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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Blue" data-source="post: 7297123" data-attributes="member: 20564">I'd generally go Dex, though part of it is if you are using the PHB Ranegr or the UA Revised Ranger.  With only a +3 mod, I'm not sure switching to a smaller damage die and getting an extra attack will improve your damage significantly more than just +1 to hit and damage that Dex will give you.  And Dex will improves so many other things as well.Hmm, let us math.  I'm assuming no magic weapons.UA REVISED RANGER18 dex:  Heavy Crossbow for d10+4.  Average 9.5.  "Standard" 65% chance to hit.  9.5 * .65 = 6.175 expected damage per round.  (Loading gives no penalties without extra attack)16 Dex + Crossbow Expert:  Hand Crossbow for d6+3.  Average 6.5.  60% chance to hit (worse because not advancing dex).  Two attacks.  2 * 6.5 * .60 = 7.8 expected damage per round.Okay, turns out I was wrong.  Crossbow Expert will give you about 1.6 extra damage per round.  The opportunity cost for this is your bonus action every round, -1 to AC, -1 to Init, -1 to Dex skills and -1 to Dex saves.  This is a toss up if you want to do more damage or more skilled and defensive.If your favored enemy bonus comes into play a lot (say you picked Humanoids), that would tilt me even more in the direction of the Crossbow Expert since you could apply that to both attacks.PHB RANGERNo chance for favored enemy damage, but at 5th you'd get Extra attack.  The math (@ 5th) would then be:18 Dex:  2 attacks @ d8+4 (8.5 avg), 65% = 11.0516 Dex + Crossbow Expert:  3 attacks @ d6+3 (6.5 avg), 60% = 11.7Because in this the extra attack is only +50% # of attacks instead of +100%, the difference is little.  I would definitely go for Dex with this set-up because of how much it brings you.</blockquote>

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