Level 3 Stealth Synergy

[Easy_Lee]

I'll be starting a campaign at level 3 with my girlfriend. We'd like to build two stealthy characters that have synergy.

Given the level and theme, I came up with a pair of wood elves - one shadow monk and one ranged assassin or scout rogue. With the shadow monk using Pass Without Trace and the Rogue using expertise, the two have high stealth checks. Wood Elf is chosen for bonus movement speed, correct stats, longbow proficiency, and dark vision. As a pair of wood elves, we have obvious RP hooks.

The monk + ranged rogue combination with stealth should yield plenty of surprise rounds and sources of advantage. One melee and one ranged attacker (both with high damage at this level) creates a versatile damage duo and scouting pair. Both will have high perception checks for avoiding ambushes.

Can you think of a better stealth duo at level 3? Am I missing something? What skills, items, and other secondaries would you take on these characters?

[Specter]

This is fine, but if you find a way to throw Guidance in there...

[Easy_Lee]

This is fine, but if you find a way to throw Guidance in there...

We'll have a bard in the party, so maybe...

[Ivor_The_Mad]

I think that that works well. Some spells might be nice. Not damage spells but ones like darkness or other spell that can aid in the stealth/surprise theme.

[Easy_Lee]

I think that that works well. Some spells might be nice. Not damage spells but ones like darkness or other spell that can aid in the stealth/surprise theme.

That's why I chose Shadow Monk: darkness, silence, and pwt on short rest resource. It will be a little tight at level 3 with other uses of ki, but will only improve with levels. This should allow us to do something like open fights with 1D8+2D6+3 from the rogue and a flurry from the monk, provided we don't get ambushed and can reliably get the drop on foes.

If we were starting in a later tier, I would almost certainly use a spell caster in place of the monk - probably a bard.

[RickAsWritten]

Trickeration Cleric is another option. Pass Without Trace on the Cleric and Blessing of the Trickster granted to the expertised Rogue would lead to some truly stealthy stealthiness. It gives up a lot in melee though.

[Vogie]

That is a really good pairing.

Other Ranged Options at level 3:

Arcane Archer Fighter 2 / War Cleric 1 - gives guidance and another bonus attack action. Zip up the AA line , and can later bump up the War cleric to 2 channel divinity into accuracy for sharpshooter shots.
Sharpshooter Fighter 3 (UA) - Ignore Cover and deal 3 damage per hit
Monster Hunter Fighter 3 (UA) - 1d8 additional damage per hit (3x/rest) plus detect magic as a ritual.
Deep Stalker Ranger 3 - Free Darkvision, an additional attack during the first turn, plus hunters mark access.

[Mortis_Elrod]

Would maybe change one of these to deepstalker Ranger.

[Ivor_The_Mad]

That's why I chose Shadow Monk: darkness, silence, and pwt on short rest resource. It will be a little tight at level 3 with other uses of ki, but will only improve with levels. This should allow us to do something like open fights with 1D8+2D6+3 from the rogue and a flurry from the monk, provided we don't get ambushed and can reliably get the drop on foes.

If we were starting in a later tier, I would almost certainly use a spell caster in place of the monk - probably a bard.
Oh yah my bad forgot about that.

[Easy_Lee]

The Gloomstalker Ranger option is not a bad idea given everything it does. I'll discuss that with my girlfriend to see what she wants to do.

[XmonkTad]

How about a Rogue 1/Trickery Cleric 2 -> Assassin 3/T. Cleric X

You are a stealthy character that can help support another stealthy character. Surprise a mob by hitting them with a guiding bolt (that has assassin advantage plus crit), then let your companion attack the same mob with advantage (sharpshooter gloomstalker?). Blessing of the trickster helps a lot with a partner who stacks dex, but doesn't have expertise. If you're both wood elves, you'll also be quite fast and able to disappear into fog clouds.

[LeonBH]

My mind goes to Chainlock, for 2x Invisibility per short rest and an Imp Familiar who has Devil's Sight and invisibility, which will allow you to be very good at scouting undetected. Pair with Shadow Sorcerer for Darkness that you can see through, Subtle Spell, Twin Spell, and Enhance Ability (advantage to both Stealth checks and initiative, which is a great pre-combat buff).

[Biggstick]

I would suggest Scout Rogue and Trickery Cleric single-classed to start. At Level 4, the Scout Rogue takes a level of Trickery Cleric, while the Trickery Cleric takes a level of Rogue. The Scout Rogue can go back to Rogue levels after the single level of Trickery Cleric, as Disguise Self, Healing Word, and Blessing of the Trickster is great. The Trickery Cleric can go a second level of Rogue for Cunning Action if you really feel the need for it, bit otherwise will go back to Cleric. The Trickery Cleric is picking up Rogue levels purely for Expertise in Stealth, which topped with Blessing of the Trickster from your Scout, and your own Pass w/o Trace, means the two of you will be pretty tough for an enemy to find.

The reason I suggest Trickery Cleric over Monk is that whoever is playing the Monk is a support for the Rogue. And the Rogue is already going to be amazing at stealth. A Cleric that does everything you've talked about using the Monk for (Pass w/o Trace and Silence, which is a Ritual and on the Cleric spell list, meaning the Cleric can cast it as often as they can cast a Ritual), a Trickery Cleric can do just as well. Having both characters grab a level of Trickery Cleric means they can both take Healing Word to save one another should they die, both have Disguise Self naturally prepared, and "practically" always on advantage for stealth checks is amazing for what your direction seems to be. I'm also looking at the mid-late game, and having a Cleric in the mid-late game is straight up more valuable to a pair of sneaky characters due to the plethora of utility a Trickery Cleric in general brings (Augury, Lesser Restoration, Greater Restoration, Dimension Door, Polymorph, Modify Memory, Scrying, etc) to your team.

[solidork]

The only other not immediately obvious option not mentioned is Variant Human with Prodigy in Stealth. It would work well with a class that grants darkvision such as Warlock or Gloom Stalker Ranger.

[Ivor_The_Mad]

I think that at some level one of you should take the alert feat. The +5 to initiative is great.

[Easy_Lee]

I think that at some level one of you should take the alert feat. The +5 to initiative is great.

Reasonable idea. It depends on whether she chooses Assassin and also how the DM in question handles surprise.

I know how surprise technically works this edition, but a lot of DMs still do surprise rounds. It's much easier to land assassinate if you have a round and don't have to win initiative as well. The biggest downside to Assassin is that surprise this edition doesn't work like that.

If she goes with Assassin and there are no surprise "rounds," then I consider Alert to be mandatory.

[LeonBH]

If you find the uncommon item Weapon of Warning, it makes the Alert feat unnecessary for the whole party.