I'm playing a half-elf child named Ashe Valentino who is currently a lv3 Arcane Archer. His stats are:
STR: 8 (-1)
DEX: 17 (+3)
CON: 12 (+1)
INT: 17 (+3)
WIS: 16 (+3)
CHA: 14: (+2)
proficiency in athletics, acrobatics, stealth, history, nature, insight, persuasion.
We're playing Hoard of the Dragon Queen, exp and milestone mix.
I rolled pretty good stats but now that I'm approaching my 1st ASI I'm not sure what to do. Should I round out Dex and Int to 18? Should I go for sharpshooter now or wait? Ashe enjoys being the face of the party by personality and loves deceiving and lying, should I take Prodigy or a point in Rogue? I do eventually want proficiency in deception and thieves tools. Any opinions about where to go from here would be appreciated.
Don't multiclass until you hit atleast 5 in fighter so you don't delay your extra attack. At level 8 take sharpshooter since at 7 you get curved shot which is an insanely good combo.
18 for DEX is good enough for tier 2, so if you want rogue, you can take it after level 6. Otherwise, you can get prodigy at 12.
3 levels of rogue for arcane trickster can make good use of that INT and is probably better than the last 3 levels of fighter, but it delays the second action surge (if your campaign is even going to level 17-20).
I have an AA currently in a campaign, here’s how to maximize your strengths:
- Sharpshooter at Level 6 to fully take advantage of Curving Arrow. Think of Curving Arrow+SS as the perfect combination of accuracy and damage which will quickly outpace all of the other classes out there in terms of consistency. I’m hoping you took Archery Fighting Style as well? With Archery+CA+SS active expect to hit as many times as you have attacks each round, because misses almost always turn into auxiliary hits.
- Save your Arcane Archer Shot Options for Critical Hits as much as possible. You get to decide which Option you use AFTER you hit, which is a massive advantage in maximizing the damage each time.
- Don't multiclass. The Fighter class gets more Feats than any other class so get Prodigy instead. This also maximizes your Extra Attacks so you get 3 attacks at level 11 (and if you’re playing a long time, 4 at level 20). That means you get 6 attacks on an Action Surge round (and therefore 6 hits as well). It feels absolutely devastating!
- Grasping Arrow has no save, doesn’t stop when the target flies, does not require concentration, and requires a full action to remove. Use this often!
- For alpha strike capability, use Shadow Arrow on your opening attack. If it sticks, you get Advantage on all attacks thereafter so maximize your damage with an Action Surge immediately and let arrows fly. Contemplate getting the Elven Accuracy feat combined to wicked effect.
- Do not underestimate Banishing Arrow. Charisma is usually a low save AND they’re incapacitated while banished which means it *instantly* ends concentration and a whole host of other effects. Great to stop a Suggestion spell or other Banishing/Maze-like spell.
- Consider a feat like Mage Slayer - you’ll be hitting so many times per round that threatening to shut down spellcasters becomes a very simple prospect.
- Don't multiclass. The Fighter class gets more Feats than any other class so get Prodigy instead. This also maximizes your Extra Attacks so you get 3 attacks at level 11 (and if you’re playing a long time, 4 at level 20). That means you get 6 attacks on an Action Surge round (and therefore 6 hits as well). It feels absolutely devastating!
I thought of doing that for my Arcane Archer - but I just can't rationalise her having Con+Str saving throw proficiency at level 1 when she's more intelligent and dexterous. So I made her a Rogue for level 1 (Dex+Int saving throw). It helped with the expertise in Investigation and Nature too which is better for her background and for RP. Mechanically speaking though - I agree.
If you've got two odd scores, and they're both in stats you intend to use a lot, in my opinion going for the ASI and bumping those two stats is a pretty easy choice. Can't go wrong doing that.
I took grasping and bursting as my first 2 arcane shot options. I had read everywhere that grasping was undoubtedly the best, and we were getting hit with a lot of swarm/pack encounters in the first 2 chapters of Hoard of the Dragon Queen.
currently playing an Arcane Archer, @ 9th level *High Elf*
I would suggest putting your Dex to 19 and then at lvl 6 take Elven Accuracy to get to 20 and at lvl 8 Sharpshooter. Only because this is where I am at right now and I took sharpshooter at level 4 rather than getting my Dex to 20 and if I had to do it again I would have flipped them around. Work hard to get advantage, the amount of damage you can do with Elven Accuracy's tripling your crit chance on advantage is not to be laughed out. I out damage everyone in our party by a good margin at the time being.
I thought of doing that for my Arcane Archer - but I just can't rationalise her having Con+Str saving throw proficiency at level 1 when she's more intelligent and dexterous. So I made her a Rogue for level 1 (Dex+Int saving throw). It helped with the expertise in Investigation and Nature too which is better for her background and for RP. Mechanically speaking though - I agree.
A strategy that emphasizes Saves is always a good strategy. At lower levels you won’t notice a difference but when you start hitting up Beholders and above you’ll cherish every penny. Solid idea :)
I'm playing a half-elf child named Ashe Valentino who is currently a lv3 Arcane Archer. His stats are:
STR: 8 (-1)
DEX: 17 (+3)
CON: 12 (+1)
INT: 17 (+3)
WIS: 16 (+3)
CHA: 14: (+2)
proficiency in athletics, acrobatics, stealth, history, nature, insight, persuasion.
We're playing Hoard of the Dragon Queen, exp and milestone mix.
I rolled pretty good stats but now that I'm approaching my 1st ASI I'm not sure what to do. Should I round out Dex and Int to 18? Should I go for sharpshooter now or wait? Ashe enjoys being the face of the party by personality and loves deceiving and lying, should I take Prodigy or a point in Rogue? I do eventually want proficiency in deception and thieves tools. Any opinions about where to go from here would be appreciated.
Don't multiclass until you hit atleast 5 in fighter so you don't delay your extra attack. At level 8 take sharpshooter since at 7 you get curved shot which is an insanely good combo.
What about lv 6? Dex to 20?
completely forgot about the lvl 6 bump. Take sharpshooter at 6 then max out dex at 8
1stSon has a pretty good plan there.
18 for DEX is good enough for tier 2, so if you want rogue, you can take it after level 6. Otherwise, you can get prodigy at 12.
3 levels of rogue for arcane trickster can make good use of that INT and is probably better than the last 3 levels of fighter, but it delays the second action surge (if your campaign is even going to level 17-20).
I have an AA currently in a campaign, here’s how to maximize your strengths:
- Sharpshooter at Level 6 to fully take advantage of Curving Arrow. Think of Curving Arrow+SS as the perfect combination of accuracy and damage which will quickly outpace all of the other classes out there in terms of consistency. I’m hoping you took Archery Fighting Style as well? With Archery+CA+SS active expect to hit as many times as you have attacks each round, because misses almost always turn into auxiliary hits.
- Save your Arcane Archer Shot Options for Critical Hits as much as possible. You get to decide which Option you use AFTER you hit, which is a massive advantage in maximizing the damage each time.
- Don't multiclass. The Fighter class gets more Feats than any other class so get Prodigy instead. This also maximizes your Extra Attacks so you get 3 attacks at level 11 (and if you’re playing a long time, 4 at level 20). That means you get 6 attacks on an Action Surge round (and therefore 6 hits as well). It feels absolutely devastating!
- Grasping Arrow has no save, doesn’t stop when the target flies, does not require concentration, and requires a full action to remove. Use this often!
- For alpha strike capability, use Shadow Arrow on your opening attack. If it sticks, you get Advantage on all attacks thereafter so maximize your damage with an Action Surge immediately and let arrows fly. Contemplate getting the Elven Accuracy feat combined to wicked effect.
- Do not underestimate Banishing Arrow. Charisma is usually a low save AND they’re incapacitated while banished which means it *instantly* ends concentration and a whole host of other effects. Great to stop a Suggestion spell or other Banishing/Maze-like spell.
- Consider a feat like Mage Slayer - you’ll be hitting so many times per round that threatening to shut down spellcasters becomes a very simple prospect.
I thought of doing that for my Arcane Archer - but I just can't rationalise her having Con+Str saving throw proficiency at level 1 when she's more intelligent and dexterous. So I made her a Rogue for level 1 (Dex+Int saving throw). It helped with the expertise in Investigation and Nature too which is better for her background and for RP.
Mechanically speaking though - I agree.
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If you've got two odd scores, and they're both in stats you intend to use a lot, in my opinion going for the ASI and bumping those two stats is a pretty easy choice. Can't go wrong doing that.
I took grasping and bursting as my first 2 arcane shot options. I had read everywhere that grasping was undoubtedly the best, and we were getting hit with a lot of swarm/pack encounters in the first 2 chapters of Hoard of the Dragon Queen.
currently playing an Arcane Archer, @ 9th level *High Elf*
I would suggest putting your Dex to 19 and then at lvl 6 take Elven Accuracy to get to 20 and at lvl 8 Sharpshooter. Only because this is where I am at right now and I took sharpshooter at level 4 rather than getting my Dex to 20 and if I had to do it again I would have flipped them around. Work hard to get advantage, the amount of damage you can do with Elven Accuracy's tripling your crit chance on advantage is not to be laughed out. I out damage everyone in our party by a good margin at the time being.
A strategy that emphasizes Saves is always a good strategy. At lower levels you won’t notice a difference but when you start hitting up Beholders and above you’ll cherish every penny. Solid idea :)
If you are really interested in multiclassing into rogue, I'm of the opinion that an Arcane Archer/Scout makes a better Ranger than the Ranger.