Unearthed Arcana: PRAISE THE SUN!

[TenaciousJ]

No doubt that it's useful.  It gets more powerful if you assume a weapon like a flametongue instead of a +3 weapon as well.  I merely wish to point out that it does not surpass Eldritch Blast in all scenarios.  Considering how close they are in average damage to a single target, you're trading the safety of range for the ability to do increased multi-target damage at-will.  It's worthy of consideration.

Fighter 2/Warlock 12/Sorcerer 6 looks compelling now.  Though for a level 20 build, I would seriously look at the trade off compared to Fighter 3/Warlock 17 that would be able to cast Foresight and use maneuvers.

[SorO_Lost]

follow the precedent set by draconic sorcerer and evoker wizard errata.

Good catch, forgot those are single (warlock's eb is special case). That messes up the whole 32/42/52/62 thing it had going just for the spell contribution

No doubt that it's useful.  It gets more powerful if you assume a weapon like a flametongue instead of a +3 weapon as well.

All 5th Edition optimizers need to memorize the Hazirawn (HotDQ) and Tinderstrike (PotA).

The Hazirawn is a +1 Greatsword that deals +1d6 necrotic damage, when Attuned it becomes +2 & +2d6. It also has a Wounding property that negates healing for one minute, stores 4 charges that can be used to cast Detect Magic/Thoughts/Evil&Good. It's also sentient & CE but no goals listed so really it's just a play into CE butchery to please it and it speaks Common and the Netherese language no one takes so that's pretty nice. It's found as loot on a CR 7 plot enemy that's impossible to miss if you run the adventure.

Tinderstrike when attuned is a +2 dagger that deals an additional +2d6 fire damage. While held you can speak Ignan, have Resistance to Fire, gain the character trait of being impulsive, and once per day can be used to Dominate a fire elemental (DC 17 negs). Except over the course of the adventure you're supposed to throw it into a portal and lose it. So it's not as awesome, but it's certainly worth the consideration of crafting at higher levels.

Functionally both of these combine the power of a +2 weapon and the Flametongue together and add several other useful effects. And heck, the Hazirawn is even obtainable in an official Adventure faster than you can unofficially craft a Flametongue.

[Gnomes2169]

Note, the Hazirawn is a Chaotic EVIL sentient sword, and both weapons have a legendary rating so there is no practical way to actually craft them. Just reminding people of this.

[Wilb]

My break down is:
Weapon damage +3d8 +Elemental Affinity +Radiant Soul +Lifedrinker on the primary target and 3d8 +Charisma on the secondary.

Weapon damage +3d8+5+5+5 primary, 3d8+5 secondary gets you (average weapon damage+28.5) primary and 18.5 secondary on average, or simplifying for total damage, weapon damage+47.  Assuming the +3 rapier and maxed out Dex for the weapon, that's 59.5 on average split between two targets.  I won't deny it's good but it's not going to replace eldritch blast for a single target, especially with Hex in play.

The class features of the Posilock and the fire sorcerer apply to a single target only, or is it that the way the damage follows a sequence means that the feature gets applied only in the first instance of damage?

[SorO_Lost]

Note, the Hazirawn is a Chaotic EVIL sentient sword, and both weapons have a legendary rating so there is no practical way to actually craft them. Just reminding people of this.

Negative Nancy much? And who would bother trying to craft them? In an "all official" game just Wish for it. Per the printed rules your 17th+ spellcaster teleports next to a CR 7 monster, kills it in one round, and teleports home. Literally the DM has to directly intervene to tell you "no" in total contrary to WotC's official content.

I know they presented Magic Items as rares and 4th treated them as well as a penguin wearing oven mitts can perform brain surgery. But it's a fact of life that printing stuff for Players to use sells content, so WotC forces 2~6 Legendary items into the Party so a DM's players will try to talk him or her into running certain Adventures. Meaning that the fluff of item rarity is a fallacy of appeal to the thick headed 4th Edition players and primarily designed to operate as sale pitch for future products. So it seems pretty odd for several reasons that anyone would actually buy into it, isn't the current generation all about getting everything for nothing and sticking it to the man / oldpeople / terrorists / teachers / police / parents / andanyoneelsethatdholdyouresponsible for getting in the way of the stuff they think they are totally entitled to to begin with? Eh, never mind I'm sure I just raped some people on Tumble with that comment. 

The take away is you should have those items according to the people that made the game, the items, and told the DM how to run things and gave him an in detail play by play of what exactly he's supposed to do. And we (well at least me) are optimizers on a forum literally called MinMaxBoards, "holding back" to us is done out of respect for a request, not our first or even second nature. Being limited to only three Attuned items out of the horde of loot thrown at players should be seen as a challenge of limitation instead of a mechanic that's impossible to achieve because flavor thinks so. I mean, to hang the lampshade here. Scroll upwards and you'll see people talking about obtain a 15+ bonus to damage from their Ability Modifier in a game that thinks +6 is "rare" & +9 is "legendary", obviously balance is a subjective topic but it's one that's currently thrown at the window to brain storm new ideas.

[Gnomes2169]

True, this is Minmax boards. However, there is optimization, and then there is wishful thinking. Both weapons are on the corner of being so obscure that they are basically unknown, one of a kind items that any DM could ask justification for why you have knowledge of them in the first place (they don't appear in any stories, they aren't detailed in magical item compendiums, your mother, a nice old lady that makes pies on Baker street RIGHT NOW, was not murdered by them, etc, etc). The logic behind stating that you can just find them regardless of setting (which the Hazirawn at least is 100% locked into the Forgotten Realms) is the same logic that states that you can find every single +stat item in the multiverse to give yourself all 30's in your attributes, or infinite simulicri is 100% RAW and will be allowed in every game ever regardless of tone or DM willingness... it can happen, but just like PunPun it is 100% theory in the majority of cases. This makes it viable for theoretical optimization, where there are no limits on anything, but that is hardly the only kind of optimization that exists.

Instead of making a "wish list" group of items, there is also optimization of what you can reasonably expect to find, and working with weaker items to make the most powerful character you can. Making the best Fighter/Barbarian with a +1 greatsword of simple is just as worthy of the title of optimized as the Fighter/Rogue/Ranger one-round nuke'm monster with the +1 Oathbow of Greater Exploding Kittens, a +Enough Belt of Awesome, the ring of Wish and all 30's in every stat. However, one is likely to see play, and one is simply not (though it's fun to see just how many kittens worth of damage you can deal in one round to a fool).

And finally, this being minmax boards and all, I feel it is only right to point out that the bladelock would want the dagger, not the Hazirawn. Greatswords introduce too much MAD into the equation, while the dagger of much fiery buttstabs keeps you straight on the Dex/ Cha stat line that all warlocks have anyway. Far more party-optimal to let your Eldrich Knight fighter, who has more attacks than your warlock (even on the turns where he casts a spell with his action), keep the belt of str so that he can blow fools up and use his greatsword of Bhaal's Essence better than it is to stick it on your warlock so that they can be more competent with it.

(Also... I'll check this, but the Sunlock might actually add their Cha bonus to the dagger's bonus fire damage. One sec... Edit: Nope, just spells. Dang. But it would have been hilarious.)

[SorO_Lost]

Both weapons are on the corner of being so obscure that they are basically unknown,

So you just explained why I mentioned there right there. 

Also Eberron only exists as a blerb in an Unearthed Arcana playtest for it's Races. You are pretty much limited to FR or Gray Hawk (aka nothing) for Campaign settings for what's been printed so far and Tiamat exists in both of those. And there is a difference practical optimization and theoretical. Like theoretically a Druid Elf could have 400+ Charisma by simply rereading a Tome over and over again every time it recharges thanks to their long lifespan. Practically however, an unskippable item that appears in pretty much what amounts to 5th Edition's version of splat is something I'd consider fair game even if you want to disagree with me.

(Also... I'll check this, but the Sunlock might actually add their Cha bonus to the dagger's bonus fire damage. One sec... Edit: Nope, just spells. Dang. But it would have been hilarious.)

Unfortunately it's Spell-only.

General question, what all Spells/Abilities add an additional Ability Score to damage?

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Class
Cleric (knowledge/light/arcane): 8th, potent spellcasting, wis-to-dmg, cleric cantrips only.
Paladin (oathbreaker): 7th, aura of hate, cha-to-dmg, any weapon attack (sharable, fiend/undead within 10ft, 30ft @18th).
Ranger (ua seeker): 3rd, stalker's fangs, wis-to-dmg, 1st weapon attack (sharable, any target infinite duration, usable once through).
Sorcerer (dragonic bloodline): 6th, elemental affinity, cha-to-dmg, one damage type of cast spells.
Warlock (any): 2nd, atagonizing blast, cha-to-damage, eldritch blast only.
Warlock (blade): 12th, lifedrinker, cha-to-dmg, pact weapon damage.
Warlock (undying light): 1st, radiant soul, cha-to-dmg, radiant and fire dealing spells.
Wizard (bladesinger): 14th, song of victory, int-to-dmg, melee attacks.

Did I miss any (besides spells)?

Edit - And speaking of Eberron, a couple of it's Races offer +1 AC. So a Mariner Style EK Fighter dipping Bladesinger Wizard and holding a Shield would have some really impressive AC. For example's sake, capped scores & Mage Armor comes out to 27.

Edit 2 - Arcane Domain Cleric can take Greenflame Blade as a Cleric Cantrip granting him wis-to-dmg twice by the 8th level. So Warlock 1 / Ranger 3 / Sorcerer 6 / Cleric 8 / Any 2 can get 1[W]+str/dex+3d8+2d6+(wis x3)+(cha x2) to damage for his opening attack. Not the best build by any means but it's an interesting thought isn't it?

[TenaciousJ]

My break down is:
Weapon damage +3d8 +Elemental Affinity +Radiant Soul +Lifedrinker on the primary target and 3d8 +Charisma on the secondary.

Weapon damage +3d8+5+5+5 primary, 3d8+5 secondary gets you (average weapon damage+28.5) primary and 18.5 secondary on average, or simplifying for total damage, weapon damage+47.  Assuming the +3 rapier and maxed out Dex for the weapon, that's 59.5 on average split between two targets.  I won't deny it's good but it's not going to replace eldritch blast for a single target, especially with Hex in play.

The class features of the Posilock and the fire sorcerer apply to a single target only, or is it that the way the damage follows a sequence means that the feature gets applied only in the first instance of damage?

The errata on Elemental Affinity and Empowered Evocation specifies that the damage bonus only applies to one damage roll per spell.  The typical example of how this errata applies is Scorching Ray.  No matter how many rays you hit with, you only apply the casting modifier to one ray.  Another would be Witch Bolt as a lightning draconic sorcerer.  Only one instance of damage from Witch Bolt gets the ability score modifier.  Fireball and such get the bonus on every target, because you only roll the damage one time, even though it applies to multiple targets.  Green Flame Blade has separate rolls per target, so you choose which roll to apply the ability modifier to.  As Radiant Soul uses the same language as those class features, I think it would be safe to assume it operates the same way.  You do have a choice in how you apply it, so you could choose to apply the casting ability modifier to the second target of Green Flame Blade instead of the first.

I am of the opinion that choice would be poor unless you know the hit points of your enemies and know for certain you will overkill the first target without the extra ability score modifier.  One dead enemy is better than two damaged enemies.

[Wilb]

Thanks for the info, a good read. Its a pity though, playing a competent melee lock will remain a challenge for a little while...

[Halinn]

Shadow Sorcerer 13, Paladin 7. Whenever you're about to be reduced to 0 hit points, roll your Con save (+16 with max Con and Cha) vs 5+Damage to instead just be reduced to 1. Can do 14/6 instead if you want.

Minimum is Con save proficiency, 1 level of Shadow Sorcerer and 6 levels of Paladin, so you can even go 13/1/6 of something

[Childe]

Shadow Sorcerer 13, Paladin 7. Whenever you're about to be reduced to 0 hit points, roll your Con save (+16 with max Con and Cha) vs 5+Damage to instead just be reduced to 1. Can do 14/6 instead if you want.

Minimum is Con save proficiency, 1 level of Shadow Sorcerer and 6 levels of Paladin, so you can even go 13/1/6 of something

May as well dip something like Barbarian for Resistance so only a hit of 26+ can even potentially kill you.

Also, the Ioun Stone of Mastery, which raises proficiency by 1, will boost your damage survival threshold by 1 more (2 with resistance).

[SorO_Lost]

Hmm...
Winged Tiefling Bear Totem Barbarian 1 / Shadow Sorcerer 1 / Close Quarters Shooting Devotion Paladin 6 / Undying Light Blade Warlock 12
Feats: Great Weapon Master
Items: Ioun Stone of Mastery(A), Belt of Storm Giant Strength(A).
Blessings: Protection.
* Defensively it has Resistance to most forms of damage while Raging. It has up to +18 to Constitution Saves allowing it to fend off dropping from anything less than 28 damage at once. And it can fly out of reach.
* Offensively it can use Antagonizing Blast to deal up to 4d10+20 (42) as a Ranged Attack with a +1 Bonus to Attack rolls and it ignores Cover/Conceal on targets within 30ft. When it comes to fighting up close, it can use Channel Divinity for cha-to-attack followed by the ever popular choice of Greatsword wielded Greenflame Blade which deals 1[W]+21+3d8+15/+3d8+5 (56/18 or 74 total) or just bash them with the sword anyway for 2d6+26*2 (66)

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Hazirawn!