Gloom Stalker / Battle Master

[Jatanasio]

So I’m playing a lawful neutral ranger who is intent on being surly in towns and HATES civilization to the point where he’d be happy if everyone just encountered stanrglethrons during their sleep. He basically views everything except nature as a plague, and only hates fiends more than society.

I want to make sure I am doing his crazy burst correct though, I’ve combined 5 levels ranger Gloom Stalker and 3 levels fighter Battle Master to make him a warden of the underdark in stopping hordes of demons from coming to the surface (perhaps the tides of the blood war have tilted one way?).

His main weapon is a heavy crossbow (crossbow expert feat) in which he surprises enemies from afar or close by in the shadows (or he flies down his trick rope spell out of nowhere!). 4 dex, and archery fighting style. The way I see his attack is this:

Bonus Action Hunters Mark (d6 every hit)
Attack w/ crossbow (d10+4)
[Maneuver: Disarming Attack (d8)]
Second Attack w/ crossbow (d10+4)
[Maneuver: Distracting Strike (d8)]
Dread Ambusher Attack (d10+4+d8)
ACTION SURGE
Attack w/ crossbow (d10+4)
[Maneuver: Disarming Attack (d8)]
Second Attack w/ crossbow (d10+4)
[Maneuver: Menacing Attack (d8)]
Dread Ambusher Attack (d10+4+d8)

I think they are dead before they see me. With crossbow expert, am I allowed to reload bolts by reaching into my bag with one hand and briefly holding the bow with the other, ignoring the loading time property?

[AttilatheYeon]

Looks good except, Dread ambusher is once on you first turn. You don't get it twice in the same combat.

[CTurbo]

Looks good except, Dread ambusher is once on you first turn. You don't get it twice in the same combat.


Dread Ambusher does work again on an action surge.


Your build looks good but I would want Sharpshooter too.

Also consider some Rogue Assassin levels and make your first turns even more ridiculous.

[Aerogellin]

Looks good except, Dread ambusher is once on you first turn. You don't get it twice in the same combat.

In case you're curious, Dread Ambusher states one of the benefits a Gloom Stalker gets on the first turn of combat is: "If you take the Attack action on that turn, you can make one additional weapon attack as part of that action." So a second Attack action (Such as through Action Surge) does trigger this benefit again on the first turn. Haste also provides an Attack action, but it is specifically limited to a single weapon attack, so my understanding is that Dread Ambusher doesn't provide an additional attack for the Haste action.



As for the attack sequence, it looks good! I also definitely suggest Sharpshooter as it can be devastating against targets with low AC. Especially when using this attack sequence. If you're not yet comfortable with when to drop your attack roll by -5, and are interested in a mathematical approach to the feat's use, I'd suggest looking at Xetheral's GMW Reference Table (GMW's attack/damage tradeoff works on the same principle as Sharpshooter so the table applies well for both). -- Sorry I can't post the link, I lurk often but rarely post. You can find the table with either a quick Google Search or under 5e Notable Threads -> Guides, Tables, and other useful tools for 5E D&D -> Guides for Specific In-Game Actions

I also agree that Assassin would be a good next step if your party isn't completely against surprise attacks by preference, playstyle, or crazy characters. If they are you can still work around it a little by doing things like scouting a little bit ahead and shooting a guy before running back to your party. Either way though, Rogue works really well with Gloom Stalker both thematically and mechanically. Cunning Action can be especially useful either for hiding at the end of your action to try and gain advantage on your next attack and force disadvantage on some (Or all) attacks against you. It also works really well for the aforementioned running back to your party, and Disengaging from melee attackers to avoid opportunity attacks or disadvantage on your attack from using a ranged weapon in melee. Additional levels in Rogue will provide some great extra surviveability as well as some nice Sneak Attack damage.

Lastly, if you can get your hands on an Oathbow... whew. It's brutal.

[AttilatheYeon]

I can see were youall are coming from. My reading would be one per that turn. The language isn't as concreate as i thought. In AL we would call this DM discression.

[Brundle]

depending on how your dm veiws the wording of crossbow master you could swap to a hand xbow and gain an extra attack, not much gain here without sharpshooter

I would side on the one dread ambusher per turn as well but the wording on it is kinda vauge and if your dm is ok with it that's all that matters, and odds are if there cool with the extra ambush shot they would be ok with the hand bow shot as well

[Starman973]

Apparently this was cleared up in a tweet (https://twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/950172203424731136?lang=en). So when you take the attack action on your first turn in a combat. you can make one Dread ambush attack as apart of that attack. , a Hasted attack, and extra attacks are also apart of that attack action. And your action surge is not apart of that first round's attack action, it is a second attack action. So They do not count. I'm sorry.

[Darkstar952]

Apparently this was cleared up in a tweet (https://twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/950172203424731136?lang=en). So when you take the attack action on your first turn in a combat. you can make one Dread ambush attack as apart of that attack. , a Hasted attack, and extra attacks are also apart of that attack action. And your action surge is not apart of that first round's attack action, it is a second attack action. So They do not count. I'm sorry.

Did you read the Tweet you linked to? JC confirmed a few replies down that dread ambusher does trigger on an attack action from action surge.

[Starman973]

Dang, You're right.