Hahaha that's a great description of Flurry of Smites. Yes, just to clarify, I wouldn't enjoy playing these characters I'm building. I don't find the thought of spending all my resources at once fun either. I just find it fun to stretch the limits of what I think is possible.
If I built a monk nova I'd enjoy, as I look at the options, I'd probably go with an 11 Kensei monk/9 Hunter ranger mix. Knowing Hunter's Mark can apply to monk unarmed strikes, it just enables the playstyle I like. My character would have that great nature monk feel, and he could still get the 6d6 from Hunter's Mark, 6d8 from colossus slayer, longsword or longbow +3, an extra MA for each turn, and casting level 3 spells from a list that includes conjure animals and hail of thorns. I'd still get great exploration and utility to boot! Not quite a pure nova as I understand it, but at a possible 2d10 + 8d8 + 6d6 + 6 + (4 x DEX) = 94 (or .81 FoUA) that could be used eight times in a minute of combat, I think the build could hold its own while still being fun in other ways.
My next experiment will be working out an EK/Bard/Paladin with a couple of feats. My thoughts so far are that 12/6/2 might work nicely with Whispers bard, Great Weapon Master or Grappler, and War Caster. 6 attacks with Action Surge for Divine Smites, Psychic Blades, casts of Bestow Curse for extra damage or Hold Person for crits, or just grapple and shank them while holding them in a level 5 Cloud of Daggers. I see a multitude of options here...
Your tenacity can wear down the most potent foes. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, the creature takes an extra 1d8 damage if it’s below its hit point maximum. You can deal this extra damage only once per turn.
Yeah, that wasn't disbelief, that was sadness! I'll have to find a better monk nova build...
In the meantime, I think I've developed a doozie. 12 Eldritch Knight/6 Whispers Bard/2 Paladin, no feat required. It's a 10th level caster that can access level 2 wizard spells, level 3 bard spells, and level 1 paladin spells using up to two level 5 spell slots. It also has 5 ability increases, some of which may be turned to feats like War Caster. This version uses the Dueling Fighting Style, and a 1d8 damage dueling weapon for versatility, but you can get even more damage out of a greataxe, Great Weapon Fighting, and the Great Weapon Master feat. Make sure you learn bestow curse and hold person.
This build is a slot-burner and takes 2 turns to set up. First, cast level 5 bestow curse, choosing the extra necrotic damage of course. It doesn't require concentration and will remain active for 8 hours. Then cast hold person. Once you get hold person to...hold, attack your cursed and paralyzed target 3 times and burn a level 4 Divine Smite with each. Use Action Surge to attack 3 more times, burning a level 3 Divine Smite with each. Apply your Psychic Blades damage as the cherry on top. Continue to hold up your opponent's corpse as a dire warning to all who oppose you.
With a dueling setup, this combo will result in 2(6d10 + 33d8 + 2d6) + (6 x STR) = 2(188.5) + 30 = 407 average, or 3.52 FoUA. And if the enemy isn't dead yet, you have 8 hours of 1d8 added to every attack you make against it. If you went with a great weapon setup, you could add a ton of damage onto that, including an extra attack as your bonus action, which you can use your other 5th-level slot to smite with: if the 10 extra damage with each roll doubles on a crit, that's 2(7d12 + 39d8 + 2d6 + 70) + (7 x STR) = 2(287.5) + 35 = 610 average, or 5.28 FoUA.
This combo is very expensive--potentially all your level 5, 4, and 3 slots, and one level 2 slot and a Bardic Inspiration die--but it's modular, so you can scale back the smites for 2(4d8-5d8) each (assuming crits) or leave out bestow curse for 2(7d8) (again, assuming crits and Great Weapon Master).
*Note*: I will probably need to adjust these numbers in some way depending on what damage doubles for a crit and what doesn't. I'll be researching that and updating the math based on what I find.
The effects of different spells add together while the durations of those spells overlap. The effects of the same spell cast multiple times don't combine, however. Instead, the most potent effect--such as the highest bonus--from those castings applies while their durations overlap.
For comparison, what does this build do if you don't assume multiple rounds of setup and failed saves? You can pre-cast Bestow Curse and Hold Person with the Flurry of Smites if you take 9 levels of Bard instead of Sorcerer. It changes the utilities around a bit but doesn't affect the numbers (unless you use the additional magical secrets to learn Hex. That'd increase the total by 6!)
Back before Xanathar's Guide I'd read a thread I think on Giant's in the playground looking for nova with Unearthed Arcana but the OP allowed no setup. How much damage to one target in 1 turn.
Their best result, if I remember right, was a Ranger Gloom Stalker, Paladin, Fighter, Sorcerer. though I think Gloom Stalker was called something else at the time. Gloom Stalkers can make an additional attack as part of the attack action in the first round of combat.
Quickened Hold Person, Great Weapon Master +10, Great Sword (2d6), Attack Action (×3), Divine Smite (5d8), Action Surge, Attack Action, Divine Smite (5d8), for 24d6+60d8+90 = 444 or 3.84
That's no setup, no Hex or Divine Favor. Using Hold Person requires a humanoid, but using Sorc 9/Rng 4/Pal 5/Fgt 2 you could use 5th level spells and cast Hold Monster, and still have spell slots for 6 max smites at caster level 13. This allows for 4 ASI. Allowing 20 Str, 20 Cha, if you are Human Variant for the feat.
I'm sure I'm missing something. I distinctly remember that build just barely being caster level 11 with Sorc 8 and Ranger 3, to have only enough spell slots for 6× 5d8 smites...
All I can think is that he had used Fighter 3 to add 8d8 from critical maneuvers. You could take Sorc 9 and lose an ASI (480 or 4.16)
Let's do a breakdown. We'll go with the heaviest hitter for better numbers, the great weapon build. As a level 12 fighter, he gets 3 attacks plus Action Surge, total 6 attacks as 2 actions, total 6d12 + (6 x STR). If he crits, he doubles all attack damage (but not modifiers), and thanks to his feat he gets to make another attack as a bonus action, total 7 attacks. He can also choose to have trouble hitting in exchange for adding +10 damage to each hit, for a potential 70 extra damage, 60 without at least one crit. As an EK subclass, that's 3 levels of spellcasting for a multiclass.
The bard levels provide 6 levels of spellcasting, as well as access to both bestow curse and hold person. At 5th level, bestow curse doesn't require concentration, so that's a guaranteed +1d8 every time you hit that enemy for the next 8 hours. Hold person's job is to paralyze and ensure crits, so a precursor is to make sure this lands, or else double damage isn't guaranteed and the -5 to attack rolls is an actual risk. The Whispers subclass allows you to add 2d6 once a turn when an attack hits, like the Hunter ranger's Colossus Slayer. But without stacked bestow curse, I'll be exploring options of other level 1-3 spells that a Lore bard could pick up.
Two levels of paladin, of course, provide one level of spellcasting and access to Divine Smite, able to add up to 5d8 to each attack that hits without a casting time. Since this all adds up to a level-10 caster, that's 3 level-4 slots, 3 level-3 slots, 3 level-2 slots (one used for hold person), and 4 level-1. The 2 level-5 slots are free for bestow curse and one more thing. At 7 attacks that hit, that's adding 3(5d8) + 3(4d8) + 2d8 (or 5d8 if he wastes the extra level-5 slot). That's 29-32d8 on the line.
So the backbone of the build is at least 11 levels of fighter, but an even 12 means more spell slots as an EK. Those 6 attacks, ideally with great weapon setup for the extra attack and crit rewards, generate a lot of attack damage. But bard needs 3rd-level spell list to get both hold person (for hits & crits) and bestow curse (for up to 7d8 bonus damage, possibly doubled). And two little paladin levels enable slot-burning for about 30d8 damage, possibly doubled.
So now I need to change the math in my last post haha and figure out what crits can change!
So what's the best combo for damage on a single ATTACK versus a single ROUND of combat? Not thinking about Paladin Smites because those run out but rather the repeatable, 'every round until I die' damage.
I'm thinking some twisted combination of Ranger/Hunter (for the D8 from Colossus Slayer), Rogue (for the Sneak Attack), Cleric (for Smiting D8). Anything else and where does this become SO broken that it becomes 'I hit really well once a round but I'm useless for everything else?'
Well for a single Attack the Fist of Unbroken Air or Meteor Swarm are simple solutions, but absolutely not repeatable.
Sneak Attack is infinitely repeatable for about 11d6+5=43.5 at level-19. As an Assassin you can guarantee one crit for the first attack in the battle often enough. That'll give you 22d6+5=82. You could take 3 levels of ranger to add 1 on average with Colosus slayer. You'd add 1 using a Rapier also, but rolling 20d6 and two d8 is simply less cool than 22d6. Using Colosus slayer would be unreliable it would rarely if ever stack with the Assassination.
Now, for repeatability without limiting to one attack, the Archy the Archer build is very good. Using 2 sorcery points each round, the typical round would include 7 attacks for a total 7d10+105=143.5 you have 4 SP available that can be recovered using a 4th level spell slot (of which you have 2) and a bonus action, or with two 2nd level slots, as you can recover two 2nd level slots on a short rest there's a lot of versatility there.
So there's a balance somewhere you need to find. Smite uses resources heavily. Using expendable resources will generally increase the power of the attack. Some of those resources are recoverable.
Wow, that's really good! I'll have to look again at Xanathar's rangers. I haven't yet tried the restriction of no setup (the only way I can think to do a no-setup Hold Person/Monster build is with a level 9 sorcerer multiclass), but I'll see what I can come up with. Hopefully it won't be the same as the one you just described!
I also like the idea of a single-attack powerhouse!
Well for a single Attack the Fist of Unbroken Air or Meteor Swarm are simple solutions, but absolutely not repeatable.
Sneak Attack is infinitely repeatable for about 11d6+5=43.5 at level-19. As an Assassin you can guarantee one crit for the first attack in the battle often enough. That'll give you 22d6+5=82. You could take 3 levels of ranger to add 1 on average with Colosus slayer. You'd add 1 using a Rapier also, but rolling 20d6 and two d8 is simply less cool than 22d6. Using Colosus slayer would be unreliable it would rarely if ever stack with the Assassination.
Now, for repeatability without limiting to one attack, the Archy the Archer build is very good. Using 2 sorcery points each round, the typical round would include 7 attacks for a total 7d10+105=143.5 you have 4 SP available that can be recovered using a 4th level spell slot (of which you have 2) and a bonus action, or with two 2nd level slots, as you can recover two 2nd level slots on a short rest there's a lot of versatility there.
So there's a balance somewhere you need to find. Smite uses resources heavily. Using expendable resources will generally increase the power of the attack. Some of those resources are recoverable.
Okay...now I really need to get a link to Archy the Archer if you please?
OK, I did a whole character build for the no-setup nova from the GitP forum you mentioned, and I was very impressed! If you play your levels right, you'll always be over 2 FoUA, and its greatest potential is against a humanoid in the first round of combat, when you do 2 Fighter/5 Paladin/3 Sorcerer/3 Ranger (Gloom Stalker), at a huge 5.69 FoUA with no setup. Also, if you don't mind not getting the extra ability increase, you could just take 10 levels in sorcerer instead of getting an extra ranger level, resulting in that level 7 spell slot and meaning you can always do the same damage, whether you cast hold person or hold monster, because you have 7 slots of level 4+.
Another interesting find: that WotFE monk build really isn't strong, but it gets lots of help from a 2-level fighter dip. One of the disciplines you can learn as a WotFE monk as early as level 6 is hold person (Clench of the North Wind--unfortunate name...), and with Action Surge you can spend 3 ki points to cast hold person, get in melee range, and blast your remaining ki points into FoUA for guaranteed crit damage. It gets better as you gain monk levels (read: ki points), for a potential 176 average, or 1.52 FoUA, at level 20. Until that combo really pays off, you can stay above FoUA baseline at level 5 or greater by using FoUA for 1 ki point less than max, Action Surging, and doing an Attack 2x /Flurry of Blows. I'll still be working on my Flurry of Smites monk, but in the meantime, my Kamehameha monk is a nice, unassuming buff to pure WotFE nova.
Unfortunately you can't crit with FoUA, even against a paralyzed foe, because it does not roll an attack, but a saving throw. You could use Clench of the North Wind, Fangs of the Fire Snake, Action Surge, and Flurry of Blows Combo, but that would only net 16d10+20=108 or 0.94 using 9 ki and an Action Surge.
Thank you for that helpful link, Chrominator! I've been doing a lot of math for these builds, and it would help to have all the rules accounted for!
Interesting, BDaddLy--does FoUA not count as an "attack that hits" a creature, as stated in the description for the Paralyzed condition? Does something that "hits" refer specifically to attack rolls?
Thank you for that helpful link, Chrominator! I've been doing a lot of math for these builds, and it would help to have all the rules accounted for!
Interesting, BDaddLy--does FoUA not count as an "attack that hits" a creature, as stated in the description for the Paralyzed condition? Does something that "hits" refer specifically to attack rolls?
No problem, although LudicSavant is the real one to thank. :)
Note that certain features that affect damage may not be accounted for, such as the Halfling's Lucky trait that allows re-rolls of ones for attacks. But it's still quite useful.
As for your question, the key word is not "hits," but "attack." An ability/feature is only an attack if you make an attack roll. Fist of Unbroken Air is an action that forces the opponent to make a saving throw. You don't make an attack roll here, so it would not count as an attack. Of course, the paralyzed creature would still have a hard time against the FoUA, since it forces a Strength save, which a Paralyzed creature would automatically fail, but it's not the same thing.
Ah, so actions that give saving throws don't count as attacks. How interesting, to make a subclass that seems to be designed with nova capability and then not support that capability! No crit potential, a complete drain of class resources, limited effectiveness of multipliers like hex, and lack of integration with other class and subclass features! I guess WotFE is supposed to emphasize control and utility, with a potential for a last-ditch nova-lite.
I guess WotFE is supposed to emphasize control and utility, with a potential for a last-ditch nova-lite.
WotFE is good at fighting things that are hard to punch to death. Flying enemies, invisible enemies, enemies with high AC (or Shield), enemies with deadly close-range powers, enemies that force you to look away from them, enemies that can restrain you or knock you prone.
Hahaha that's a great description of Flurry of Smites. Yes, just to clarify, I wouldn't enjoy playing these characters I'm building. I don't find the thought of spending all my resources at once fun either. I just find it fun to stretch the limits of what I think is possible.
If I built a monk nova I'd enjoy, as I look at the options, I'd probably go with an 11 Kensei monk/9 Hunter ranger mix. Knowing Hunter's Mark can apply to monk unarmed strikes, it just enables the playstyle I like. My character would have that great nature monk feel, and he could still get the 6d6 from Hunter's Mark, 6d8 from colossus slayer, longsword or longbow +3, an extra MA for each turn, and casting level 3 spells from a list that includes conjure animals and hail of thorns. I'd still get great exploration and utility to boot! Not quite a pure nova as I understand it, but at a possible 2d10 + 8d8 + 6d6 + 6 + (4 x DEX) = 94 (or .81 FoUA) that could be used eight times in a minute of combat, I think the build could hold its own while still being fun in other ways.
My next experiment will be working out an EK/Bard/Paladin with a couple of feats. My thoughts so far are that 12/6/2 might work nicely with Whispers bard, Great Weapon Master or Grappler, and War Caster. 6 attacks with Action Surge for Divine Smites, Psychic Blades, casts of Bestow Curse for extra damage or Hold Person for crits, or just grapple and shank them while holding them in a level 5 Cloud of Daggers. I see a multitude of options here...
Note: you can only apply the damage from Colosus slayer once on your turn like Sneak Attack =/
Extended Signature
WHAAAAAT :(
Colossus Slayer:
Your tenacity can wear down the most potent foes. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, the creature takes an extra 1d8 damage if it’s below its hit point maximum. You can deal this extra damage only once per turn.
Extended Signature
Yeah, that wasn't disbelief, that was sadness! I'll have to find a better monk nova build...
In the meantime, I think I've developed a doozie. 12 Eldritch Knight/6 Whispers Bard/2 Paladin, no feat required. It's a 10th level caster that can access level 2 wizard spells, level 3 bard spells, and level 1 paladin spells using up to two level 5 spell slots. It also has 5 ability increases, some of which may be turned to feats like War Caster. This version uses the Dueling Fighting Style, and a 1d8 damage dueling weapon for versatility, but you can get even more damage out of a greataxe, Great Weapon Fighting, and the Great Weapon Master feat. Make sure you learn bestow curse and hold person.
This build is a slot-burner and takes 2 turns to set up. First, cast level 5 bestow curse, choosing the extra necrotic damage of course. It doesn't require concentration and will remain active for 8 hours. Then cast hold person. Once you get hold person to...hold, attack your cursed and paralyzed target 3 times and burn a level 4 Divine Smite with each. Use Action Surge to attack 3 more times, burning a level 3 Divine Smite with each. Apply your Psychic Blades damage as the cherry on top. Continue to hold up your opponent's corpse as a dire warning to all who oppose you.
With a dueling setup, this combo will result in 2(6d10 + 33d8 + 2d6) + (6 x STR) = 2(188.5) + 30 = 407 average, or 3.52 FoUA. And if the enemy isn't dead yet, you have 8 hours of 1d8 added to every attack you make against it. If you went with a great weapon setup, you could add a ton of damage onto that, including an extra attack as your bonus action, which you can use your other 5th-level slot to smite with: if the 10 extra damage with each roll doubles on a crit, that's 2(7d12 + 39d8 + 2d6 + 70) + (7 x STR) = 2(287.5) + 35 = 610 average, or 5.28 FoUA.
This combo is very expensive--potentially all your level 5, 4, and 3 slots, and one level 2 slot and a Bardic Inspiration die--but it's modular, so you can scale back the smites for 2(4d8-5d8) each (assuming crits) or leave out bestow curse for 2(7d8) (again, assuming crits and Great Weapon Master).
*Note*: I will probably need to adjust these numbers in some way depending on what damage doubles for a crit and what doesn't. I'll be researching that and updating the math based on what I find.
Unfortunately, you can't double curse somebody:
Combining Magical Effects
The effects of different spells add together while the durations of those spells overlap. The effects of the same spell cast multiple times don't combine, however. Instead, the most potent effect--such as the highest bonus--from those castings applies while their durations overlap.
For comparison, what does this build do if you don't assume multiple rounds of setup and failed saves? You can pre-cast Bestow Curse and Hold Person with the Flurry of Smites if you take 9 levels of Bard instead of Sorcerer. It changes the utilities around a bit but doesn't affect the numbers (unless you use the additional magical secrets to learn Hex. That'd increase the total by 6!)
I gotta look up this whispering bard thing.
Extended Signature
Back before Xanathar's Guide I'd read a thread I think on Giant's in the playground looking for nova with Unearthed Arcana but the OP allowed no setup. How much damage to one target in 1 turn.
Their best result, if I remember right, was a Ranger Gloom Stalker, Paladin, Fighter, Sorcerer. though I think Gloom Stalker was called something else at the time. Gloom Stalkers can make an additional attack as part of the attack action in the first round of combat.
Quickened Hold Person, Great Weapon Master +10, Great Sword (2d6), Attack Action (×3), Divine Smite (5d8), Action Surge, Attack Action, Divine Smite (5d8), for 24d6+60d8+90 = 444 or 3.84
That's no setup, no Hex or Divine Favor. Using Hold Person requires a humanoid, but using Sorc 9/Rng 4/Pal 5/Fgt 2 you could use 5th level spells and cast Hold Monster, and still have spell slots for 6 max smites at caster level 13. This allows for 4 ASI. Allowing 20 Str, 20 Cha, if you are Human Variant for the feat.
I'm sure I'm missing something. I distinctly remember that build just barely being caster level 11 with Sorc 8 and Ranger 3, to have only enough spell slots for 6× 5d8 smites...
All I can think is that he had used Fighter 3 to add 8d8 from critical maneuvers. You could take Sorc 9 and lose an ASI (480 or 4.16)
Extended Signature
Hmmm, good points. Let me see...
Let's do a breakdown. We'll go with the heaviest hitter for better numbers, the great weapon build. As a level 12 fighter, he gets 3 attacks plus Action Surge, total 6 attacks as 2 actions, total 6d12 + (6 x STR). If he crits, he doubles all attack damage (but not modifiers), and thanks to his feat he gets to make another attack as a bonus action, total 7 attacks. He can also choose to have trouble hitting in exchange for adding +10 damage to each hit, for a potential 70 extra damage, 60 without at least one crit. As an EK subclass, that's 3 levels of spellcasting for a multiclass.
The bard levels provide 6 levels of spellcasting, as well as access to both bestow curse and hold person. At 5th level, bestow curse doesn't require concentration, so that's a guaranteed +1d8 every time you hit that enemy for the next 8 hours. Hold person's job is to paralyze and ensure crits, so a precursor is to make sure this lands, or else double damage isn't guaranteed and the -5 to attack rolls is an actual risk. The Whispers subclass allows you to add 2d6 once a turn when an attack hits, like the Hunter ranger's Colossus Slayer. But without stacked bestow curse, I'll be exploring options of other level 1-3 spells that a Lore bard could pick up.
Two levels of paladin, of course, provide one level of spellcasting and access to Divine Smite, able to add up to 5d8 to each attack that hits without a casting time. Since this all adds up to a level-10 caster, that's 3 level-4 slots, 3 level-3 slots, 3 level-2 slots (one used for hold person), and 4 level-1. The 2 level-5 slots are free for bestow curse and one more thing. At 7 attacks that hit, that's adding 3(5d8) + 3(4d8) + 2d8 (or 5d8 if he wastes the extra level-5 slot). That's 29-32d8 on the line.
So the backbone of the build is at least 11 levels of fighter, but an even 12 means more spell slots as an EK. Those 6 attacks, ideally with great weapon setup for the extra attack and crit rewards, generate a lot of attack damage. But bard needs 3rd-level spell list to get both hold person (for hits & crits) and bestow curse (for up to 7d8 bonus damage, possibly doubled). And two little paladin levels enable slot-burning for about 30d8 damage, possibly doubled.
So now I need to change the math in my last post haha and figure out what crits can change!
So what's the best combo for damage on a single ATTACK versus a single ROUND of combat? Not thinking about Paladin Smites because those run out but rather the repeatable, 'every round until I die' damage.
I'm thinking some twisted combination of Ranger/Hunter (for the D8 from Colossus Slayer), Rogue (for the Sneak Attack), Cleric (for Smiting D8). Anything else and where does this become SO broken that it becomes 'I hit really well once a round but I'm useless for everything else?'
Well for a single Attack the Fist of Unbroken Air or Meteor Swarm are simple solutions, but absolutely not repeatable.
Sneak Attack is infinitely repeatable for about 11d6+5=43.5 at level-19. As an Assassin you can guarantee one crit for the first attack in the battle often enough. That'll give you 22d6+5=82. You could take 3 levels of ranger to add 1 on average with Colosus slayer. You'd add 1 using a Rapier also, but rolling 20d6 and two d8 is simply less cool than 22d6. Using Colosus slayer would be unreliable it would rarely if ever stack with the Assassination.
Now, for repeatability without limiting to one attack, the Archy the Archer build is very good. Using 2 sorcery points each round, the typical round would include 7 attacks for a total 7d10+105=143.5 you have 4 SP available that can be recovered using a 4th level spell slot (of which you have 2) and a bonus action, or with two 2nd level slots, as you can recover two 2nd level slots on a short rest there's a lot of versatility there.
So there's a balance somewhere you need to find. Smite uses resources heavily. Using expendable resources will generally increase the power of the attack. Some of those resources are recoverable.
Extended Signature
Wow, that's really good! I'll have to look again at Xanathar's rangers. I haven't yet tried the restriction of no setup (the only way I can think to do a no-setup Hold Person/Monster build is with a level 9 sorcerer multiclass), but I'll see what I can come up with. Hopefully it won't be the same as the one you just described!
I also like the idea of a single-attack powerhouse!
Okay...now I really need to get a link to Archy the Archer if you please?
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/dungeons-dragons-discussion/tips-tactics/19360-nova-builds-and-other-awesome-builds?comment=5
Or the munchkin campaign...
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/play-by-post/8092-high-level-fights-cr-25-to-31-create-a-level-20
Extended Signature
OK, I did a whole character build for the no-setup nova from the GitP forum you mentioned, and I was very impressed! If you play your levels right, you'll always be over 2 FoUA, and its greatest potential is against a humanoid in the first round of combat, when you do 2 Fighter/5 Paladin/3 Sorcerer/3 Ranger (Gloom Stalker), at a huge 5.69 FoUA with no setup. Also, if you don't mind not getting the extra ability increase, you could just take 10 levels in sorcerer instead of getting an extra ranger level, resulting in that level 7 spell slot and meaning you can always do the same damage, whether you cast hold person or hold monster, because you have 7 slots of level 4+.
Another interesting find: that WotFE monk build really isn't strong, but it gets lots of help from a 2-level fighter dip. One of the disciplines you can learn as a WotFE monk as early as level 6 is hold person (Clench of the North Wind--unfortunate name...), and with Action Surge you can spend 3 ki points to cast hold person, get in melee range, and blast your remaining ki points into FoUA for guaranteed crit damage. It gets better as you gain monk levels (read: ki points), for a potential 176 average, or 1.52 FoUA, at level 20. Until that combo really pays off, you can stay above FoUA baseline at level 5 or greater by using FoUA for 1 ki point less than max, Action Surging, and doing an Attack 2x /Flurry of Blows. I'll still be working on my Flurry of Smites monk, but in the meantime, my Kamehameha monk is a nice, unassuming buff to pure WotFE nova.
Something you may find useful: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?517267-Comprehensive-DPR-Calculator
And that's all I have to say about that.
Unfortunately you can't crit with FoUA, even against a paralyzed foe, because it does not roll an attack, but a saving throw. You could use Clench of the North Wind, Fangs of the Fire Snake, Action Surge, and Flurry of Blows Combo, but that would only net 16d10+20=108 or 0.94 using 9 ki and an Action Surge.
Extended Signature
Thank you for that helpful link, Chrominator! I've been doing a lot of math for these builds, and it would help to have all the rules accounted for!
Interesting, BDaddLy--does FoUA not count as an "attack that hits" a creature, as stated in the description for the Paralyzed condition? Does something that "hits" refer specifically to attack rolls?
This is why I could never be a DM...
No problem, although LudicSavant is the real one to thank. :)
Note that certain features that affect damage may not be accounted for, such as the Halfling's Lucky trait that allows re-rolls of ones for attacks. But it's still quite useful.
As for your question, the key word is not "hits," but "attack." An ability/feature is only an attack if you make an attack roll. Fist of Unbroken Air is an action that forces the opponent to make a saving throw. You don't make an attack roll here, so it would not count as an attack. Of course, the paralyzed creature would still have a hard time against the FoUA, since it forces a Strength save, which a Paralyzed creature would automatically fail, but it's not the same thing.
And that's all I have to say about that.
Ah, so actions that give saving throws don't count as attacks. How interesting, to make a subclass that seems to be designed with nova capability and then not support that capability! No crit potential, a complete drain of class resources, limited effectiveness of multipliers like hex, and lack of integration with other class and subclass features! I guess WotFE is supposed to emphasize control and utility, with a potential for a last-ditch nova-lite.
WotFE is good at fighting things that are hard to punch to death. Flying enemies, invisible enemies, enemies with high AC (or Shield), enemies with deadly close-range powers, enemies that force you to look away from them, enemies that can restrain you or knock you prone.