Some of the Best Ways to Break Dungeons & Dragons
Not everything in D&D is sunshine and rainbows, and sometimes players feel the rules are being used against them. Savvy players know there are ways to fight back, and the combos below are some of the best ways to do it, pushing the boundaries of the worlds of D&D and creating a headache for dungeon masters.
Whether these combos break the game or give dungeon masters a headache is up for debate, but these epic ways to break Dungeons & Dragons are a testament to the creativity and ingenuity of players. When rules are bent, twisted, and broken, it’s not always a bad thing. It can make the game more interesting and entertaining, but it’s a good idea to use these tactics sparingly and considerately, as they can disrupt the balance of the game.
Great Weapon Master
Combining the feat Great Weapon Master with the Barbarian class creates a powerful damage dealer capable of dealing huge amounts of damage consistently. The Reckless Attack feature offsets the penalty of Great Weapon Master, resulting in a huge damage bonus.
The Barbarian can use Sentinel and then Polearm Master to allow for devastating opportunity attacks. Melee creatures running towards them provoke an opportunity attack, reducing their speed to zero. This can be done to an entire group of enemies at once, dealing huge amounts of damage to the entire group. Placing two extradimensional spaces together creates a rift in space, teleporting nearby creatures to the Astral Plane.
The Astral Plane is a terrifying place, difficult to escape without magic. However, Rogues can utilize a broken rules interaction with their sneak attack ability. Normally, they can only deal sneak attack damage if they have advantage on the attack or if the target is unaware of their presence. However, a Rogue can use the Battlemaster maneuver Commander’s Strike to attack outside of their turn and roll sneak attack dice again, even though the target is aware of the presence of the Rogue.
The Rogue can follow this up with a deadly attack on the target using the Shadow Blade feature of the Rogue Mariner class, which allows sneak attack damage even when the target is aware of the Rogue’s presence. The target is then sent to the Astral Plane, where they must spend time trying to escape before they can return to the plane they were on.
Bless
Bless is a powerful 1st level spell which provides a d4 bonus to attack rolls and saving throws for three PCs. Bless is particularly powerful because it can be stacked with Emboldening Bond from the Peace Domain Cleric, providing even more bonuses.
Emboldening Bond: When a creature rolls a saving throw against a fear effect, if you are attuned to this item, you can use your reaction to roll your Divine Strike die and add it to the total.
Commander’s Strike: The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn. If you or an ally hits the target with an attack before then, the target automatically succeeds on the saving throw, ends the effect, and is not frightened.
Investment of the Chain Master
The Investment of the Chain Master invocation turns the Pact of the Chain into a powerful option for Warlocks who want a familiar. The Pseudodragon familiar can use its tail stinger poison to knock out enemies.
Investment of the Chain Master increases the DC of the Pseudodragon’s poison, making it even more effective. The Pseudodragon can easily knock out most enemies with a single bonus action.
Blindsight
The Blindsight feature of the Rogue Mariner class allows them to see normally in darkness and even through solid matter. This allows Rogues to see their enemies even if they are hiding in the Astral Plane.
Investment of the Chain Master: You gain blindsense to a distance of 30 feet, which is impeded by solid matter.
