D&D 5E Character revamp - looking for ideas

[Blue]

Just an update - I figured while my damage on a hit may lag, with reliable accuracy (on my only attack) and Elven Accuracy I would apply it more often. And the artificer with heavy skill overlap was changing to a battlemaster.

What I didn't know was that the cleric moved to paladin (and the paladin to cleric). So their +3d10 fire per hit moved from one to two attacks. So I'm still trailing well behind in expected damage per round.

 

[TwoSix]

Just an update - I figured while my damage on a hit may lag, with reliable accuracy (on my only attack) and Elven Accuracy I would apply it more often. And the artificer with heavy skill overlap was changing to a battlemaster.

What I didn't know was that the cleric moved to paladin (and the paladin to cleric). So their +3d10 fire per hit moved from one to two attacks. So I'm still trailing well behind in expected damage per round.

I think other than some kind of spell shenanigans I'm not well versed in, I don't think there's any way you're keeping up with a +3d10 weapon. That's roughly equivalent to a 9th level rogue's sneak attack (17.5 vs 16.5), and that's per hit.

The only possible way I can think of with a bow on a rogue is haste/readied action to get some off-turn sneak attack.

If you were 10/11, maybe something with Valor/Swords Bard and abusing Swift Quiver/Sharpshooter to get 4 attacks a round. But other than that...yea, I don't know.

 

[Blue]

Thanks @TwoSix , at this point I've had my chance to rework and it's just going to lag behind as others also took the opportunity and had artifact weapons better suited to doing so. At least the new-player artificer with the same skill set got reworked to a battlemaster fighter and I'm pack to having unique skills. (They do +2d8 radiant per attack, but in a few levels will go up to a third attack.)

At this point the foes the DM throws against us to challenge this damage output overwhelm our defenses, so having a ranged weapon does have it's own set of advantages.

 

[ECMO3]

I'm playing in a long running Theros campaign where we all just managed to win our way back from the land of the dead. The DM has said that going through the portal we all come back as our idealized versions of ourselves and we can change race, class, whatever. As this is Theros, we're all agents of our gods, and most of us have been lent the artifact weapons of our gods to do a job the gods cannot and stop an unraveling of creation, so that I see as a set point.

I've been playing Spyros "Scrufflechin", a personable musical satyr archer rogue who worships Nylea, goddess of the hunt. I've been unsatisfied with him for a while, mostly because the other artifact weapons add +2d10 or +3d10 to each attack and my sneak attack isn't a big deal. (We also had a newcomer player with an artificer with same/better rogue skill than me, but he's going to be changing over to a melee battlemaster.)

We've just hit 8th level, and I'm looking for suggestions for classes and subclasses that can keep alive the foundational nature of the character, but might be more fun.

Points towards his "idealized version".

• Needs to take advantage of a +3 Bow in order to keep "on-level" with the others. (Side note, it is actually an artifact so you can't make it a Warlock's Blade Pact weapon - I looked that up.)
• Worships Nylea, goddess of the hunt. Maybe Druid? Stars could have some archery things, but nothing druid really synergies with bow use.
• Satyr - I don't really see this changing, but we use Tasha's for ability scores so that's not much of a limitation. For a really good reason a warforged looking like a Satyr could work, as we have an Advilwrought in the party Spyros really looks up to.
• Stealth expert. Nature expert. "Hunter" - Could be ranger. But would need to be an archer ranger build that address the "all I do in combat is damage, and others do that better". And no, the artifact bow will not magically become a hand crossbow.
• Very curious. Perception. Investigation. Thieves tools to see "what's in there". (Note that stealing isn't on the list - he's the least greedy and least kleptomaniac rogue ever.)
• Personable, plays music and dances, makes friends everywhere - suggests Bard. But what subclass? Can't be glamour as I played a glamour bard with this group already a few years back. A party face wouldn't be bad though. And expertise would be helpful to stay the skill monkey.

We leveled up so we'll be 8th, so some limited multiclassing can work like 5/3. I don't mind having some levels of rogue to satisfy points of the idealized version above. Point buy, so need to control MAD.

The rest of the party, as far as I know after they transform:

• Ember, Anvilwrought Human Forge Cleric (planning to stay)
• Psarus, elder Triton Paladin (missed the session, don't know if will change, likely to stay)
• Acastus, Human Wizard chef (likely will stay as is)
• Zeno, Human (??) Melee Battlemaster (was Human Artificer)
• Zander, Minotaur Barbarian (long term absence due to work)

What funky ideas do you have that keeps to his idea of himself - though some bending is allowed.

A couple ideas:
1. Fey Wanderer Ranger.
Based on the Thematics here I would look at Fey Wanderer Ranger. I don't know what your scores are but I would make Wisdom my first priority, Dex second and try to get a decent 12-14 Charisma. Because you add Wisdom to Charisma skills, that will give you screaming high charisma skills, better than a Bard, while still being a good Archer. This plays into the "music dances and makes friends everywhere". Your perception should be good too with a high Wisdom, investigation is a concern, but you could get expertise in it if you really wanted it.

Fey Wanderer brings a ton of spell power and control to the table. You don't have to do a max DPR build to keep up. This is more of a supercharged Gish. Ideally you want to max Wisdom and get something to frighten enemies to trigger Beguiling Twist - The cause fear spell through shadow touched is the best way IME at this level. It also helps if the battlemaster gets menacing attack and if your casters throw a lot of fear or charms themselves. At 9th level you pick up Summon Fey which puts out a bonus action charm monster every single turn that you can twist if they save and at 11th level you no longer have to concentrate on Summon Fey. This class is first rate control at that point - up there with the best casters in the game.

A 1-level multiclass into Undead Warlock on a 13 Charisma is extremely powerful here although that does not sound very thematic. I would not multiclass any other class until after level 12. At that time I would consider either Druid or Cleric to pick up more spell slots to summon more/better Fey.

2. Arcane Archer
I don't think this will be as powerful as the Fey Wanderer but it leans on the Artifact weapon more. With curving shot and a +3 bow I would go against the stereotype and take superior technique as my fighting style instead of Archery and then martial adept as one of my feats. Then put 2 points in dex and take sharpshooter as your last fear.

Druidcraft Cantrip and Nature Proficiency for free.

Grasping Arrow is the best Arcane Shot and I would say it is better than 2 battlemaster maneuvers at this level. You can do this build with a really low intelligence because there is no save on Grasping Arrow. If you want to make use of the other arcane shots occasionally this build gets pretty MAD. Having the battlemaster maneuvers from the fighting style and feat give you a couple more effects you can add on a short rest. With 2 Arcane Shots and 2 Battlemaster Maneuvers every short rest, you will be outrunning a straight battlemaster bowman most of the time I think.

If you do go with a high intelligence you can multiclass into Wizard starting at level 9. Going War Wizard will give you some great save options. If you do multiclass into Wizard Fey Touched with Hex is a nice feat. Maybe use it to bring a 13 to 14 or a 15 to 16 easing the MAD a bit.

You can also look at a Rogue-Arcane Trickster multiclass here. Again I would not start Rogue until level 9.