Help me make a sniper.

[Joe Eskimo]

I'm new to 5e and this'll be the first character I make and I want him to be a sniper. I'd like to make a plan for at least 5th level. He'll probably be a human for the extra feat, and featswise, Sharpshooter is definately in and most probably Skulker. Thing is, I'm not sure what class would be best for him. Fighter? Rogue? Ranger? Any help or info would be appreciated. I'm loving 5e so far.

EDIT: I forgot to say he uses a longbow.

[Giant2005]

Does he have to use a Longbow? You can get a significantly higher range with Eldritch Blast.

[Sidmen]

Honestly? Both Ranger and Fighter will work up to level 5. If you plan on going beyond that, I suggest Fighter for the extra attacks, but that could be because I haven't familiarized myself with the Ranger's spell list. Colossus Slayer (Ranger) is quite nice, though.

In my game, our current sniper is an Assassin Rogue. Her Sneak Attack damage and ability to hide as a bonus action make her deadly and dangerous - fading into nothing only to reappear and inflict tremendous damage.


In all cases, your primary stat is Dexterity, of course.

[Turalisj]

Rogue, assassin, high dexterity, longbow, sharpshooter feat.

[Oscredwin]

Rogue, assassin, high dexterity, longbow, sharpshooter feat.

Yep, this. One arrow, from hiding, gets sneak attack, and a guaranteed crit, at long range.

[Joe Eskimo]

Pretty much. I want a character that can "spit a man at a hundred paces" or more. :smallbiggrin: Also Long range for a longbow is 600 ft. Eldritch spear is 300 ft. if I'm not mistaken.

[Oscredwin]

Pretty much. I want a character that can "spit a man at a hundred paces" or more. :smallbiggrin: Also Long range for a longbow is 600 ft. Eldritch spear is 300 ft. if I'm not mistaken.

Eldritch Spear and spell sniper work for crazy long range.

[Giant2005]

Pretty much. I want a character that can "spit a man at a hundred paces" or more. :smallbiggrin: Also Long range for a longbow is 600 ft. Eldritch spear is 300 ft. if I'm not mistaken.

Eldritch Spear + Spell Sniper + Distant Spell = 1200'.

[Joe Eskimo]

Eldritch Spear and spell sniper work for crazy long range.

Oh, didn't factor in Spell Sniper. Just read it now and it doubles the spell's range. Cool beans. So that makes Eldritch Spear 600 ft same as the longbow.

[Townopolis]

If it matters, a Warlock 17/Sorcerer 3 with the Spell Sniper feat can deal 4(1d10+5) damage at 1,200' range, ignoring half and two-thirds cover.

A rogue 20 with Sharpshooter can deal 1d8+10d6+15 damage at 600' range (with a -5 attack roll penalty), also ignoring half and two-thirds cover. The rogue does need a source of longbow proficiency, though. If the rogue is an assassin, and the target is surprised, the rogue automatically crits and the target has to make a DC 19 save or take double damage on top of the crit.

For classic sniping (scoping out your target from a hidden, far away position and then making a one-shot kill), I don't think you can beat an assassin rogue. That's probably good because classic sniping is pretty much assassination. For overwatch and other DMR stuff, you'll probably be better served by the eldritch sniper or a ranger.

[xyianth]

There are a couple of things to consider for a sniper type character:

Does your DM impose penalties to perception at long range? (and will this have an effect on long ranged attack rolls?)
What levels will you start and end the campaign at?
When sniping isn't an option, what kind of backup strategies would you like to have on hand?
If your DM imposes penalties at long range from perception, you may want to consider 6 levels of totem barbarian for the eagle aspect.

When it comes to long ranged effectiveness, fighters and rogues are the best at level 1. (fighters are more accurate, rogues do more damage) From levels 2-10, hunter rangers are probably the best long ranged damage dealers. From 11 on, fighters can start to pull ahead for single targets while hunter rangers are best against groups.

One thing to keep in mind with long range sniping is that it isn't always going to be possible. When that happens, you will want other options to be equally viable. Both fighter and hunter ranger can hold their own with a finesse weapon (like rapier) if needed. Rogues actually get better in closer range due to the increased ease of flanking. Finally, the role of long range sniper can be filled by a valor bard. When sniping isn't an option, valor bards are still full casters so you have tons of other options. If you go this path, I recommend a build of fighter 2/bard 18.

If none of these options appeal to you, you can get the same range as a longbow on a warlock's eldritch blast by taking the eldritch spear invocation and the spell sniper feat. There isn't an equivalent to sharpshooter for spell damage however, so this option will never match the potential damage of the other options.

Finally, the longest ranged option in the game is a multiclassed sorcerer/warlock. Distant spell + eldritch spear + spell sniper allows them to use eldritch blast at 1200' range. As this is literally the only way to fight at this extreme range, it is not exactly a party friendly tactic.

[Joe Eskimo]

Thanks everyone for all the info. Now I got a lot of ideas for this character. Funny I never noticed rogues don't get proficiency with the longbow.

[xyianth]

Funny I never noticed rogues don't get proficiency with the longbow.

An effective way to deal with this is to start as a fighter then become an assassin rogue. (or be an elf) Starting as a fighter gets you the archery fighting style, which is something a rogue 20 never gets. No one will miss the rogue capstone anyway.

[Joe Eskimo]

An effective way to deal with this is to start as a fighter then become an assassin rogue. (or be an elf) Starting as a fighter gets you the archery fighting style, which is something a rogue 20 never gets. No one will miss the rogue capstone anyway.

That's nice. So at Human Ftr1/Rog3(Assassin) I basically have the whole package. Longbow proficiency, Sharpshooter, Archery Fighting Style, Sneak Attack, Cunning Action to Hide & Assassinate. Nice.

Also how important is the Skulker feat to this build sniping?

[xyianth]

That's nice. So at Human Ftr1/Rog3(Assassin) I basically have the whole package. Longbow proficiency, Sharpshooter, Archery Fighting Style, Sneak Attack, Cunning Action to Hide & Assassinate. Nice.

Also how important is the Skulker feat to this build?

As a human, it is very useful. If you were a halfling or an elf it would be less so. The ability to hide when lightly obscured is of marginal use for long range, as you will usually have sufficient time to find as much cover as you like before firing. The ability to stay hidden when you miss is pretty good, but archery is the most accurate form of attack already. However, it is quite difficult to hide and snipe while in bright light, and humans have poor eyesight. (by average standards of 5e) You may want to be on the lookout for the goggles of night to fix this problem. (or dip warlock 2 for devil's sight)

[Joe Eskimo]

Okay. Thanks xyianth.

[Shining Wrath]

Elf will give you proficiency with the longbow for free plus some other stuff; it may simplify your build. If you're taking Variant Human for the feat, but must burn a feat (or worse, a level) to get longbow, then starting as an elf gives breaks even on the feat, plus you get Proficiency in Perception and Darkvision and some elfy stuff.

[asorel]

I'm actually running a sniper character right now. My plan is this: Variant Human, start with Sharpshooter. Take Fighter (Battlemaster), and the Archery Fighting Style. When you get maneuvers, make sure one of them is precision attack. Menacing attack is also good. Last maneuver is up to you. Trip and Disarm are nice. Then there are two viable options. For doing the most damage, take Fighter to 11 for the third attack, and go Rogue (Assassin) for the remainder. For better sneak attack, and access to more of the Rogue's features, take fighter until 6 for the feat/ASI, then go Assassin and never look back.

Alternatively, if you want to squeeze out a bit more damage at the expense of a bit of range, you could use a Heavy Crossbow, and take Crossbow Expert at 4th Level to remove the loading property just in time for your extra attacks. You get less range, so it isn't as much of a sniper as a longbow character, but it's the best option for maximum damage.

Also, use the - 5/+10 of Sharpshooter as much as possible. The risk is very much worth the reward.

[Joe Eskimo]

Thanks everyone for the replies! :smallbiggrin:

[TrollCapAmerica]

Precision attack is nice for turning those missed power attacks into hits. I absolutely love the ranged Battlemaster since it adds so much to plugging you enemies with arrows thanks to maneuvers

[Myzz]

ok why would a 3 Assassin/3 Hunter/ Battle Master X be a bad idea?

Variant Human for Sharpshooter at the get go...

Urchin Rogue to 3, lots of skills and expertise and 3 tools while getting to start with thieves tools and poison kit profs. After Assassin, switch to Ranger and get another skill and your martial weapons (this would be first time getting a long bow). Level to 3 for Hunter. At this point you get 2 attacks every turn (without using bonus action or your reaction if you take horde breaker). Then switch to Fighter and finish out as a Battle Master. At 11th level you still have 3 bow attacks, action surge without dipping into bonus actions or reactions... You do only have 1 ASI, but next level you get your second, and then 2 levels later your third... AND if it becomes that important you can always dip back into rogue for your asi (which makes uncanny dodge near)

Surprise Rounds
@L7 = 2 Long Bow attacks made with advantage @Dex Mod to hit (-5 Sharpshooter +2 Archery FS +3 Prof Bonus) ==> assuming all attacks hit. Damage for first attack = 2d8+4d6+2d8+Dex Mod +10 +poison??? 1 more attack and action surge both dealing 2d8+2d8+Dex Mod +10 +poison??? All done at up to 600ft, and up to 3/4 cover offers no protection... note that Horde Breaker has to be vs someone within 5ft of the first target (who hopefully died in that first attack)

attack 1 avg = 45 (with dex of 16/17 and no poisons used)
subsequent atk avg = 31 (also no poisons) x2 attacks in first round = 62
first round nova with no poisons = 107, but has to be to 2 targets

Next round still have advantage if your initi is higher ==> Sneak Attack 2d8+4d6+2d8+Dex Mod +10 +poison?
Second attack = 2d8+2d8+Dex Mod +10 +poison?
No third attack since you only have the one action surge, so each round after first if you can maintain advantage through moves and hides in vegetation = 45 avg to one target and 31 to a target within 5ft of him...

WHen they get within 90ft you get to drop Hunters Mark on them using a bonus action which should deal at least 2d6 additional dmg each turn and maybe 3d6 extra if the first one dies and you havent used your bonus action yet...

<edit: oops my bad he runs out of BM dice after the 4th attack =( lol>