Best melee dps build and Best 2h build

[Boeroer]

One of the best 2H weapons in the game (besides Chromoprismatic Quarterstaff, Engoliero do Espirs, Citzal's Spirit Lance and Whispers of the Endless Paths in certain situations) is Willbreaker. In the right hands it is devastating - for example with Fighters, Barbs and Monks or a combo of those. Also Skald/Devoted (Clear Out).

[Lampros]

On 6/1/2019 at 4:29 AM, Boeroer said:

 

Generally what generates high dps is:

a) high additive bonuses combined with 

b) high lashes (which are multiplicative) combined with

c) high attack speed

This usually means we are talking about Streetfighter (since he combines the highest additive dmg bonuses AND one of the best speedup modifiers in one class) with anything that can have a lash or works like one (multiplicative dmg bonus) which means Monk (Lightning Strikes/Swift Flurry + Turning Wheel), Paladin (FoD and Eternal Devotion), Druid (Wildstrike and Boar form), Chanter (Mith Fyr), even Wizard (Spirit Lance + Zandethu's Draconic Fury), Soul Blade (Soul Annihilation profits from additive dmg bonuses in a multiplicative way like a lash) and Priest with Spiritual Weapons.

So the highest single-target melee DPS involves a Rogue - sounds like every other RPG or MMORPG, for that matter!

Edit: What about two classes with lashes combined - for instance, Monk and Paladin?

Edited November 2, 2020 by Lampros

[Boeroer]

Highly depends on the type of enemy, the weapon etc. (e.g. Monk with Swift Flurry  can be extremely potent against low deflection enemies) but generally I would say yes, a Rogue helps you to reach the highest single target damage potential (with weapons). Just because of the scaling Sneak Attack.

Lashes are not multiplicative with each other. So a burning lash from Turning Wheel and a lash from Flames of Devotion will not influence each other. So if you are a Monk/Paladin doing 10 slash dmg you'd have two 20% lashes and you would get 10 slash + 2 burn + 2 burn = 14 overall.

Would you have a Rogue/Monk with Turning Wheel only who does 12 slash dmg you'd get 12 slash + 2.4 = 14.4 overall.

So you see that simply stacking lashes is not the best way if you not also try to raise the initial physical dmg. A mix of both is best. 

The Monk/Paladin could try to stack additive damage bonuses to "feed" his lashes better, e.g. be a Helwalker with +10 MIG, giving him +30% additive dmg. Upgrading his weapons. Also Power Level Scaling from low-level abilities like Force of Anguish is really good in combination with lashes since it scales the base physical dmg.

At some point it's more effective to add a lash than to raise the physical dmg. But at low levels and with low physical dmg output it's better to raise that instead. I didn't try to determine the break-even point though. Just as a rule of thumb a Rogue will want to add lashes because his physical dmg is already high and the Monk wants to raise physical dmg because he has access to up to two lashes already. One reason why Helwalker/Streetfighter does great single target dmg is the combo of physical dmg + lashes. Same with Assassin/Bleak Walker. 

But as always: dead chars don't do dps.