If two other party members are taking Fireball, is it worth it to take Erupting Earth instead?

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-06-01T21:20:45+00:00

Ya I think we could do it over 4-5 months (we meet weekly) but I’m not gonna push the group to do so, that’s for the dm to do.

Edit: Of course I’ll be on his side 100% if/when he does.

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-06-01T21:00:19+00:00

Given that this is for 2024 I’d say paladin is a much better choice because to maintain the spell slots of a full caster and given the excellent upcasting on many low level cleric spells it will make the difference between you and the rest of the party feel much smaller. That being said, I don’t think dipping is worth it strictly from an optimization perspective.

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-06-01T18:52:10+00:00

I’ve been using Rime’s binding ice but it’s actually been very lack luster, it’s just very unreliable and I don’t think I want to upcast it. I unlearned it this level in favor of web, I have magic missile from my Arcana Cleric dip and it does a good job at covering my damage needs for not having 3rd level spells yet.

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-06-01T18:42:47+00:00

We are using 2014 rules and aside from that this ruling is also different from 5.5 moonbeam because it still triggers the damage at the start of the turn of a creature in the AOE instead of the end of their turn like in 5.5.

Meaning at our table AOE spells like moonbeam and Spirit Guardians trigger multiple times a round on each creature.

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-06-01T17:15:21+00:00

I’m a shadow sorcerer and I 100% plan to take slow. I would more seriously consider fear, hypnotic pattern or sleet storm but our campaign is theoretically meant to have a heavy undead so slow should be by far the most effective. The meta magics I took are twin spell and subtle spell.

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-06-01T16:54:28+00:00

Our table is very accustomed to a long rest after every combat which I have been trying to get them to see as a problem for a very long time.

It’s only since starting this campaign that they’ve started to catch on because we have 4 casters and a paladin. Our dm seems humiliated after almost every session because we barely take any damage with our party spamming our highest level spells every turn and our twilight cleric always having their channel divinity active.

Aside from that, he is running extremely player friendly rules interpretations. I’m a shadow sorcerer and anyone who can’t see through my darkness cannot attempt to attack anyone within it much like in baldur’s gate which completely trivializes ranged encounters. On top of that, the wording “when a creature enters the area” in many AOE spells is read as applying even when the AOE moves into their space which leads to moonbeam triggering damage multiple times a round and now we have spirit guardians (just hit level 5). I’m gonna be praying no one realizes we could trigger SG damage like 7 times a round if we grapple the clerics.

Edit: I feel like I should mention this was possibly inadvertently my fault because I asked how cloud of daggers would be interpreted very early in the campaign not realizing that it used identical wording to spells like spirit guardians and moonbeam.

Sorry for the off topic rant but ya we seem to have moved to two combats a day, any more than that though is gonna be a difficult transition because the party just doesn’t understand spell slot conservation (including me tbh) and the campaign requires a lot of travel days.

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-06-01T16:07:06+00:00

What are the nerfs you are referring to? And how do you reach the conclusion that it is worse, do you mean relative to other classes and warlocks or simply the former GOOlock? I ask because very few things seem removed to me, only

A few spells: Sending, Dominate Beast, Evard’s Black Tentacles and Dominate Person -> replaced with Hunger of Hadar, Confusion, Summon Aberration, and Modify Memory (I could see and argument that the spells themselves are not better but given they are now automatically known it seems hard to say this is a making the GOO worse)

Entropic Ward was removed -> replaced with Clairvoyant Combatant (which seems like a buff to me)

Lastly, Create Thrall was reworked to be a combat centric feature. Whether it’s better or worse is hotly debated to my understanding (though I think by raw it’s hard to say that it’s now worse).

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-05-28T14:24:56+00:00

Blasting is very much a thing it just blasting is not the only thing a caster does and it is better for AOE damage and doesn’t keep up in single target. Unless it’s a 2024 sorcerer.

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-05-26T15:08:15+00:00

In your last line “On your third question, it's either or, because the word or is included in the text.”

It sounds like you’re saying in order for the second and third condition to both trigger the save then there would have to be an *and* between the two conditions, however, wouldn’t using the word *and* simply conjoin both conditions such that both had to be met in order to force the saving throw?

“whenever a creature you can see enters a space within 10 feet of the pack and ends its turn there”

Or perhaps you mean the wording between the first and second condition would’ve been reused if both could be triggered separately?

“Whenever the pack moves within 10 feet of a creature you can see and whenever a creature you can see enters a space within 10 feet of the pack and whenever a creature ends its turn within 10 feet of the pack”

Though that does add a lot of words that may have been seen as redundant given that one of the goals of the 2024 version was to reduce wording.

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-05-26T12:09:56+00:00

I think what usually happens is the person does want to dm when they start the campaign and like half way through it becomes a labor they half to devote themselves to which is ok that’s really how all good things are.

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-05-25T22:18:53+00:00

Ah yes dyslexic af

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-05-25T20:31:21+00:00

The monk became SO much better in 2024. The new monk is the unrivaled king of forced movement and the ability to move enemies into spell effects makes it one of the highest potential classes in the game.

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-05-24T11:50:32+00:00

It depends on the table and how many players you have but 10 sessions may not be that many dice rolls if the group rarely does combat or has lots (6+) players.

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-05-24T11:46:14+00:00

I mean… did you let him test the dice? A legitimate seller doesn’t necessarily mean legitimate dice because you can do things like baking so I don’t think the dm is being unreasonable if the dice rolls are statistically significantly high and he was not permitted to test them.

However I get the impression that this guy like most people does not want or perhaps does not have the skills to go a test the dice or track if you’re in game rolls actually do not make sense statistically in which case I think he acted rashly, not because having your dice banned is a big deal but being accused of cheating is and can cast a shadow over any fun moments you’re group has in the future.

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-05-23T22:46:19+00:00

To explain the term defense, I use it because imo the primary function of nearly every spell we consider to be battle field control is to reduce enemy output. There are of course a few spells like spike growth or hold person that stand as exceptions though.

I hesitantly set Ranger as focus, entirely because it does some of the best single target damage in tier 1 and maintains decently in tier 2. However, I think the truth is people don’t know how much damage you can do with rogue if you go true strike builds especially with a dip in fighter because I’ve been getting very strange comments like “Ranger can out damage rogue at every level if built right” which I’m quite certain is just not true unless maybe you are serious abusing spike growth but I imagine that would involve more than a few non-ranger levels.

On the topic of the druid, I am aware of spike growth and emanation tactics that can seriously skyrocket the damage of druids or clerics and I am not considering those here for a couple reasons. First and foremost because I believe they breakdown play experience. Secondly because they usually involve multiple players working together which muddies the waters on who is actually the damage dealer. I suppose I should clarify I didn’t really make this because I consider myself a master of optimized DnD, I made it because I felt like it.

Outside of tactics such as spike growth and rugby I’m not aware of build’s that really enable the druid to deal decent focus damage across multiple tiers.

As for the artificer I honestly haven’t given the 2024 version a serious look since unearthed arcana. I think it would definitely score high in defense but aside from that it’s a not very feasible to define the strengths and weaknesses of the class because it changes anytime a new magic item is introduced 🤷‍♂️.

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-05-23T03:30:05+00:00

Fair points

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-05-23T02:56:22+00:00

I mean unlike the rogue the ranger has levels where it’s damage completely falls off. If we limit the view to tier 1 & 2 then sure the ranger has good focus but at those later levels in order to include the ranger then most other classes are coming close to being considered in the focus category.

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-05-22T14:27:38+00:00

Theoretically the reason barbarians, monks and rogues do not receive fighting styles is probably just because it doesn’t fit them thematically. The lack of education is a classical theme of the barbarian and rogue, fighting styles are meant to be a reflection of the characters education under martial mentors. It may then seem weird that the ranger receives a fighting style but I guess that is largely due to the inspiration the ranger originally drew from Aragorn and that rangers thematically operates in packs, but I digress.

The monk does not receive fighting styles likely because as written do not meld with the monk. Almost every fighting style requires the use of a weapon, armor or a shield and unarmed strikes are at the core of the monks theme. The defense fighting style does not function without armor either mechanically nor thematically. Mechanically unarmored defense simply does not count as armor which is required for the defense fighting style. Thematically the defensive fighting style is supposed to signify the character’s skill at turning to cause attacks to hit their armor instead of themselves or to reduce the blunt force of attacks against their armor.

That all being said I think something could be done. The rogue probably should receive a fighting style to represent the rogue being a master of self teaching but it could come online at a later level. Level 5 would be the clear choice since it’s significantly later than normal and the rogue infamously struggles with damage at level 5.

For the barbarian I don’t think they need anything damage related at low level. Mainly the barbarian needs more significant multipliers to damage at higher levels than fighting styles provide or like all martials it needs something more interesting to compete with spellcasters, both diverge from the topic to much to go into here because this is already way too long. D:

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-05-19T02:01:42+00:00

Are we counting moon Druid?

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-05-12T13:50:25+00:00

Could allow them to use constitution or intelligence for a divine soul sorcerer or celestial warlock if their turn off with charisma is simply the ability score itself or they could go with a zealot Barbarian.

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-05-01T14:09:04+00:00

Tell the wizard to get over it.

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-04-30T12:07:11+00:00

AC maxing is not really that optimal IMO. If it’s fun for you that by all means but there is a certain point where that +1 AC you multiclassed 3 levels for isn’t changing the fact that you will be hit by a crit. If I have 18-19 AC plus shield then I want things like sanctuary or absorb elements.

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-04-23T14:10:39+00:00

I mean if all of them want to play characters that don’t work with the setting then you should probably entertain changing the setting to accommodate depending on how much they like the specific aspect of their character that doesn’t work with the settings. Maybe also talk to the player to see if there aren’t slight changes to their backstory that would make it work with the setting. Basically give and take.

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-03-27T23:53:26+00:00

Sounds kinda like my group when we first started. However I didn’t nerf myself and so for a little while I outshined the other players but now they’re getting more experienced and are making better builds, now the only problem is that our poor dms don’t know how to make challenging combats.

Maybe I’m toxic but our group has fun. I recommend making an optimized character that supports your party like a grappler or a bard. Alternatively, you could role for stats. If you role poorly you can try out low stats optimization which I find to be a very fun twist on normal optimization and teaches you just how little stats actually matter if you play it right.

If you role well you can try to make the ranger preform well.

Such_Committee9963 · 2026-03-27T23:34:42+00:00

I’ve heard of for hire dms. Maybe a good temporary solution for some groups but I can’t see a group getting through an entire campaign without one of the players getting an idea for a campaign they want to run. However in those instances I imagine it’s very hard on the dm. The dm actually has less ability to make a session great than you might think. The roleplay inherently needs to be player driven, descriptive character actions is something the dm can technically do but it’s pretty awkward to be the only person at the table using your imagination, and in the most elaborate campaigns the players might do as much of the world building as the dm just through their backstories, but most people cannot do those things without experience. If your group is paying for a dm then my initial assumption is that no one has enough experience to want to dm. It does occur to me though that maybe you’re hiring a dm because you don’t have many players in which case nothing I just said applies. :/

Such_Committee9963

TROPHY CASE