Help, I recently completed my first campaign as a Ranger and had a smashing time and really enjoyed my introduction to it being pulled away from Call of Cthulhu (my preferred RPG). I shone a lot and that Hunter Mark really became a bane to my DM and we all had such a laugh about it must most importantly I felt like a valid member of the party.
But…….. here I am now a level 4 Arcane Trickster Rouge and like the cleric I’m playing elsewhere this again is making me feel like a hindrance to our small party of three playing Curse of Strahd. I’ve got to grips with sneak attack I think!! But I’m really not sure if I’m equipped correctly.
i have a dagger, short bow and sword, I was gifted Boots of Speed and magic wise I have CANTRIPS green flame blade, mage hand and minor illusion, my 1st level spells are charm person, disguise self and find familiar.
Am I currently set up well and am just not using them correctly or is there a better configuration I can work with.
Are you DaggerOfFlowers’ player by chance? I only ask because their concerns were very vague. Their post garnered little response because no problem was identified aside from a general sense of inadequacy and a failure to claim sneak attack damage where it was available. Your concerns are equally as vague.
What makes you feel like a hindrance to the party? What do you think you should be able to do better at than you are doing now? Other than claiming sneak attack at every opportunity while actively seeking the possibility to do so every round, what do you envision for your rogue in combat?
Rather than write rudeness why not just ignore a comment you do not feel is as full of information that you'd like.
I feel my comment tells people i'm looking for help with how my character is prepped, I wrote what spells and equipment i have prepped and was looking for feedback like "i would prep this spell with that" or "i find that this compliments that" or even tell me i'm not set up well for battle and what might balance the character better.
I said i am still new to DnD and am still finding my footing within the system based on the fact i mainly play CoC which is heavily investigative and when encounters come up best option is to run so im not accustomed with having to change up the character if a battle is approaching.
So i thank you for your condescending comment, you really are an ambassador for creating a sense of community here. Very unsure about posting for help again in the future if this is the type of reply i should expect!
Rather than write rudeness why not just ignore a comment you do not feel is as full of information that you'd like.
I feel my comment tells people i'm looking for help with how my character is prepped, I wrote what spells and equipment i have prepped and was looking for feedback like "i would prep this spell with that" or "i find that this compliments that" or even tell me i'm not set up well for battle and what might balance the character better.
I said i am still new to DnD and am still finding my footing within the system based on the fact i mainly play CoC which is heavily investigative and when encounters come up best option is to run so im not accustomed with having to change up the character if a battle is approaching.
So i thank you for your condescending comment, you really are an ambassador for creating a sense of community here. Very unsure about posting for help again in the future if this is the type of reply i should expect!
There is nothing condescending in the tone nor the verbiage of my reply. When someone indicates they don’t understand your question, it’s not an attack, it’s an opportunity. The person has taken the time to engage with you and, by doing so rather than walking away, has expressed interest in helping if they can. Take the hand when it is offered. Yes, I could have simply ignored your post and left it as unanswered as the other but what’s helpful about that? Instead, I constructively indicated why you and the other vague poster are not receiving replies. I held the other thread up as an example of the fruits you can expect with such an esoteric plea. Then I asked you pointed questions designed to help elucidate your concerns so that they could be addressed.
FWIW, your spells are not prepped, they are learned and can’t be changed from battle to battle. You do have the option to change them when you level but there is nothing glaringly subpar; you have selected common choices that are generally useful in pretty obvious ways. Your equipment is also quite standard, aside from the Boots of Speed, which should only make you feel more powerful in combat rather than a hindrance so I honestly don’t understand what advice you seek.
Are you just looking for some reassurance? I’m happy to pat you on the back and tell you you’re doing fine because you really do seem to be doing the just fine, very standard things that are not remotely questionable and should yield satisfactory results with your character. Doing so changes nothing about your actual contribution to the party or why you might feel lacking, though. Your concern remains incredibly vague. If you can’t explain the problem, how can anyone help you remedy it? At any rate, good gaming to you. Sorry about your thin skin.
Your setup is fine. Some would argue there are better but there is nothing wrong with what you have.
Some areas that could be hurting your rogue: 1. Party of 3 makes sneak attack really hard to consistently pull off. You either need an ally up front with you or you need advantage. With only 2 allies that means more work on advantage. There are two good ways to gain advantage semi-reliably. First you can use the 3rd level power steady aim. You can't move then, but you can use your short bow and shoot guys with advantage for sneak. Second you can use hide. You need to break visual contact with the target (go behind something) bonus action hide and then fire away. Before combat you might be able to hide in a minor illusion.
2. Green flame blade at low levels isn't that helpful and even at higher levels only works with two enemies. Usually people go with booming blade despite how rogues wouldn't usually want something that loud.
3. Speaking of advantage use your familiar. Your familiar can do the help action to get your advantage or simply be an ally next to the enemy. This will get your familiar killed. But in some situations this can get you your sneak more often.
In general for damage rogues set the baseline. Any optimized martial is going to feel stronger and full casters are going to blow them away with magical power. They excel in exploration and skill based play, but they require a cooperative DM to help the player use those abilities. Good luck.
Thanks for your help, I understand what you’re saying because of the lack of party I’ll have to utilise find families more in combact to use my main power of sneak attack.
work on my sneak attack and understand how to use it, I have never used hide, I’ll look into doing that.
Use an owl familiar to gain advantage on every attack. Pull it out when your ally can take its place next to an enemy. Once conjured They can be dismissed as an action and brought back as another action. Sort of like sticking it in your pocket.
It can also be used to as a sort of scout to see above and or beyond your normal area of sight. Around corners and over walls.
Use hide at every opportunity. In and out of combat.
With boots of speed you are the real mobile archer. Remember your archery ranges and use them to best advantage. Steady aim helps a lot in those situations you can not normally gain advantage.
Learn the disadvantage and advantage rules. Use them to your advantage. You can only roll at advantage(2d20 take highest) or regular(D20) or disadvantage(2D20 take lowest).
And use sneak attack with every attack possible.
Use mage Hand as often as possible. Opening doors can distract guards along with rattling chains and quiet knocks at doors close to them.( unless your dm is a wanker the more you use it the more they tend to let you use it in new situations). It can be cast into a room you can see into(through glass windows) to open or unlatch windows from inside. It just can not use a lockpick set. But it can turn a key. Or open a small box and retrieve the contents.
Your basic skills are not for face to face combat so try not to get into those situations.
Remember you can disengage with no problems if you get into a hand to hand fight.
If you really want to up your casting ability on the cheap take the ritual caster wizard feat and gain EVERY ritual spell available over time. At/by 12th level you can cast every ritual spell available to you then. Even the 6th level ones. Granted they are just utility and can not normally be used in combat but they are spell slot free and cast-able all day long. Most Dms will let you buy or find them as you adventure.
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Help, I recently completed my first campaign as a Ranger and had a smashing time and really enjoyed my introduction to it being pulled away from Call of Cthulhu (my preferred RPG). I shone a lot and that Hunter Mark really became a bane to my DM and we all had such a laugh about it must most importantly I felt like a valid member of the party.
But…….. here I am now a level 4 Arcane Trickster Rouge and like the cleric I’m playing elsewhere this again is making me feel like a hindrance to our small party of three playing Curse of Strahd. I’ve got to grips with sneak attack I think!! But I’m really not sure if I’m equipped correctly.
i have a dagger, short bow and sword, I was gifted Boots of Speed and magic wise I have CANTRIPS green flame blade, mage hand and minor illusion, my 1st level spells are charm person, disguise self and find familiar.
Am I currently set up well and am just not using them correctly or is there a better configuration I can work with.
Are you DaggerOfFlowers’ player by chance? I only ask because their concerns were very vague. Their post garnered little response because no problem was identified aside from a general sense of inadequacy and a failure to claim sneak attack damage where it was available. Your concerns are equally as vague.
What makes you feel like a hindrance to the party? What do you think you should be able to do better at than you are doing now? Other than claiming sneak attack at every opportunity while actively seeking the possibility to do so every round, what do you envision for your rogue in combat?
Rather than write rudeness why not just ignore a comment you do not feel is as full of information that you'd like.
I feel my comment tells people i'm looking for help with how my character is prepped, I wrote what spells and equipment i have prepped and was looking for feedback like "i would prep this spell with that" or "i find that this compliments that" or even tell me i'm not set up well for battle and what might balance the character better.
I said i am still new to DnD and am still finding my footing within the system based on the fact i mainly play CoC which is heavily investigative and when encounters come up best option is to run so im not accustomed with having to change up the character if a battle is approaching.
So i thank you for your condescending comment, you really are an ambassador for creating a sense of community here. Very unsure about posting for help again in the future if this is the type of reply i should expect!
There is nothing condescending in the tone nor the verbiage of my reply. When someone indicates they don’t understand your question, it’s not an attack, it’s an opportunity. The person has taken the time to engage with you and, by doing so rather than walking away, has expressed interest in helping if they can. Take the hand when it is offered. Yes, I could have simply ignored your post and left it as unanswered as the other but what’s helpful about that? Instead, I constructively indicated why you and the other vague poster are not receiving replies. I held the other thread up as an example of the fruits you can expect with such an esoteric plea. Then I asked you pointed questions designed to help elucidate your concerns so that they could be addressed.
FWIW, your spells are not prepped, they are learned and can’t be changed from battle to battle. You do have the option to change them when you level but there is nothing glaringly subpar; you have selected common choices that are generally useful in pretty obvious ways. Your equipment is also quite standard, aside from the Boots of Speed, which should only make you feel more powerful in combat rather than a hindrance so I honestly don’t understand what advice you seek.
Are you just looking for some reassurance? I’m happy to pat you on the back and tell you you’re doing fine because you really do seem to be doing the just fine, very standard things that are not remotely questionable and should yield satisfactory results with your character. Doing so changes nothing about your actual contribution to the party or why you might feel lacking, though. Your concern remains incredibly vague. If you can’t explain the problem, how can anyone help you remedy it? At any rate, good gaming to you. Sorry about your thin skin.
Your setup is fine. Some would argue there are better but there is nothing wrong with what you have.
Some areas that could be hurting your rogue:
1. Party of 3 makes sneak attack really hard to consistently pull off. You either need an ally up front with you or you need advantage. With only 2 allies that means more work on advantage. There are two good ways to gain advantage semi-reliably. First you can use the 3rd level power steady aim. You can't move then, but you can use your short bow and shoot guys with advantage for sneak. Second you can use hide. You need to break visual contact with the target (go behind something) bonus action hide and then fire away. Before combat you might be able to hide in a minor illusion.
2. Green flame blade at low levels isn't that helpful and even at higher levels only works with two enemies. Usually people go with booming blade despite how rogues wouldn't usually want something that loud.
3. Speaking of advantage use your familiar. Your familiar can do the help action to get your advantage or simply be an ally next to the enemy. This will get your familiar killed. But in some situations this can get you your sneak more often.
In general for damage rogues set the baseline. Any optimized martial is going to feel stronger and full casters are going to blow them away with magical power. They excel in exploration and skill based play, but they require a cooperative DM to help the player use those abilities. Good luck.
Thanks for your help, I understand what you’re saying because of the lack of party I’ll have to utilise find families more in combact to use my main power of sneak attack.
work on my sneak attack and understand how to use it, I have never used hide, I’ll look into doing that.
Thanks again.
Use an owl familiar to gain advantage on every attack. Pull it out when your ally can take its place next to an enemy.
Once conjured They can be dismissed as an action and brought back as another action. Sort of like sticking it in your pocket.
It can also be used to as a sort of scout to see above and or beyond your normal area of sight. Around corners and over walls.
Use hide at every opportunity. In and out of combat.
With boots of speed you are the real mobile archer. Remember your archery ranges and use them to best advantage. Steady aim helps a lot in those situations you can not normally gain advantage.
Learn the disadvantage and advantage rules. Use them to your advantage. You can only roll at advantage(2d20 take highest) or regular(D20) or disadvantage(2D20 take lowest).
And use sneak attack with every attack possible.
Use mage Hand as often as possible. Opening doors can distract guards along with rattling chains and quiet knocks at doors close to them.( unless your dm is a wanker the more you use it the more they tend to let you use it in new situations). It can be cast into a room you can see into(through glass windows) to open or unlatch windows from inside. It just can not use a lockpick set. But it can turn a key. Or open a small box and retrieve the contents.
Your basic skills are not for face to face combat so try not to get into those situations.
Remember you can disengage with no problems if you get into a hand to hand fight.
If you really want to up your casting ability on the cheap take the ritual caster wizard feat and gain EVERY ritual spell available over time. At/by 12th level you can cast every ritual spell available to you then. Even the 6th level ones.
Granted they are just utility and can not normally be used in combat but they are spell slot free and cast-able all day long. Most Dms will let you buy or find them as you adventure.