Combat Roles #5 - Blaster

Similar to the Melee Damage dealer, the blaster is all about lots of damage as fast as possible. Unlike the Melee version, this role does not need to be in close to do the damage, typically this is done from range.

Arcane casters most easily fit this role, since they have access to a number of damage dealing spells that usually take less than one round to cast. This role functions best when the damage as dealt in as few attacks as possible. Unlike the Melee Damage where you can opt to do many attacks for less damage each; you want to deal the most damage in the fewest number of attacks.

As an Arcane Blaster, you suffer from a variety of problems. Low hitpoints being among them. You are rather squishy, so you need to keep people away from you. Also, you need to make sure that your targets find it very difficult to make the saves against your spells, since that often halves or negates your damage. Spell Resistance is also a concern; if you fail the check you lose the spell and the damage. Try to work in feats that will increase your DCs or reduce the Spell Resistance of the target.

Arcane is not the only way to do this though. You can also accomplish this as a specialized archer build (especially easy in Pathfinder with the Vital Strike chain of feats). The pro to this is that the only protection your enemies have is their Armor Class. The downside is your damage isn't usually as high as Arcane.

Melee characters can also accomplish this, in a roundabout fashion. If you are playing a Leap Attack/Shock-Trooper Barbarian build you are turning yourself into the cannonball instead of being the cannon, as archers and casters do.