This is my first time actually playing DND I've been around friends who've talked about it a lot and I've been playing around with the character builder a lot but thought I could get some help on building my Gloomstalker.
Race: Wood Elf Background: Athlete (got acrobatics and medicine out of it) -proficiencies- athletics, survival, nature
Abilities: (we rolled for stats) Strength 16, Dex- 21 (rolled an 18 +2 for elf and got a magic potion that increased it 1), Con 15, Int 15, Wisdom 17 (rolled 16 plus 1 for wood elf) cha 14. I probably should have put the 16 on Con.
currently level 4 (Feat sharpshooter)
-I did not take the optional features at the beginning because I didn't know there were there so fav enemy dragons (with draconic) and artic.
-weapons and armor: a +1 longbow, 2 short swords, I still have my original bow, I picked up a whip, leather armor
I plan to multiclass at level 6. The current thought is to take 15/16 levels of Ranger. I want to take 4 levels in Fighter (to get the ASI/feat instead of stopping at level 3), and I want to take Arcane Archer. I am currently planning to take Two-weapon fighting so when I melee I can do extra damage with my second sword. I have also considered taking 1 level is something else (possibilities I've thought of 1) Life cleric for more spells/"Lifeberry", 2) twilight cleric- for better night vision, advantage blessing, some extra spell abilities, 3) barbarian- rage and unarmored defense, 4) monk for better unarmored defense for this build)
some feat thoughts (obviously I can't get all of these): Fey touched, dual wielder, alert, elven accuracy, gift of the chromatic dragon
Any recommendations on spells going forward, multiclassing I should do instead, or recommendations on feats?
*Edit My Party is a Human Vengence Paladin, Teifling Moon Druid, Dhampir College of Eloquence Bard, Forest Gnome Arcane Trickster Rogue, Dragonborn Battlemaster Fighter, and a Half-orc Wizard (not all party members are at each session)
I love playing a gloomstalker. We don't even ever play in the dark, it's still a very fun class. Don't forget you got extra darkvision from the class on top of the elf darkvision; in my campaign there would not be need for any more than the 90 feet.
Those stats are very high, you will be quite powerful.
Have a look at the spell Zephyr Strike; it is very good for mobility and also for not getting hit, especially in melee. And it threads quite nicely with Dread Ambusher.
I'd suggest, that while the character can be quite competent in two weapon fighting and archery as the tactical situation warrants, that you focus on expertise in one or the other, instead of dividing your build between them. In general, I like to make my characters very focused, developing a niche and leaving other tasks to other party members, so that might not be right for you.
Gloomstalker doesn't really bring anything to the table for healing, so I wouldn't be inclined to go that direction with the character unless your party has a hole there that someone needs to fill. A multiclass you didn't mention is Rogue, which gets you sneak attack and some expertise and threads nicely either with archery or two weapon fighting with shortswords. You can push that into Rogue Assassin or just stop with the first level.
I also don't really find when I'm playing my gloomstalker that I'm looking for extra spells. If you're using Hunter's mark that's concentration and that's pretty much all you can cast while it's up. I more often use Zephyr Strike instead, which is also concentration. ZS makes it much less likely I'll be targeted and therefore hit which means I can usually keep it active through an entire combat with the single cast.
I love playing a gloomstalker. We don't even ever play in the dark, it's still a very fun class. Don't forget you got extra darkvision from the class on top of the elf darkvision; in my campaign there would not be need for any more than the 90 feet.
Those stats are very high, you will be quite powerful.
Have a look at the spell Zephyr Strike; it is very good for mobility and also for not getting hit, especially in melee. And it threads quite nicely with Dread Ambusher.
I'd suggest, that while the character can be quite competent in two weapon fighting and archery as the tactical situation warrants, that you focus on expertise in one or the other, instead of dividing your build between them. In general, I like to make my characters very focused, developing a niche and leaving other tasks to other party members, so that might not be right for you.
Gloomstalker doesn't really bring anything to the table for healing, so I wouldn't be inclined to go that direction with the character unless your party has a hole there that someone needs to fill. A multiclass you didn't mention is Rogue, which gets you sneak attack and some expertise and threads nicely either with archery or two weapon fighting with shortswords. You can push that into Rogue Assassin or just stop with the first level.
I also don't really find when I'm playing my gloomstalker that I'm looking for extra spells. If you're using Hunter's mark that's concentration and that's pretty much all you can cast while it's up. I more often use Zephyr Strike instead, which is also concentration. ZS makes it much less likely I'll be targeted and therefore hit which means I can usually keep it active through an entire combat with the single cast.
I am really enjoying it so far. the extra distance in dark vision is helpful. My Paladin and Fighter both don't have dark vision which was part of my consideration for the twilight dark vision buff. Also, if in a big enough space with the sharpshooter feat eliminating distance disadvantage I could be out of dark vision sight of enemies and still attacking.
I was very fortunate in the rolls
I plan on picking up Zephyr Strike next level.
My main focus is on archery (which is part of why I want to take arcane archer) but I already have dex I can't improve without items or magic bonus, and sharpshooter so I feel fairly expert in archery but in some of my fighters I've already gotten to points that enemies are close enough that I can't use my bow without disadvantage. Also, when our fighter isn't there the only melee person is the Paladin. Is there anything more to focus on archery you'd suggest or a niche you'd suggest instead?
True Gloomstalker doesn't though the Ranger's normal spell list has some options. We don't have a cleric so the healers have been the Druid and Bard. Taking a level in life Cleric would double or more my ranger's healing spells. I didn't want to step on the toes of our Rogue which is why I haven't been considering Rogue but that's a fair point.
That makes sense, I was thinking of things like cantrips of sacred flame, words of radiance, and some additional healing spells.
I'm not clear if you've played your character at all yet, but one thing I've noticed is that my characters tend to evolve organically in reaction to the other party members, the campaign, the DM choices, etc. So the direction I imagined at first never seems to be where I end up.
Starting at 4th, there are a lot of mechanics to get accustomed to. I would advise, don't be in any particular hurry to multiclass on your first character - do it when and if it feels right for the character and when the multiclass is more valuable than getting to the next level in the existing class, based on where you are in your campaign and what you think you'll need next.
Dread Ambusher makes the first turn of combat pretty different from the others, so I scripted out in advance how it works in combination with other common tactics I use. This helped me get a handle on it and meant I'm not slowing down the game trying to work out rules in the middle of combat. If you do two-weapon fighting on that first turn rather than using your bonus action to cast a spell, once you get to 5th level with the Extra attack you potentially can take 4 attacks in that single turn and there could be three different damage calculations even though each time you're swinging a shortsword. But it's fun!
I'm not clear if you've played your character at all yet, but one thing I've noticed is that my characters tend to evolve organically in reaction to the other party members, the campaign, the DM choices, etc. So the direction I imagined at first never seems to be where I end up.
Starting at 4th, there are a lot of mechanics to get accustomed to. I would advise, don't be in any particular hurry to multiclass on your first character - do it when and if it feels right for the character and when the multiclass is more valuable than getting to the next level in the existing class, based on where you are in your campaign and what you think you'll need next.
Dread Ambusher makes the first turn of combat pretty different from the others, so I scripted out in advance how it works in combination with other common tactics I use. This helped me get a handle on it and meant I'm not slowing down the game trying to work out rules in the middle of combat. If you do two-weapon fighting on that first turn rather than using your bonus action to cast a spell, once you get to 5th level with the Extra attack you potentially can take 4 attacks in that single turn and there could be three different damage calculations even though each time you're swinging a shortsword. But it's fun!
I have played it from level 1 to level 4. I believe we're close to level 5. It's part of why I'm considering the two-weapon fighter fighting style (multiple times I've had enemies too close to use a bow without disadvantage) and multi-classing into something that gives me some more healing (the Paladin or Wizard have gone down in pretty much every fight, though we didn't have the Bard until recently) or something that gives me a higher ac so that I can melee when needed. If the fighter isn't there I have typically been the highest or second-highest damage dealer. It's also why I am considering the alert feat. (It would partially guarantee I go first, I'd have a +13 to initiative/+14 if I get my wisdom up one point) and would prevent me from being ambushed. Two sessions ago my party was ambushed and I lost out on my dread ambusher ability.
Multi-classing at level 6 would be about me getting some damage and melee bonuses (the fighter multiclass thoughts) while also making sure that if my bow can't be used I have something to fall back on. And trying to cover some possible holes that have existed in the party so far. 6-9 in Ranger really only gets me Iron Mind, Land strike, +2 spells, 1 additional 2nd level spell slot 2 additional level 3 spell slots, a new fav enemy, language, and a new natural explorer. So I can definitely see the multi-class helping out how I've been playing more and going back to ranger later instead of just continuing down the ranger track
Most fights I've had since getting dread ambusher I've been using my longbow. (with my dex, archery fighting style, my proficiency with a long bow, and the +1 from the bow I have a +10 to hit rolls, and then my damage is 1d8+6, and if I hit again I have 1d8+6 +1d8. If I use my bonus first I cast Hunter's mark (I just cast it for the first time in my last fight) I get an additional 1d6. I haven't used it yet but if I use the optional part of sharpshooter I could take a -5 to my attack (for a +5 still) with an additional +10 to each shot. When the echo knight fighter we were facing got in melee range I was able to do 1d6+5+1d6 for two short swords without two-weapon fighting plus 1d6 for each attack for the hunter's mark while it was still active.
If you're able to buy yourself some studded leather armor that's an improvement to your AC.
Zephyr Strike might really help you whether you stick with the bow or go to two-weapon fighting. It lets you move away without allowing an attack of opportunity so you can use the ranged weapon, or it lets you move in and out of melee on a single turn, again without risking that opportunity attack. The enemies go after the tanks instead of you, or you can get behind cover if there is any. You also get advantage and some extra damage on one attack, but honestly IME that's not as good as the extra movement and the free disengage.
(Note, if you wish, you can change your fighting style on a level up to dual-wielding.)
If you have Deft Explorer you get a swim speed and and +5 to your walking speed at 6th, if you have that.
If you're able to buy yourself some studded leather armor that's an improvement to your AC.
Zephyr Strike might really help you whether you stick with the bow or go to two-weapon fighting. It lets you move away without allowing an attack of opportunity so you can use the ranged weapon, or it lets you move in and out of melee on a single turn, again without risking that opportunity attack. The enemies go after the tanks instead of you, or you can get behind cover if there is any. You also get advantage and some extra damage on one attack, but honestly IME that's not as good as the extra movement and the free disengage.
(Note, if you wish, you can change your fighting style on a level up to dual-wielding.)
If you have Deft Explorer you get a swim speed and and +5 to your walking speed at 6th, if you have that.
Oh that's a good tip. We've only been to one real town so far and it had been attacked by a dragon so we haven't really found a shop to buy any yet.
That sounds like it'll be a helpful addition when I'm not using Hunter's mark. I don't know what IME means.
I don't want to change my fighting style I like my archery style but figured the two-weapon fighting would be additional help when I can't use my bow.
I unfortunately don't when I started I took the regular favored enemy and natural explorer not knowing deft explorer existed.
I would ask your DM to be a homie and let you switch to deft explorer. It's such an improvement. With your stats, I'd honestly would look into rounding out the character a bit more. I'm a fan of rangers as a skill monkey, so I'd naturally would recommend skill expert and boost that WIS. I'd also recommend staying on track with ranger, at least until you get that free WIS save proficiency, which is ever so important for martials.
Granted, if you wanna min-max your damage, you really can't go wrong with elven accuracy. It's perhaps the optimal choice aside from maybe XBE. Etiher way, my recommendation is to increase your WIS!
Would ditto that it's not unreasonable to ask your DM for a swap to Deft Explorer, if you'd prefer it. (Heck, I think it's completely reasonable for rangers to have both.) You've probably barely if ever used Natural Explorer anyway.
Two weapon fighting without the fighting style is still fine, you just don't get quite as much damage from your off hand. That damage loss will become less important when you get extra attack and it's only one of your three (or four, if it's a Dread Ambusher round) attacks in your turn.
I would ask your DM to be a homie and let you switch to deft explorer. It's such an improvement. With your stats, I'd honestly would look into rounding out the character a bit more. I'm a fan of rangers as a skill monkey, so I'd naturally would recommend skill expert and boost that WIS. I'd also recommend staying on track with ranger, at least until you get that free WIS save proficiency, which is ever so important for martials.
Granted, if you wanna min-max your damage, you really can't go wrong with elven accuracy. It's perhaps the optimal choice aside from maybe XBE. Etiher way, my recommendation is to increase your WIS!
I can certainly try to ask him. Why is it so much better than natural explorer?
I guess in terms of "skill monkey" with a rogue and a bard they'd sort of fill those roles already and since I've been one of the main damage dealers I was worried about being annoying by doing a lot of the skills things well too. I was thinking about doing Fey Touched and boosting Wisdom to +4. A free Misty step and free additional spell sounds like it could be handy too.
Is sticking with Ranger till level 7 worth it when Fey Ancestry gives an advantage against being charmed and I can't be put to sleep? It seems like fear is the main one and it's only come up once in my campaign so far.
I have looked at Elven accuracy and maybe I'm not doing something right but I don't feel like I'm getting advantage enough right now to justify it.
Would ditto that it's not unreasonable to ask your DM for a swap to Deft Explorer, if you'd prefer it. (Heck, I think it's completely reasonable for rangers to have both.) You've probably barely if ever used Natural Explorer anyway.
Two weapon fighting without the fighting style is still fine, you just don't get quite as much damage from your off hand. That damage loss will become less important when you get extra attack and it's only one of your three (or four, if it's a Dread Ambusher round) attacks in your turn.
oh that makes sense.
what makes Deft Explorer so much better than Natural Explorer? I have used Natural Explorer a few times already but not a ton.
That's a fair point. I feel I'm unlikely to have Dread Ambusher for my two-weapon fighting because my first round is usually my bow, but isn't that missing guaranteed +5 when I hit on my second sword a lot to miss out on each bonus action that I use two-weapon fighting on?
I would ask your DM to be a homie and let you switch to deft explorer. It's such an improvement. With your stats, I'd honestly would look into rounding out the character a bit more. I'm a fan of rangers as a skill monkey, so I'd naturally would recommend skill expert and boost that WIS. I'd also recommend staying on track with ranger, at least until you get that free WIS save proficiency, which is ever so important for martials.
Granted, if you wanna min-max your damage, you really can't go wrong with elven accuracy. It's perhaps the optimal choice aside from maybe XBE. Etiher way, my recommendation is to increase your WIS!
I can certainly try to ask him. Why is it so much better than natural explorer?
I guess in terms of "skill monkey" with a rogue and a bard they'd sort of fill those roles already and since I've been one of the main damage dealers I was worried about being annoying by doing a lot of the skills things well too. I was thinking about doing Fey Touched and boosting Wisdom to +4. A free Misty step and free additional spell sounds like it could be handy too.
Is sticking with Ranger till level 7 worth it when Fey Ancestry gives an advantage against being charmed and I can't be put to sleep? It seems like fear is the main one and it's only come up once in my campaign so far.
I have looked at Elven accuracy and maybe I'm not doing something right but I don't feel like I'm getting advantage enough right now to justify it.
I think there's more than enough room for a ranger to do his skill monkey thing, if only because as a rogue you're focused on things like stealth, thieves tools, sleight of hand, typical rogue things. likewise, bards are focused on social skill CHA stuff, persuasion, deception, etc etc. That still leaves you with things you can be "the guy" for, such as survival checks, perception checks, insight checks, whatever relies on WIS. Everyone can have their moment to shine.
Deft explorer is better than natural explorer because it's far more versatile. Natural Explorer relies on you being in your favored terrain, and that won't always be the case. Deft, on the other hand, is more applicable in more situations. That expertise improves on your skill monkey nature too.
As for advantage, you should be able to get it frequently with smarter positioning. Dark caves or dungeons or unlit areas are such a common occurrence in DnD, and because most things either will lack dark vision, or rely on it to see you, your umbral sight feature should therefore allow you to be unseen, and attack with advantage when you do so. This situation should occur a lot. Should. However, I understand some DMs tend to contrive situations where for one reason or another, combat starts on a scripted railroady basis and conditions may not be favorable, in which case I totally get it.
I'd say ranger is totally worth sticking with until level 9, because their third level spells are pretty cool! You get Fear! Conjure Animals is also great. Given that spellcasting is the actual best feature in game, it's hard to argue otherwise. But, a 2 level dip in fighter for action surge is a valid thing for quick burst damage.
I would ask your DM to be a homie and let you switch to deft explorer. It's such an improvement. With your stats, I'd honestly would look into rounding out the character a bit more. I'm a fan of rangers as a skill monkey, so I'd naturally would recommend skill expert and boost that WIS. I'd also recommend staying on track with ranger, at least until you get that free WIS save proficiency, which is ever so important for martials.
Granted, if you wanna min-max your damage, you really can't go wrong with elven accuracy. It's perhaps the optimal choice aside from maybe XBE. Etiher way, my recommendation is to increase your WIS!
I can certainly try to ask him. Why is it so much better than natural explorer?
I guess in terms of "skill monkey" with a rogue and a bard they'd sort of fill those roles already and since I've been one of the main damage dealers I was worried about being annoying by doing a lot of the skills things well too. I was thinking about doing Fey Touched and boosting Wisdom to +4. A free Misty step and free additional spell sounds like it could be handy too.
Is sticking with Ranger till level 7 worth it when Fey Ancestry gives an advantage against being charmed and I can't be put to sleep? It seems like fear is the main one and it's only come up once in my campaign so far.
I have looked at Elven accuracy and maybe I'm not doing something right but I don't feel like I'm getting advantage enough right now to justify it.
I think there's more than enough room for a ranger to do his skill monkey thing, if only because as a rogue you're focused on things like stealth, thieves tools, sleight of hand, typical rogue things. likewise, bards are focused on social skill CHA stuff, persuasion, deception, etc etc. That still leaves you with things you can be "the guy" for, such as survival checks, perception checks, insight checks, whatever relies on WIS. Everyone can have their moment to shine.
Deft explorer is better than natural explorer because it's far more versatile. Natural Explorer relies on you being in your favored terrain, and that won't always be the case. Deft, on the other hand, is more applicable in more situations. That expertise improves on your skill monkey nature too.
As for advantage, you should be able to get it frequently with smarter positioning. Dark caves or dungeons or unlit areas are such a common occurrence in DnD, and because most things either will lack dark vision, or rely on it to see you, your umbral sight feature should therefore allow you to be unseen, and attack with advantage when you do so. This situation should occur a lot. Should. However, I understand some DMs tend to contrive situations where for one reason or another, combat starts on a scripted railroady basis and conditions may not be favorable, in which case I totally get it.
I'd say ranger is totally worth sticking with until level 9, because their third level spells are pretty cool! You get Fear! Conjure Animals is also great. Given that spellcasting is the actual best feature in game, it's hard to argue otherwise. But, a 2 level dip in fighter for action surge is a valid thing for quick burst damage.
So for your ranger, you'd go with something like Skill Expert over something like Fey Touched?
That makes sense. I did look at what taking a level in Rogue would do and taking an expert in perception can end up getting close to the levels of perception and passive perception that observant would get me.
So far our fights since I've had umbral sight have been in daylight other than one fight where the enemy had magical lighting that negated my advantage. Maybe it's just been unlucky with where we've been so far.
Part of my consideration of 4 levels in Fighter is to not lose/delay an ASI/feat by only going a couple of levels. Also with my character's focus on Archery, I like the idea of Arcane Archer, though it's less effective because it uses my intelligence modifier.
Wish I had those on my Gloomstalker. 21 dex is as good as 20 dex. ask your DM if you can take the optinal class features, Canny is an absolutely amazing bonus for Rangers. Your next ASI's should either be Con/Wis, or Resilient Con. Then take Fey Touch or Shadow Touched and +1 the wis.
Don't bother with Arcane Archer, it's actually terrible, just get Battle Master or Samurai. Samura's bonus action give all your attacks advantage, when combined with Gloom Stalker's Dread Ambush Feature, and Sharpshooter is actually just disgusting. Battle Master is very good with a bit more utility options. Dont waste your time or planning energy on the two-weapon fighting idea. You're a sharpshooter. DO. NOT. GET. INTO. MELEE.
Zephyr Strike is also a spell you should get, it's amazing. Movement speed, extra damage (force damage) and advantage on an attack roll , just another good thing to synergize with Sharpshooter.
As far as multiclassing beyond Ranger/Ftr, Twilight Cleric, 1 level, will get you access to everything you need in a multiclassing option. Then just keep pumping up Ranger.
Elven Accuracy is a trap, most of the time. It's very hard to guarantee advantage (other than with Zephyr Strike and Samurai), since a lot of it is dependent on visibility/hiding, which can be very DM dependent.
Ranger 5+ (Gloom Stalker)/Samurai 3-4 with Sharpshooter is one of the best ranged first-round Nova builds, imo. Add Twilight 1 to that, for the advantage on initiative, Darkvision range, and improved spell utility (ritual detect magic, my favorite.)
Your primary objective should be finding +1/2/3 magic bpws (long or short, its just about making your attack bonus better), Cloak of Elvenkind (or Boots, but Cloak is better,) and then going for something like Eyes of the Eagle, and Watchful Helm (if you don't dip Twilight.)
You want to Perceive Everything/Hide from Everything/Go Before Everything And then NOVA the **** out of things. Then have good continual damage with Zephyr Strike/Sharpshooter, or attacking with Advantage some other way/Sharpshooter.
Wish I had those on my Gloomstalker. 21 dex is as good as 20 dex. ask your DM if you can take the optinal class features, Canny is an absolutely amazing bonus for Rangers. Your next ASI's should either be Con/Wis, or Resilient Con. Then take Fey Touch or Shadow Touched and +1 the wis.
Don't bother with Arcane Archer, it's actually terrible, just get Battle Master or Samurai. Samura's bonus action give all your attacks advantage, when combined with Gloom Stalker's Dread Ambush Feature, and Sharpshooter is actually just disgusting. Battle Master is very good with a bit more utility options. Dont waste your time or planning energy on the two-weapon fighting idea. You're a sharpshooter. DO. NOT. GET. INTO. MELEE.
Zephyr Strike is also a spell you should get, it's amazing. Movement speed, extra damage (force damage) and advantage on an attack roll , just another good thing to synergize with Sharpshooter.
As far as multiclassing beyond Ranger/Ftr, Twilight Cleric, 1 level, will get you access to everything you need in a multiclassing option. Then just keep pumping up Ranger.
Elven Accuracy is a trap, most of the time. It's very hard to guarantee advantage (other than with Zephyr Strike and Samurai), since a lot of it is dependent on visibility/hiding, which can be very DM dependent.
Ranger 5+ (Gloom Stalker)/Samurai 3-4 with Sharpshooter is one of the best ranged first-round Nova builds, imo. Add Twilight 1 to that, for the advantage on initiative, Darkvision range, and improved spell utility (ritual detect magic, my favorite.)
Your primary objective should be finding +1/2/3 magic bpws (long or short, its just about making your attack bonus better), Cloak of Elvenkind (or Boots, but Cloak is better,) and then going for something like Eyes of the Eagle, and Watchful Helm (if you don't dip Twilight.)
You want to Perceive Everything/Hide from Everything/Go Before Everything And then NOVA the **** out of things. Then have good continual damage with Zephyr Strike/Sharpshooter, or attacking with Advantage some other way/Sharpshooter.
Yeah, I asked him if I could move the bonus I gained from the potion to Wisdom instead and he suggested that if I'm patient I might receive an additional bonus to dex at some point...Idk we'll see I guess.
Any particular reason I should take a ASI next time vs something like Fey touched?
That's sad to hear it's terrible. It seems like it could be a fun add. The samurai idea is super interesting, I am trying to avoid overlapping too much with party members so I wasn't considering Battle Master. So, even though I've already gotten into situations where I've needed to use swords instead of my bow you wouldn't worry about two-weapon fighting? What fighting style would you take instead?
Yeah it seems everyone is recommending it, I plan on taking it at level 5.
Twilight is a strong possibility if I take something other than Ranger and Fighter. My play is to take 15/16 levels in Ranger by the end.
I've not had a good feeling about Elven Accuracy despite the praise I've seen with it especially with my so far lack of advantage opportunities.
I have taken Sharpshooter but have been nervous about using the -5 so far. I definitely would have missed a lot of time in my last fight where I hit because I didn't take the -5 beforehand.
I did get a +1 longbow just recently. How do I go about finding these items other than just getting them when the DM decides? I've also heard about bracers of archery and a quiver of Ehlonna?
That makes sense, should I be considering something like Alert or Observant than?
Alert is great, an excellent defensive feat. Fey Touched is also great. Again, it's just one option, my preference is for skills and roleplay, but having a free once-per-day misty step (ontop of learning misty step) is a top tier combat option too. It all depends on what your campaign asks of you. I first hand experienced a great skill monkey ranger in Rime of The Frostmaiden, where those survival checks kept the whole party alive while traveling.
I would honestly tell you to not be afraid to use the -5 in sharp shooter. You are, statistically speaking, shooting yourself in the foot by NOT using it. with a +5 modifier in your DEX, and archery fighting style, AND a +1 bow, you are doing yourself a disservice by not taking advantage of all the goodies you have to deliver the damage. There is a formula for figuring out when you should, and shouldn't use the -5. I'd look online about it.
Alert is great, an excellent defensive feat. Fey Touched is also great. Again, it's just one option, my preference is for skills and roleplay, but having a free once-per-day misty step (ontop of learning misty step) is a top tier combat option too. It all depends on what your campaign asks of you. I first hand experienced a great skill monkey ranger in Rime of The Frostmaiden, where those survival checks kept the whole party alive while traveling.
I would honestly tell you to not be afraid to use the -5 in sharp shooter. You are, statistically speaking, shooting yourself in the foot by NOT using it. with a +5 modifier in your DEX, and archery fighting style, AND a +1 bow, you are doing yourself a disservice by not taking advantage of all the goodies you have to deliver the damage. There is a formula for figuring out when you should, and shouldn't use the -5. I'd look online about it.
Some of my worries with certain options is trying not to outshine other party members who don't look into their character options as much as other and then complain about certain things. (Such as going first all the time, when obviously with the bonus to initiative I'll frequently go first) I didn't like not getting my Dread Ambush ability the time my party was surprised so I do keep having thoughts on Alert. I am almost definitely going to take Fey touched at some point (it helps boost my Wisdom to the next modifier number) and having a fail-safe misty step to get out of melee (or to a trap door in time before the dragon comes like the bard did in one of our earlier session) makes a lot of sense to me plus another spell of some sort.
That makes sense. I feel like I want to find out around what the enemy AC is before using sharpshooter, but I also get that I'm missing out on big damage opportunities not using it. Though I've had 2 fights since I've gotten it. One we were ambushed and then put into magical darkness, once I got away from that I was in melee, after defeating the melee person the party had to run from the dragon, and second was a fight with an Echo night with a high AC so I was worried about missing.
Wish I had those on my Gloomstalker. 21 dex is as good as 20 dex. ask your DM if you can take the optinal class features, Canny is an absolutely amazing bonus for Rangers. Your next ASI's should either be Con/Wis, or Resilient Con. Then take Fey Touch or Shadow Touched and +1 the wis.
Don't bother with Arcane Archer, it's actually terrible, just get Battle Master or Samurai. Samura's bonus action give all your attacks advantage, when combined with Gloom Stalker's Dread Ambush Feature, and Sharpshooter is actually just disgusting. Battle Master is very good with a bit more utility options. Dont waste your time or planning energy on the two-weapon fighting idea. You're a sharpshooter. DO. NOT. GET. INTO. MELEE.
Zephyr Strike is also a spell you should get, it's amazing. Movement speed, extra damage (force damage) and advantage on an attack roll , just another good thing to synergize with Sharpshooter.
As far as multiclassing beyond Ranger/Ftr, Twilight Cleric, 1 level, will get you access to everything you need in a multiclassing option. Then just keep pumping up Ranger.
Elven Accuracy is a trap, most of the time. It's very hard to guarantee advantage (other than with Zephyr Strike and Samurai), since a lot of it is dependent on visibility/hiding, which can be very DM dependent.
Ranger 5+ (Gloom Stalker)/Samurai 3-4 with Sharpshooter is one of the best ranged first-round Nova builds, imo. Add Twilight 1 to that, for the advantage on initiative, Darkvision range, and improved spell utility (ritual detect magic, my favorite.)
Your primary objective should be finding +1/2/3 magic bpws (long or short, its just about making your attack bonus better), Cloak of Elvenkind (or Boots, but Cloak is better,) and then going for something like Eyes of the Eagle, and Watchful Helm (if you don't dip Twilight.)
You want to Perceive Everything/Hide from Everything/Go Before Everything And then NOVA the **** out of things. Then have good continual damage with Zephyr Strike/Sharpshooter, or attacking with Advantage some other way/Sharpshooter.
Yeah, I asked him if I could move the bonus I gained from the potion to Wisdom instead and he suggested that if I'm patient I might receive an additional bonus to dex at some point...Idk we'll see I guess.
1. Any particular reason I should take a ASI next time vs something like Fey touched?
2. That's sad to hear it's terrible. It seems like it could be a fun add. The samurai idea is super interesting, I am trying to avoid overlapping too much with party members so I wasn't considering Battle Master. So, even though I've already gotten into situations where I've needed to use swords instead of my bow you wouldn't worry about two-weapon fighting? What fighting style would you take instead?
Yeah it seems everyone is recommending it, I plan on taking it at level 5.
Twilight is a strong possibility if I take something other than Ranger and Fighter. My play is to take 15/16 levels in Ranger by the end.
3. I've not had a good feeling about Elven Accuracy despite the praise I've seen with it especially with my so far lack of advantage opportunities.
4. I have taken Sharpshooter but have been nervous about using the -5 so far. I definitely would have missed a lot of time in my last fight where I hit because I didn't take the -5 beforehand.
5. I did get a +1 longbow just recently. How do I go about finding these items other than just getting them when the DM decides? I've also heard about bracers of archery and a quiver of Ehlonna?
6. That makes sense, should I be considering something like Alert or Observant than?
1. You could take Fey Touched, but it doesn't really do anything for you. Misty Step is... ok. But you have Zephyr Strike anyway. Getting two of your stats to another + bonus is, imo, better.
2. If you're finding yourself using swords.... as a bowmaster, you've got some explainin to do! As for dual-wielding, just dual wield without the feat - or use a single weapon a shield. For Fighting Styles, take Defense, or Druidic Warrior - if you think you'll be in a party lacking the Guidance Spell.
3. Elven Accuracy is good if you are trying to crit fish with Samurai on the turn you activate the ability, rolling 18d20 can probably end up with a few crits. Beyond that, it can be oky with Zephyr Strike, or as a Gloom Stalker if your enemy just cant see you. I would say it is in general 'ok' but not fantastic unless you have a dm that likes to help you get advantage on your attacks.
4. Unless your DM is throwing higher than normal AC enemies are you, you should be using Sharpshooter, especially if you have advantage on the attack. As the other guy mentioned, you can use the Sharpshooter calc (somewhere online) to do the math, or just figure out the pattern naturally.
5. I dont know what sort of campaign your DM is running, and it will depend on your DM on how magic items are acquired. Random treasure, purchased from a merchant, crafted with downtime, etc.... Bracers of Archery is worthless, and Quiver of Eholonna is a quiver that holds more arrows but otherwise doesn't do anything. Unless it is free, avoid spending any time or gold on it. For a Sharpshooter Gloom Stalker the things you want are the things that let you go first, things that let you hide more, and things that let you be more consistent in dealing damage. +1/2/3 bows, cloak/boots of elvenkind, luckstone, ioun stone of mastery, cloak of the bat, ring of spell storing, Watchfull Helm, or items like Horn of Valhalla which act as force multipliers.
But without knowing what your DM is running/how they are running it - you are going to need to be the one to bring that up to the DM and ask them 'how' items can be acquired - they will probably give caveats and some items may not be ... up to the DM.
6. Alert is a great feat, +5 init is already awesome, and not being surprised is always good if it ever comes up. Observant is more of a niche feat if you want to build a passive Perception and Investigation monster, but I would only do that if you already have Prof/Expertise in those skills, and have nothing else to take. Alert would be first before Observant, as would maxing out WIS and possibly CON with ASIs.
Alert is great, an excellent defensive feat. Fey Touched is also great. Again, it's just one option, my preference is for skills and roleplay, but having a free once-per-day misty step (ontop of learning misty step) is a top tier combat option too. It all depends on what your campaign asks of you. I first hand experienced a great skill monkey ranger in Rime of The Frostmaiden, where those survival checks kept the whole party alive while traveling.
I would honestly tell you to not be afraid to use the -5 in sharp shooter. You are, statistically speaking, shooting yourself in the foot by NOT using it. with a +5 modifier in your DEX, and archery fighting style, AND a +1 bow, you are doing yourself a disservice by not taking advantage of all the goodies you have to deliver the damage. There is a formula for figuring out when you should, and shouldn't use the -5. I'd look online about it.
Some of my worries with certain options is trying not to outshine other party members who don't look into their character options as much as other and then complain about certain things. (Such as going first all the time, when obviously with the bonus to initiative I'll frequently go first) I didn't like not getting my Dread Ambush ability the time my party was surprised so I do keep having thoughts on Alert. I am almost definitely going to take Fey touched at some point (it helps boost my Wisdom to the next modifier number) and having a fail-safe misty step to get out of melee (or to a trap door in time before the dragon comes like the bard did in one of our earlier session) makes a lot of sense to me plus another spell of some sort.
That makes sense. I feel like I want to find out around what the enemy AC is before using sharpshooter, but I also get that I'm missing out on big damage opportunities not using it. Though I've had 2 fights since I've gotten it. One we were ambushed and then put into magical darkness, once I got away from that I was in melee, after defeating the melee person the party had to run from the dragon, and second was a fight with an Echo night with a high AC so I was worried about missing.
Well, ****'em , you are a Gloom Stalker, your entire job IS to deal with enemy stat blocks, and you have exactly one tool to do so - dealing damage. If other members of your party decide not to read their character sheet, tough. People that complain because they felt like being dunces and building legitimately suboptimal characters due to sheer incompetence is NOT your problem. It is that player and the DM's problem.
At low levels, I would say, anything with AC 15 or less, you should be Sharpshooting if you have advantage, AC 12 or less, always, even without advantage. Over that ... check the math since it will depend on your total + to attack, and the math of that vs sharpshooter or not.
Under typical circumstances, Zephyr Strike and Misty Step are functionally similar. Misty Step would work better in difficult terrain or for crossing obstacles (but you have to be able to see); it would also let you teleport out if completely surrounded by enemies. Zephyr Strike will let you move places you can't see assuming you can travel around it. Both are bonus actions to cast. Misty Step isn't concentration and is one time use of a 2nd level spell. Zephyr Strike is first level, concentration, and lasts a minute (10 rounds of combat).
I don't think you have to feel badly about always/frequently going first. It's what your character does and it's how their power is aligned. Other character types benefit from moving later anyway, after the tactical situation unfolds, and there are a lot of players who actually don't like the responsibility of going first. If they want to go sooner, they will have to roll better or get some of the same feats and stats when they level up, and if it's important to them, they will. (FWIW though, sometimes my gloomstalker goes last, anyone can roll badly.)
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Hello everyone,
This is my first time actually playing DND I've been around friends who've talked about it a lot and I've been playing around with the character builder a lot but thought I could get some help on building my Gloomstalker.
Race: Wood Elf Background: Athlete (got acrobatics and medicine out of it) -proficiencies- athletics, survival, nature
Abilities: (we rolled for stats) Strength 16, Dex- 21 (rolled an 18 +2 for elf and got a magic potion that increased it 1), Con 15, Int 15, Wisdom 17 (rolled 16 plus 1 for wood elf) cha 14. I probably should have put the 16 on Con.
currently level 4 (Feat sharpshooter)
-I did not take the optional features at the beginning because I didn't know there were there so fav enemy dragons (with draconic) and artic.
-fighting style archery
-current spells: Hunter's mark, Goodberry, Ensarning strike
-weapons and armor: a +1 longbow, 2 short swords, I still have my original bow, I picked up a whip, leather armor
I plan to multiclass at level 6. The current thought is to take 15/16 levels of Ranger. I want to take 4 levels in Fighter (to get the ASI/feat instead of stopping at level 3), and I want to take Arcane Archer. I am currently planning to take Two-weapon fighting so when I melee I can do extra damage with my second sword. I have also considered taking 1 level is something else (possibilities I've thought of 1) Life cleric for more spells/"Lifeberry", 2) twilight cleric- for better night vision, advantage blessing, some extra spell abilities, 3) barbarian- rage and unarmored defense, 4) monk for better unarmored defense for this build)
some feat thoughts (obviously I can't get all of these): Fey touched, dual wielder, alert, elven accuracy, gift of the chromatic dragon
Any recommendations on spells going forward, multiclassing I should do instead, or recommendations on feats?
*Edit My Party is a Human Vengence Paladin, Teifling Moon Druid, Dhampir College of Eloquence Bard, Forest Gnome Arcane Trickster Rogue, Dragonborn Battlemaster Fighter, and a Half-orc Wizard (not all party members are at each session)
I love playing a gloomstalker. We don't even ever play in the dark, it's still a very fun class. Don't forget you got extra darkvision from the class on top of the elf darkvision; in my campaign there would not be need for any more than the 90 feet.
Those stats are very high, you will be quite powerful.
Have a look at the spell Zephyr Strike; it is very good for mobility and also for not getting hit, especially in melee. And it threads quite nicely with Dread Ambusher.
I'd suggest, that while the character can be quite competent in two weapon fighting and archery as the tactical situation warrants, that you focus on expertise in one or the other, instead of dividing your build between them. In general, I like to make my characters very focused, developing a niche and leaving other tasks to other party members, so that might not be right for you.
Gloomstalker doesn't really bring anything to the table for healing, so I wouldn't be inclined to go that direction with the character unless your party has a hole there that someone needs to fill. A multiclass you didn't mention is Rogue, which gets you sneak attack and some expertise and threads nicely either with archery or two weapon fighting with shortswords. You can push that into Rogue Assassin or just stop with the first level.
I also don't really find when I'm playing my gloomstalker that I'm looking for extra spells. If you're using Hunter's mark that's concentration and that's pretty much all you can cast while it's up. I more often use Zephyr Strike instead, which is also concentration. ZS makes it much less likely I'll be targeted and therefore hit which means I can usually keep it active through an entire combat with the single cast.
I am really enjoying it so far. the extra distance in dark vision is helpful. My Paladin and Fighter both don't have dark vision which was part of my consideration for the twilight dark vision buff. Also, if in a big enough space with the sharpshooter feat eliminating distance disadvantage I could be out of dark vision sight of enemies and still attacking.
I was very fortunate in the rolls
I plan on picking up Zephyr Strike next level.
My main focus is on archery (which is part of why I want to take arcane archer) but I already have dex I can't improve without items or magic bonus, and sharpshooter so I feel fairly expert in archery but in some of my fighters I've already gotten to points that enemies are close enough that I can't use my bow without disadvantage. Also, when our fighter isn't there the only melee person is the Paladin. Is there anything more to focus on archery you'd suggest or a niche you'd suggest instead?
True Gloomstalker doesn't though the Ranger's normal spell list has some options. We don't have a cleric so the healers have been the Druid and Bard. Taking a level in life Cleric would double or more my ranger's healing spells. I didn't want to step on the toes of our Rogue which is why I haven't been considering Rogue but that's a fair point.
That makes sense, I was thinking of things like cantrips of sacred flame, words of radiance, and some additional healing spells.
I'm not clear if you've played your character at all yet, but one thing I've noticed is that my characters tend to evolve organically in reaction to the other party members, the campaign, the DM choices, etc. So the direction I imagined at first never seems to be where I end up.
Starting at 4th, there are a lot of mechanics to get accustomed to. I would advise, don't be in any particular hurry to multiclass on your first character - do it when and if it feels right for the character and when the multiclass is more valuable than getting to the next level in the existing class, based on where you are in your campaign and what you think you'll need next.
Dread Ambusher makes the first turn of combat pretty different from the others, so I scripted out in advance how it works in combination with other common tactics I use. This helped me get a handle on it and meant I'm not slowing down the game trying to work out rules in the middle of combat. If you do two-weapon fighting on that first turn rather than using your bonus action to cast a spell, once you get to 5th level with the Extra attack you potentially can take 4 attacks in that single turn and there could be three different damage calculations even though each time you're swinging a shortsword. But it's fun!
I have played it from level 1 to level 4. I believe we're close to level 5. It's part of why I'm considering the two-weapon fighter fighting style (multiple times I've had enemies too close to use a bow without disadvantage) and multi-classing into something that gives me some more healing (the Paladin or Wizard have gone down in pretty much every fight, though we didn't have the Bard until recently) or something that gives me a higher ac so that I can melee when needed. If the fighter isn't there I have typically been the highest or second-highest damage dealer. It's also why I am considering the alert feat. (It would partially guarantee I go first, I'd have a +13 to initiative/+14 if I get my wisdom up one point) and would prevent me from being ambushed. Two sessions ago my party was ambushed and I lost out on my dread ambusher ability.
Multi-classing at level 6 would be about me getting some damage and melee bonuses (the fighter multiclass thoughts) while also making sure that if my bow can't be used I have something to fall back on. And trying to cover some possible holes that have existed in the party so far. 6-9 in Ranger really only gets me Iron Mind, Land strike, +2 spells, 1 additional 2nd level spell slot 2 additional level 3 spell slots, a new fav enemy, language, and a new natural explorer. So I can definitely see the multi-class helping out how I've been playing more and going back to ranger later instead of just continuing down the ranger track
Most fights I've had since getting dread ambusher I've been using my longbow. (with my dex, archery fighting style, my proficiency with a long bow, and the +1 from the bow I have a +10 to hit rolls, and then my damage is 1d8+6, and if I hit again I have 1d8+6 +1d8. If I use my bonus first I cast Hunter's mark (I just cast it for the first time in my last fight) I get an additional 1d6. I haven't used it yet but if I use the optional part of sharpshooter I could take a -5 to my attack (for a +5 still) with an additional +10 to each shot. When the echo knight fighter we were facing got in melee range I was able to do 1d6+5+1d6 for two short swords without two-weapon fighting plus 1d6 for each attack for the hunter's mark while it was still active.
Excellent!
If you're able to buy yourself some studded leather armor that's an improvement to your AC.
Zephyr Strike might really help you whether you stick with the bow or go to two-weapon fighting. It lets you move away without allowing an attack of opportunity so you can use the ranged weapon, or it lets you move in and out of melee on a single turn, again without risking that opportunity attack. The enemies go after the tanks instead of you, or you can get behind cover if there is any. You also get advantage and some extra damage on one attack, but honestly IME that's not as good as the extra movement and the free disengage.
(Note, if you wish, you can change your fighting style on a level up to dual-wielding.)
If you have Deft Explorer you get a swim speed and and +5 to your walking speed at 6th, if you have that.
Oh that's a good tip. We've only been to one real town so far and it had been attacked by a dragon so we haven't really found a shop to buy any yet.
That sounds like it'll be a helpful addition when I'm not using Hunter's mark. I don't know what IME means.
I don't want to change my fighting style I like my archery style but figured the two-weapon fighting would be additional help when I can't use my bow.
I unfortunately don't when I started I took the regular favored enemy and natural explorer not knowing deft explorer existed.
I would ask your DM to be a homie and let you switch to deft explorer. It's such an improvement. With your stats, I'd honestly would look into rounding out the character a bit more. I'm a fan of rangers as a skill monkey, so I'd naturally would recommend skill expert and boost that WIS. I'd also recommend staying on track with ranger, at least until you get that free WIS save proficiency, which is ever so important for martials.
Granted, if you wanna min-max your damage, you really can't go wrong with elven accuracy. It's perhaps the optimal choice aside from maybe XBE. Etiher way, my recommendation is to increase your WIS!
Sorry! IME == In My Experience.
Would ditto that it's not unreasonable to ask your DM for a swap to Deft Explorer, if you'd prefer it. (Heck, I think it's completely reasonable for rangers to have both.) You've probably barely if ever used Natural Explorer anyway.
Two weapon fighting without the fighting style is still fine, you just don't get quite as much damage from your off hand. That damage loss will become less important when you get extra attack and it's only one of your three (or four, if it's a Dread Ambusher round) attacks in your turn.
I can certainly try to ask him. Why is it so much better than natural explorer?
I guess in terms of "skill monkey" with a rogue and a bard they'd sort of fill those roles already and since I've been one of the main damage dealers I was worried about being annoying by doing a lot of the skills things well too. I was thinking about doing Fey Touched and boosting Wisdom to +4. A free Misty step and free additional spell sounds like it could be handy too.
Is sticking with Ranger till level 7 worth it when Fey Ancestry gives an advantage against being charmed and I can't be put to sleep? It seems like fear is the main one and it's only come up once in my campaign so far.
I have looked at Elven accuracy and maybe I'm not doing something right but I don't feel like I'm getting advantage enough right now to justify it.
oh that makes sense.
what makes Deft Explorer so much better than Natural Explorer? I have used Natural Explorer a few times already but not a ton.
That's a fair point. I feel I'm unlikely to have Dread Ambusher for my two-weapon fighting because my first round is usually my bow, but isn't that missing guaranteed +5 when I hit on my second sword a lot to miss out on each bonus action that I use two-weapon fighting on?
I think there's more than enough room for a ranger to do his skill monkey thing, if only because as a rogue you're focused on things like stealth, thieves tools, sleight of hand, typical rogue things. likewise, bards are focused on social skill CHA stuff, persuasion, deception, etc etc. That still leaves you with things you can be "the guy" for, such as survival checks, perception checks, insight checks, whatever relies on WIS. Everyone can have their moment to shine.
Deft explorer is better than natural explorer because it's far more versatile. Natural Explorer relies on you being in your favored terrain, and that won't always be the case. Deft, on the other hand, is more applicable in more situations. That expertise improves on your skill monkey nature too.
As for advantage, you should be able to get it frequently with smarter positioning. Dark caves or dungeons or unlit areas are such a common occurrence in DnD, and because most things either will lack dark vision, or rely on it to see you, your umbral sight feature should therefore allow you to be unseen, and attack with advantage when you do so. This situation should occur a lot. Should. However, I understand some DMs tend to contrive situations where for one reason or another, combat starts on a scripted railroady basis and conditions may not be favorable, in which case I totally get it.
I'd say ranger is totally worth sticking with until level 9, because their third level spells are pretty cool! You get Fear! Conjure Animals is also great. Given that spellcasting is the actual best feature in game, it's hard to argue otherwise. But, a 2 level dip in fighter for action surge is a valid thing for quick burst damage.
So for your ranger, you'd go with something like Skill Expert over something like Fey Touched?
That makes sense. I did look at what taking a level in Rogue would do and taking an expert in perception can end up getting close to the levels of perception and passive perception that observant would get me.
So far our fights since I've had umbral sight have been in daylight other than one fight where the enemy had magical lighting that negated my advantage. Maybe it's just been unlucky with where we've been so far.
Part of my consideration of 4 levels in Fighter is to not lose/delay an ASI/feat by only going a couple of levels. Also with my character's focus on Archery, I like the idea of Arcane Archer, though it's less effective because it uses my intelligence modifier.
Wow you rolled good stats.
Wish I had those on my Gloomstalker.
21 dex is as good as 20 dex. ask your DM if you can take the optinal class features, Canny is an absolutely amazing bonus for Rangers. Your next ASI's should either be Con/Wis, or Resilient Con. Then take Fey Touch or Shadow Touched and +1 the wis.
Don't bother with Arcane Archer, it's actually terrible, just get Battle Master or Samurai. Samura's bonus action give all your attacks advantage, when combined with Gloom Stalker's Dread Ambush Feature, and Sharpshooter is actually just disgusting. Battle Master is very good with a bit more utility options. Dont waste your time or planning energy on the two-weapon fighting idea. You're a sharpshooter. DO. NOT. GET. INTO. MELEE.
Zephyr Strike is also a spell you should get, it's amazing. Movement speed, extra damage (force damage) and advantage on an attack roll , just another good thing to synergize with Sharpshooter.
As far as multiclassing beyond Ranger/Ftr, Twilight Cleric, 1 level, will get you access to everything you need in a multiclassing option. Then just keep pumping up Ranger.
Elven Accuracy is a trap, most of the time. It's very hard to guarantee advantage (other than with Zephyr Strike and Samurai), since a lot of it is dependent on visibility/hiding, which can be very DM dependent.
Ranger 5+ (Gloom Stalker)/Samurai 3-4 with Sharpshooter is one of the best ranged first-round Nova builds, imo. Add Twilight 1 to that, for the advantage on initiative, Darkvision range, and improved spell utility (ritual detect magic, my favorite.)
Your primary objective should be finding +1/2/3 magic bpws (long or short, its just about making your attack bonus better), Cloak of Elvenkind (or Boots, but Cloak is better,) and then going for something like Eyes of the Eagle, and Watchful Helm (if you don't dip Twilight.)
You want to Perceive Everything/Hide from Everything/Go Before Everything
And then NOVA the **** out of things. Then have good continual damage with Zephyr Strike/Sharpshooter, or attacking with Advantage some other way/Sharpshooter.
2014 5E mostly
3.5 maybe.
Yeah, I asked him if I could move the bonus I gained from the potion to Wisdom instead and he suggested that if I'm patient I might receive an additional bonus to dex at some point...Idk we'll see I guess.
Any particular reason I should take a ASI next time vs something like Fey touched?
That's sad to hear it's terrible. It seems like it could be a fun add. The samurai idea is super interesting, I am trying to avoid overlapping too much with party members so I wasn't considering Battle Master. So, even though I've already gotten into situations where I've needed to use swords instead of my bow you wouldn't worry about two-weapon fighting? What fighting style would you take instead?
Yeah it seems everyone is recommending it, I plan on taking it at level 5.
Twilight is a strong possibility if I take something other than Ranger and Fighter. My play is to take 15/16 levels in Ranger by the end.
I've not had a good feeling about Elven Accuracy despite the praise I've seen with it especially with my so far lack of advantage opportunities.
I have taken Sharpshooter but have been nervous about using the -5 so far. I definitely would have missed a lot of time in my last fight where I hit because I didn't take the -5 beforehand.
I did get a +1 longbow just recently. How do I go about finding these items other than just getting them when the DM decides? I've also heard about bracers of archery and a quiver of Ehlonna?
That makes sense, should I be considering something like Alert or Observant than?
Alert is great, an excellent defensive feat. Fey Touched is also great. Again, it's just one option, my preference is for skills and roleplay, but having a free once-per-day misty step (ontop of learning misty step) is a top tier combat option too. It all depends on what your campaign asks of you. I first hand experienced a great skill monkey ranger in Rime of The Frostmaiden, where those survival checks kept the whole party alive while traveling.
I would honestly tell you to not be afraid to use the -5 in sharp shooter. You are, statistically speaking, shooting yourself in the foot by NOT using it. with a +5 modifier in your DEX, and archery fighting style, AND a +1 bow, you are doing yourself a disservice by not taking advantage of all the goodies you have to deliver the damage. There is a formula for figuring out when you should, and shouldn't use the -5. I'd look online about it.
Some of my worries with certain options is trying not to outshine other party members who don't look into their character options as much as other and then complain about certain things. (Such as going first all the time, when obviously with the bonus to initiative I'll frequently go first) I didn't like not getting my Dread Ambush ability the time my party was surprised so I do keep having thoughts on Alert. I am almost definitely going to take Fey touched at some point (it helps boost my Wisdom to the next modifier number) and having a fail-safe misty step to get out of melee (or to a trap door in time before the dragon comes like the bard did in one of our earlier session) makes a lot of sense to me plus another spell of some sort.
That makes sense. I feel like I want to find out around what the enemy AC is before using sharpshooter, but I also get that I'm missing out on big damage opportunities not using it. Though I've had 2 fights since I've gotten it. One we were ambushed and then put into magical darkness, once I got away from that I was in melee, after defeating the melee person the party had to run from the dragon, and second was a fight with an Echo night with a high AC so I was worried about missing.
1. You could take Fey Touched, but it doesn't really do anything for you. Misty Step is... ok. But you have Zephyr Strike anyway. Getting two of your stats to another + bonus is, imo, better.
2. If you're finding yourself using swords.... as a bowmaster, you've got some explainin to do! As for dual-wielding, just dual wield without the feat - or use a single weapon a shield. For Fighting Styles, take Defense, or Druidic Warrior - if you think you'll be in a party lacking the Guidance Spell.
3. Elven Accuracy is good if you are trying to crit fish with Samurai on the turn you activate the ability, rolling 18d20 can probably end up with a few crits. Beyond that, it can be oky with Zephyr Strike, or as a Gloom Stalker if your enemy just cant see you. I would say it is in general 'ok' but not fantastic unless you have a dm that likes to help you get advantage on your attacks.
4. Unless your DM is throwing higher than normal AC enemies are you, you should be using Sharpshooter, especially if you have advantage on the attack. As the other guy mentioned, you can use the Sharpshooter calc (somewhere online) to do the math, or just figure out the pattern naturally.
5. I dont know what sort of campaign your DM is running, and it will depend on your DM on how magic items are acquired. Random treasure, purchased from a merchant, crafted with downtime, etc.... Bracers of Archery is worthless, and Quiver of Eholonna is a quiver that holds more arrows but otherwise doesn't do anything. Unless it is free, avoid spending any time or gold on it. For a Sharpshooter Gloom Stalker the things you want are the things that let you go first, things that let you hide more, and things that let you be more consistent in dealing damage. +1/2/3 bows, cloak/boots of elvenkind, luckstone, ioun stone of mastery, cloak of the bat, ring of spell storing, Watchfull Helm, or items like Horn of Valhalla which act as force multipliers.
But without knowing what your DM is running/how they are running it - you are going to need to be the one to bring that up to the DM and ask them 'how' items can be acquired - they will probably give caveats and some items may not be ... up to the DM.
6. Alert is a great feat, +5 init is already awesome, and not being surprised is always good if it ever comes up. Observant is more of a niche feat if you want to build a passive Perception and Investigation monster, but I would only do that if you already have Prof/Expertise in those skills, and have nothing else to take. Alert would be first before Observant, as would maxing out WIS and possibly CON with ASIs.
2014 5E mostly
3.5 maybe.
Well, ****'em , you are a Gloom Stalker, your entire job IS to deal with enemy stat blocks, and you have exactly one tool to do so - dealing damage. If other members of your party decide not to read their character sheet, tough. People that complain because they felt like being dunces and building legitimately suboptimal characters due to sheer incompetence is NOT your problem. It is that player and the DM's problem.
At low levels, I would say, anything with AC 15 or less, you should be Sharpshooting if you have advantage, AC 12 or less, always, even without advantage. Over that ... check the math since it will depend on your total + to attack, and the math of that vs sharpshooter or not.
2014 5E mostly
3.5 maybe.
Under typical circumstances, Zephyr Strike and Misty Step are functionally similar. Misty Step would work better in difficult terrain or for crossing obstacles (but you have to be able to see); it would also let you teleport out if completely surrounded by enemies. Zephyr Strike will let you move places you can't see assuming you can travel around it. Both are bonus actions to cast. Misty Step isn't concentration and is one time use of a 2nd level spell. Zephyr Strike is first level, concentration, and lasts a minute (10 rounds of combat).
I don't think you have to feel badly about always/frequently going first. It's what your character does and it's how their power is aligned. Other character types benefit from moving later anyway, after the tactical situation unfolds, and there are a lot of players who actually don't like the responsibility of going first. If they want to go sooner, they will have to roll better or get some of the same feats and stats when they level up, and if it's important to them, they will. (FWIW though, sometimes my gloomstalker goes last, anyone can roll badly.)