Greetings all, 5e noob here. I am starting a new campaign with my nephews, and will be playing a Elvish Archer. (I know, cliche, but I know how to role-play it). The first impulse is to go Wood Elf Fighter, starting stats 8/17/14/10/14/12; Longbow as the primary weapon; Rapiers as backups for the dirty infighting. The rough progression idea is to take Elven Accuracy at level 4, Dexterity boost at level 6 to take it to 20, and Sharpshooter at level 8. Questions:
1. Is that a workable general strategy? 2. What suggestions do you have on the level 3 Martial Archetype? Arcane Archer and Samurai look like they could be good, but taking Battle Master and instantly getting Ambush, Precision Strike, and Tactical Assessment looks hard to pass up. 3. Assuming that the campaign went further than eight levels, what would be a good moment to multi-class? After the level 10 archetype boost? After the level 11 third attack? 4. What are your best multi-class suggestions on this sort of build? A few levels of Rogue? Something else?
Great choice. I love classic tropes and an Elven Archer will never go out of style!
1. It’s more than workable, it’s probably the most powerful combination in the game. You’ll probably miss the raw power of a Crossbow with Crossbow Expert, but it’s quite effective.
2. You have the right mindset. Archery fighting style and Sharpshooter are amazing. Battlemaster is probably the best route to go thanks to Precision Strike, and you can also add some nice tricks in your sleeve like Quick Toss with a Net or a Dart; Menacing Attack can be done ranged, etc. But this particular build can become boring at some point in time.
3. I recommend you to go at least Fighter 8. Not so much campaigns go past level 9 or 10. I will explain further below, but a quick dip in one class to give you more versatility is always nice, but no more than one level, otherwise you’ll postpone class features and ASIs too much.
4. So if you allow me to articulate a very exotic and fun build that I played some months ago: Arcane Archer fully focused on Grasping Arrow. I went straight Fighter up to level 3, then I multiclassed into Warlock Genie (Dao) for two big things: Hex and the bonus bludgeoning damage from Dao. Why? Because I went back to Fighter at level 5 (Fighter 4), got the Crusher feat (rounding up my CON) and created a non-save scenario where my Grasping Arrow was always triggered (generating +2d6 extra damage) thanks to the weird combination of Dao extra damage and the Crusher feat, who made my enemy move 5 feet every time he receives damage. I usually cast Hex as well, which gave disadvantage on STR checks, which was exactly the rolls my enemies had to do in order to get rid of my Grasping Arrow, plus dedicating an action for this as well.
Extra tip: Wood Elf Magic is a super cool feat. You can get Guidance, the best cantrip in the game. Longstrider is a nice spell, but Pass Without a Trace is fantastic! You can turn your entire group into a deadly ninja squad. It’s a fun way to give more versatility and options to your regular bland elf archer.
Many thanks. If the campaign goes high level, any thoughts on taking 4 levels of Rogue: Assassin? If I understand the mechanisms correctly:
1: Potential extra damage from Sneak Attack; 2: Cunning Actions allow escape from sticky situations and the ability to set things up for the next turn with Hide; 3: Assassinate guarantees advantage against any opponents who have not yet acted; 4: (Might as well take another level for the ASI): Take the Alert feat to fuel the advantage machine.
Honestly, I don’t like Assassin mechanics. It’s situational at best, because it requires surprise. However, if your DM is lenient about that, it will be nearly broken. Well, it is a good use case for Pass Without a Trace indeed.
If you allow me a second opinion of multiclass, I would rather go Ranger. 3 levels of Ranger would give you one skill expertise, another fighting style (Blind Fight), an additional source of extra cheap damage (Favored Foe) and if you go Gloomstalker, Dread Ambusher + Action Surge is a crazy combination. Umbral Sight is quite good as well. But better than that… you will have access to Ranger amazing spell list. Do you know the weird combo that all Warlocks do through Devils Sight and Darkness for perma-advantage? You can do the same with Fog Cloud + Blind Fight. Goodberry is an amazing cheap cure resource. Hunters Mark is another reliable source of extra damage that can be a huge force multiplier thanks to all your extra attacks. Rogue is good; Ranger is great.
Your best Archer is samurai! On demand advantage with elven accuracy is way too good to pass up.
Its rather difficult to generate advantage as a ranged fighter. But samurai has no issues doing so. Now, because you have archery fighting style and elven accuracy, you'll pretty much be fine if you take sharp shooter at 6. You'll want to access that crazy burst sooner rather than later.
Now, fighters are valuable when they get their third extra attack at 11, so definitely stay on track until then. Afterwards, if you still want to multiclass I'd recommend looking at gloom stalker ranger. Being able to attack eight times on your opening round, with SS and triple advantage, is absolutely bonkers. That's a lot of damage!
Samurai is nice, but it has a major problem of resource management and the fact that advantage is not that hard to get, specially if you have an optimized party to support you on that — even it’s just tactical positioning.
You can accomplish more or less the benefit of Fighting Spirit with battlemaster maneuvers like Trip Attack (if you have CBE), or even Precision Strike when needed.
I like Samurai and I think it’s great when paired with Elven Accuracy and SS, but I don’t think it’s so efficient and versatile as a Battlemaster.
Samurai is nice, but it has a major problem of resource management and the fact that advantage is not that hard to get, specially if you have an optimized party to support you on that — even it’s just tactical positioning.
You can accomplish more or less the benefit of Fighting Spirit with battlemaster maneuvers like Trip Attack (if you have CBE), or even Precision Strike when needed.
I like Samurai and I think it’s great when paired with Elven Accuracy and SS, but I don’t think it’s so efficient and versatile as a Battlemaster.
I can concede that a battle master's maneuvers are more versatile than fighting spirit-- but efficient, I will contest. Regular advantage is often compared to a +5 boost in to hit, and when you get your maneuvers your d8 superiority die may roll on average 4.5. For all intents and purposes, we can say it's the same (half a point more or less doesn't make or break anything).
But we're talking about elven accuracy here. That is a bigger boost than what the average superiority die roll has to offer. So, if we have to nova and we want to ensure our hit lands, fighting spirit's on-demand advantage is more efficient as far as DPR goes.
As far as resource management goes, I think it may appear that fighting spirit's three daily uses may seem rather restrictive, but it doesn't have to be. If you follow the rule of thumb that you only use it when you pair it with action surge to get the most out of it, you'll find it's got you covered for most adventuring days. If a battle master wants to nova during their action surge, they could find themselves using their four dies for all four attacks. Having played a battlemaster for an entire campaign myself, this is what I experienced for action surge rounds. So, in my view, the resource management isn't all that different.
That said, I think there are other merits to samurai. Getting free wisdom proficiency is awesome. Having more proficiencies and boosts towards social skills makes it a more versatile RPer in general. Getting free fighting spirits every fight is great at lvl 10. Everything a battlemaster gets after lvl 3 is absolute garbage! So, that's what I think. Samurai's the stronger archer. More versatile? Maybe not in combat, but definitely stronger.
People have done some math, but I don’t have the numbers to support my opinion, so my general perception is that the super advantage from Elven Accuracy is most likely an “overkill” effect; with regular advantage you would probably land your Sharpshooter attacks nevertheless. I mean, we could argue about crit-fishing or something, but c’mon… 1d8 weapon dice is not a big deal.
That’s why I think Precision Strike is more efficient, but for sure Elven Accuracy with Fighting Spirit is far more reliable.
I do agree, however, that free WIS save prof at level 7 is amazing. Any optimized Fighter that worths hit salt gets Resilient WIS at level 8, so it’s a free ASI for Samurais indeed.
Your suggested build is a solid one. Arcane Archer is pretty crap though so avoid it because it isn't fun. Samurai works really well, Battlemaster as well but the BM can be a bit more complicated. I do like the suggestion of getting Wood Elf Magic and taking the guidance cantrip. Remember that Guidance works on Initiative rolls so if you do the Gloom Stalker multiclass as suggested you will possible have a very devastating first round, at least if you attack in darkness and there is no light around.
Arcane Archer is not pretty crap. This a common misconception overly accepted by the community like PHB Rangers are weak or maximizing ASIs instead of feats is the best choice ever.
Grasping Arrow is actually a really good and powerful ability. It’s much more effective than any battlemaster maneuver and could go toe to toe against top-tier control spells like Web, Hypnotic Pattern and etc. Having only two of them per short-rest sounds bad? Not that much, because the impact of this ability in a combat is huge if you play your cards right. So 2x Arcane Shots against 4 Superiority Dices for most of your regular career doesn’t sound that bad. At higher levels, however, specially after level 7, I agree it can be frustrating.
Quick explanation about Grasping Arrow and how to build a truly optimized Arcane Archer:
Get the Crusher feat and you’ll be able to move your enemies by 5 ft freely thanks to the interaction between the feat and Genie’s Wrath, who causes PB bludgeoning damage. Now you add Grasping Arrow ability from Arcane Archer, that basically causes 2d6 damage on each turn that the opponent moves at least 1 foot. So assuming you hit, we are talking about 1d8 (Longbow) + 3-4 (DEX) x2 (if level 5) + 2d6 (Grasping Arrow initial poison damage) + 2d6 (Grasping Arrow slashing damage for movement) + 2-3 (Genie’s Wrath PB extra damage). Nothing requires a save or any other thing than a regular to hit roll, that you most likely will land because of Archery fighting style.
And this is not even the best part… if your enemy wants to get rid of Grasping Arrow, he needs to spend an action to do an Athletics check against your Arcane Archer DC based on INT (avg 13-14). You can cast the classic Hex spell on your first round, granting disadvantage to the enemies STR rolls, besides adding 1d6 of extra damage on top.
At level 5, this is basically 32.5 avg DPR in the first round and 25.7 from second round onwards assuming you have used all your resources (that are short rest renewable!), with the additional pressure of making enemies probably waste their action to not suffer this extra damage in the long run. For comparison sake, the avg DPR of a Battlemaster with Hand Crossbow CBE / SS using Precision Strike and attacking three times in a row is 33.9. Without Precision Strike is 22.8. This classic build also has battlefield control potential with Menacing Attack and Trip Attack, but we know that most of the SDs will be likely dedicated to Precision Strike, although this a quite efficient resource to manage.
Arcane Archer is not pretty crap. This a common misconception overly accepted by the community like PHB Rangers are weak or maximizing ASIs instead of feats is the best choice ever.
Well, they are. The PHB ranger is better (especiallay after Tasha's) and your entire build hinges on it not being an Arcane Archer but a multiclass and the need for a specific feat. Two uses of the special feature, per rest means you'll have spent it after two turns of combat.And of course, if you use the Grasping arrow a second time the brambles from the first grasping arrow disappear, thus limiting its usefulness.
Sure, that particular build is quite good for a turn or two of combat, but I'd say it's a very low bar if that what qualifies as a good subclass.
I’m with ironsoul here. Arcane archer is not crap. Curving shot alone is huge.
It's situational, eats your bonus action (so it's wasted with XBE, for example) and it relies on you failing what you actually want to do. Also completely useless if you're facing a single target... The main problem with AA isn't that its abilities are bad, it's that the core abilities can only be used twice per combat even at level 20.
An Elven Battle Master with the Sharpshooter and Elven Accuracy feats wielding a longbow is one of the most powerful archer builds (if not the most powerful) you can make in 5e. If a friendly Ranger can happen to enchant a quiver with the swift quiver for you, you’re a walking minigun in D&D. Just sayin.’
Arcane Archer is not pretty crap. This a common misconception overly accepted by the community like PHB Rangers are weak or maximizing ASIs instead of feats is the best choice ever.
Well, they are. The PHB ranger is better (especiallay after Tasha's) and your entire build hinges on it not being an Arcane Archer but a multiclass and the need for a specific feat. Two uses of the special feature, per rest means you'll have spent it after two turns of combat.And of course, if you use the Grasping arrow a second time the brambles from the first grasping arrow disappear, thus limiting its usefulness.
Sure, that particular build is quite good for a turn or two of combat, but I'd say it's a very low bar if that what qualifies as a good subclass.
The build just has one single dip in Warlock, then the rest is all Fighter - your statement that of not being an Arcane Archer does not make sense at all.
To be honest, Grasping Arrow is so crazy good and effective that it’s actually workable even without Daolock and Crusher feat, specially if you are facing melee enemies that would need to move to get you into their reach, therefore triggering the ability. Numbers are there to support. It’s better than CBE / SS with high control potential.
Different from Battlemaster maneuvers that usually have a duration of 1 round. Grasping Arrow has a duration of 1 minute. I agree two per rest is not ideal, but this is an ability that can win encounters by itself. It was made to kill BBEGs, not minions. It’s an Athletics check that could be rolled with disadvantage because of Hex. Do you realize that legendary/magic resistance do not affect this roll because it’s an ability check and not a saving throw? Yes, your mighty Wizard/Cleric buddies suffering because their awesome Hypnotic Pattern/Spirit Guardians are not being effective against powerful enemies who roll saving throws with advantage or simply choose to pass will envy your humble Grasping Arrow causing lots of damage and potentiality making them waste their action.
Grasping Arrow is a hidden gem that it’s powerful alone. My proposed build just potencialize their capacity.
1. Totally workable strategy. I am not a fan of Elvish accuracy but many others are and you will be fine.
2. I think you should switch intelligence and wisdom if you want to play arcane archer you want the higher score in intelligence. With a 10 intellligence you are gimping arcane archer a good bit. I am not a big fan of samaurai. So with your stats I would pick battlemaster. I would look at menacing strike as a maneuver. Menacing strike causes frightened which means they can not approach you. That can keep you from having to engage in that "dirty infighting".
3/4. It depends what you are going to multiclass into. Arcane Archer (with a 14 intelligence) multiclasses well with Rogue (arcane trickster) and Wizard. Good times to multiclass are 1st, 6th, 8th and 12th. You should take 6, 8 or 12 levels of fighter. With a Rogue you might also consider starting as a Rogue 1 and then getting your fighter levels.
With battlemaster good multiclass options are just about anything except Barbarian. Undead Warlock is an awesome 1-level dip, Ranger is a great 4 level dip, there are many Wizard, Bard, Rogue and cleric options too.
My favorite mutliclasses are Arcane Trickster/Arcane Archer, Arcane Archer/Warmagic wizard and Battlemaster/Undead warlock.
You could probably do 6 or 8 levels in Arcane Archer and then go Bladesinger as well. This character would excel at both melee and Ranged fighting, you can't use bladesong with a bow, but you can still use the awesome bladesinger extra attack and go into bladesong if you got caught in melee. You would want a 16 intelligence at start to do this though.
Arcane Archer is not pretty crap. This a common misconception overly accepted by the community like PHB Rangers are weak or maximizing ASIs instead of feats is the best choice ever.
Well, they are. The PHB ranger is better (especiallay after Tasha's) and your entire build hinges on it not being an Arcane Archer but a multiclass and the need for a specific feat. Two uses of the special feature, per rest means you'll have spent it after two turns of combat.And of course, if you use the Grasping arrow a second time the brambles from the first grasping arrow disappear, thus limiting its usefulness.
Sure, that particular build is quite good for a turn or two of combat, but I'd say it's a very low bar if that what qualifies as a good subclass.
Grasping arrow is pretty powerful multiclass or no. It is only 2 uses for arcane shot, but they do more extra damage than battlemaster maneuvers (a lot more with grasping arrow if the enemy moves) generally have more powerful effects and grasping arrow lasts more than 1 turn, so for one hit you are affecting an enemy turn over tun. The best part is there is no save against GA, so it works on the first hit against an enemy even with legendary resistance, where a battlemaster will often run out of maneuvers before an enemy with legendary resistance fails a single save. The only time you will need to use it again is if the enemy uses a check (not a save) to try to free himself AND succeeds on that check.
Also the 7th level curving shot feature is awesome on a character with sharshooter. Any time you are fighting 2+ enemies this is going to boost damage a lot and will keep up with precision while using no resources.
A single class AA is very viable. Sure there are things you can do to optimize it as with any build, and some of those things use feats and multiclass options. But sharpshooter and EA are feats too and no one seems to jump up and say "your entire build hinges on being an elf and two specific feats" when sharpshooter or Elven accuracy is discussed with archers. I don't know that I would take crusher feat personally, but one thing that was left out of the Warlock discussion above is that Hex causes disadvantage on CHECKS. This means if you hex strength the enemy has disadvantage when he uses his action to TRY to escape from the brambles. This is extremely powerful on legendary enemies taking what would usually be an automatic save with no action to a check with disadvantage that uses a whole action just to try. You can also get Hex without multiclassing through two different feats.
Arcane Archer is not pretty crap. This a common misconception overly accepted by the community like PHB Rangers are weak or maximizing ASIs instead of feats is the best choice ever.
Well, they are. The PHB ranger is better (especiallay after Tasha's) and your entire build hinges on it not being an Arcane Archer but a multiclass and the need for a specific feat. Two uses of the special feature, per rest means you'll have spent it after two turns of combat.And of course, if you use the Grasping arrow a second time the brambles from the first grasping arrow disappear, thus limiting its usefulness.
Sure, that particular build is quite good for a turn or two of combat, but I'd say it's a very low bar if that what qualifies as a good subclass.
Grasping arrow is pretty powerful multiclass or no. It is only 2 uses for arcane shot, but they do more extra damage than battlemaster maneuvers (a lot more with grasping arrow if the enemy moves) generally have more powerful effects and grasping arrow lasts more than 1 turn, so for one hit you are affecting an enemy turn over tun. The best part is there is no save against GA, so it works on the first hit against an enemy even with legendary resistance, where a battlemaster will often run out of maneuvers before an enemy with legendary resistance fails a single save. The only time you will need to use it again is if the enemy uses a check (not a save) to try to free himself AND succeeds on that check.
A single class AA is very viable. Sure there are things you can do to optimize it as with any build, and some of those things use feats and multiclass options. But sharpshooter and EA are feats too and no one seems to jump up and say "your entire build hinges on being an elf and two specific feats" when sharpshooter or Elven accuracy is into a discussion on archers.
It’s precisely that. Grasping Arrow says exactly that enemy takes 2d6 slashing damage the first time on each turn it moves 1 foot or more without teleporting. I highlighted the important part here: this means that a simple shoving will cause 2d6 damage. Any kind of forced movement will trigger the extra damage. Telekinetic, Repelling Blast, Command. People don’t realize the damage potential of this ability in an optimized party. Menacing Attack? Trip Attack? Grasping Arrow is more effective than several top-tier spells. Monks would die to make their Stunning Strike so reliable.
Here is the math at level 7 using sharpshooter at 3 ACs (13, 18, 22) for a samauri with advantage and Elven Accuracy, an Arcane Archer using curving shot and a battlemaster using precision. All have 18 dex and archery style:
AC 13:
Samauri : 36 DPR for 3 turns, 23 DPR for rest of day (no advantage)
Arcane Archer (does not include Arcane Shot): 30 DPR with multiple enemies, 23 DPR vs single enemy
Battlemaster who uses precision when she misses unless she rolled a 1: 32 DPR for 7 turns, 23 DPR after that until short rest
Battlemaster who uses precision when misses by 4 or less: 29 DPR for 12 turns, 23 DPR after that until short rest
AC 18:
Samauri : 28 DPR for 3 turns, 13 DPR for rest of day
Arcane Archer (does not include Arcane Shot): 19 DPR with multiple enemies, 13 DPR vs single enemy
Battlemaster who uses precision when misses by 8 or less: 22 DPR for 6 turns, 13 DPR after that until short rest
Battlemaster who uses precision when misses by 4 or less: 20 DPR for 12 turns, 13 DPR after that until short rest
AC 22:
Samauri : 16 DPR for 3 turns, 6 DPR for rest of day
Arcane Archer (not using any Arcane Shot): 9 DPR with multiple enemies, 6 DPR vs single enemy
Battlemaster who uses precision when misses by 8 or less: 15 DPR for 6 turns, 6 DPR after that until short rest
Battlemaster who uses precision when misses by 4 or less: 12 DPR for 12 turns, 6 DPR after that until short rest
Note the Arcane Archer is using no limited use abilities and the Battlemaster is only using precision. These numbers include critical hits.
Why is the samurai assumed to have 16 DEX in your comparison? Yes, EA is a feat, but it's a half-feat that can give a +1 into DEX. If you build a samurai that you intend on taking EA from the start, you'd be shooting yourself in the foot to NOT start with 17 in DEX.
That said, a samurai that uses fighting spirit would be doing themselves a disservice to NOT action surge. So, accounting for action surge and 18 DEX, a proper fighting spirit round would be 72 DPR until a short rest, and 23 on every other round like everyone else at AC 13.
at 18 AC, if the samurai action surges during fighting spirit, they'll achieve 56 dpr, THEN 13 dpr like everyone else. If they decide to fighting spirit again sans action surge, the dpr is 28.
and 22 AC, the dpr is actually 31 DPR with advantage AND sharpshooter active. You stilll benefit from using it even at 22 AC thanks to elven accuracy.
Greetings all, 5e noob here. I am starting a new campaign with my nephews, and will be playing a Elvish Archer. (I know, cliche, but I know how to role-play it). The first impulse is to go Wood Elf Fighter, starting stats 8/17/14/10/14/12; Longbow as the primary weapon; Rapiers as backups for the dirty infighting. The rough progression idea is to take Elven Accuracy at level 4, Dexterity boost at level 6 to take it to 20, and Sharpshooter at level 8. Questions:
1. Is that a workable general strategy?
2. What suggestions do you have on the level 3 Martial Archetype? Arcane Archer and Samurai look like they could be good, but taking Battle Master and instantly getting Ambush, Precision Strike, and Tactical Assessment looks hard to pass up.
3. Assuming that the campaign went further than eight levels, what would be a good moment to multi-class? After the level 10 archetype boost? After the level 11 third attack?
4. What are your best multi-class suggestions on this sort of build? A few levels of Rogue? Something else?
Great choice. I love classic tropes and an Elven Archer will never go out of style!
1. It’s more than workable, it’s probably the most powerful combination in the game. You’ll probably miss the raw power of a Crossbow with Crossbow Expert, but it’s quite effective.
2. You have the right mindset. Archery fighting style and Sharpshooter are amazing. Battlemaster is probably the best route to go thanks to Precision Strike, and you can also add some nice tricks in your sleeve like Quick Toss with a Net or a Dart; Menacing Attack can be done ranged, etc. But this particular build can become boring at some point in time.
3. I recommend you to go at least Fighter 8. Not so much campaigns go past level 9 or 10. I will explain further below, but a quick dip in one class to give you more versatility is always nice, but no more than one level, otherwise you’ll postpone class features and ASIs too much.
4. So if you allow me to articulate a very exotic and fun build that I played some months ago: Arcane Archer fully focused on Grasping Arrow. I went straight Fighter up to level 3, then I multiclassed into Warlock Genie (Dao) for two big things: Hex and the bonus bludgeoning damage from Dao. Why? Because I went back to Fighter at level 5 (Fighter 4), got the Crusher feat (rounding up my CON) and created a non-save scenario where my Grasping Arrow was always triggered (generating +2d6 extra damage) thanks to the weird combination of Dao extra damage and the Crusher feat, who made my enemy move 5 feet every time he receives damage. I usually cast Hex as well, which gave disadvantage on STR checks, which was exactly the rolls my enemies had to do in order to get rid of my Grasping Arrow, plus dedicating an action for this as well.
Extra tip: Wood Elf Magic is a super cool feat. You can get Guidance, the best cantrip in the game. Longstrider is a nice spell, but Pass Without a Trace is fantastic! You can turn your entire group into a deadly ninja squad. It’s a fun way to give more versatility and options to your regular bland elf archer.
Many thanks. If the campaign goes high level, any thoughts on taking 4 levels of Rogue: Assassin? If I understand the mechanisms correctly:
1: Potential extra damage from Sneak Attack;
2: Cunning Actions allow escape from sticky situations and the ability to set things up for the next turn with Hide;
3: Assassinate guarantees advantage against any opponents who have not yet acted;
4: (Might as well take another level for the ASI): Take the Alert feat to fuel the advantage machine.
Honestly, I don’t like Assassin mechanics. It’s situational at best, because it requires surprise. However, if your DM is lenient about that, it will be nearly broken. Well, it is a good use case for Pass Without a Trace indeed.
If you allow me a second opinion of multiclass, I would rather go Ranger. 3 levels of Ranger would give you one skill expertise, another fighting style (Blind Fight), an additional source of extra cheap damage (Favored Foe) and if you go Gloomstalker, Dread Ambusher + Action Surge is a crazy combination. Umbral Sight is quite good as well. But better than that… you will have access to Ranger amazing spell list. Do you know the weird combo that all Warlocks do through Devils Sight and Darkness for perma-advantage? You can do the same with Fog Cloud + Blind Fight. Goodberry is an amazing cheap cure resource. Hunters Mark is another reliable source of extra damage that can be a huge force multiplier thanks to all your extra attacks. Rogue is good; Ranger is great.
Your best Archer is samurai! On demand advantage with elven accuracy is way too good to pass up.
Its rather difficult to generate advantage as a ranged fighter. But samurai has no issues doing so. Now, because you have archery fighting style and elven accuracy, you'll pretty much be fine if you take sharp shooter at 6. You'll want to access that crazy burst sooner rather than later.
Now, fighters are valuable when they get their third extra attack at 11, so definitely stay on track until then. Afterwards, if you still want to multiclass I'd recommend looking at gloom stalker ranger. Being able to attack eight times on your opening round, with SS and triple advantage, is absolutely bonkers. That's a lot of damage!
Samurai is nice, but it has a major problem of resource management and the fact that advantage is not that hard to get, specially if you have an optimized party to support you on that — even it’s just tactical positioning.
You can accomplish more or less the benefit of Fighting Spirit with battlemaster maneuvers like Trip Attack (if you have CBE), or even Precision Strike when needed.
I like Samurai and I think it’s great when paired with Elven Accuracy and SS, but I don’t think it’s so efficient and versatile as a Battlemaster.
I can concede that a battle master's maneuvers are more versatile than fighting spirit-- but efficient, I will contest. Regular advantage is often compared to a +5 boost in to hit, and when you get your maneuvers your d8 superiority die may roll on average 4.5. For all intents and purposes, we can say it's the same (half a point more or less doesn't make or break anything).
But we're talking about elven accuracy here. That is a bigger boost than what the average superiority die roll has to offer. So, if we have to nova and we want to ensure our hit lands, fighting spirit's on-demand advantage is more efficient as far as DPR goes.
As far as resource management goes, I think it may appear that fighting spirit's three daily uses may seem rather restrictive, but it doesn't have to be. If you follow the rule of thumb that you only use it when you pair it with action surge to get the most out of it, you'll find it's got you covered for most adventuring days. If a battle master wants to nova during their action surge, they could find themselves using their four dies for all four attacks. Having played a battlemaster for an entire campaign myself, this is what I experienced for action surge rounds. So, in my view, the resource management isn't all that different.
That said, I think there are other merits to samurai. Getting free wisdom proficiency is awesome. Having more proficiencies and boosts towards social skills makes it a more versatile RPer in general. Getting free fighting spirits every fight is great at lvl 10. Everything a battlemaster gets after lvl 3 is absolute garbage! So, that's what I think. Samurai's the stronger archer. More versatile? Maybe not in combat, but definitely stronger.
People have done some math, but I don’t have the numbers to support my opinion, so my general perception is that the super advantage from Elven Accuracy is most likely an “overkill” effect; with regular advantage you would probably land your Sharpshooter attacks nevertheless. I mean, we could argue about crit-fishing or something, but c’mon… 1d8 weapon dice is not a big deal.
That’s why I think Precision Strike is more efficient, but for sure Elven Accuracy with Fighting Spirit is far more reliable.
I do agree, however, that free WIS save prof at level 7 is amazing. Any optimized Fighter that worths hit salt gets Resilient WIS at level 8, so it’s a free ASI for Samurais indeed.
Your suggested build is a solid one. Arcane Archer is pretty crap though so avoid it because it isn't fun. Samurai works really well, Battlemaster as well but the BM can be a bit more complicated. I do like the suggestion of getting Wood Elf Magic and taking the guidance cantrip. Remember that Guidance works on Initiative rolls so if you do the Gloom Stalker multiclass as suggested you will possible have a very devastating first round, at least if you attack in darkness and there is no light around.
Arcane Archer is not pretty crap. This a common misconception overly accepted by the community like PHB Rangers are weak or maximizing ASIs instead of feats is the best choice ever.
Grasping Arrow is actually a really good and powerful ability. It’s much more effective than any battlemaster maneuver and could go toe to toe against top-tier control spells like Web, Hypnotic Pattern and etc. Having only two of them per short-rest sounds bad? Not that much, because the impact of this ability in a combat is huge if you play your cards right. So 2x Arcane Shots against 4 Superiority Dices for most of your regular career doesn’t sound that bad. At higher levels, however, specially after level 7, I agree it can be frustrating.
Quick explanation about Grasping Arrow and how to build a truly optimized Arcane Archer:
Well, they are. The PHB ranger is better (especiallay after Tasha's) and your entire build hinges on it not being an Arcane Archer but a multiclass and the need for a specific feat. Two uses of the special feature, per rest means you'll have spent it after two turns of combat.And of course, if you use the Grasping arrow a second time the brambles from the first grasping arrow disappear, thus limiting its usefulness.
Sure, that particular build is quite good for a turn or two of combat, but I'd say it's a very low bar if that what qualifies as a good subclass.
I’m with ironsoul here. Arcane archer is not crap. Curving shot alone is huge.
It's situational, eats your bonus action (so it's wasted with XBE, for example) and it relies on you failing what you actually want to do. Also completely useless if you're facing a single target... The main problem with AA isn't that its abilities are bad, it's that the core abilities can only be used twice per combat even at level 20.
An Elven Battle Master with the Sharpshooter and Elven Accuracy feats wielding a longbow is one of the most powerful archer builds (if not the most powerful) you can make in 5e. If a friendly Ranger can happen to enchant a quiver with the swift quiver for you, you’re a walking minigun in D&D. Just sayin.’
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The build just has one single dip in Warlock, then the rest is all Fighter - your statement that of not being an Arcane Archer does not make sense at all.
To be honest, Grasping Arrow is so crazy good and effective that it’s actually workable even without Daolock and Crusher feat, specially if you are facing melee enemies that would need to move to get you into their reach, therefore triggering the ability. Numbers are there to support. It’s better than CBE / SS with high control potential.
Different from Battlemaster maneuvers that usually have a duration of 1 round. Grasping Arrow has a duration of 1 minute. I agree two per rest is not ideal, but this is an ability that can win encounters by itself. It was made to kill BBEGs, not minions. It’s an Athletics check that could be rolled with disadvantage because of Hex. Do you realize that legendary/magic resistance do not affect this roll because it’s an ability check and not a saving throw? Yes, your mighty Wizard/Cleric buddies suffering because their awesome Hypnotic Pattern/Spirit Guardians are not being effective against powerful enemies who roll saving throws with advantage or simply choose to pass will envy your humble Grasping Arrow causing lots of damage and potentiality making them waste their action.
Grasping Arrow is a hidden gem that it’s powerful alone. My proposed build just potencialize their capacity.
1. Totally workable strategy. I am not a fan of Elvish accuracy but many others are and you will be fine.
2. I think you should switch intelligence and wisdom if you want to play arcane archer you want the higher score in intelligence. With a 10 intellligence you are gimping arcane archer a good bit. I am not a big fan of samaurai. So with your stats I would pick battlemaster. I would look at menacing strike as a maneuver. Menacing strike causes frightened which means they can not approach you. That can keep you from having to engage in that "dirty infighting".
3/4. It depends what you are going to multiclass into. Arcane Archer (with a 14 intelligence) multiclasses well with Rogue (arcane trickster) and Wizard. Good times to multiclass are 1st, 6th, 8th and 12th. You should take 6, 8 or 12 levels of fighter. With a Rogue you might also consider starting as a Rogue 1 and then getting your fighter levels.
With battlemaster good multiclass options are just about anything except Barbarian. Undead Warlock is an awesome 1-level dip, Ranger is a great 4 level dip, there are many Wizard, Bard, Rogue and cleric options too.
My favorite mutliclasses are Arcane Trickster/Arcane Archer, Arcane Archer/Warmagic wizard and Battlemaster/Undead warlock.
You could probably do 6 or 8 levels in Arcane Archer and then go Bladesinger as well. This character would excel at both melee and Ranged fighting, you can't use bladesong with a bow, but you can still use the awesome bladesinger extra attack and go into bladesong if you got caught in melee. You would want a 16 intelligence at start to do this though.
Grasping arrow is pretty powerful multiclass or no. It is only 2 uses for arcane shot, but they do more extra damage than battlemaster maneuvers (a lot more with grasping arrow if the enemy moves) generally have more powerful effects and grasping arrow lasts more than 1 turn, so for one hit you are affecting an enemy turn over tun. The best part is there is no save against GA, so it works on the first hit against an enemy even with legendary resistance, where a battlemaster will often run out of maneuvers before an enemy with legendary resistance fails a single save. The only time you will need to use it again is if the enemy uses a check (not a save) to try to free himself AND succeeds on that check.
Also the 7th level curving shot feature is awesome on a character with sharshooter. Any time you are fighting 2+ enemies this is going to boost damage a lot and will keep up with precision while using no resources.
A single class AA is very viable. Sure there are things you can do to optimize it as with any build, and some of those things use feats and multiclass options. But sharpshooter and EA are feats too and no one seems to jump up and say "your entire build hinges on being an elf and two specific feats" when sharpshooter or Elven accuracy is discussed with archers. I don't know that I would take crusher feat personally, but one thing that was left out of the Warlock discussion above is that Hex causes disadvantage on CHECKS. This means if you hex strength the enemy has disadvantage when he uses his action to TRY to escape from the brambles. This is extremely powerful on legendary enemies taking what would usually be an automatic save with no action to a check with disadvantage that uses a whole action just to try. You can also get Hex without multiclassing through two different feats.
It’s precisely that. Grasping Arrow says exactly that enemy takes 2d6 slashing damage the first time on each turn it moves 1 foot or more without teleporting. I highlighted the important part here: this means that a simple shoving will cause 2d6 damage. Any kind of forced movement will trigger the extra damage. Telekinetic, Repelling Blast, Command. People don’t realize the damage potential of this ability in an optimized party. Menacing Attack? Trip Attack? Grasping Arrow is more effective than several top-tier spells. Monks would die to make their Stunning Strike so reliable.
Here is the math at level 7 using sharpshooter at 3 ACs (13, 18, 22) for a samauri with advantage and Elven Accuracy, an Arcane Archer using curving shot and a battlemaster using precision. All have 18 dex and archery style:
AC 13:
Samauri : 36 DPR for 3 turns, 23 DPR for rest of day (no advantage)
Arcane Archer (does not include Arcane Shot): 30 DPR with multiple enemies, 23 DPR vs single enemy
Battlemaster who uses precision when she misses unless she rolled a 1: 32 DPR for 7 turns, 23 DPR after that until short rest
Battlemaster who uses precision when misses by 4 or less: 29 DPR for 12 turns, 23 DPR after that until short rest
AC 18:
Samauri : 28 DPR for 3 turns, 13 DPR for rest of day
Arcane Archer (does not include Arcane Shot): 19 DPR with multiple enemies, 13 DPR vs single enemy
Battlemaster who uses precision when misses by 8 or less: 22 DPR for 6 turns, 13 DPR after that until short rest
Battlemaster who uses precision when misses by 4 or less: 20 DPR for 12 turns, 13 DPR after that until short rest
AC 22:
Samauri : 16 DPR for 3 turns, 6 DPR for rest of day
Arcane Archer (not using any Arcane Shot): 9 DPR with multiple enemies, 6 DPR vs single enemy
Battlemaster who uses precision when misses by 8 or less: 15 DPR for 6 turns, 6 DPR after that until short rest
Battlemaster who uses precision when misses by 4 or less: 12 DPR for 12 turns, 6 DPR after that until short rest
Note the Arcane Archer is using no limited use abilities and the Battlemaster is only using precision. These numbers include critical hits.
Why is the samurai assumed to have 16 DEX in your comparison? Yes, EA is a feat, but it's a half-feat that can give a +1 into DEX. If you build a samurai that you intend on taking EA from the start, you'd be shooting yourself in the foot to NOT start with 17 in DEX.
That said, a samurai that uses fighting spirit would be doing themselves a disservice to NOT action surge. So, accounting for action surge and 18 DEX, a proper fighting spirit round would be 72 DPR until a short rest, and 23 on every other round like everyone else at AC 13.
at 18 AC, if the samurai action surges during fighting spirit, they'll achieve 56 dpr, THEN 13 dpr like everyone else. If they decide to fighting spirit again sans action surge, the dpr is 28.
and 22 AC, the dpr is actually 31 DPR with advantage AND sharpshooter active. You stilll benefit from using it even at 22 AC thanks to elven accuracy.