Build Ideas for Blaster: AOE/multi-target Mage

[Mjolnirbear]

Let us consider the Artillerist.

Artillerist can add damage to artificer spells, and Artillerist gets a lot. And you don't need high intelligence to benefit from Arcane Firearm.

To benefit from Arcane Firearm requires a significant 5-level dip. It's not a minor cost. And if we're multiclassing with Sorc 3 for metamagic, the build doesn't even come online until level 8, when most home games are closer to the end tha to the beginning of the campaign.

With that in mind let's look at a 5/3 Sortificer.

We're a level 6 caster. We have a ton of versatile, useful spells prepared, two infusions, an ASI, armor, and con saves no matter how you start.

At will, you can AoE 3d6 damage from Thunderclap. You're tanky enough to run into a mob and survive. You can also benefit from the Distant Spell metamagic to make that a 10-foot radius AoE. That goes from 8 potential enemies to 19 (if I've counted correctly).

Its a decent amount of potential damage right there. But adding onto that, we have the Fire Cannon doing at-will (after summoning cost) 2d8 fire damage into a 15-foot cone, affecting 6 of those enemies.

That's decent damage for a single sorcerer point and a level one spell slot. Compare to Thunderwave, doing 2d8 in a 15-foot cube, hitting as many as 9 enemies.

Neither Twin nor Quicken would be the most effective metamagic choice for our second option: twin doesn't work on AoEs and Quicken takes a bonus action. Which to be sure, a bonus action Fireball is better than a cannon, but we don't even have the spell for another two levels. What might work is Maximised or Heightened. Cause it sucks to roll 3d6 and get 3.

We haven't even addressed our sorcerer subclass, and immediately I can think of Draconic and Storm sorcery.

Draconic isn't useful for the at-will, since none of the artificer cantrips that are aoe deal appropriate damage (unless that metamagic gets published, but even then I don't think you can use both distant and elemental affinity). It's useful for Fireball or Scorching Ray, both of which are on the Artillerist spell list and both of which deal excellent multi-target damage. And if the new metamagics are in Tasha's, it need not even be a fire dragon. Turn any Fireball into a Lightningball, add Arcane Firearm, add Elemental Affinity, and you're golden. You are looking at least 11th level for both 3rd-level spells and elemental affinity though. Good thing you have all that at-will damage.

Next we're looking at Storm Sorcerer. Thunderwave and Shatter both do Thunder damage, which is great for our Storm Sorcerer's level 6 ability heart of the storm. It comes online sooner, and even though the damage is minor at this point, it adds up quick and grows fast. You could switch the artificer dip to 2 or 3 levels just for infusions and armour (and maybe cannons), leaving you with a whole spell level to convert to SP and with extra spells. You'll be tougher, hardier and more versatile whilst still benefitting from a mostly sorcerer build. It also allows a more tactical build...you can Shatter the main baddies whilst Hearting the minions surrounding you.

But sometimes you need that sweet sweet hurt me daddy bonus pain. Enter tempest cleric. And it's a lot of multiclassing here. I'm not gonna lie, it's gonna slow things down. But maximise damage can be key to shutting down a group. And aren't we here mostly to show off? Anyways, I wouldn't do this myself because I don't generally favour multiclassing, especially such a MAD build. But it's something to think about.

Lastly let's look at the Divine Soul sorcerer. Here we don't need Artillerist, just any tanky caster to mix with. Could be two levels in artificer or cleric, heck, even paladin if you like. Because we'll be using Spirit Guardians and Distant Spell. 30-foot aoe lasting several turns? It's kinda like an anime character absorbing too much power and going Nova. And with Con proficiency you'll be mostly fine for concentration.



All this sound super fun... Which is why I'm wondering if there was a Sage Advice or Errata I've missed saying Distant Spell doesn't work on self (range) spells. RAW it works, because being a self spell doesn't mean it's not also a range spell. It's also mathematically a good amount of damage but in D&D concentrating fire is always your most effective strategy. Feel free to pick it apart. Anything showing it doesn't work just means we can focus on what does.

[Master O'Laughs]

Real quick catch. You cannot use distant spell on the Thunderclap cantrip.

Distant spell requires a spell with a reach of 5 feet or greater or touch. The range of thunderclap is self. Unless I am missing something like errata (very well could be the case)

[SpiderWaffle]

I think the OP part doesn't come from strictly the impressive AoE damage, but from that being stacked on top of the already good Cleric chassis, plus the additional melee abilities of the Zeal Cleric (roughly equivalent to a War Cleric, who lacks the blasting capabilities).

So they're a better blaster and slightly better at melee than the Tempest, a better blaster and much better at melee than the Light Cleric, and a significantly better blaster than and basically as good at melee as the War Cleric.

And then toss in the extra abusability of a 2 level Zeal dip to an Arcane blaster, who would have access to a wider variety of Fire spells than someone similar dipping Tempest for Lightning.

Taken as a whole, that's pretty darn close to OP, if not fully OP.

I think the Tempest is better at Melee L1-4, then it's mostly irrelevant after that as Melee isn't going to be better than your spells. The Tempest has the better L1 ability and the bonus action attack becomes greatly nullified when you get spiritual weapon able to do better bonus action attacks. Until you get fireball, I don't think Zeal is a better blaster than Tempest, and tempest isn't even that good. War cleric would be better at melee, not basically the same. Somewhat moot too, as melee for war cleric isn't that great, particularly into the higher levels, even war cleric would do better to focus spell casting at higher levels, and at these higher levels war cleric is one of the worst.
Again, I don't think Tempest is that good, being better than something that isn't that good doesn't make it OP.

Pretty much everything in the game is a lot better than any Monk, Beast Master ranger looks OP compared to way of the 4-elements monk, it's not OP.

For pretty much any party composition, any campaign, at any level, there are lots of things in the "official" 5e content that I would take over a Zeal cleric if I wanted to be more powerful. L2-3 Moon Druid way better, I think light cleric is better too, L3-5 Echoknight generally going to be better, I think hexblades are better, moon druid still probably better on average, L5-10, Chronugry & Divination Wizard, Shadow & Divine soul Sorc, Eloquence Bard, Sorlocks; these are all a lot more powerful. Are these all OP too then?

[Mjolnirbear]

Real quick catch. You cannot use distant spell on the Thunderclap cantrip.

Distant spell requires a spell with a reach of 5 feet or greater or touch. The range of thunderclap is self. Unless I am missing something like errata (very well could be the case)

I did mention that possibility.

However, as the range in thunderclap does include 5 ft, I'm making the argument that by raw its acceptable, as I am currently unaware of any erratum or Sage Advice that says otherwise. Distant spell does not exclude self, only that there must be a range of at least 5 feet or a range of touch.

It absolutely would need some DM buyin. But Distant is one of the least useful metamagics, especially considering Subtle, Twin, and Quicken. In the spirit of Niche Builds, and the lack of efficiency non-concentrated damage is, I'd probably allow it in my games. And it sounds pretty fun.

[RogueJK]

Thunderclap does not have a Range of "Self", as was claimed. Its range is 5 feet, so it can be used with Distant Spell. (They may have confused it with Thunderwave, which does have a Range of "Self"...)

Thunderclap
Level: Cantrip
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: 5 feet
Components: S
Duration: Instantaneous
You create a burst of thunderous sound, which can be heard 100 feet away.
Each creature other than you within 5 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 1d6 thunder damage.
The spell’s damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).

Thunderwave
Level: 1
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: Self (15-foot cube)
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
A wave of thunderous force sweeps out from you.
Each creature in a 15-foot cube originating from you must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 2d8 thunder damage and is pushed 10 feet away from you. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn’t pushed. In addition, unsecured objects that are completely within the area of effect are automatically pushed 10 feet away from you by the spell’s effect, and the spell emits a thunderous boom audible out to 300 feet.