I am the DM about to run our new campaign In 5th edition. It will be new for me and the whole group because we originally played 4th edition.
As I was gathering information for the players who are wanting to play, I have 1 right now who settled for a Tabaxi rogue swashbuckler no problems there. But a curiosity came up when he was asking about ranger abilities and if possible of Multiclassing with the ranger. Now immediately red flags came up for it really didn't making that much sense to me.
The player and I got into it a little bit and needless to say it didn't end well in our conversation about the usage of it and the "assumptions." Let alone the keywords he is looking for is "maximum optimization" of every field that he can get into. I also feel that no matter what I give him or what I can do to help him will satisfy whatever goal he is trying to accomplish that he isn't sharing or unsure how to share with me.
I've run into issues before with him not being satisfied with his previous characters in our last campaign, going through at least 3 characters before finally being forced to settle For a character.
Any advice on how to best handle this is really appreciated
Ultimately, if he has a history of changing up characters that much, maybe run a oneshot or two (at level 3-4 perhaps) before the game starts so he can test out whatever his ideas are and so you can see what he's getting at with this multiclassing idea?
For me, running a bunch of oneshots helped both my players test out multiple character ideas to figure out which they might have the most fun with with my next upcoming campaign. Plus they got to test out different options, like subclass options, to see what they would have the most fun with.
Mechanically, he might be looking for a rogue that can cast some spells as well as get multiattack, and maybe dueling or archery fighting style from ranger to give that bit of extra oomph to his build.
I mean, a rogue swashbuckler with dual weilding can do a decent amount... I have a rouge who's taking a few levels for that, in story because he's spending a lot of time with the Ranger, who he's probably developing romantic feelings for. Picks up a few nature tricks and learns how to use a shield and dual wield, neato.
Rogue and ranger are close enough to each other that I dont see any thematic problems with multiclassing them. After all classes are just rules to keep characters somewhat balanced, and 5e does a great job with it. I would not worry about powerlevel in this case as a gm.
This is the best Multiclassing Guide I have found. I have used it to help build multiple characters.
I am also bored easily with single class characters and need options.
Start with the Chart and it will show that Rogue/Ranger is a good mix. Furthermore, it shows Ranger/Rogue to also be a good mix. The way the list works is whatever is listed first is the primary that has the most classes.
Rogue/Ranger: Dipping ranger gives some proficiency, a skill, a fighting style, spells, and potentially a third level hunter feature. These classes have a lot of thematic and mechanical synergy. Between a breastplate and a shield a rogue with 16 dex gains 3 AC, 4 AC with the fighting style. Taking ranger up to 5 at some is a good way to ensure you land sneak attack, but at the cost of sneak attack progression.
Ranger/Rogue: Dipping rogue gives some skills, expertise, cunning action, and potentially an archetype. Cunning action is great on a ranger, aiding in kiting, and potentially repositioning in order to trigger horde breaker. Assassin is a common picks for rangers who tend to skulk about already. Arcane Trickster could provide a shield spell without an int/cha requirement. There are plenty of good options here, that easily combine with ranger.
Overall it seems like a good plan especially if boredom is a problem. The character will be good at melee and ranged. The damage potential is amazing. It will have a Ranger damage bonus on 1 attack (depending on Ranger Specialization), Sneak Attack on that attack and Hunters Mark on all of them. Also the character has the potential for a ton of skills. Ranger has a limited Nature/Druid spell list and if they choose Arcane Trickster they get a few Arcane spells as well.
Overall this is a great build and should keep the player entertained or at least give them options to work with.
Ranger and rogue work decently together. The 5e ranger is not the frost cheese, twin-strike monster you (or likely he) is expecting. Let him do it up, it's not going to hurt anything at all. Be thankful he didn't ask you if he could make a sorcerer|warlock or sorcerer|paladin. He'll have to have a 13 wis though in order to MC into ranger from rogue (I assume he's got a 13 dex already)
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
before I played 5e, I played 4e, and It is WAY different then 5e. Has the player looked at the ranger class? If not, I suggest that they do. I can see some ways that rogue and ranger could work together, but I'm mostly just interested in how the character gains those abilities in game.
I didn't bother much with 4th ed as it was terrible but ranger in 5th is a very poor class, at least the PHB ranger anyway. I also rarely play single class characters, I love multiclassing for the extra options it opens up. Yes I am a min-maxer of sorts, but generally not in the be the very best at combat way. One of my current characters is a fighter who has been min maxed into being the very best support character she can be with massive out of combat utility but fairly basic fighting skills.
I currently play a rogue scout 4 ranger gloomstalker 3. Love how they sink. Experties in nature, survival, stealth and several other skills. Hes a varient human with crossbow and sharpshooter feats. Does great first round damage with dread ambusher, umbreal sight and sneak attack. He's great at getting out of contact and desgise self has proved very fun. Took archery fighting style. Has +8 inative and taking alert as next feat for a plus 13 iniative. Has a cloak of the elven kind. Literally disappears in cover and is invisible in darkness
I currently play a rogue scout 4 ranger gloomstalker 3. Love how they sink. Experties in nature, survival, stealth and several other skills. Hes a varient human with crossbow and sharpshooter feats. Does great first round damage with dread ambusher and sbeak attack. His skills work really well together. +8 iniative. Taking alert next. Im having fun
I currently play a rogue scout 4 ranger gloomstalker 3. Love how they sink. Experties in nature, survival, stealth and several other skills. Hes a varient human with crossbow and sharpshooter feats. Does great first round damage with dread ambusher and sbeak attack. His skills work really well together. +8 iniative. Taking alert next. Im having fun
I’ve considered something like this too, but I’d make the rogue an assassin. Just thinking about the gloomstalker abilities paired with an assassin’s surprise strike critical from sharpeshooter range (your D&D sniper build) is tempting. With rogue expertises and reliable talents you are good support too (not just a damage bot).
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So as the title implies.
I am the DM about to run our new campaign In 5th edition. It will be new for me and the whole group because we originally played 4th edition.
As I was gathering information for the players who are wanting to play, I have 1 right now who settled for a Tabaxi rogue swashbuckler no problems there. But a curiosity came up when he was asking about ranger abilities and if possible of Multiclassing with the ranger. Now immediately red flags came up for it really didn't making that much sense to me.
The player and I got into it a little bit and needless to say it didn't end well in our conversation about the usage of it and the "assumptions." Let alone the keywords he is looking for is "maximum optimization" of every field that he can get into. I also feel that no matter what I give him or what I can do to help him will satisfy whatever goal he is trying to accomplish that he isn't sharing or unsure how to share with me.
I've run into issues before with him not being satisfied with his previous characters in our last campaign, going through at least 3 characters before finally being forced to settle For a character.
Any advice on how to best handle this is really appreciated
Sounds like a min-maxer. Some people just are.
Ultimately, if he has a history of changing up characters that much, maybe run a oneshot or two (at level 3-4 perhaps) before the game starts so he can test out whatever his ideas are and so you can see what he's getting at with this multiclassing idea?
For me, running a bunch of oneshots helped both my players test out multiple character ideas to figure out which they might have the most fun with with my next upcoming campaign. Plus they got to test out different options, like subclass options, to see what they would have the most fun with.
Mechanically, he might be looking for a rogue that can cast some spells as well as get multiattack, and maybe dueling or archery fighting style from ranger to give that bit of extra oomph to his build.
I'll attempt a one shop to see if that will help in foreseeing any issue's. this'll be something ill try to keep in mind.
The extra melee attack was one of the main goals along with the favored enemy. The second focus is damage with duel wielding.
I mean, a rogue swashbuckler with dual weilding can do a decent amount... I have a rouge who's taking a few levels for that, in story because he's spending a lot of time with the Ranger, who he's probably developing romantic feelings for. Picks up a few nature tricks and learns how to use a shield and dual wield, neato.
Rogue and ranger are close enough to each other that I dont see any thematic problems with multiclassing them. After all classes are just rules to keep characters somewhat balanced, and 5e does a great job with it. I would not worry about powerlevel in this case as a gm.
https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?502248-Ultimate-Optimizer-s-Multiclassing-Guide
This is the best Multiclassing Guide I have found. I have used it to help build multiple characters.
I am also bored easily with single class characters and need options.
Start with the Chart and it will show that Rogue/Ranger is a good mix. Furthermore, it shows Ranger/Rogue to also be a good mix. The way the list works is whatever is listed first is the primary that has the most classes.
Rogue/Ranger: Dipping ranger gives some proficiency, a skill, a fighting style, spells, and potentially a third level hunter feature. These classes have a lot of thematic and mechanical synergy. Between a breastplate and a shield a rogue with 16 dex gains 3 AC, 4 AC with the fighting style. Taking ranger up to 5 at some is a good way to ensure you land sneak attack, but at the cost of sneak attack progression.
Ranger/Rogue: Dipping rogue gives some skills, expertise, cunning action, and potentially an archetype. Cunning action is great on a ranger, aiding in kiting, and potentially repositioning in order to trigger horde breaker. Assassin is a common picks for rangers who tend to skulk about already. Arcane Trickster could provide a shield spell without an int/cha requirement. There are plenty of good options here, that easily combine with ranger.
Overall it seems like a good plan especially if boredom is a problem. The character will be good at melee and ranged. The damage potential is amazing. It will have a Ranger damage bonus on 1 attack (depending on Ranger Specialization), Sneak Attack on that attack and Hunters Mark on all of them. Also the character has the potential for a ton of skills. Ranger has a limited Nature/Druid spell list and if they choose Arcane Trickster they get a few Arcane spells as well.
Overall this is a great build and should keep the player entertained or at least give them options to work with.
Ranger and rogue work decently together. The 5e ranger is not the frost cheese, twin-strike monster you (or likely he) is expecting. Let him do it up, it's not going to hurt anything at all. Be thankful he didn't ask you if he could make a sorcerer|warlock or sorcerer|paladin. He'll have to have a 13 wis though in order to MC into ranger from rogue (I assume he's got a 13 dex already)
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
before I played 5e, I played 4e, and It is WAY different then 5e. Has the player looked at the ranger class? If not, I suggest that they do. I can see some ways that rogue and ranger could work together, but I'm mostly just interested in how the character gains those abilities in game.
DM: Dragon of Icespire Peak PbP
In my opinion Swashbuckler/Hexblade is a better combination than Swashbuckler/Ranger.
I didn't bother much with 4th ed as it was terrible but ranger in 5th is a very poor class, at least the PHB ranger anyway. I also rarely play single class characters, I love multiclassing for the extra options it opens up. Yes I am a min-maxer of sorts, but generally not in the be the very best at combat way. One of my current characters is a fighter who has been min maxed into being the very best support character she can be with massive out of combat utility but fairly basic fighting skills.
I currently play a rogue scout 4 ranger gloomstalker 3. Love how they sink. Experties in nature, survival, stealth and several other skills. Hes a varient human with crossbow and sharpshooter feats. Does great first round damage with dread ambusher, umbreal sight and sneak attack. He's great at getting out of contact and desgise self has proved very fun. Took archery fighting style. Has +8 inative and taking alert as next feat for a plus 13 iniative. Has a cloak of the elven kind. Literally disappears in cover and is invisible in darkness
I currently play a rogue scout 4 ranger gloomstalker 3. Love how they sink. Experties in nature, survival, stealth and several other skills. Hes a varient human with crossbow and sharpshooter feats. Does great first round damage with dread ambusher and sbeak attack. His skills work really well together. +8 iniative. Taking alert next. Im having fun
sorry about second post no idea what happened.
I’ve considered something like this too, but I’d make the rogue an assassin. Just thinking about the gloomstalker abilities paired with an assassin’s surprise strike critical from sharpeshooter range (your D&D sniper build) is tempting. With rogue expertises and reliable talents you are good support too (not just a damage bot).