D&D 5E Why Good Rogues Should Not Use a Bow

[Caliban]

Welcome to another installment of "Why you should play the game the way I do."

 

[Ancalagon]

Is this a reference to partial cover (and an assumption that another PC will always be in your line of fire)? Or is this a house rule that you've introduced?

I too am curious about this aspect

 

[Giltonio_Santos]

As a rogue, I'm there to scout and sometimes find and remove traps. If my party wants my help in combat situations, I'm glad to help them from a safe distance, preferably in the adjacency of the nearest escape route, if I need it. No way I'm joining melee unless I absolutely have to. We hired that fighter for a reason, after all.

 

[WarpedAcorn]

One of the players who used to play in our group played a Rogue. She really did not want to get hit and used her bow for the majority of the time. It was great when it was a Surprise (she was an Assassin), but usually it was not much of a contribution. Granted, she was a new player, but she really had to be coaxed to get into melee and really did not believe that she had "plenty" of HP (despite having a Con of 18 and more HP than my Fighter who had a Con of 14). So yeah, I'm not sure what it is with people playing Rogues and being afraid to get their hands dirty.

 

[mellored]

Rogues should very much use bows, because they can kite. Hit and run until you win.
Just shoot and dash/hide away, use you action to dash if they get close. Sneak around if needed to get into another position, then shoot again. They can't catch you.
It may take you a while, but if you are cautious you can clear a half a dungeon while your party is taking a short rest.

If you have some barbarian run in ahead of you then yea, go TWF and take a little pressure off him.

 

[jaelis]

If the title of the thread were "Why Good Rogues Should Not Refuse to Enter Melee Combat," it would make more sense.

 

[Caliban]

Rogues should very much use bows, because they can kite. Hit and run until you win.
Just shoot and dash/hide away, use you action to dash if they get close. Sneak around if needed to get into another position, then shoot again. They can't catch you.

Kiting in a dungeon is asking to be killed.

Too easy to trigger a second or third encounter and get caught between groups of monsters with no place to run too. This isn't like a video game where you can run in relatively small circles to kite things.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

OP is correct. Good Rogues need not apply. Only the Best Rogues use a bow.

 

[mellored]

Kiting in a dungeon is asking to be killed.

Too easy to trigger a second or third encounter and get caught between groups of monsters with no place to run too. This isn't like a video game where you can run in relatively small circles to kite things.

Most dungeons have an entrance where you came from, so just run back to there.

Or at very least, you can get several shots in as they follow you back to your awaiting party, and into the traps/barricades they set up. Then you can switch to TWF.
It's not a video game, and players are also allowed to think outside their power boxes.

 

[Caliban]

Most dungeons have an entrance where you came from, so just run back to there.

Or at very least, you can get several shots in as they follow you back to your awaiting party, and into the traps/barricades they set up. Then you can switch to TWF.
It's not a video game, and players are also allowed to think outside their power boxes.

Did you read his post? I'm taking him at his word, not assuming tactics and strategies he doesn't mention using.

"It may take you a while, but if you are cautious you can clear a half a dungeon while your party is taking a short rest."

That sounds like video game play to me.