, seeing as it has radiant laser fists.

[bid]

I figure a Melee build would be something like
12 Devotion Paladin / 8 War Cleric
Life cleric's divine strike does radiant damage.

[WereRabbitz]

Life cleric's divine strike does radiant damage.

Looks like half the clerics get Divine Strike at level 8 and the other half get potent spellcasting

If the Light Cleric got Divine strike it would be perfect.

[CursedRhubarb]

Was looking through the material I have and found one that could be a lot of fun and have great RP value as well. Become the Ultimate Warrior of the Light!

Devotion Paladin 14

Undying Light Patron, Pact of the Blade Warlock 6.
Take Life Drinker, Devil's Sight, and Ascendant Step invocations.

Both use Charisma for spells so less MAD than a cleric MC and the patron boosts most of your spell damage by adding your Cha mod to any fire or radiant spell damage. Life Drinker does add necrotic damage but can easily fluff that as the light burning the impurities of their soul.

If your Channel Divinity is considered a spell then you would be able to add triple Cha mod damage to every attack! (Channel Divinity+Life Drinker+Radiant Soul) if not you still get double cha mod damage boost.

Also, get a nice death save once per long rest. If you would make a death save you can automatically get half your max hp back and deal a 30ft. Radius AoE of radiant damage and blind enemies, no save.

[gkathellar]

That's awesome, Cursed_Rhubarb. Only unfortunate bit is how long it takes to get off of the ground ...

[CursedRhubarb]

That's awesome, Cursed_Rhubarb. Only unfortunate bit is how long it takes to get off of the ground ...

Sadly yes, but when it gets momentum it's like you become a Paladin version of Judge Dredd :D

[WereRabbitz]

Sadly yes, but when it gets momentum it's like you become a Paladin version of Judge Dredd :D

The problem I see here is LifeDrinker is level 12 & Improved Divine Smite is 11 so you can only have 1 or the other.

Ascendant Step is level 9

I am just now looking at the undying swordcoast pact and that is pretty nice....

[CursedRhubarb]

The problem I see here is LifeDrinker is level 12 & Improved Divine Smite is 11 so you can only have 1 or the other.

Ascendant Step is level 9

I am just now looking at the undying swordcoast pact and that is pretty nice....

Requirements for invocations should be character level since it doesn't specify 12th or 9th level warlock. You can also switch them when you gain a warlock level so you'd get your first 3 lock levels then wait before going up again once you get the level needed. May want to double check with your DM to see how they rule it though. If not there are some without level needs that are great. Like the Eldritch Blast boosters, giving a very nice ranged attack option.

[Biggstick]

The problem I see here is LifeDrinker is level 12 & Improved Divine Smite is 11 so you can only have 1 or the other.

Ascendant Step is level 9

I am just now looking at the undying swordcoast pact and that is pretty nice....

He said Undying Light, which is not from SCAG. I can't recall if it's UA or EE, someone else will be able to tell you though.

You could always go Oath of the Crown to pick up that sweet Spirit Guardians at level 9. Pick up the next two levels for your IDS, and then figure out where to go from there. Bard and Sorcerer would drastically increase your spell caster level, allowing you to have more Smites and a higher level Spirit Guardians (which for a DM can be an absolute terror).

[RSP]

The character level requirement for invocations was errata'd, or at least stated by devs that it is supposed to be Warlock level if no actual errata was provided.

If your game allows it, cool, but I wouldn't think its a viable build on most tables.

[CursedRhubarb]

The character level requirement for invocations was errata'd, or at least stated by devs that it is supposed to be Warlock level if no actual errata was provided.

If your game allows it, cool, but I wouldn't think its a viable build on most tables.

Darn, so no Life Drinker. Can get Fly though so levitate isn't a big loss and let's you take some of the non level requirement ones like EB boosts or sight options to read any writing or at-will detect magic.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Undying Light is UA, from Underdark if I recall. It's also nuts, with +Cha to damage from level 1. If allowed, I'd certainly splash at least one level in there. Maybe Tomelock 3/Cleric 8 instead? Take Green Flame Blade at first for +Cha to damage, Shelleligh at third for 2xCha, and then Divine Strike at ECL 11 for 3xCha plus a small fistful of d8s of blunt, fire and light (so 6d8+15 ultimately, if my math is correct). All day every day.

[CursedRhubarb]

Undying Light is UA, from Underdark if I recall. It's also nuts, with +Cha to damage from level 1. If allowed, I'd certainly splash at least one level in there. Maybe Tomelock 3/Cleric 8 instead? Take Green Flame Blade at first for +Cha to damage, Shelleligh at third for 2xCha, and then Divine Strike at ECL 11 for 3xCha plus a small fistful of d8s of blunt, fire and light (so 6d8+15 ultimately, if my math is correct). All day every day.

I was thinking bladelock so any sunblade, firebrand, holy avenger, could be your pact weapon when you find them, but tome lock with shillelagh would be very nice and work well. Would reduce dependence on Strength as well other than for armors and carry weight.

[WereRabbitz]

Undying Light is UA, from Underdark if I recall. It's also nuts, with +Cha to damage from level 1. If allowed, I'd certainly splash at least one level in there. Maybe Tomelock 3/Cleric 8 instead? Take Green Flame Blade at first for +Cha to damage, Shelleligh at third for 2xCha, and then Divine Strike at ECL 11 for 3xCha plus a small fistful of d8s of blunt, fire and light (so 6d8+15 ultimately, if my math is correct). All day every day.


Thanks for the reference! Now I gotta go burrow a book

[Grod_The_Giant]

Thanks for the reference! Now I gotta go burrow a book
No book- it's one of their free PDFs of untested material. Found here (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://media.wizards.com/2015/downloads/dnd/02_UA_Underdark_Characters.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwiotsf4qZTOAhXC1IMKHVlCCKMQFggbMAA&usg=AFQjCNFS4Ci9VnDvWIaYZHtcI-U0LTF7nw&sig2=7-zqG7R3PiKEmzU3gdl2OQ). (Though I screwed up- the bonus damage only comes when you cast a spell, so only 2xCha to dmg) Green Flame Blade is from the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, though. That's not free, though.

[bid]

Looks like half the clerics get Divine Strike at level 8 and the other half get potent spellcasting
But life is the only one who does radiant damage. If you invest 8 levels to add some thunder damage, you aren't making a radiant damage buid.