D&D General A question about Extra Attack and the Sharpshooter feat

[Corinnguard]

The Sharpshooter feat has it where you can choose to take a -5 penalty with a ranged weapon you are proficient in, in order to gain a +10 bonus to damage (if you succeed with the hit). How would this feat work if your character is capable of making Extra Attacks (at 5th level and above) and has a subclass feature (such as the Gloom Stalker Ranger's Dread Ambusher)?

I am curious to know if the -5 to hit/+10 to damage works on only one shot using the Extra Attack/Sharpshooter combo, or if it works on all of the ranged attacks you can make with this combo. I am currently musing about getting this for my Bugbear Ranger (Gloom Stalker) when he reaches 8th level (currently he's at 6th level and has Dread Ambusher) I think that even if he can make three attacks with his +1 longbow, the -5 to hit/+10 to damage is going to only apply to his first attack. As he would be quickly drawing an arrow from it's quiver, placing it on his bow, lining up the shot and then firing it before repeating the process all over again in a matter of seconds. However, there is nothing in this feat that says you can't apply this feat to all of your Extra Attacks either. So if all three of my character's attacks were to hit, he would be looking at an additional +30 points of damage!

So which is it? -5 to hit/+10 to damage for one attack only or for all attacks made by the character? I hope One D&D fixes this conundrum.

 

[Oofta]

Every attack that you make at -5 is a +10 to damage if you hit.

 

[jeffh]

I disagree with Oofta. The PH description of the feat (p 170) says "before you make an attack"; it doesn't mention the Attack action or capitalize "attack" or anything like that. It seems clear to me that you can choose whether to use Sharpshooter for each individual attack, and if you have Extra Attack, your second attack is not bound by the choice you made for the first one.

There is certainly nothing there that would support the interpretation that it can only be used on the first attack.

 

[ezo]

So which is it? -5 to hit/+10 to damage for one attack only or for all attacks made by the character? I hope One D&D fixes this conundrum.

It is any attack the player chooses to accept the -5 on attack rolls gains the +10 to damage.

There is no limit. It can be on any attack the PC makes. Any or all of them.

A 20th level fighter with Extra Attack (3) could fire with sharp shooter -5 two times, miss both times, and then decide not to use it for the third attack which hits, and choose to try sharp shooter again on the last accepting -5 on the attack roll.

 

[bedir than]

I disagree with Oofta. The PH description of the feat (p 170) says "before you make an attack"; it doesn't mention the Attack action or capitalize "attack" or anything like that. It seems clear to me that you can choose whether to use Sharpshooter for each individual attack, and if you have Extra Attack, your second attack is not bound by the choice you made for the first one.

There is certainly nothing there that would support the interpretation that it can only be used on the first attack.

That's what Oofta said. Though they used fewer words

 

[Oofta]

I disagree with Oofta. The PH description of the feat (p 170) says "before you make an attack"; it doesn't mention the Attack action or capitalize "attack" or anything like that. It seems clear to me that you can choose whether to use Sharpshooter for each individual attack, and if you have Extra Attack, your second attack is not bound by the choice you made for the first one.

There is certainly nothing there that would support the interpretation that it can only be used on the first attack.

That (the bolded) is ... what I said. An attack action is not an attack, for every attack you take you need to decide if you're taking a -5 to get a +10.

 

[jgsugden]

Nuances:

1.) You need to be proficient with the weapon. This came up for me when someone was using a ballista.
2.) You have to make the election before you begin the attack. If you have abilities that you can use during an attack, they must be used after you make the election.
3.) The attack must hit for you to get the bonus damage. If you have a ranged weapon attack that does half damage on a miss (rare), it does not deal 5 damage from this on that miss.
4.) The weapon must be a ranged weapon that you use for the attack if you want the -5/+10. It technically can't be a melee weapon with the thrown property. No Sharpshooter bonus on a Dwarven Thrower, Trident, Dagger, Handaxe, Javelin, Spear of Light Hammer. Some DMs, like Matt Mercer in Campaign 1, overlook this requirement.
5.) It can be used with the Ranger Volley ability. The first ranger I watched advance all the way through 5E was an archer and he was launching 'mini fireballs' every round with high accuracy and damage after level 11. (d8 + 5 (dex) + 2 (bracers) + 2d8 (holy weapon) + 10 (sharpshooter) + d4 (enlarged) + d4 (poison - DC 10 negates)= 30 plus damage to everying in a 10 foot radius.

 

[ezo]

2.) You have to make the election before you begin the attack. If you have abilities that you can use during an attack, they must be used after you make the election.

While I completely agree with the others, I'm not certain I agree with this one.

As long as you choose to accept the penalty before you roll the die (or dice if you have advantage or disadvantage), what does it matter what order you state you are using sharpshoooter or some other abilit?

Do you have an example where this actually makes a difference??

 

[TwoSix]

While I completely agree with the others, I'm not certain I agree with this one.

As long as you choose to accept the penalty before you roll the die (or dice if you have advantage or disadvantage), what does it matter what order you state you are using sharpshoooter or some other abilit?

Do you have an example where this actually makes a difference??

I’m pretty sure they were referencing post-roll but pre-resolution abilities like Precision Attack.

 

[J-H]

Sharpshooter does work with the Armorer's lightning launchers.