Highest Nova subclasses

[kenGarff]

Preferably single class but which subclasses (or multi classes if you choose so) deal highest Nova damage? Just curious since I’ve played sorcadin recently and I was doing...so much damage lol

[CTurbo]

Tempest Cleric being able to max thunder/lightning damage once or twice(at lvl 6) per short rest is pretty awesome. Add 2 levels of Fighter for action surge and the numbers can get pretty silly. This may be best for AOE damage.

Fighter 2/PaladinX can nova one enemy really really hard. This may be best for single target nova

You could probably build a Fighter/Paladin/Rogue that could get pretty silly

[Naanomi]

Depends on what you count, but hard to beat the level 17 Assassin ability. I think technically Bugbear Assassin 17/Paladin3 with Greenflame Blade sneak attack and full smite is the biggest single hit

[ReaperChaos]

Depends on what you count, but hard to beat the level 17 Assassin ability. I think technically Bugbear Assassin 17/Paladin3 with Greenflame Blade sneak attack and full smite is the biggest single hit

I would personally prefer the Booming Blade for a single target. Thunder is less resisted than fire and it gives the opponent a risk should he move. But yeah, that has high chances of making the single biggest melee hit. Considering he is surprised, assuming we use a Rapier, it would be (8d8 + 20d6 +5). Then you double that if the opponent fails the Death saving throw.

Edit: I wanted to say that another way one could do it is to have a lvl 17 Paladin/ lvl 3 Assassin Rogue. Have him trigger a surprise attack with Holy Weapon activated before the attack itself (so you free a bonus action). We also ignore for the sake of the numbers how he gets that surprise attack. He makes two attacks, adds a full smite of 7d8 on each, 2d6 sneak attack on each and additional 2d8 from holy weapon, not to mention 1d8 from his rapier. Finally, due to Assassinate feature, both attacks are critical hits. The damage of this attack is still slightly lower than the Assassin 17/ Paladin 3 with Death Strike, but he is much more durable.

Edit 2: Hex

[Naanomi]

Did you add Hex in there? You should pick that up with the same Magic Initiate you got the melee cantrips from

[ReaperChaos]

Did you add Hex in there? You should pick that up with the same Magic Initiate you got the melee cantrips from

Now I need to edit more numbers haha.

[hwem]

I know TC didn't specify to a single class but at level 20, which of the following do more damage? Vengeance paladin with GWM+PAM+smite+crit or Eldritch Knight with whatever he has and all his extra attacks?

I'm going to guess it's the former by a large margin since the oath is specifically tailored for damage but I'd like to at least know how big the actual difference is...if possible. Sorry TC for stealing your topic.

[Galactkaktus]

Wild magic sorcerer with loaded dice and a gm that allows wild surge on every spell.

Step 1 Tides of chaos cast a spell
Step 2 surge roll d100 and roll 81 or 82 so you get to take another action.
Repeat until you are out of spell slots.

[Naanomi]

Of course, if you get teammates to help you can get it even higher... Valor Bard inspiration, Elemental Weapon, Holy Weapon...

Equipment might help also, purple wurm poison and the like if nothing else

[Specter]

Hard to compete with Tempest Cleric/Fighter 2. At level 20 (hypothetical), you can upcast a Call Lightning for 9d10, maxed for 90, and then fry then again with Action Surge for 180. And the spell is still there to be used later on.

[SLOTHRPG95]

I would personally prefer the Booming Blade for a single target. Thunder is less resisted than fire and it gives the opponent a risk should he move. But yeah, that has high chances of making the single biggest melee hit. Considering he is surprised, assuming we use a Rapier, it would be (8d8 + 20d6 +5). Then you double that if the opponent fails the Death saving throw.

Edit 2: Hex

I mean, best to make the Paladin Oath the Oath of Treachery (unless we're not considering UA), right? The flat plus 23 damage is too good to turn up if we're talking about a rando with no Poison resistance.

Edit: for fun reference, that means they're taking on average just higher than average I-failed-my-save Meteor Swarm damage if they succeed their Death save.

Edit 2: If you're willing to give up Assassin's Death Attack, just straight up 20th-level Oath of Treachery Paladin plus Greatsword plus Heavy Weapon Master plus Great Weapon Fighting plus smite for maximum while also discharging the 5d10 smite spell and all standard 20th-level Oath of Treachery Shenanigans on a Booming Blade gives a total of 2d6 + 9d8 + 5d10 +75 damage, plus rerolls of all 1 and 2 rolled which averages to over 150 (because of the re-rolls). And that's not even assuming you crit, which you have about a one in ten of doing.

[Blood of Gaea]

A sorcerer casting meteor swarm with empowered spell.

A 14 evocation wizard/3 assassin rogue can also dish out 120 force damage to five different targets using assassinate and overchannel, toss in 2 levels of fighter and they can do it again.

[Horsz]

An eldritch knight, buffing itself with haste (he have acces to the spell), and action surging deal 12 attack, letting him holding a vorpal blade means 12 x (3 + (6d8) +any sword damage). That average at 360 damage per round, counting 0 critical hit and fighting a legendary creature (like an ancient dragon), counting a vorpal scimitar (blade damage is 1d6).

Edit.: forgot to point out that all blade can be poisoned for extra damage, that means a x12 of something else.

[Zalabim]

I think the highest single-classed, single-target nova is BM Fighter 20, with greatsword, GWF FS, and GWM. Any multiclass that wants to compete probably needs Action Surge too. No setup required, and if you are doing setup, consider the question: "Would it be better to do this to a fighter?" Actual results depend on AC and luck, but 250 damage is possible. (2d6+15)*8 [or 9] + 6d12.


Wild magic sorcerer with loaded dice and a gm that allows wild surge on every spell.

Step 1 Tides of chaos cast a spell
Step 2 surge roll d100 and roll 81 or 82 so you get to take another action.
Repeat until you are out of spell slots.
Unfortunately, Wild Surge is limited to once per turn. This might be why it was errata'd to once per turn. I'd still give Wild Magic Sorcerer with Empowered Meteor Swarm and a Wild Surge honorably mention for most board-clearing in a single turn.

[Exocist]

Isn't it Druid 17+ casting Conjure Animals (at 9th level) for 32 Giant Poisonous Snakes? You're probably going to have to go Shepherd so your summons can do some damage, but:

- (I'll assume whatever you're hitting makes the Save because I don't know what a good CON save assumption is) - Each snake does 6.5 Piercing + 5.25 Poison damage, totaling 11.75 damage per snake
- With 32 snakes, this is 376 total damage.
- Each snake has a +6 to-hit, the AC of a CR 20 monster (DMG guidelines) is 19, so snakes hit on a 14 or better (35% or 7/20), meaning 131.6 damage per round, sustainable for up to 1 hour.

[Galactkaktus]

Unfortunately, Wild Surge is limited to once per turn. This might be why it was errata'd to once per turn. I'd still give Wild Magic Sorcerer with Empowered Meteor Swarm and a Wild Surge honorably mention for most board-clearing in a single turn.

I don't find this errata.

[Exocist]

I don't find this errata.

https://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/PH-Errata.pdf

[Klaus Teufel]

Hard to compete with Tempest Cleric/Fighter 2. At level 20 (hypothetical), you can upcast a Call Lightning for 9d10, maxed for 90, and then fry then again with Action Surge for 180. And the spell is still there to be used later on.If you're playing from level one, when would you take the Fighter levels?

[Sigreid]

Single target or group target?

[CTurbo]

If you're playing from level one, when would you take the Fighter levels?

Start Fighter 1 for Con saves and the add the second Fighter level much later.

[Specter]

If you're playing from level one, when would you take the Fighter levels?


Start Fighter 1 for Con saves and the add the second Fighter level much later.

Yep. I'd probably take it right after Cleric 8, but that's just me.

[Silkensword]

something something sorcerer king joke.