D&D (2024) Ranged Builds Thread

[FrogReaver]

Yea.

Disagree in this case. The core is

Warlock 2 for Hex + Eldritch Blast; makes you a decent ranged attacker no matter what other classes you take.
Sorcerer 2 for quicken doubles your damage for a turn, scaling to multiple turns.

Though I do realize I made an error.
"You can’t have more Sorcery Points than the number shown in the table for your level."

So I need more Sorcerer levels otherwise I'm spending a level 5 slot for 2 SP. I'll drop fighter.

Let me redo it.

16 Dex, 17 Cha
Sorcerer 1, Con saves, Heavy Crossbow (1d10+3)
Warlock 1, Hex (+1d6)
Warlock 2, EB, Agonizing Blast, Repelling Blast (+push)
Sorcerer 2, Quicken, twice per long rest.
Sorcerer 3, Draconic(16 AC), EB scales (2d10+6+2d6). Possibly Quicken Web.
Sorcerer 4, Warcaster (18 Cha, 17 AC)
Sorcerer 5, Sorcerer Restoration, (Quicken up to 9 times). Also Haste for later.

If your game will end at 10, go Warlock 4 to get +2 Cha. Familiars + Gaze or 2 minds is also great. Otherwise...

Bard 1, dice for allies
Bard 2, expetise
Bard 3, Valor, shield for +2AC, EB scales (3d10+12+3d6+push 30', 19 AC)
Bard 4, 20 Cha (3d10+15+3d6+push 30', 20 AC)
Bard 5, more dice for allies, (Quicken up to 20 times).
Bard 6, Switch to Haste (6d10+30+push 30', 22 AC), and 1 less accurate hand crossbow attack (1d8+3)
...
EB scales again (8d10+40+push 40')


Also, you have plenty of other spells for different situations. Web + lots of pushing may be better than Hex/Haste. Or put Haste on the Rogue. Possibly a Cloud of Daggers.

At level 11 I think he can outdamage the Battlemaster, at least on paper. Provided he doesn't run into having to move hex too often, in practice i'm afraid that this will likely be the case.

So far Sorlock and Battlemaster are my highest damage ranged characters at level 11. Though I don't anticpate Sorlock really scales much more till level 17.

Before level 11 sorlock looked to stay just a little behind the top martial damage builds, was still respectable though.

 

[mellored]

Yea.

At level 11 I think he can outdamage the Battlemaster, at least on paper. Provided he doesn't run into having to move hex too often, in practice i'm afraid that this will likely be the case.

Fair. Hex + Quicken do compete for bonus actions a bit. But then if you have a lot of little targets, Fireball.

So far Sorlock and Battlemaster are my highest damage ranged characters at level 11. Though I don't anticpate Sorlock really scales much more till level 17.

Swapping to Haste at 13 is a boost, and keeps the bonus action available for Quicken.
You can also add a few Seeking metamagic, but that's not scaling very well.

Before level 11 sorlock looked to stay just a little behind the top martial damage builds, was still respectable though.

Yea, it doesn't have the +2 from archery.

Though I kind of expected Sorlock to out scale Action Surge at level 7 with Sorcerer's Restoration and 3rd level slots = +4 more Quicken.

 

[Zardnaar]

Disagree in this case. The core is

Warlock 2 for Hex + Eldritch Blast; makes you a decent ranged attacker no matter what other classes you take.
Sorcerer 2 for quicken doubles your damage for a turn, scaling to multiple turns.

Though I do realize I made an error.
"You can’t have more Sorcery Points than the number shown in the table for your level."

So I need more Sorcerer levels otherwise I'm spending a level 5 slot for 2 SP. I'll drop fighter.

Let me redo it.

16 Dex, 17 Cha
Sorcerer 1, Con saves, Heavy Crossbow (1d10+3)
Warlock 1, Hex (+1d6)
Warlock 2, EB, Agonizing Blast, Repelling Blast (+push)
Sorcerer 2, Quicken, twice per long rest.
Sorcerer 3, Draconic(16 AC), EB scales (2d10+6+2d6). Possibly Quicken Web.
Sorcerer 4, Warcaster (18 Cha, 17 AC)
Sorcerer 5, Sorcerer Restoration, (Quicken up to 9 times). Also Haste for later.

If your game will end at 10, go Warlock 4 to get +2 Cha. Familiars + Gaze or 2 minds is also great. Otherwise...

Bard 1, dice for allies
Bard 2, expetise
Bard 3, Valor, shield for +2AC, EB scales (3d10+12+3d6+push 30', 19 AC)
Bard 4, 20 Cha (3d10+15+3d6+push 30', 20 AC)
Bard 5, more dice for allies, (Quicken up to 20 times).
Bard 6, Switch to Haste (6d10+30+push 30', 22 AC), and 1 less accurate hand crossbow attack (1d8+3)
...
EB scales again (8d10+40+push 40')


Also, you have plenty of other spells for different situations. Web + lots of pushing may be better than Hex/Haste. Or put Haste on the Rogue. Possibly a Cloud of Daggers.

Long time to wait for ASI and your build gets good level 14.

Sorlock switches on a lot faster.

Battlemaster switches on even earlier builds comple level 8 really.

Scorching ray+ hex can also do absurd damage single target.

Battlemaster you can't win on damage vs melee so would probably go with menacing strike and knock prone depending on party composition.

Vicious bow get battlemaster in the ballpark of old sharpshooter battlemaster.

 

[mellored]

Long time to wait for ASI and your build gets good level 14.

It's decent at 1
It's good at 7
Top tier at 13.
Maybe a bit broken at 17.

Sorlock switches on a lot faster

It is a sorlock.

But you need Valor bard 6 to make use of Haste -> EB. Otherwise hex and Quicken compete too much for your bonus action.

You can skip Bard and do more Warlock if your not going to higher levels.

 

[Zardnaar]

It's decent at 1
It's good at 7
Top tier at 13.
Maybe a bit broken at 17.

It is a sorlock.

But you need Valor bard 6 to make use of Haste -> EB. Otherwise hex and Quicken compete too much for your bonus action.

You can skip Bard and do more Warlock if your not going to higher levels.

That's still level 10ish though. Until then you're a glorified EB spammer barely any good at that either.

It's a valid bards big weakness in theory crafting. It's levrl 6 ability and you kinda need to MC to really abuse it which kicks it up to 8ish.

Way to long to wait for a second attack which leaves EB.

Makes a good youtube thumbnail though.

 

[mellored]

That's still level 10ish though. Until then you're a glorified EB spammer barely any good at that either.

Yes. It's EB spam. Not sure why that's different from heavy crossbow spam.

If you want more control, you can use Web instead of Hex.

I do agree Battlemaster is better at lower levels

 

[Zardnaar]

Yes. It's EB spam. Not sure why that's different from heavy crossbow spam.

If you want more control, you can use Web instead of Hex.

I do agree Battlemaster is better at lower levels

Heavy Crossbow spam your not multiclassing.

So you benefit from class features and feats that much sooner.

Battlemaster switches on level 3. Sorlock playable from level 3. Assuming you go Sor1, War 2 then sorcerer xyz.

I don't mind waiting a level for a feat waiting 3 levels not so much.

Same thing with multiple attacks eg the Fighter 2/Valor bard 6. No multiple attacks until level 8 pass.

No one's really playing these bard multiclass builds it seems. They're mostly theory craft imho.

Sorlocks a lot more viable abd even then would one want to play it idk.

 

[FrogReaver]

Fair. Hex + Quicken do compete for bonus actions a bit. But then if you have a lot of little targets, Fireball.

Swapping to Haste at 13 is a boost, and keeps the bonus action available for Quicken.
You can also add a few Seeking metamagic, but that's not scaling very well.

Yea, it doesn't have the +2 from archery.

Though I kind of expected Sorlock to out scale Action Surge at level 7 with Sorcerer's Restoration and 3rd level slots = +4 more Quicken.

Straight Fighter it would, but if you want damage early you still pretty much go battlemaster. I should note that for battlemaster I'm only including the d8 damage manuever dice in calculations (and not saving them for crits) because I think menacing is highly worth it on an archer and timing it is more important than timing crits. For straight damage precision would be a little better.

 

[Zardnaar]

Straight Fighter it would, but if you want damage early you still pretty much go battlemaster. I should note that for battlemaster I'm only including the d8 damage manuever dice in calculations (and not saving them for crits) because I think menacing is highly worth it on an archer and timing it is more important than timing crits. For straight damage precision would be a little better.

Menacing best one for control. With sharpshooter nerf I woukd focus that. It's also a wisdom save.

Personally I would take alert and trip if you have melee characters you can set up later in the initiative.

 

[mellored]

Heavy Crossbow spam your not multiclassing.

So ou benefit from class features and feats tgat much sooner.

What feat or feature?
Crossbow Expert gets you from 1d8 to 1d10
Great Weapon master gets you +3 damage.

Eldritch Blast is 1d10 with 1d6 extra damage.
No different.

Battlemaster switches on level 3. Sorlock playable from level 3. Assuming you go Sor1, War 2 then sorcerer xyz.

1d10+3+1d6
Vs
1d10+3+1d8 a few times.

Battlemaster is better, but the difference is small.

I don't mind waiting a level for a feat eaitingv3 levels not so much.

I'm waiting 2 levels.

Same thing with multiple attacks eg the Fighter 2/Valor bard 6. No multiple attacks until level 8 pass.

Right, but that's what makes Eldritch Blast special. It scales with multiclassing.

Sorlocks a lot more viable abd even then woukd one want to play it idk.

This is a sorlock.
Warlock 2/sorcerer 5.

Then it goes bard to get Haste, dice for allies, and expertise.

If you want more control over damage then stick with Sorcerer. Heightened Web (or other zone) + Quicken Eldritch Blast + Repelling Blast can really ruin a targets day.


Actually.... Restrained gives advantage. So maybe Web would be the better than Hex?

Adv: 8.5 * .84 = 7.14
Vs
Hex: 12 * .6 = 7.2

Adv: 10.5* .84 = 8.82
Vs
Hex: 14*.6 = 8.4


So yea. Web is probably better than Hex since allies get advantage as well. Like a Battlemaster with Heavy Crossbow.