I'm playing an Aarakocra Archery Ranger, currently Lvl 2. I'm struggling to pick between Gloom Stalker with a bit of Rouge / Assassin, or Horizon Walker with a bit of Rouge / Scout
Either way, I expect I'll grab a couple of levels of fighter / Battle Master too at some point
This is my first time playing 5e, and first time playing any D&D for over a decade, so appreciate the help
GS/A gives me Dark Vision (which I've been really missing a lot so far), some great 1st turn damage output, and virtual invisibility in the dark.
HW/S gives me bonus proficiencies in the 2 ranger-esque skills I'm currently missing, and makes me the king of sneaky movement. It's probably a slightly better fit for his backstory, too
Other players in the party are a dwarf cleric, halfing monk & half-elf rouge
Early on in the campaign, but so far there has been a lot of encounters underground where GS would shine.
I'm thinking Horizon walker probably a bit more fun, GS probably a bit more effective.
Horizon Walker is very bonus action intensive as you will want to use Planar Warrior every turn, which conflicts with your cunning action from rogue 2 and with hunters mark. On the other hand force damage is great als almost nothing has resistance to it.
Assassins autocrit in the first round is a great combo with the extra attack from Gloomstalker.
Especialy with your party darkvision is a big thing. Everybody else has it or a way to get it, so you would be the only one forced to carry a torch.
Seems to me like Gloomstalker is a perfect fit for you.
I currently play a rogue scout 4 ranger gs 3 love it. Have hand Xbox. And so many skills with expertise in nature survival and stealth. Use variant rules so hunters mark is not a spell and does not use concentration. So cast hunters mark with my +8 iniative take 2 attacks usually get 1d6 Xbox 2d6 sneak attack 1d6 hunters mark. Then second attack dread ambusher 1d6 xbow 1d8 dried ambushwr 1d6 hunters mark. With sharpshooter and xbow expert they are at +15. Its a lot of damage at this level. And invisible in the darkness
I've been playing a Triton Horizon Walker / Scout for 2.5 years (since XGtE was released). I am currently level 15. I did Ranger until 11 (to get Distant Strike) and will go 9 levels in Rogue. I really enjoy it, and its going to be a different playstyle than the Gloom Stalker / Assassin. While that is more of an ambush / alpha playstyle, Horizon Walker / Scout is all about mobility and multiple attacks, which I refer to as a Light Assault-esque combat.
Personally, the flight will make it a ton of fun, and makes sense with an Aarakocra being from the plane of air (like how Tritons are from water). Lots of people suggest going melee, but ranged actually works great and I prefer it. Distant Strike is a free disengage from a melee combatant, since you teleport BEFORE each attack is made. Remember that your concentration after level 9 will probably be taken up by Haste, not Hunter's Mark. This means at 11 if there are multiple enemies you get 4 attacks (2 in the Attack Action + 1 Free attack and 1 Hasted Attack) + 1 Planar Mark BA / 1 Hide BA (depending on if you are close enough or feel in danger of being targeted). Your flying speed would be 100 feet + 40 feet of teleporting between those 4 attacks. Its just a ton of fun as you progress through the class. If you make it to higher levels you eventually get Uncanny Dodge instead of Spectral Defense and at 18 I'll finally have Evasion in time for the final arc of our campaign... which is great since Haste gives me advantage on dex saves and I have proficiency as a base Ranger.
Horizon walker does sound like it's much more my cup of tea, in terms of playstyle and thematic fit, but getting darkvision from Gloom Stalker is a massive draw for me.
Horizon walker does sound like it's much more my cup of tea, in terms of playstyle and thematic fit, but getting darkvision from Gloom Stalker is a massive draw for me.
I'm still torn.
You know the nice thing about Darkvision... Goggles of Night are non-attunement 60 foot darkvision! I bought those, but then they go and decide to give Tritons darkvision after years of playing one!
Assassin is certainly more effective in combat than scout. Scout gets you the skills and a little more mobility (at the cost of using a reaction), but you can pick up one of those skills by multiclassing into Ranger anyway. The only way I personally would take scout is if you were going to be using those skills a lot, where the expertise would come in handy.
Gloom stalker vs horizon walker is a tradeoff. I was faced with a similar decision and went with GS because of the darkvision.
I have a dual-wielding teleporting planar warrior Horizon Walker Ranger who is going to be incredibly mobile and fun; also effective. Teleporting across the battlefield is going to make more effective than a fast monk. 2 Longswords, 2 shortswords, and 4 daggers. I am pretty much a teleporting Bey-blade.
Assassin is certainly more effective in combat than scout. Scout gets you the skills and a little more mobility (at the cost of using a reaction), but you can pick up one of those skills by multiclassing into Ranger anyway. The only way I personally would take scout is if you were going to be using those skills a lot, where the expertise would come in handy.
Gloom stalker vs horizon walker is a tradeoff. I was faced with a similar decision and went with GS because of the darkvision.
Man, but that sweet sweet teleportation. No attacks of opportunity thanks to it.
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I'm playing an Aarakocra Archery Ranger, currently Lvl 2. I'm struggling to pick between Gloom Stalker with a bit of Rouge / Assassin, or Horizon Walker with a bit of Rouge / Scout
Either way, I expect I'll grab a couple of levels of fighter / Battle Master too at some point
This is my first time playing 5e, and first time playing any D&D for over a decade, so appreciate the help
GS/A gives me Dark Vision (which I've been really missing a lot so far), some great 1st turn damage output, and virtual invisibility in the dark.
HW/S gives me bonus proficiencies in the 2 ranger-esque skills I'm currently missing, and makes me the king of sneaky movement. It's probably a slightly better fit for his backstory, too
Other players in the party are a dwarf cleric, halfing monk & half-elf rouge
Early on in the campaign, but so far there has been a lot of encounters underground where GS would shine.
I'm thinking Horizon walker probably a bit more fun, GS probably a bit more effective.
Any thoughts?
Horizon Walker is very bonus action intensive as you will want to use Planar Warrior every turn, which conflicts with your cunning action from rogue 2 and with hunters mark. On the other hand force damage is great als almost nothing has resistance to it.
Assassins autocrit in the first round is a great combo with the extra attack from Gloomstalker.
Especialy with your party darkvision is a big thing. Everybody else has it or a way to get it, so you would be the only one forced to carry a torch.
Seems to me like Gloomstalker is a perfect fit for you.
I currently play a rogue scout 4 ranger gs 3 love it. Have hand Xbox. And so many skills with expertise in nature survival and stealth. Use variant rules so hunters mark is not a spell and does not use concentration. So cast hunters mark with my +8 iniative take 2 attacks usually get 1d6 Xbox 2d6 sneak attack 1d6 hunters mark. Then second attack dread ambusher 1d6 xbow 1d8 dried ambushwr 1d6 hunters mark. With sharpshooter and xbow expert they are at +15. Its a lot of damage at this level. And invisible in the darkness
I've been playing a Triton Horizon Walker / Scout for 2.5 years (since XGtE was released). I am currently level 15. I did Ranger until 11 (to get Distant Strike) and will go 9 levels in Rogue. I really enjoy it, and its going to be a different playstyle than the Gloom Stalker / Assassin. While that is more of an ambush / alpha playstyle, Horizon Walker / Scout is all about mobility and multiple attacks, which I refer to as a Light Assault-esque combat.
Personally, the flight will make it a ton of fun, and makes sense with an Aarakocra being from the plane of air (like how Tritons are from water). Lots of people suggest going melee, but ranged actually works great and I prefer it. Distant Strike is a free disengage from a melee combatant, since you teleport BEFORE each attack is made. Remember that your concentration after level 9 will probably be taken up by Haste, not Hunter's Mark. This means at 11 if there are multiple enemies you get 4 attacks (2 in the Attack Action + 1 Free attack and 1 Hasted Attack) + 1 Planar Mark BA / 1 Hide BA (depending on if you are close enough or feel in danger of being targeted). Your flying speed would be 100 feet + 40 feet of teleporting between those 4 attacks. Its just a ton of fun as you progress through the class. If you make it to higher levels you eventually get Uncanny Dodge instead of Spectral Defense and at 18 I'll finally have Evasion in time for the final arc of our campaign... which is great since Haste gives me advantage on dex saves and I have proficiency as a base Ranger.
thanks, all.
Horizon walker does sound like it's much more my cup of tea, in terms of playstyle and thematic fit, but getting darkvision from Gloom Stalker is a massive draw for me.
I'm still torn.
You know the nice thing about Darkvision... Goggles of Night are non-attunement 60 foot darkvision! I bought those, but then they go and decide to give Tritons darkvision after years of playing one!
Assassin is certainly more effective in combat than scout. Scout gets you the skills and a little more mobility (at the cost of using a reaction), but you can pick up one of those skills by multiclassing into Ranger anyway. The only way I personally would take scout is if you were going to be using those skills a lot, where the expertise would come in handy.
Gloom stalker vs horizon walker is a tradeoff. I was faced with a similar decision and went with GS because of the darkvision.
I have a dual-wielding teleporting planar warrior Horizon Walker Ranger who is going to be incredibly mobile and fun; also effective. Teleporting across the battlefield is going to make more effective than a fast monk. 2 Longswords, 2 shortswords, and 4 daggers. I am pretty much a teleporting Bey-blade.
Man, but that sweet sweet teleportation. No attacks of opportunity thanks to it.