D&D 5E First 5e Game: Gestalt Archer. Please help me find the coolest build!

[Kierstaad]

Hi! First post on EnWorld, found you guys looking for threads on 5e. I recently found a game to join, but they're using a homebrewed gestalt system. Basics of rules: things essentially stack by the multi-classing rules, excepting that we get APIs for each class (double, essentially) and spell slots cap out at your level's full-caster maximum+1 if another class also gives you slots for that level. (I.e. level 4 Paldain/Sorcerer gets 5 Lvl1 spells and 3 lvl 2 spells per day). I'm starting at level 4 with standard point-buy stats.

The group so far contains a Champion/Battlemaster Fighter, a Paladin/Monk using wis for paladin cha abilities, a dual-wielding Ranger/Fighter, a Fighter/Warlock, and a favored soul Sorcerer/Warlock.

Having never played 5e I'm essentially lost. The group said the were fine on healing between potions, the paladin, and the sorcerer. I've liked playing all sorts of characters in the past, but recently I've been highly enjoying archers in various video games, especially stealthy archers, so I'd kinda like to play one, but honestly I don't have to. That's essentially where I'm stuck. What does my group lack that may become apparent later? What builds would you recommend? Thanks.

 

[pming]

Hiya!

Er, hate to say it, but with those changes you listed...the statement of "Having never played 5e..." will continue on even after you've played in this campaign for a few months. Those are some rather 'severe' changes that, IMHO, "break" the 5e bedrock of Bounded Accuracy. So your next "non-extensive house-ruled" game of 5e will be vastly different from what you will be learning here. Personally, I'd say skip this campaign and find a more 'normal' one first. But that's me.

I know, not very helpful, but really, what one persons "cool character" is another persons "annoying p.o.s. character". An 'archer' character I always though might be fun to try is a high-dex fighter that uses daggers (throwing and melee). Another one is a lightly armored cleric of a hunting god/dess, with a greek-pantheon slant. Mechanics wise? I don't care...I'm not in it for mechanical stuff, really. Give me cool visuals and character personalities and I'm happy as a duck in water.

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[hejtmane]

Hiya!

Er, hate to say it, but with those changes you listed...the statement of "Having never played 5e..." will continue on even after you've played in this campaign for a few months. Those are some rather 'severe' changes that, IMHO, "break" the 5e bedrock of Bounded Accuracy. So your next "non-extensive house-ruled" game of 5e will be vastly different from what you will be learning here. Personally, I'd say skip this campaign and find a more 'normal' one first. But that's me.

I know, not very helpful, but really, what one persons "cool character" is another persons "annoying p.o.s. character". An 'archer' character I always though might be fun to try is a high-dex fighter that uses daggers (throwing and melee). Another one is a lightly armored cleric of a hunting god/dess, with a greek-pantheon slant. Mechanics wise? I don't care...I'm not in it for mechanical stuff, really. Give me cool visuals and character personalities and I'm happy as a duck in water.

^_^

Paul L. Ming

Ha I thought a fighter/warlock or fighter/druid or ranger/druid with sling and magic stone cantrip would be a funny build add SS feat and use that instead of arrows maybe add the lucky feat

 

[TwoSix]

To be a good archer in 5e, you need 3 things:

1) High Dexterity
2) Archery Fighting Style
3) Sharpshooter Feat

Considering you're a Dex build with light armor, you only really need stealth proficiency to be a stealthy character. Also, ideally you want to take one class with Extra Attack at 5th level and a 2nd class with full casting, to maximize your gestalt progression. Looking at the rest of the party, maybe Champion Fighter/Lore Bard? Your party could really use some buffing with all of its attacking skill, and lore bard would give you stealth expertise and great spellcasting, especially once you hit level 6 and can grab some spells off of other character's lists.

 

[mellored]

I'm not sure i understand the houserule correctly but...

I suggest fighter/rogue. Possibly battlemaster / assassin.

 

[Kierstaad]

Thanks for all the replies!

Pming, I really would if I could, but I recently moved back home from college and this is what my old group is playing now. I don't know anyone else nearby sadly. I like the cleric idea, might do a ranger/cleric hunter goddess devote.

TwoSix, would fighter/bard be a better support/buffer than a ranger/cleric? My dm thinks we're unlikely to go much past 10th level, so the third attack of the fighter might be wasted. I know the Con save is important for concentration, so I could take 1st level in fighter possibly for one of the two halves.

 

[Horwath]

Champion/assassin

be wood elf or get skulker feat. expertise stealth and perception.

Surprise auto crits. with advantage 19% crit chance to double those d6's on other attacks if attacking while hidden(if you miss with first attack, you do not reveal position via skulker feat).

feats; skulker, sharpshooter, alert, observant if you want traps/ambushes removed from the game.

with that combo you get most feats/ABI in the game(except dual fighter gestal which dumb IMO, gestalt to get more versatility), 13 in total.

 

[TwoSix]

TwoSix, would fighter/bard be a better support/buffer than a ranger/cleric? My dm thinks we're unlikely to go much past 10th level, so the third attack of the fighter might be wasted. I know the Con save is important for concentration, so I could take 1st level in fighter possibly for one of the two halves.

Here's how I look at it. Buff spells, especially on other players, are almost invariably concentration, which means you'll be using your concentration slot to give what could have been an offensive boost for you over to somebody else. As a sharpshooter archer, you ARE one of the most potent offensive characters already, so why bother? Better to gain some abilities that can be used pre-turn (like handing out bardic inspiration points) or off-turn (Cutting Words is super potent, and it gives you something to do with your reaction, which will often be wasted in the back line).

But, there's a ton of nuance to the choice, either option is super effective. You could really just boil it down to if you want to go Dex/Wis or Dex/Cha for your stats, for example.

 

[Ovarwa]

Archer, huh? Gestalt? ASIs stack perfectly and spells not so much? Starting at level 4? ...... So, first I'll assume that the game will dissolve by level 10, because most games do and because this game is amped up to 11. That kind of made sense when I typed it. Anyway..... How about a flying archer, your choice of 2 races? Battlemaster on one side, and something that gives you feather fall on the other? Arcane Trickster is a fine choice, but so is wizard (Abjurer or Bladesinger seem apt.) ..... If you think the game will implode early, ranger might be a good choice because of the free attack you can get at level 3. An extra early fighting style can't hurt either, especially if you can use WotC:UA material to get another +1 to ranged attacks via Fighter/Ranger. .... Can you multiclass on either side? If so, you can grab lots of fighting styles. Or start off Ranger/Fighter and leave Ranger immediately for, say Rogue. Or start off as Ranger/Rogue to get lots of skills. .... But if you think the game will run for a long time, maybe start off as a Fighter/Bard(lore) so you can cherry-pick all the best Ranger archery spells by level 10. At that point, staying with Bard forever makes sense, but leaving Fighter after level 11 or 12 also makes sense, to pick up, well, anything really. ..... Sadly, archery mulitclassing madness does not stack quite as well as melee madness (Rage with Battlemaster and Smites!) ..... Definitely, if you are an optimized archer, let someone else buff you. Like, an optimized buffer. The whole notion of a character doing everything for himself is sub-optimal. (A classic example of this is an Oathbreaker Necromancer, who is not only MAD but whose shtick of raising an army of tough undead to lead into battle comes online very late. Better to have an optimized Oathbreaker work with an optimized Necromancer whose undead army comes online at level 5, gets bonuses to saves at level 6, gets bonuses to damage at level 7, etc. Of course, in this game *you* could be the optimized Oathbreaker/Necromancer. Except that you're already an archer.) ...... I'm kind of surprised no one took Barbarian/Druid(Moon)...... Anyway, Ken

 

[Andor]

If you want stealthy archer, personally I'd go Battlemaster fighter, which let's you do all kinds of fun things at range like trip, disarm, etc, coupled to a Way of Shadow monk. That gives you a high speed, stealthy archer with a bag of tricks and the ability to offer a boot to the head to anyone who gets too close.