What is the best damage dealer class?

[Moist Butt]

Want my main character to be dealing damage. If there isn't a best damage dealer overall, then what deals the most single dps versus aoe.

[Kaseron]

Paladin. But if you don't follow your oaths you lose your powers and will change subclass to oathbreaker.

[Solomon Kane]

Sorcerer with Metamagic has an insane Damage Potential, Quickcast- Twinned Spells Combo, not to forget they can paralize or outright dominate for easy team kills too.

[Drake]

Assassin rogue, but the catch is that you have to stealth OS mobs without entering combat, even after the hit. So you're basically playing splinter cell.

[BigRockWall]

I would think a 2 tempest cleric 10 sorc that can open the fight with 3 chain lightnings that have all been maximized via domain ability, for double damage if another party member were to make the targets wet first, does the most burst AOE damage. 80 dry 160 wet damage per target. But for single target a paally probably takes the gold assuming hastened.

Edit - IDK 480 damage to a single wet target from 3 casts of CL is going to be hard for even a pally to top.

[teksuo]

barb/berserker with a big 2hand maybe. SMOrc

[[GRVTS]Fat Bastard]

Fighter. You can attack like 5-6 times if you chug a haste potion, use action surge and have the Great Weapon feat.

The issue though is hitting the enemies...

[sevensided]

Single target DPS, you're going to have a difficulty topping a battlemaster fighter 11/ War Domain Cleric 1 archer with Sharpshooter. Its going to be the most consistent and reliable single target damage with a heavy crossbow/longbow of your choice.

AOE is going to be sorcerer.

[Copper]

Warlock has the most consistent power. Eldritch Blast is very good, I've seen huge numbers with Eldritch Blast. Eldritch Blast can have knockback on every hit so imagine a ranged "shove" that can also deal a good 12 to 20 damage. Keep in mind things die in 1 hit when they fall in holes. Warlock with Eldritch Blast is the most powerful class.

[Lashane The Simp of Mimi]

what is that name

[Clive Hawkins]

Single Target (Single Round)
~~~~~~~~~~~
Barbarian 6, Thief 4, Warrior 2

STR 20 (17, +2 Feat, +1 Quest Item)
Great Weapon Master always turned on
Reckless Attack always used (Advantage)

Haste Potion
Attack
Extra Attack
Attack
Extra Attack (yes you get two with Haste)
Bonus Attack (Frenzied Strike)
Bonus Attack (GWM because something will have died by now)
Repeat above with Action Surge

10ish attacks with Advantage on the first turn = Dead Boss
Bonus points for being a Half-Orc with Savage Critical Hits


Multi-target (Single Round)
~~~~~~~~~~
Sorcerer 10, Fighter 2
CHR 20 (17, +2 Feat, +1 Quest Item)

Haste Spell (Action)
Fireball (5th level) Action
Fireball (5th Level) Quickened Spell Bonus Action
Action Surge
Fireball (4th level) Action
Fireball (4th level) Action
Fireball (4th level) Quickened Spell Bonus Action

The enemies died on the first turn, but you'll need to long rest.
Bonus Points for Draconic Sorcerer (Fire Bloodline)

[FAT WANZER]

Originally posted by Kaseron:

Paladin. But if you don't follow your oaths you lose your powers and will change subclass to oathbreaker.

Oathbreaker is bad?

[Ruges]

Now that has to be some class balance when everyone suggested a different class.

[[GRVTS]Fat Bastard]

Originally posted by sevensided:

Single target DPS, you're going to have a difficulty topping a battlemaster fighter 11/ War Domain Cleric 1 archer with Sharpshooter. Its going to be the most consistent and reliable single target damage with a heavy crossbow/longbow of your choice.

AOE is going to be sorcerer.

Champion>Battlemaster.

[Rez Elwin]

Gloomstalker Assassin seems to be the best right now.

[Snobby Hobo]

Depends on what you define as "best". If nuking is the name of the game it's Rogue, by a landslide. Rogue can deal so much single target damage it exceeds what a Wizard can do by hitting an entire group of enemies accumulation wise.

But Rogue is also a highroll character and MUST use stealth every fight to achieve this effect.

Sorcerer, Fighter, Monk, Barbarian are all solid consistent damage classes.

Wizard is a HUGE variance damage dealer. Same goes for Cleric, but Cleric is far more situational.

Warlock if you like pressing 1 button every round, but it's a very good one admittedly.