How to Do the Most Damage in Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Second Edition

Warrior

• 1

  Select the "Fighter" class for not only breadth of weapon selection but also for the weapon related skills, such as two weapon style that can double your attacking capacity. You can find these skills in the "Complete Fighter's Handbook and Combat &Tactics."

• 2

  Specialize in a weapon that makes the most of your attributes. As a Fighter, you should probably rely on close-combat weapons. Pole-arms have the greatest amount of damage per hit, but are difficult to use in cramped environments like dungeons and are difficult to find magical versions of.

• 3

  Choose the "Weapon Smithing" skill as a non-weapon proficiency so that you can routinely attempt a masterwork with "+1 to hit/+1 to damage" abilities, increasing your damage output when you don't have a magical weapon with better bonuses.

• 4

  Use magic items to boost the damage of your weapons--oil of fire, for instance--or your strength. These will increase the overall damage of your weapon and possibly extend the time that you are damaging them; especially if they catch fire.

• 5

  Pursue Grandmastery in your weapon as you enter the epic levels (15+).

Mage

• 6

  Level as quickly as you can. Low level mages are notorious for their uselessness in combat. Fifth level is where the field starts to even out with combat spells such as "Fireball" available.

• 7

  Specialize in a school of magic that is not divination or abjuration. Divination is not a school for causing damage, although it can give a strategic or tactical advantage. Abjuration specialists cannot cast the many deadly alteration spells.

• 8

  Study the spell descriptions for nuances that you can use at a moment's notice. Many spells have some ambiguity to the description that can be used to your advantage.

• 9

  Carry plenty of spell components. It's easy to lose track of this most important element of spell casting, but it can render you unable to utilize your best spell.

Priest

• 10

  Worship a god of justice. The justice gods are far more likely to to whip out the weaponry and let you wield a sword or other weapon. They're also likely to be lawful, which will come in handy with other resources.

• 11

  Remember that although you alone are not the bad ass of the party, you belong to an organization with resources above and beyond the rest of the party. There's a whole military branch of martial religions: Paladins. If your cause is right, they'll field them for you. Otherwise, you may still have other priests and possibly a god on your side.

• 12

  Use the church as a means of preparing. If you've kept up on your tithing, you might be due for an upgrade in equipment.

• 13

  Godcall sometimes. You don't get to abuse this ability, but once an adventure you can roll for personal intervention on your behalf. Circumstances will modify the roll, so encourage things in your favor.

Rogue

• 14

  Look innocent. The opposition won't suspect that the guy in the merchant garb is the reason they're about to die if he appears to only have contracts up his sleeve. You can also attempt to "stumble" upon the combat and do the "I'm not with them" routine.

• 15

  Back stab early and often. It only works once per combat, but every combat is a new opportunity to make your weapon gleam with the blood of your foe. Remember that you aren't limited to using daggers for this.

• 16

  Level frequently to gain all of the advantages the rogue classes offer. The strength of the rogue class comes from it's ability to gain ranks and proficiencies at astonishing speeds.

• 17

  Remember the domain of the rogue is really the urban environment, where his resources are far less limited than that of the fighter or the mage. The thieves' guild, if you're a member, can offer services and provide assistance that proves immediately advantageous.