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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FormerlyHemlock" data-source="post: 6511263" data-attributes="member: 6787650">Running with this tangent for a bit:I've considered the idea of investing in Sharpshooter for my Shadow Monk in order to give a really good ranged option. Pros and Cons:* Sharpshooter -5/+10 option ("sniping") isn't as good without access to Archery fighting style. Con.* Would allow her to attack without disadvantage at full 600' range (longbow profiency from being a wood elf). Pro. Mitigated by the fact that a lone Shadow Monk could do mostly the same thing in a different way: Hide every other round so that "unseen attacker" advantage will cancel out range disadvantage on the first attack of that round. BTW, Shadow Monks love long-range archery duels because their "negate one missile hit per round" becomes more valuable.* Monks don't get Fighter bonus feats, so the opportunity cost is high. She's already got Mobile due to her role as scout (allowing her to kite in close quarters combat without spending Ki points), and getting zero ability increases until level 12 would be really painful given how valuable DX is for her. After 12th level there are still goodies like Lucky and Alert which enhance her primary role (scout, stealthy hammer, untouchable anti-weird-stuff specialist who always makes saving throws).Ultimately I decided against it: she will remain good-but-not-great at ranged combat because there are other party members who can cover that base if they are around, and when they're not around she can evade anything she can't outright kill. But even without investing anything specifically in ranged combat, she can handle a Deadly ranged encounter with no problem. (E.g. 8 hobgoblins with longbows at level 7 by herself. I made some tactical mistakes and next time she will do even better, but she still cleaned their clock.)As you say, monks are definitely well-rounded.</blockquote>

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