D&D 5E Please Help me Keep up with my friends!

Valric · Nov 10, 2017

So my DM is letting us create new characters now thanks to the new UA Guide.
I'm not too keen on UA and if possible I don't want to use it. I want to stick with my Half Elf Fighter as well.
He uses a longsword and a longbow. Primarily longsword, whipping out the bow when I'm low or need range.
He also uses Medium armor so sneaking is still viable for him. He's a Battle Master. Everyone will be level 5.

I'm not sure about everyone in the group, but one person is going Bugbear Rogue. I assume the rest of my party will be doing something about as strong as that. My character is currently doing well in all categories, but I feel after we switch I will be left in the dust.

Is there anything I can do to keep up with my character?

pdegan2814 · Nov 11, 2017

There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with the Battlemaster Fighter, you'll be fine

Blue · Nov 12, 2017

My one concern is that you need STR for your longsword and DEX for your bow. Would you consider a rapier and longbow? Then you can focus on just DEX. Half elf is +2 CHR and two +1s - that way they could go DEX and CON. Might even get to the point where you go for light armor, which is just dandy with Stealth. Rapier is still PHB.

Battlemaster fighter is just fine, don't worry about it. Half elf is a great race, though if you are worried about all of your party all trying to optimize, have you looked at the Wood Elf? Still close, but gets a +2 DEX instead, an have a higher movement. But I wouldn't worry.

The other worry if everyone is trying to optimize is that polearms, two handed weapons, and ranged attacks all have feats that directly add to their damage output, but longsword doesn't.

Now, longsword and shield (which is still fine for the Duelist fighting style) can take Shield Mastery feat (still from PHB) to be able to shove people prone as a bonus action and then get your attacks with advantage. But that would take STR as well., which was your original plan. At higher levels if you felt you weren't keeping up you could take an UA feat, Elven Accuracy. It turns all those attacks with advantage into effectively three dice instead of two. But that's not required, just a flavorful UA option if you want to go that route.

EDIT: Have some welcome XP. Glad to see you here.

Phion · Nov 12, 2017

Honestly if you can't beat them join them. By this I mean instead of out performing them, make your allies even more powerful and the battle master can do this in various ways. Manoeuvring attack for example could move the bugbear rogue in a better position for the next attack OR help them get away from a mob of enemies trying to kill him because he has drawn too much attention to himself.

With your reliable damage as a fighter, good defences and correct selection of feats you will always be relevant at the table.

smbakeresq · Nov 13, 2017

If you are not using a shield, might as well go dual weapon. As stated before, just go full on dex build, you will be fine. Dex and Con with your race boosts. You will be fine on the damage front with your BM stuff.

smbakeresq · Nov 13, 2017

When you build your pc, put odd numbers into dex and con, and then an even number into CHR If you start with an array of 15, 14, 13 12, 10, 8 you can use 15 in dex and 13 in CON, and then the 12 or 14 in CHR and the other into STR.

After racial bonus, you will get 16 dex, 14 con, 16 chr, 12 str others as you like.

Light armor with dex will pass medium armor as medium armor stops counting dex after +2. You can be stealthy that way also. With a good CHR you an use BM maneuver Rally and also the feat Inspiring leader.

Valric · Nov 13, 2017

Thank you all for the wonderful advice! I have thought of going Rapier and dual wielding it just doesn't fit the flavor I'm going for. As far as Elven Accuracy how does that work exactly? I read it as if I have advantage I get to reroll one of the dice to hit.

pdegan2814 · Nov 13, 2017

Valric said:
Thank you all for the wonderful advice! I have thought of going Rapier and dual wielding it just doesn't fit the flavor I'm going for. As far as Elven Accuracy how does that work exactly? I read it as if I have advantage I get to reroll one of the dice to hit.

That's what it looks like to me, if you have advantage you essentially re-roll the lower die result.