No Prebuff - Round 1 - Damage Rankings

[FrogReaver]

I find the amount of single target damage a PC can dish out in the first round of combat to be an interesting and useful statistic. I think crowdsourcing this kind of exercise out will yield results a lot faster. After some builds get posted I'll classify them and place them here on the front page. Right now I'm thinking feats vs non feats, multiclassing vs non-multiclassing. Stuff like that.

I don't want this to be a Damage Kings style thread where you only ever attempt to one up the previous poster, to the point that you've created a character that won't work in practice just so you can say you created the most damaging PC. I find knowing the results of actual playable builds to be much more interesting. That's what I'm pushing for here.

Without further ado:
Rules:
1. Use point buy for character creation
2. +3 in your attack stat mod will be 55% chance to hit. +4 will be 60% chacne to hit. +5 will be 65% chance to hit.
3. Crits are recommended to be accounted for but not required.
4. Use whatever features, source material, rules or interpretations you would like. Just try to summarize anything you think might not be universal.
5. Saving throws will be calculated the same way as attacks 55% chance for enemy to fail at +3 mod etc.
6. No Prebuffs
7. Damage should be calculated for the first round of combat.

Any additional questions please post.

 

[FrogReaver]

Level 2
27.7 = Variant Human (GWM) + War Cleric + Guided Strike + War Priest
24.8 = Variant Human (Lucky) Paladin Dual wielding Short Swords + Divine Smite
23.1 = Variant Human (Martial Adept) Paladin + GWF + Divine Smite + Thundering Smite + Trip + Precision
19.9 = Variant Human (PAM) Paladin + spear + duelist + Divine Smite
19.0 = Variant Human (Martial Adept) + GWF + Action Surge + Trip + Precision
18.7 = Divination Wizard + Catapult + (Consumable) Acid Vial
17.5 = Variant Human (Magic Initiate: Hex) Fighter + Greatsword + Great Weapon Style + Action Surge
17.1 = Variant Human Magic Initiate (Magic Missile) Fighter + GWF + Action Surge + Great Sword
16.5 = War Cleric + Guided Strike + Inflict Wounds
16.4 = Level 2 Diviner + Magic Initiate (Dissonant Whispers) + Portent on Dissonant Whispers + Quarterstaff
15.5 = Paladin + Great Sword + Divine Smite + Thunderous Smite
15.4 = Variant Human (SS) + Heavy Crossbow + Archery Style + Action Surge
15.2 = Variant Human (Lucky) Monk + Flurry of Blows
14.4 = Human Tempest Cleric (Magic Initiate) + Chromatic Orb + Destructive Wrath
14.3 = Human Fighter + PAM + Action Surge + Great Weapon Style + Gliave
14.0 = Human Fighter + PAM + Action Surge + Duelist + Spear
13.7 = Half Orc Fighter Great Sword + Style + Action Surge
13.6 = Fighter + Variant Human (GWM) + Great Weapon Style + Great Sword + Action Surge
13.5 = Fighter + Action Surge + Great Sword + Great Weapon Style
13.0 = Human Fighter with PAM + glaive + action surge
11.3 = Druid Wildshape Brown Bear
10.6 = Human Barbarian with PAM. Reckless attack with a glaive
10.5 = Wizard + Magic Missile
8.8 = Half Orc Barbarian 2 with a Greataxe

Level 6
99.2 Variant Human (GWM) Battlemaster Fighter + GWF + Lucky + 18 Str + Trip + Precision
79.9 Variant Human (magic initiate: hex) Battle Master Fighter + 20Str + GWF + Precision + Trip
78 = Variant Human (GWM) Battle Master Fighter + 20Str + GWF + Precision + Trip
67.7 = Variant Human (SS) + Battle Master Fighter + Precision + Menacing + Archery + Magic Initiate (Hex) + 18 Dex
67.1 = Half Orc Battle Master Fighter + GWF+ 20Str + Precision + Trip (No feats)
64.5 = Variant Human Paladin 2 / Sorcerer 4 + Lucky + Quicken + GWF + Divine Smite + Booming Blade
64.3 = Elven Samurai + SS + Archery + Elven Accuracy + 18 Dex
62.5 = Variant Human (GWM) Samurai + 20 Str + Action Surge
61.9 = Druid Conjure Animals (Giant Poisonous Snakes)
56.8 = Elf Samurai SharpShooter + Elven Accuracy + Action Surge + 16 Dex
48.6 = Druid Conjure Animals (Wolfs + Pack Tactics)
47.8 = VHuman (lucky) Tempest Cleric 2 Sorcerer 4 Chromatic Orb + Destructive Wrath + Quicken Firebolt
46.4 = Variant Human GloomStalker Ranger + Lucky + SharpShooter + Archery Style + Longbow + Hail of Thorns
43.3 = Variant Human Warlock 4 / Fighter 2 + Hex (18 Cha) + Lucky+ Action Surge
42.7 = Fighter 2 + Warcleric 4 +18 wis + Action Surge + Inflict Wounds
42.6 = Tiefling Sorcerer + FoP + 18 Cha + Quicken + Heightened + Elemental Affinity + Fireball + Firebolt
42.3 = Variant Human Battlemaster 3 + Swashbuckler 3 + Lucky + Action Surge (offturn attack)
36.4 = Variant Human (GWM) War Cleric (18 str)
29.4 = Variant Human Barbarian 5 / Fighter 1 + GWM + GWF + PAM
27.1 = Divination Wizard (18 Int) + Fireball
25.6 = Tempest Cleric Destructive Wrath + Shatter
21.4 = Variant Human College of Swords Bard + PAM + 18 Str

 

[FrogReaver]

Level 20
274.1 = Tiefling Fighter 2/Hexblade 1/Draconic Sorceror 17 + Flames of Phegethos + Elemental Adept + CHA 20 + Hexblade's Curse + Meteor Swarm + Action Surge + Disintigetrate + Heighten + Empower
257.6 = Battlemaster 11 / Hexblade 1 / Paladin 2 / Barbarian 2 / Sorcerer 4, doing six Reckless greatsword attacks with Hexblade's Curse+GWF+GWM+Precision Attack+Action Surge, and smites on each one

 

[Esker]

Obviously I can't resist giving this a try, but what level do you have in mind?

And is this a once-per-day deal, or first round of combat every combat?

 

[Esker]

Probably not quite what you have in mind, but so far I've gotten to 274.1 for one turn per day at 20th level with a Tiefling Fighter 2 / Hexblade 1 / Draconic Sorcerer 17.

Take Flames of Phlegethos and Elemental Adept (Fire), and get CHA to 20.

Bonus Action: Hexblade's Curse

Action: Meteor Swarm (Heightened and Empowered, rerolling all 1-3s w/ empowered, then rerolling 1s again for the fire part using Flames of Phlegethos, then treating any remaining 1s as 2s using Elemental Adept)

Action Surge: 8th level Disintegrate (Heightened and Empowered).

Of course Meteor Swarm has a massive friendly fire problem.

Spoiler: Math

We assume a 65% chance of failing saves, but with heightened spell that goes up to 87.75%.

Meteor Swarm does 20d6+11 fire, 20d6 bludgeoning to the main target, half on save (+5 comes from Draconic Sorcerer's Elemental Affinity feature, which adds CHA mod to one damage roll for any fire damage spell, and +6 against one target from Hexblade's Curse).

Disintegrate upcast to 8th does 16d6+46 force, nothing on a save.

Assuming we use empowered spell to reroll all d6s that come up 1,2 or 3, each d6 roll starts out worth 4.25 points of damage on average (1/2 * 3.5 + 1/6 * 4 + 1/6 * 5 + 1/6 * 6).

Flames of Phlegethos lets us reroll any remaining ones. On average, 1/12 of the d6s will be 1s after rerolling for empowered spell. Rerolling these and applying Elemental Adept to treat any 1s that remain as 2s nets us (3.5 + 1/6) - 1 extra damage per 1 rolled. So d6s for fire are worth 4.25 + 1/12 * ((3.5 + 1/6) - 1) = 4.4722222...

So, all together we have 36d6 bludgeoning and force (= 36 * 4.25 = 153), 20d6 fire (= 20 * 4.47222 = 89.44444), and 57 static damage, for a total of 299.44444 on failed saves, with a 87.75% chance of a failed save. On a successful save (12.25% chance), meteor swarm still does half damage, or 0.5 * (20 * 4.25 + 20 * 4.4722222 + 11) = 92.7222

Total: 0.8775 * 299.4444 + 0.1225 * 92.7222 = 274.1

Of course, the two feats aren't really adding all that much here. Without them we still get

0.875 * (56 * 4.25 + 40 + 11) + 0.125 * 0.5 * (40 * 4.25 + 11) = 264.2

 

[Esker]

If the "single creature" can be ourselves, we can increase that by casting Hellish Rebuke on ourselves at 7th level immediately after hitting ourselves with meteor swarm...

 

[Esker]

With an actual single target turn, I get 257.6 with a Battlemaster 11 / Hexblade 1 / Paladin 2 / Barbarian 2 / Sorcerer 4, doing six Reckless greatsword attacks with Hexblade's Curse+GWF+GWM+Precision Attack+Action Surge, and smites on each one (2 3rd level slots, 3 2nd level slots, 1 1st level slot).

(Though I didn't quite calculate the impact of precision attack exactly right for advantage; it should be a little higher than this in light of that)

 

[Blue]

Using PHB and XGtE for a 20th level character.

Half-Elf
Warlock Hexblade / Pact of the Blade 3- Greatsword using CHR - hexblade can apply to your pact weapon even if not the other limitations.
Paladin Oath of Vengeance 6 - Advantage, Divine Smite, Extra Attack
Fighter (Champion) 3 - Crit Range, action surge, Great Weapon fighting
Ranger Gloomstalker 4 - extra attack on each Attack action in first round with +d8 dmg
Cleric Forge 1 - +1 weapon from long-rest to long-rest (not considering that pre-buffing because of constant availability)
Bard Swords 3 - inspiration die to damage 1/turn

Oath of Vengeance (as bonus action)
Elven Accuracy
Great Weapon Master

After CHR 20, +1 weapon, GWM, 19-20 crit range, advantage, and elven accuracy, we have a 27.1% chance of crit and a 56.2625% chance to hit-no-crit.

Great sword does 8 1/3 average with Great Weapon fighting style. Two attacks have +d8 from Gloom Stalker as well which will get multiplied on a crit but we can't assign after a hit. Also +16 static damage.

Damage from attacks before Divine Smite and Bard is: 145.2~.

EDIT: Updated bonus damage - for some reason was thinking eight attacks, not
six. The damage calc sheet still has those in, delete lines 61 & 62.

9th level caster - will add four +5d8 (4th & 5th level slots) and two 4d8 (3rd level slots) to damage. Since we will know if it's a crit, crits start at the top, non-crits start at the lowest.

In addition, first crit has sword bard +d6 for 7 average.

With the crit chances, Wolfram Alpha says to expect 1.625 crits with six attacks. So I'll do one full crit (5d8+1d6) and one .625 of a crit (5d8) and add in the others as non-crits.

That adds in 169.6~ bonus damage.

Total = 314.8 average damage. (EDIT: Lowered with smite damage change above)

(But it doesn't keep up in further rounds, without gloom stalker 1st round extra attacks and action surge, it's only 2 attacks a round.)

EDIT: Added in my ugly spreadsheet of calculations.

 

[Blue]

Anybody up for different levels?

Let's start simple. Half Orc Barbarian 2 with a Greataxe. +3 STR mod so 55% chance to hit, which is 50% chance to hit, 5% chance to crit. Reckless Attack makes those 9.75% crit, 70% hit. Hit is 9.5, crit with half orc racial is 22.5. Expected is 8.8~ damage per round.

 

[Esker]

Lvl 2: Human Barbarian with PAM. Reckless attack with a glaive:

(5.5+3 + 2.5+3)*0.7 + (5.5+2.5)*0.0975 = 10.58 (every round)

or, optimizing for 1st round (1/SR):

Human Fighter with PAM using action surge:

(2*(5.5+3) + 2.5+3)*0.55 + (2*5.5+2.5)*0.05 = 13.0