The Best Anti-Sniper?

[Biggstick]

So I've seen quite a few threads over the years as to what the best ranged or Sniper builds could be. I can't recall one about the best Anti-Sniper. How does one deal with a Sniper as a PC? This is just a thought exercise and I was curious as to what you here on the forums could come up with in dealing with a Sniper. I'll include a couple easy examples of classes a DM might use to build a NPC Sniper antagonist for the PC's.

Warlock with Eldritch Blast, all the Eldritch Blast Invocations, Spell Sniper, and a few magic items and their own spells to help him/her keep the distance.

Fighter (or Ranger) with Sharpshooter and a Longbow. They would also probably be utilizing a few magic items and/or standard movement to keep the distance.

Rogue with Sharpshooter. They would probably be using some magic items or magic to remain hidden or at a distance.
I know there aren't the only examples or possibilities with a Sniper, but we need to have some sort of baseline.

Now these antagonists want to live. They're actively trying to live and probably don't ever want to be caught by the protagonist. The protagonist (or PC in our case) may be able to ignore this Sniper for a time, but let's say that time has come to an end. The time has come for the antagonist to face the music, and s/he needs to be tracked down and destroyed (or taken in, whichever you'd prefer). What kind of build would you use to deal with this Sniper? Would you focus on being able to scout them out with Scrying/divination spells? Would you utilize the Alert feat to prevent incoming damage? Maybe an extremely high AC + the Shield Spell while you try to catch up with the fleeing Sniper? Would you try to out-snipe the Sniper?!

So I would expect that a specialized antagonist like this wouldn't appear until later in the story, so I'm asking for builds within the 5-15 level range. The sooner it can be played, the better. I'm not looking for anything past level 15, as I've seen that part of the game in only 1 campaign, which didn't go longer then a few sessions.

[Kane0]

Probably a monk. Good wisdom means good perception plus they get deflect arrows, good movement speed and decent enough AC and HP in order to close quickly and deal with the opposition. It'll be dicey, but as long as he keeps to cover and moves quickly he should be okay.

If you can throw in some extra awareness, movement and AC/HP via dips or items your chances get better. Counterstealth is also a possibility, keeping hidden means they can't snipe you.

[Sicarius Victis]

Just play a Monk. You've got decent AC and Deflect Missiles, while Step of the Wind and Unarmoured Movement allow you to catch up to a fleeing enemy better than any other class in the game. Purity of Body keeps poisoned arrows from doing anything to you, while Evasion, Stillness of Mind, and Diamond Soul all help protect you from any magical tricks they might have had up their sleeves. Then, once you've gotten into melee, combine Flurry of Blows and Stunning Strike to devastate them. Odds are that if they're a ranged-focused character, their CON saves are going to be quite underwhelming.

There you go, the perfect Anti-Sniper.

Edit: Ninja'd.

[joaber]

Probably a monk. Good wisdom means good perception plus they get deflect arrows, good movement speed and decent enough AC and HP in order to close quickly and deal with the opposition. It'll be dicey, but as long as he keeps to cover and moves quickly he should be okay.

If you can throw in some extra awareness, movement and AC/HP via dips or items your chances get better. Counterstealth is also a possibility, keeping hidden means they can't snipe you.

hmm good catch. Shadow monk, they can stay invisible to low the range, teleport and attack with stun.

[LudicSavant]

Things that work:
- Instant gap closer options. Example: Quickened Dimension Door on a Sorcadin
- Sniping threats of your own. Example: Meteor Swarm
- Ambush / Information wars. Example: Locate Object for something the sniper is carrying + Stealth Check
- All three are dependent on you being able to reach the enemy and penetrate the enemy's defenses when you get there (for example, if they have a Tiny Hut, you need to be able to dispel or otherwise bypass it).

Things that do not work (at least, not on their own):
- High AC. Doesn't matter if it's 35, you're just gonna die tired if you don't have a way to close the gap or threaten from range.
- Deflect Missiles. Even if you are fortunate enough to be able to reduce the damage to zero, a good sniper will have options that you can't throw back (or simply be beyond your range).


- A higher than average movement speed alone may not be enough. A Warlock will knock you back with every hit of their eldritch blast, be moving back themselves on a mount taking dash actions, and slowing you. Also they might be flying. Or they might be camping in a fortified position, and port away when that position is compromised.

[Addaran]

Seems like an arcane trickster would be great.

He can possibly sneak up to the enemy with expertise and if it's too hard, he can try with invisibility. He can surprise Hold Person to make it at disadvantage, which in turn will do crazy damage next turn with a critted sneak attack.

With his bonus actions and/or longstrider, it should be able to catch anyone.

Eventually, he could even counterspell or dispel magic on the warlock if he's doing the fly out of reach tactic. (or cast fly and follow him).

At worst, he can always run away and hide or use his action to make full cover then hide behind it (with bonus dash, going from prone-to-up is not that bad)

[Foxhound438]

Despite what someone a bit up thread says about deflect missiles, a monk can at relatively low levels get to move 150 feet in one turn by dashing twice, meaning unless your plan is to fight in a giant open field, you're closing in immidiately (within 2 turns). Even if you are doing that, if you know this fight is going to come eventually you would take athlete (the feat) and at the end of each turn you could drop prone, then pop up and move another 145' on the next. Dropping prone gives disadvantage to ranged attacks (or rather, attacks outside of 5') which will significantly decrease the average damage you take, especially after deflect missiles where that applies. Of course, once you get in you have a variety of options- grapple and drag them back to your team, stun them, or just beat the crap out of them, depending on what precisely you're fighting.

If I was specifically building an anti-sniper (typical DM's in my group don't make sniper fights often so it's not too huge a concern) I would take shadow monk, primarily for the ability to cast darkness- remember that if you cover the object with something opaque the dark goes away, so you can peek out at the start of your turn to make sure you're still on course. Later abilities can be advantageous if you aren't fighting in broad daylight, being free teleport and invisibility.



Dealing with snipers on other classes might be a bit harder, obviously any caster that gets invisibility has a distinct advantage, but your slower brawlery type things like barbarians, clerics, and paladins could have a lot of issues- barbarian gets fast movement, but all the other options that give you speed are more or less unpopular compared to bear totem; clerics don't get any mobility (at least not early) and their spells generally don't have a lot of range; and a default paladin really doesn't get much more than find steed, which has its own slew of issues against snipers, and the only early mobility that comes on the oath selection is misty step, which will eat your L2 slots extremely quickly.

[Specter]

It's hard to come up an exact definition of "sniper" in D&D. In the other I posted this one I made up, and since someone agreed with me I'll keep beating on it. A sniper has:

- Infallible stealth (to the point that low rolls could guarantee success)
- Quick hiding (Cunning Action or similar)
- At least two attacks (in case you roll horribly on the first)
- Sustained damage (traditionally snipers need to get used to holding the fort for hours)
- A way to avoid area attacks (otherwise you'll face many fireballs coming your general way)

To counter these, you need:

- Awesome perception (expertising it and maybe grabbing Observant)
- A way to cut enemy actions (like stunning or paralyzing or whatever)
- A way to give disadvantage to attacks (like Blur or Invisibility)
- Precision boosters (Sharpshooter, Spell Sniper, Precision Strike, etc.)
- Spells that target stats other than DEX (like Circle of Death)

Many dedicated builds can do that, but I believe some kind of Abjurer can pull all of it well.

[solidork]

Assuming you're in a natural setting, I'm pretty sure Earth Glide is the most foolproof way to approach the sniper. You're as close to undetectable and invulnerable as you're going to get. Druids also get most of the good locator spells if we are allowing those things to work. The thing is, I'm not sure how you actually kill the sniper if you catch them.

[Kane0]

You could use an EK 8 / Warlock 2 / Rogue 2 as your baseline, that's got all the sniper basics and is online at level 12.
If you want to go higher you just add more rogue for sneak attack, uncanny dodge/evasion and assassin crits or more casting from AT, more warlock if you're taking up the UA bow invocation or some sorcerer for distant metamagic and casting.

[LudicSavant]

150 feet of movement might sound like a lot, but one must realize that

A) The sniper (presumably) is starting at a range where Spell Sniper matters (otherwise I'm not sure why the OP would even mention it).
B) Warlocks can fly.
C) Warlocks can halve or halt your movement via a variety of effects.
D) An eldritch blast can knock you back up to 40 feet (depending on level), and reduce your speed by 10 feet (with the UA invocation). Some Warlock builds will use Eldritch Blast multiple times per round.
E) A regular ol' dashing horse gives you 120 feet of movement, while you still get to snipe away. A Phantom Steed bumps this up to 200 feet of movement.
F) Tome Warlocks can use any ritual, such as Leomund's Tiny Hut or Phantom Steed.
G) A sniper build will often be good at hiding and/or escaping. If they think you can get to them next turn, they will disappear and relocate.

In other words, even if you have a high movement speed, it may be more difficult than you expect to beat a good sniper build, especially if they are specifically prepared to fight you.

[solidork]

150 feet of movement might sound like a lot, but one must realize that

A) The sniper (presumably) is starting at a range where Spell Sniper matters (otherwise I'm not sure why the OP would even mention it).
B) Warlocks can fly.
C) Warlocks can halve or halt your movement via a variety of effects.
D) An eldritch blast can knock you back up to 40 feet (depending on level), and reduce your speed by 10 feet (with the UA invocation). Some Warlock builds will use Eldritch Blast multiple times per round.
E) A regular ol' dashing horse gives you 120 feet of movement, while you still get to snipe away. A Phantom Steed bumps this up to 200 feet of movement.
F) Tome Warlocks can use any ritual, such as Leomund's Tiny Hut or Phantom Steed.
G) A sniper build will often be good at hiding and/or escaping. If they think you can get to them next turn, they will disappear and relocate.

In other words, even if you have a high movement speed, it may be more difficult than you expect to beat a good sniper build, especially if they are specifically prepared to fight you.

This is why I think Moon Druid for Earth Elemental form. If they are engaging you at max range and you aren't in a white room, Locate Creature/Object seems like the only reasonable way to actually find them. If they can fly it's a draw, but you aren't going to die to them unless they kill you before you get to take a turn. I'm still not sure that you'd be able to kill them 1v1 assuming you were able to catch them.

Sorcerer gives you distant Dimension Door, but no spells that let you find them.

[LudicSavant]

This is why I think Moon Druid for Earth Elemental form. If they are engaging you at max range and you aren't in a white room, Locate Creature/Object seems like the only reasonable way to actually find them. If they can fly it's a draw, but you aren't going to die to them unless they kill you before you get to take a turn. I'm still not sure that you'd be able to kill them 1v1 assuming you were able to catch them.

Sorcerer gives you distant Dimension Door, but no spells that let you find them.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

[NNescio]

Can't anyone with the Mold Earth cantrip just excavate a hole and crouch inside it for full cover (crouching isn't even necessary depending on your height and the angle of repose)? Sure, doesn't work indoors, but snipers are not much of a problem there.

Otherwise, Fog Cloud + Hide.

[skaddix]

Do you have a team?

As a solo act have some ability to tp and the ability to cast Darkness or Greater Invisibility.

[Corran]

I just saw the thread about the ''best sniper'', and immediatelly after I saw this thread about the ''best anti-sniper'', and for a brief moment, I thought the OP would be all like:''Hey guys, did you see that other thread about making the best sniper? Lets beat them to it, and we, in here, make an even better one!''. Doesn't make much sense, I know, but for a moment there I was motivated...

[Asmotherion]

The best Anti-Sniper IMO is also a Sniper.

Now, other than that, a Shadow Monk due to his mobility, ability to catch missiles and Shadow Walk can also do the trick.

Also, anyone who can grant concealment/cover can be very efficient as a counter-sniper. Wall Spells, Darkness or even Haste/Mirror Image/Blur can be very effective anti-sniping defances.

In general, anything that can grant more AC, dissadvantage to the opponent and/or Probability to miss (such as Blink/Blur) are also gold.

As Tactical Combat goes, going behind total cover will force the Sniper to move, potentially closer. Wile a melee character can resonably bypass total cover in a turn or two, a sniper will need to reposition themselves AND keep their distance, thus loosing many rounds of attacking.