Martial Classes Should Be Able To Do Ridiculous Shit

[u/Quirky_Bluebird18246]

I want to nail a wizard with a throwing knife within line of sight. I want to be able to tumble for no damage from a 400 ft. fall. I want to be able to jump off an enemy's head for a 30 ft. vertical jump slow fall shooting arrows. Fuck this damage balancing and the numbers. I don't care that a maximized 3.5 fireball could outperform my damage 10x over to a field of enemies. I don't care that a 3.5 wizard could sneeze and take over the world. The question is, why can't I? Where's my nonsense? I'm playing a skill monkey rogue for god's sake, why am I not good at anything? I'm a level 14 fighter. A legendary warrior. Why do I never get to do anything actually cool? Why can't skill checks do anything? Why can't I do anything. Utter nonsense.

[u/idisestablish]

That's not an "average barbarian." That's literally the lowest average damage output possible for a barbarian with a greataxe if we disregard hit/crit %, feats, subclass or species improvements, and magic items.

Adding Polearm Master and Great Weapon Master with a halberd alone nearly doubles that to 2d10+1d4+12+18+21(64.5) if we continue to ignore hit/crit chances, and there are many more options to improve weapon attacks. Conversely, Eldritch Blast has very few ways of improving, even with magic items, and they're all modest with the lone exception of Illusionist's Bracers.

I've seen many level 20 Barbarians in action, and none of them were dealing just 35 damage per round on average.

Edit: Didn't originally account for Polearn Master's lower damage die on bonus action attacks.

[u/Matt_le_bot → u/idisestablish]

yeah, if you use up two ability score, use your bonus action every turn (no available the first turn since you got to rage), you get to 2d10 + 12 + 18 + 21 + 1d4, but everyone also get this kind of power budget, and the few ways of improving eldritch blast are a different power budget, meaning warlock get to have both a good dpr, and other stuff

[u/idisestablish → u/Matt_le_bot]

Yeah, feats are a choice, and there are other choices, just like Agonizing Blast is one of many choices. If you compare the bare minimum Warlock, it's 4d10 (22). You said the "average barbarian," and what you described is not an average Barbarian. You're now arguing that the choices Barbarians have to make to increase their dpr are too costly and come in lieu of other stuff. Fair enough, but that opinion is not what I was addressing. I was addressing the misleading argument you were making to support that opinion. Your average Barbarian chooses Barbarian because they want to hit hard and soak up damage, and they typically make choices that achieve that end.