Spellcasting and firepower

[Jaryn]

I found the thread about druids really interesting, particularly in how they cover a lot of bases. One of the things it looks like they lacked, however, was sheer out and out blasting firepower.

Out of curiosity, what spellcaster do you think adds maximum firepower? My initial guess would be that it would be a draconic sorcerer or an evocation wizard, but for consistency a warlock also seems pretty good.

Also if a druid is covering control, minions, some support and some utility, and another spellcaster is covering blasting (plus whatever else they bring to the table) are there any particular magic related gaps that need filling in a balanced group?

[gkathellar]

Evoker, hands-down. Even more so with a dip in warlock.

[Tanarii]

Wizard and Sorcerer are the only two full casters that get significant blast spells across the board.

Some of the specific subclasses of the other full casters pick up some significant blastiness along the way though, at least through 5th levels spells. Light and Tempest Cleric, Lore Bard (additional magical secrets) , and Infernal Warlocks for example.

Druids are probably the most limited in terms of specific subclasses getting blasts spells, as Land Druids with blast spells mostly get them for only one level of spells. But Druids already have fairly significant damage spells at all lower spell levels. Just not blasts ones, more control/dot type for 2nd and 3rd wi Flaming Sphere / Moonbeam and Call Lightning. So with that in mind I'd say Swamp (Melf's Acid Arrow) or Mountain (Lightning Bolt) would fill in the lack. Probably Mountain, since FS & MB are already fairly powerful.

[Nagog]

As for unfilled role, I'd say that between the Moon Druid and Abjuration Wizard, Tanking is covered, between Enchantment and Spores Druid, Control is covered, between Dragon Soul Sorcerer and Evoker Wizard, blasting is covered, and Warlocks and Bards fill the role of Party Face/Interaction. Clerics obviously do what they do best and heal/buff, and can also be great tanks on top of that. So in essence, you could totally have a fully balanced party entirely composed of full casters. Tanks would be a bit atypical and wouldn't have much by way of drawing fire from their allies, but it could work.

[Remover of Obst]

Evocation Wizard with a Tempest Cleric Dip can hit reliably hard with thunder and lightning without loosing too much. Can use max level spells instead of only 5th.

Even get a few buffs and possibly some better armor depending on stats.

[Kyutaru]

Druids still get the Call Lightning. You effectively replace your weapon with summoning thunderbolts like Zeus and that keeps on for up to 10 minutes of blasting. For a single spell slot. It scales too so for that same single spell slot you can be chucking 9d10 lightning bolts EVERY ROUND.

But Wizards especially shouldn't be about the firepower. Their crowd control is supposed to be their main asset since any Fighter can deal damage without wasting resources. Though it's kind of muted in 5e because for some reason they can cause permanent bodily injury and death yet can't blind someone for longer than a minute. The eyes grow back or something.

[Man_Over_Game]

Also if a druid is covering control, minions, some support and some utility, and another spellcaster is covering blasting (plus whatever else they bring to the table) are there any particular magic related gaps that need filling in a balanced group?

There can be. Druids lack the "arcane" style of utility, using things like teleports, weapon enchantments, divination magic, and manipulation magic.

Sorcerers and Warlocks make great blasters, but they lack the options to be versatile about their casting, so they usually reserve their slots for combat magic. Generally speaking, if you have a Druid and a Wizard, you'd have covered pretty much all of your bases. Bard and Druid fill similar niches, with the Bard doing better in modern/social environments, and Druids doing better in hostile wildernesses and dungeons.

[RulesJD]

The top is easily the Evocation Wizard because Overchannel and Spell Sculpting. Spell Sculpting is the most valuable for this ranking.

[hymer]

Druids lack the "arcane" style of utility, using things like teleports, weapon enchantments, divination magic, and manipulation magic.
A given wizard may have access to any or all of those. Or none. A druid of the appropriate level always has access to teleportation and divination spells, and not a few that manipulate behaviour - though they lack the gold standard of Suggestion type spells.

[Zuras]

It depends on how long you need to be dealing damage.

For sheer burst power, Wizards and Sorcerers can do the most damage to large numbers of enemies over a single minute of combat. For sustained firepower, Druids and Clerics are easily tops.

Due to the lower damage and smaller area, it will take about 3 turns for a 3rd level Call Lightning to exceed the average damage from a 3rd level fireball. Spirit Guardians is similar (less damage but larger area than CL). Since they both last 10 minutes, in theory the Druid/Cleric easily out-damages the Wizard/Sorcerer, but this seldom comes up in practice.

The only times it really comes up are mass combat situations or holding a chokepoint against enemy hordes (e.g. I saw Spirit Guardians hold back a horde of Dretches piling out of a portal to the Abyss for over a minute while the party tried to figure out how to close the portal).