Maximizing Damage Output for a Level 11 Warlock in Dungeons Dragons 5E

Can a level 11 Warlock potentially deal 78 damage in one turn using Eldritch Blast and Magic Stone? This article delves into the specific conditions required for such a feat, providing a detailed breakdown of the damage calculation and important considerations.

Breakdown of Damage Calculation

At level 11, a Warlock can maximize their damage output with the spells Eldritch Blast and Magic Stone. Letrsquo;s break down the potential damage:

Eldritch Blast

Eldritch Blast is a cantrip that fires 3 beams. Each beam deals 1d10 force damage. With the Agonizing Blast invocation, the Warlock adds their Charisma modifier (letrsquo;s assume a 5 modification for a Charisma score of 20) to each beamrsquo;s damage. The breakdown is as follows:

Total damage per beam: 1d10 5

If all 3 beams hit and roll maximum damage (10 each), the damage would be:

10 (ForEachBeam) 5 (Modifier) * 3 (Beams) 45 damage

Magic Stone

Magic Stone allows the Warlock to imbue stones with magic. A stone deals 1d6 your spellcasting ability modifier (again, letrsquo;s assume a 5 modification). If the Warlock has 3 stones, casting it once would affect 3 stones, assuming all hit for maximum damage:

6 (ForEachStone) * 5 (Modifier) * 3 (Stones) 90 damage

However, the Warlock can only use Magic Stone as a bonus action, so the action is still needed for an attack with the stones. Thus, the maximum damage for 3 stones is:

6 (ForEachStone) * 5 (Modifier) * 3 (Stones) 90 damage

Important Considerations

Critical Hits: If any of the attacks (beams or stones) hit as criticals, the damage would increase significantly. Critical hits are crucial for maximizing damage output.

Advantage: Rolling with advantage increases the likelihood of hitting, which is essential for achieving this high damage total.

Targets Resistances: Ensure that the target does not have resistance or immunity to force damage from Eldritch Blast or bludgeoning damage from Magic Stone.

Combination Strategy: Combining Eldritch Blast with Magic Stone can certainly yield a high damage output, but achieving 78 damage relies on rolling maximum damage and hitting with all attacks. Here are some key strategies:

Pure Warlock at Level 11 with Magic Stone

Without any additional invocations or features, the maximum damage with Magic Stone is 90 damage. With the focus on Eldritch Blast, the Warlock can deal:

Without any advantage and hitting maximum damage: 45 damage from Eldritch Blast 45 damage from Magic Stone 90 damage With advantage and hitting maximum damage: The 45 damage from Eldritch Blast remains the same, but the Magic Stone could potentially deal more damage depending on the situation.

Hex and Hexblade

Adding the Hex invocation and being a Hexblade with the Curse would increase the damage:

With Hex and Curse: The damage from Eldritch Blast would be 105 (10 from Eldritch Blast 5 from Hex * 3 beams) 90 (from Magic Stone) 195 damage. Without Hex and Curse: The maximum damage would still be 90 (from Eldritch Blast) 45 (from Magic Stone) 135 damage.

Alternate Class Feat Options

Considering alternate class feats, such as taking two levels of Fighter for Action Surge or two levels of Sorcerer for Quickened Spell, can further increase damage output:

Action Surge: The Warlock could deal damage twice per turn, effectively doubling their maximum damage output. Quickened Spell: Casting spells in an instant can provide a significant boost in damage potential.

In conclusion, while theoretically possible to achieve 78 damage in one turn with a level 11 Warlock using Eldritch Blast and Magic Stone, it relies on rolling maximum damage and hitting with all attacks. Achieving consistent high damage output is a challenging feat, especially in a DM-controlled game.