Potential Shadow Blade damage (wow)

[Aaedimus]

Correct me if I'm wrong but if you're going to metagame, the potential for the new Shadow Blade spell is insane. Especially against undead...

Palidan 2
Dueling style
Hexblade Warlock 5
Improved darkvision
Eldritch Smite
Draconic Sorcerer 13

Dex 20
Elven Accuracy

Preparatory turn:
Darkness
Shadow Blade

Potential Damage (you have super advantage due to the new feat):

Twin spell - booming blade x 2
(5d8+7)+3d8+4d8
(5d8+7)+3d8+4d8
Quicken spell - booming blade
(5d8+7)+3d8+4d8

With smite stacking rules confirmed by Jeremy Crawford, and using your one level 7 spell slot to cast Shadow Blade you still have a level 6 slot, a level 5 slot, and two level 4 slots to do this:

Eldritch Smite (6) 7d8
Divine Smite (5) 5d8 (6d8×2 if undead)
Divine Smite (4) 5d8 (6d8x2 if undead)
Divine Smite (4) 5d8 (6d8x2 if undead)

So (15d8+21)+9d8+12d8+7d8+15d8(26d8 if undead) is 58d8+21(avg 282 max 485). Or 69d8+21(avg 331 max 573) (against an undead)

You're also running super advantage (highest of 3 rolls) from elven accuracy, gritting on 19's and 20 AC (25 if you cast shield) because of your Draconic bloodline, combined with the fact that you can do this while holding a shield!!

And I didn't even factor in the 10% per hit chance of a crit to the max damage because not everyone calculates that the same... with the most liberal rules, you could double everything in the unlikely chance that you maxed out every die.

Technically you have a 4.6^-68% chance of doing 1046 damage in 1 turn against an undead that's not resistant or immune to neurotic damage...

It's technically possible to take down a CR 23 Ancient Blue Dragon solo in 1 turn without critting. If you crit, you could solo a Tarrasque.

I call him... Bathxzar the Godslayer... forsaken half dragon god, son of Chronepsis.

My little brother...

I'm actually running my family through a story where they have to deal with his apocalypse, than go back in time and save him from becoming a monster... where in a success he'll end up as a druid instead.

And my character is Pragmaticus, the older brother, Charlatan Cleric of Chronepsis and Divine School Wizard with luck. Because: I can't trust fate to save him. Or my God...

You probably don't care about that though lol

[Vaz]

Congrats on not actually doing anything until Turn 3 of combat. 👌

[Rhynear]

Shadow Blade and Darkness are both concentration so you can't have both of them up at the same time.

[JackPhoenix]

You can't use Elritch Smite. First, it must be done with pact weapon, which Shadow Blade isn't, and even if you could, it must be done from warlock spell slot, and you don't have enough warlock levels to have 6th level spells (not to mention that warlock doesn't get 6th level slots)

Also, twinned spell must be used on two different creatures, so you aren't doing that damage to single target.

[Skyblaze]

Also, twinned spell must be used on two different creatures, so you aren't doing that damage to single target.

Arguably you couldn't even twin shadow blade since it has the potential to hit more than one target.

[Solunaris]

Arguably you couldn't even twin shadow blade since it has the potential to hit more than one target.

Shadow Blade has a target of Self, thus invalidating it for Twin Spell (but the Twin Spell is on Booming Blade).

[Skyblaze]

Ah, I read it wrong.

[LeonBH]

You cant cast Darkness and Shadow Blade in the same round due to the bonus action spell rule. You also can't have them both up at the same time due to the concentration rule.

But you can hit someone with an Eldritch Smite first, knocking them prone automatically. Then your next attacks will have super advantage.

[Aaedimus]

You're right about the darkness I don't know why that skip my mind. The damage would occur on the second turn though not the first and you don't need Darkness technically you just need to be in a shadow ish or darkish area to benefit from the advantage which changes on hit but not damage. If you were expecting the fight and had Shadow Blade ready this would be a 1 turn thing
Nevertheless you have to agree that it's freaking powerful

[Aaedimus]

So then you use green flame blade and just split the damage and half between two BBG

[Finieous]

A lot going on there, some legal some not, but it strikes me that the specifically shadow blade piece is using a 7th-level spell slot and your concentration to add +4d8 (18*hit/crit chance) damage per attack compared to the rapier you started with at 1st level.

It's not how I use 7th-level spell slots, but okay.

[Zene]

I dunno about the build as posted; but yes shadowblade has great potential. Elven EKs, for example, in dim light can do massive damage with it.

There’s a thread on reddit with people discussing builds that take advantage of it; I’d link it but I’m on a cellphone.

[Talamare]

I guess there is some potential here for someone to use Lv3 Shadow Blade + Quickened GFB
That's 3 attacks, and an additional 10d8 damage (9 from SB, 1 from GFB) per turn
Without considering modifier damage from 3 attacks

[Gtdead]

I don't see that's so impressive about a build that is designed to blow EVERYTHING in one round tbh ;p .

Try mine.
Bladesinger 18/Fighter 2
20 DEX, CE, SS


Cast Wish: Simulacrum (can easily be prepared before the encounter).
Both you and your simulacrum cast tenser's transformation on themselves.

Shoot 5 Arrows each with action surge for 1d6+15+2d12 with advantage.
10d6+150+20d12 = 315 Average, 450 Max

Continue attacking for 189 dpr for the next 98 turns.
According to my math, it can kill the tarrasque in 6 rounds (7 with preparation round, drop SS), sports 28 AC with Bladesong

Repeat after a short rest if you need to, although I'd be careful with the exhaustion.

[Club Sandwich]

How about this
Half-Orc.
Assassin 3, Battle Master 3, Frenzy Barb 3, Treachery Paladin 11. Also take UA half-orc feat for one more crit die.
Haste and invisibility from pally, giving 1 more attack, and ensured surprise for autocrit. Tactic is to stealth up close, use invisibility, envenom from paladin, and rage, then go chop some heads.

Use a Greataxe because even though you don't get sneak attack, you do get to reroll 1s. Plus orcs benefit from bigger damage dice.

Assuming a hit rate of 85% - attack bonus of +19 (Prof +6, Str +5, Weapon +3, and advantage which is roughly +5), vs enemy AC of 20

Average damage for each attack
Attack 1: 100.3
Attack 2: 68.4
Action surge Attack 1: 68.4
Action surge Attack 2: 60.8
Bonus action Attack (frenzy): 53.1
Haste action: 53.1

For an AVERAGE of 404.1

Maximum dmg = 797

Tl;dr: if you're stealthy enough, at level 20 you can one-shot a tarrasque.