Questions tagged [optimization]

For questions pertaining to the positive aspects of character optimization, often abbreviated as CharOp. (If dealing with player problems relating to optimization, use the [powergaming] tag instead.)

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3 votes
3 answers
467 views

If the campaign ends at level 4, does it make any sense to take level 4 of Paladin compared to multiclassing as Warlock?

My current mini-campaign has come to its finale and we just advanced to level 4 ahead of the final episode. My Paladin has been doing great so far, but when looking at what he gains at level 4 ASI and ...
0 votes
2 answers
210 views

What are the most and least commonly used skills? [closed]

When you create characters for a party, one aspect in particular are skills. At least in our games, we try to make sure that someone has a decent Perception skill bonus, ideally several people, and if ...
2 votes
2 answers
253 views

When would a +1 Moon Sickle be superior to the other (Dex-based) melee weapons available to a ranger?

Sickles are d4 weapons without the finesse property. Why would a ranger want to use a +1 sickle (that requires attunement) in melee instead of a shortsword? Note: Jack pointed out in a comment that ...
-5 votes
1 answer
125 views

I need help calculating min/max damage possible with this character [closed]

I'm posting a link to the character's sheet because I'm not even sure I got all the attack options and damage additions I have or what order they need to go in to get the maximum possible damage out ...
15 votes
3 answers
2k views

Why would I spend resources on racial unarmed attacks?

As highlighted in this question about Razortooth Goblin, racial unarmed attacks seem to be significantly weaker than manufactured weapons. Some examples: Razertooth Goblin jaws: Damage comparable to ...
-2 votes
4 answers
282 views

Is there any official or widely used/accepted quantitative metric for overall party fitness?

To reiterate, I am not asking for a "correct"/"objective" measure of fitness, but if there exists a noteworthy attempt at one. I'm challenging myself and some friends (who are new-...
3 votes
1 answer
103 views

Can an Archivist benefit from features that affect spell books, such as Eidetic Spellcaster or Geometer?

Can a multiclass Archivist-Wizard benefit from class features that affect the spellbook class feature? Class "Archivist" from Heroes of Horror book is a divine class that works mostly like a ...
5 votes
1 answer
575 views

Which spells should my level 3 divination wizard focused on crowd control and/or disabling take to achieve those goals?

I'm starting a new campaign with a level 3 divination wizard. My race is custom lineage with fey touched feat and I selected gift of alacrity as the free first level spell to cast (together with misty ...
5 votes
2 answers
235 views

Grapple Shove or Shove Grapple?

In D&D 5e which is more efficient? This came up as a discussion mostly because I've always seen this combo written out as "Grapple+Shove" and maybe it's just because it sounds better ...
3 votes
3 answers
479 views

What kind of disadvantages can I expect while building a supporting Player Character with low Dexterity?

I am building a Duegar Alchemist with a Folk Hero background who's inspired by the support/utility role builds I have been hearing and reading about. In other words, a character who focuses more on ...
15 votes
3 answers
10k views

Is there a Spell or Magic Item that will extend the range of racial Darkvision?

My group has decided to head down into the Underdark. And I would like to optimize my Half-Elven Darkvision (60') Assume I have access to any spell or magic item that is in one of the hardcover books.....
39 votes
12 answers
120k views

What is the maximum number of attacks a single character can make themselves during their turn?

In a recent D&D game, I believe a member of the party was able to make six attacks during his turn (I actually lost count, so it might have been 5-7). Other characters seemed able to consistently ...
9 votes
1 answer
424 views

Can an Eidetic Spellcaster benefit from the Geometer feature that allows one page per spell in the spellbook?

Geometer is a prestige class in Complete Arcane that gains a special class feature at level 2: A geometer uses a unique system for recording the details of a spell that drastically reduces the ...
2 votes
1 answer
369 views

Is Gloom Stalker Ranger or Assassin Rogue better for round 1 damage?

I'm playing in a campaign, and my friend's character got eaten. He wants to make a new character who does maximum "ambush" damage. We are currently level four, and the campaign will go up to ...
80 votes
2 answers
79k views

What are "tiers", and what tier is each class?

I tend to play Wizards, almost exclusively, though I have branched out and played Clerics, Druids, Sorcerers, and, at some point each other core class. I would like to play something different for my ...
3 votes
1 answer
604 views

Would absorb elements once per short rest be balanced vs psychic damage vulnerability for a monk?

I plan to make my character an astral self monk and plan to later on take rogue and possibly fighter for the psionic subclasses. For roleplay/backstory purposes I asked the DM if I could have ...
2 votes
2 answers
682 views

Does the buckler make other shield options irrelevant?

Years ago in our group we came to the conclusion that the buckler is a shield that leads itself to help player optimization as it allows most character to have shield empowered with magical armour ...
4 votes
0 answers
217 views

What level and resources would it take to perform the musical number introducing Genie in Aladdin (Disney animated film)? [closed]

WIP; Do not reopen yet This question is essentially just for fun, but could be an interesting reference for making an entrance in an exciting and fantastical way. What spells, items, etc. would it ...
3 votes
1 answer
190 views

How can Arcanist max out his Initiative?

As the title says, I'm looking for ways to guarantee my Arcanist (currently level 7) goes first in every single encounter. Ways that I figured out already: +2 Initiative Trait, sadly I had to pass on ...
-6 votes
1 answer
314 views

To what extent can I use wish? [closed]

I am playing a level 19 Fiend Warlock in a campaign, and the wizard has wish. Would wishing for each of the 4 party members to gain two levels in any class they choose be under the extent of wish? The ...
5 votes
4 answers
3k views

Is there a list of hands-free unarmed attacks?

For many builds, it is beneficial to have an unarmed attack that leaves the hands free, and is lethal, unlike your fists or kicks. For example, a Magus might want to have a staff and a shield in his ...
25 votes
8 answers
13k views

Is Gloom Stalker overpowered?

Sharpshooter is considered to be among the most overpowered feats in D&D 5e. Its gross damage boost is even more pronounced when one has a consistent source for Advantage. Gloom Stalker has the ...
78 votes
15 answers
536k views

What is the highest possible AC?

Assuming you are level 20, and have access to any magic item, how high can you get AC (permanently or for a set duration)? Constraints: Magic items are those on the tables in the D&D 5th ...
2 votes
1 answer
488 views

What's the maximum amount of Constructs you can have active at one time?

I'm on a bit of a Construct schtick right now, and my character is aiming specifically to make the most constructs possible. The roadmap is Lvl 13 College of Creation Bard/Lvl 3 Battle Smith Artificer,...
6 votes
3 answers
923 views

How do I maximize the damage of a single, unarmed attack?

I've noticed that monks favor many, smaller attacks which grow to a set limit of strength after a period of time, but I was wondering if you could somehow get a different build setup that favors a few,...
1 vote
2 answers
344 views

What is the most amount of jury tampering I can commit using spells?

Unfortunately my scheme to win an election using necromancy failed, not mind you because I created too few undead minions. The regions had an electoral system by which I had to win the majority of ...
9 votes
1 answer
577 views

Which roguish archetype and build will deliver maximum melee damage for a Bugbear rogue?

I'm an old school D&D player returning to the game with a vengeance after an absence of a few years and trying to process all the new races, class features and options that are currently available ...
14 votes
4 answers
8k views

What is the maximum number of tool proficiencies a character can gain?

For the purposes of this question, we're going to ignore the rules, found in either the Player's Handbook (pg. 187) or Xanathar's Guide to Everything (pg. 134), that allow a character to learn a tool ...
12 votes
4 answers
5k views

How many undead skeletons can a PC command and/or control?

Fantasy novels are rife with evil necromancers controlling hordes of undead...and they also make great BBEGs! But what if a player wanted to do the same thing? I'd like to see how big of an army a 5e ...
36 votes
9 answers
199k views

Is a character with the Polearm Master and Sentinel feats unbeatable in a duel?

One of the benefits of the Polearm Master feat (PHB, p. 168) is: While you are wielding a glaive, halberd, pike, or quarterstaff, other creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they ...
5 votes
1 answer
520 views

At what level does average incoming damage exceed 21?

I am looking towards concentration saves, and getting to +9 means automatic success on a low damage check, or a check up to 21 damage. At some point I assume the average single hit may exceed 21, ...
5 votes
3 answers
2k views

What Options are Available to Utilize High Strength as a Squishy Character?

Something that I recently have been puzzling over in my choices for my character has been the decision to give him character high strength (18), despite being a bard. I like the idea, but I'm having ...
6 votes
2 answers
877 views

Which is More Positively Effective, Math-Wise: Modifier Bonuses, or Expertise?

After my previous question about my character, I went off the deep end to find what role is needed in my party, exactly. Long-story short, we need a high DEX skill monkey. I'll have trouble with the ...
13 votes
2 answers
1k views

How can I optimize my familiar as a pack-mule?

Low strength spellcasters could use a strong, loyal companion to carry any loot and excess equipment. They can fairly easily get a loyal companion in a familiar, but most familiars aren't exactly ...
32 votes
5 answers
9k views

What is the maximum number of PC-controlled undead?

I decided to make an unreasonable demand from nearby town and to gain an advantage in upcoming dispute I want an undead horde reinforcing my arguments. I am not looking for quality (after all, those ...
21 votes
6 answers
4k views

When is Animate Objects more effective than Fireball?

My wizard has both fireball, and animate objects. Animate objects at first sight is such a cool and flavorful spell. I was excited when I got it because it is considered one of the highest output ...
9 votes
1 answer
435 views

Why would I prepare or cast Seal Fate?

Seal Fate is a 4th level spell, which gives the target weakness 2 for one type of damage. The save determines the duration: Critical Success The target is unaffected. Success The target gains ...
7 votes
2 answers
307 views

Optimizing Animate Objects spell against nonmagical damage immunities

Suppose I am a Wizard who likes to cast Animate Objects in combat. At my present level, I am likely to encounter foes with resistance or immunity to nonmagical physical damage. As detailed in this ...
1 vote
1 answer
214 views

help with optimizing an effective character level 8 barbarian soulknife build [closed]

everything good? A while ago I saw a guy on a forum saying that he had a prestige class that could create an energy blade that all attacks were directed at touch AC, I found this idea very interesting ...
5 votes
1 answer
326 views

Building a Cleric (Persist and Turn Undead Optimization)

I'm looking to develop the progression for my cleric character. The concept involves a cleric with multiple domains (Sovereign Speaker and an additional 1-level dip into Divine Disciple, Contenplative ...
64 votes
2 answers
42k views

Weapon attacks compared with damaging cantrips?

Cantrips scale automatically with character level. Weapon attacks only scale with ability score and any extra attack features you might get. How could the damage of weapon attacks keep up?
29 votes
3 answers
17k views

What is the maximum number of Simulacra I can have?

Simulacrum seems like a powerful spell; I assume that the duplicate gets all my known spells and spell slots due to this part of the description: Otherwise, the illusion uses all the statistics of ...
2 votes
1 answer
642 views

Is a College of Valor bard(Lv5)+ Oath of Ancients paladin(Lv15) the best Tank/Support option?

I am playing my first game and I have a level 2 Variant human Paladin, my current stats look like this: Str:13 (+1) Dex:10 (+0) Con:11 (+0) Int:6 (-2) Wis:10 (+0) Cha:12 (+1) Feat: Lucky I am aiming ...
1 vote
0 answers
361 views

At what AC does GWM become ineffective? [closed]

For the mathematically challenged (me), is there a general, simple, easy-to-remember rule of thumb for when a monster's AC is high enough that you should not use GWM because the -5 to hit becomes too ...
8 votes
1 answer
359 views

Shortest path from Shieldbreaker to Engineer

Playing as a Shieldbreaker, I found a distinct lack of Dwarf-only advancements that would lead to other Dwarfy classes but for Runebearer, which would lead to the Runesmith classes. There ain't no ...
3 votes
1 answer
280 views

How can a Psionic Manifester get full BAB reliably?

I’m currently trying to make a Talshatora Monk/Erudite multiclass work, partially as a challenge and partially because I want to play a psionic Gish. The issue is that, under the constraints i’m ...
7 votes
2 answers
1k views

Can the Path of the Beast Barbarian match Path of the Zealot for damage?

The premise: Damage comparison between 2 different builds, with no prep, no help, no magic items, only standard equipment and class features. No class features that get expended and can't be used each ...
16 votes
3 answers
11k views

How many damage types can a player character become immune to?

Reading about Werewolves, which are immune to "Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks that aren't Silvered", I wondered: How many damage types can a PC become immune to? ...
7 votes
4 answers
2k views

What is the maximum amount of reusable spells a character can have at the same time that do not require spell slots to cast?

I enjoy casting spells in D&D, but spell slots have always felt big and important to me. Regardless of the build I make, I always feel some compulsion to save them for a more important and pivotal ...
55 votes
13 answers
127k views

How can we optimize a monk (especially for offense)?

I have complaints from someone in one of my groups that the 3.5 monk isn't good for anything offensive, only for defense and disarming (defenestration wasn't mentioned). My experience has only been ...

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