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.)
1,117
questions
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What's the greatest number of hands I can have to annoy my mother-in-law with?
My mother in law is coming to visit tonight, for dinner. She hates me, and will criticize my food. But tonight is my night. I've prepared the dish she most hates, a beautiful roasted Tarrasque chop, ...
80
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2
answers
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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 ...
78
votes
15
answers
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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 ...
77
votes
11
answers
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Does Warlock combat just equal Eldritch Blast spam?
Been looking over the warlock because I thought it would be cool to make a spellcaster that can also mix it up in melee combat. After all how awesome is it to conjure up a magical weapon and start ...
74
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1
answer
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What is the Stormwind Fallacy?
In the context of another Question here, the Stormwind Fallacy was brought up. What exactly is the Stormwind Fallacy and how is connected to optimization?
67
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5
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Is Greatsword superior to Greataxe?
Greataxe
6.5 (1d12) slashing Heavy, Two-Handed
Greatsword
7 (2d6) slashing Heavy, Two-Handed
This is why I think Greatsword is superior to Greataxe:
Slightly higher average damage
Higher ...
64
votes
2
answers
42k
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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?
61
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8
answers
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Can characters reach Mach 1 and higher?
A few years back our group tried to come up with the fastest possible D&D character. If I remember correctly we could build a character that could go faster than the speed of sound, but I can't ...
55
votes
13
answers
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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 ...
47
votes
11
answers
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What is the Fastest a Character Can Move in One Turn?
At level 20 with any magic items in the DMG, and any spells, what is the fastest a DnD 5e character could move using their movement? (i.e., not including teleportation)
45
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How high can a PC's initiative bonus get?
Usually, most PCs rely solely on their Dexterity ability score modifier for their initiative; however, there are ways to get bonuses to initiative. How high can this bonus get?
For example, there's ...
44
votes
12
answers
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Does roleplaying inherently put you at a disadvantage?
My friend is going to be DMing DnD 3.5 with me and 4 other new players. I want to be the best player I can be.
One thing I have always struggled with is roleplaying. I am an analytical, competitive ...
44
votes
6
answers
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Is Dexterity overpowered compared to Strength?
Finesse weapons allow you to use Dex for attack and damage rolls. This allows most of classes, including even some first-line fighters, to dump Str for Dex - you do not lose in attack rolls, only a ...
43
votes
6
answers
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Do I have to worry about players making “bad” choices on level up?
When I came back to RPGs (after 20 years) I discarded pathfinder after reading about the complexities of the systems and the fact that there was a real chance of getting “bad characters” if you made ...
43
votes
5
answers
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Which feat, Resilient (Con) or War Caster, improves the chances of maintaining concentration more?
The Resilient feat (PHB, p. 168) allows you to increase one ability score by 1 and gain proficiency in saving throws using the corresponding ability. In essence, taking the Resilient feat and picking ...
42
votes
7
answers
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Are 3.5 Bards mechanically weak?
People frequently seem to think that Bards are mechanically weaker than other classes, and I was wondering if this was true?
41
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3
answers
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How many characters using PHB rules does it take to be able to have access to any PHB spell at the start of an adventuring day?
I originally read this related question as wanting to find out how to have a party with access to every spell during an adventuring day with as few members as possible. It turned out that the linked ...
41
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3
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What Wizard schools are best to specialize in? Which schools are best to sacrifice? [closed]
The Wizard gains the ability to specialize in a school of spells, gaining a bonus spell slot per level that must be used to prepare spells of that school. In exchange, he must ban two other schools; ...
39
votes
12
answers
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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 ...
39
votes
8
answers
9k
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What is the lowest level at which a human can beat the 100m world record (or: the presumed human limit) without using magic?
Optimizing a character build for ridiculous Movement in order to break the sound barrier or even the speed of light is a well-tried source of fun with numbers in DnD. Such speed optimizations usually ...
38
votes
5
answers
8k
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How can I make a character that wields only daggers as good as other characters?
I want to make a character that uses two daggers, but I know that a character using daggers would not be as good as a character using shortswords or almost any other weapon. By "good", I mean ...
36
votes
9
answers
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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 ...
35
votes
8
answers
9k
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What is the statistically superior character creation method, twelve 3d6 or six 4d6?
The D&D 3.5 Player's Handbook gives (among others) two preferred methods to roll ability scores for a new character: a) roll 3d6 twelve times and keep the preferred six results, or b) roll 4d6 and ...
35
votes
5
answers
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Can an 18th level hastened mobile wood-elf monk move at over 100 mph?
One of my players wants to say his monk can kill a T-Rex in a single blow, by simply ramming it. The pitch goes like this:
As a wood elf he has a base speed of 35 feet.
The Mobile feat increases ...
35
votes
5
answers
6k
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What is the lowest level character that can unfailingly beat the Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure's starting encounter?
For a lot of players, Lost Mine of Phandelver from the D&D Starter Set was their first 5e adventure. The first encounter from that adventure is rather swingy, like many level 1 combats. PCs may ...
34
votes
4
answers
27k
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What is the maximum number of Cantrips you can get by 20th level?
This originally started out as a concept to get a lot of the utility cantrips for an entertainer build: control flames, gust, shape water, mold earth, mage hand, dancing lights, minor illusion, ...
34
votes
1
answer
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What is the most amount of election fraud I can commit using necromancy?
I have deemed the ignorant masses of several nearby regions to be unfit to rule themselves. Unfortunately, they've established a democracy to determine leadership of their region and continuously ...
33
votes
14
answers
4k
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Repercussions to DM-mandated limit on books allowable for characters?
When running a campaign, especially one with newer players mixed with optimizers, is it a fair call to limit the variety of books available for play? For feats, classes, prestige classes, magic items ...
33
votes
18
answers
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What's the maximum (average) damage that can be dealt in one round by a 20th level character with at least two levels of Fighter?
What is the most effective way to use a level 20 character's (with two or more levels in fighter for Action Surge ability) in order to maximize single target damage done in one round?
Rules/...
33
votes
2
answers
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When is an ASI better than the Dual Wielder feat?
Many people ask questions about dual wielding (even though two-weapon fighting is subpar for everyone after level four). Most of them seemingly can't wait to pick up the Dual Wielder feat (PHB, p. 165)...
33
votes
4
answers
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What build maximizes reach?
A Bugbear (Long Limbed: reach +5 feet) wielding a reach weapon (10 feet of reach) can make a melee weapon attack with a reach of 15 feet.
If said Bugbear is a Battle Master with the Lunging maneuver, ...
33
votes
4
answers
24k
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What is the maximum PC carrying weight?
My fellow purveyors of fine cheese, I require some assistance in importing some expensive aged cheeses from my home lands. While I would normally call on my Barbarian associate to bring my cheeses ...
32
votes
10
answers
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One PC is too powerful. What should I do?
I am currently playing DnD 3.5 with three friends of mine. I am Game Master and I let my players create 4th level characters in the beginning of the campaign.
One of them chose Forsaker as his ...
32
votes
6
answers
11k
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What is the maximum distance you can cause damage from?
What is the maximum distance a creature can cause damage from, without moving?
This can be via any method (making an attack roll, forcing a saving throw, using an item), aside from the Wish spell.
...
32
votes
5
answers
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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 ...
32
votes
3
answers
6k
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How can I play monsters and NPCs up to their potential?
In many cases discussions about balance in 3.5 will, inevitably, involve one side or another invoking an anecdote of the time they fought this monster, or a member of that class, and they didn't ...
32
votes
7
answers
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What is the most DPR possible at level 1?
My question is fairly straightforward: What is the combination of feats/race/class/etc that gives the most damage per round at level 1? I'd also be interested to see the maximum possible damage, but ...
32
votes
2
answers
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How dangerous can I make my tankard?
I bore of the savagery of combating my many adversaries, so I should like to outsource this chore to my tankard. By casting tiny servant on a single object (ie. my tankard) and presumably other spells,...
30
votes
10
answers
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Is there any way to see through the Darkness spell without removing it?
Simply put, the Shadow Monk gains the ability to cast the Darkness spell, but I'm struggling to see a use for it except as concealment during an escape.
Way of the Shadow monk receives Darkness (among ...
29
votes
13
answers
157k
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What is the most damage that can be done in a single melee attack?
So, I was attempting to theory-craft a character that could deliver a massive amount of damage in a single melee attack. I know that there are builds to deliver a massive amount of damage in a single ...
29
votes
5
answers
5k
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How can I optimize Chicken Infested?
I'm soon going to be a guest player in a Pathfinder game where silliness is the theme. (The party has been drawn into the Demiplane of Dinosaurs, which is reportedly a lot like Ravenloft, except with ...
29
votes
3
answers
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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 ...
29
votes
7
answers
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Is a Dexterity-based paladin build competitive with a Strength-based paladin as a front-line fighter?
After the release of Volo's Guide to Monsters, I was bantering with some friends about character concepts with the new races. One that came up was a Kobold Paladin—and once that seed was planted, the ...
28
votes
3
answers
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What rules or guidelines are there about when to allow a party to acquire plate mail?
I have heard it said that 5e does not balance its encounters with respect to magic items; in other words it does not consider possession of magic items when defining appropriately challenging ...
27
votes
7
answers
24k
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What is the greatest amount of temporary hit points you can have at once?
Title says it all, what is the greatest amount of temporary hit points a character can have at one time? I think it's 45 from using Armor of Agathys with a 9th level spell slot, but is more possible?
...
27
votes
3
answers
3k
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Is it possible for a character at any level to cast all 44 Cantrips in one week without Magic Items?
As a DM, I enjoy [metaphorically] playing with fire.
For no particular reason, I am considering introducing the following Rite to my campaign:
Rites of Destruction. When the world was created, the ...
27
votes
6
answers
43k
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Why is two-weapon fighting considered subpar for fighters?
I know this has been discussed before, but I've yet to find a mathematically sound explanation of why two-weapon is vastly inferior to two-handed. I could understand if there are ultimately negligible ...
27
votes
4
answers
4k
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Does The Amazing Lightspeed Horse work, RAW?
N Medium humanoids have gathered on an arbitrarily long field, standing in a line with each creature 120 feet away from each of its neighbors. The creature at one end of the line is mounted on a horse ...
27
votes
5
answers
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Balancing Spellcasters; Spontaneous Casters versus Prepared Casters
So ask any optimizer and they'll almost always tell you the same thing: in 3.5 classes that prepare spells are better than spontaneous spellcasters. It's generally not thought of as even a contest. ...
27
votes
1
answer
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In this absurd multi-class, is there any other benefit to having a specific starting class?
I'm building the character Abserd, who has 1-level of all classes. He really is a useless character, got kicked out of every guild he ever joined.
There are some specific benefits to starting with ...