Slayer's Prey (Monster Hunter Ranger)

[Kharneth]

I'm confused about how this ability works. It says you can use it as a bonus action and that the benefit lasts until a short or long rest. Does this mean that it can only be used once? It says that it ends early if it's used on a different creature, which implies it can be used multiple times. Can this be used on each new target during any encounter I have nothing more important to spend my bonus action on?

[Man_Over_Game]

I'm confused about how this ability works. It says you can use it as a bonus action and that the benefit lasts until a short or long rest. Does this mean that it can only be used once? It says that it ends early if it's used on a different creature, which implies it can be used multiple times. Can this be used on each new target during any encounter I have nothing more important to spend my bonus action on?

It is written a bit oddly, but it doesn't say you regain use of this feature anywhere, so it's assumed that only the benefit of marking that creature ends with the rest.

So you can Bonus Action mark anyone as many times as you want, any time you want to, but no more than one creature can be marked at any point in time.

It's kinda like "I am being very aware of that one creature", and that awareness lets you dodge its attacks or hit its weak points.

[Vogie]

It is written a bit oddly, but it doesn't say you regain use of this feature anywhere, so it's assumed that only the benefit of marking that creature ends with the rest.

So you can Bonus Action mark anyone as many times as you want, any time you want to, but it can't mark more than one creature.

It's more like "I am being very aware of that one creature", and that awareness lets you dodge its attacks or hit its weak points.

That's my reading of it. It's a hybrid between Horizon walker (select as a bonus action each turn) and Hunter's Colossus Slayer (all targets that fit this category). It's effectively a mini-Hunter's mark, which makes sense with the theme, that doesn't survive past a rest, but you can move it around between targets, but only one at a time. Hunters mark CAN survive past a rest, as it can be upcast to be concentrated on for up to 24 hours.

[Kharneth]

Oh, I see. Thanks.

Could they be stacked? Hiding 60 ft away, I could use a bonus action to Slayer's Prey a target and then use Hunter's Mark on the same target and then shoot it for +2d6 damage? Then shift the Hunter's Mark on my next turn's bonus action and apply Slayer's Prey on the following turn?

[Vogie]

Oh, I see. Thanks.

Could they be stacked? Hiding 60 ft away, I could use a bonus action to Slayer's Prey a target and then use Hunter's Mark on the same target and then shoot it for +2d6 damage? Then shift the Hunter's Mark on my next turn's bonus action and apply Slayer's Prey on the following turn?

Hunter's Mark is a Bonus Action as well. You could do both, but it'd take 2 turns to do so.

Obviously, you'd certainly do this on a big bossfight, and likely choose one or the other when you're Dual Wielding. In most encounters, You'd stick with Slayer's prey unless you think your target's going to run away.

[GlenSmash!]

The advantage it has over Hunter's Mark is that it doesn't take concentration.

So if you find yourself in Melee you aren't apt to lose it.

[Man_Over_Game]

Honestly, though, Monster Slayer has no good reason to be in melee. Slayer's Prey only works once per turn (so rapid attacks aren't much better), and all of your features either have no range limits or a 60 foot range limit, so it'd be a good candidate for Crossbow Expert or just using a Longbow.

Even your capstone ability, the one that lets you make an attack as a reaction, allows you to make the attack at range.

The only reason you'd want to really go in melee range is because of flavor or because you want more opportunities for your saving throw/grapple save features to go off. Double that because of your Protection from Good/Evil, Banishment and Hold Monster Concentration spells you get that are all really valid and not worth risking because you decided to be all "hero" with two swords.

The Horizon Walker is similar in that regard, but its mobility and defensive traits and dependency on its bonus action every turn actually make it a great choice for Whip+Shield.

[GlenSmash!]

Honestly, though, Monster Slayer has no good reason to be in melee. Slayer's Prey only works once per turn (so rapid attacks aren't much better), and all of your features either have no range limits or a 60 foot range limit, so it'd be a good candidate for Crossbow Expert or just using a Longbow.

Even your capstone ability, the one that lets you make an attack as a reaction, allows you to make the attack at range.

The only reason you'd want to really go in melee range is because of flavor or because you want more opportunities for your saving throw/grapple save features to go off. Double that because of your Protection from Good/Evil, Banishment and Hold Monster Concentration spells you get that are all really valid and not worth risking because you decided to be all "hero" with two swords.

The Horizon Walker is similar in that regard, but its mobility and defensive traits and dependency on its bonus action every turn actually make it a great choice for Whip+Shield.

True.

This was also surprisingly true of the Brute Fighter. Everything it did well in melee it could do just as well at Range.

[Man_Over_Game]

True.

This was also surprisingly true of the Brute Fighter. Everything it did well in melee it could do just as well at Range.

Well, truth be told, the Brute does better with rapid fire attacks due to the damage die applying on all attacks and not just the first in a turn. On top of that, Devastating Critical was based on Any critical giving you bonus to your damage equal to your level in the class (so spamming smaller attacks is a lot better than fewer big ones).

Because of that, the Brute actually would do better as any build that can attack with a bonus action. Because of the fact that you could regenerate health, get bonuses to death (and all) saving throws, and you have the natural tankiness of a fighter, there's a lot of things going for Brutes being a melee TWF character, having more synergies than any other Brute build I can think of.

It might do almost as well at range, but it'd require you a feat (crossbow expert) to keep up against a TWF equivalent, and you wouldn't be best using that health regen/death saving throw/heavy armor/fighting style (which would probably be defense)/defensive feats to the best those resources could be used.

[GlenSmash!]

Well, truth be told, the Brute does better with rapid fire attacks due to the damage die applying on all attacks and not just the first in a turn. On top of that, Devastating Critical was based on Any critical giving you bonus to your damage equal to your level in the class (so spamming smaller attacks is a lot better than fewer big ones).

Because of that, the Brute actually would do better as any build that can attack with a bonus action. Because of the fact that you could regenerate health, get bonuses to death (and all) saving throws, and you have the natural tankiness of a fighter, there's a lot of things going for Brutes being a melee TWF character, having more synergies than any other Brute build I can think of.

It might do almost as well at range, but it'd require you a feat (crossbow expert) to keep up against a TWF equivalent, and you wouldn't be best using that health regen/death saving throw/heavy armor/fighting style (which would probably be defense)/defensive feats to the best those resources could be used.

In my experience a ranged character still needs to make saving throws and use health regen. Less often than one that is melee focused certainly but still often enough to be glad to have those abilities. And heavy armor would gain them 1 AC more than 20 dex in studded Leather? Or are you using the Dual Welder feat? Unless you're really trying to get as high an AC as possible ie using a Shield an additional one AC isn't much.

It's true that crossbow expert takes a feat however fighters have the most ASI's.

Even if wanting to stay in Melee PAM out distances TWF by levels 11+ as the reliable reaction attack from PAM benefits form Brutes increased damage as much as a bonus action attack does.

So which synergies does a TWF Brute have that a PAM brute or Crossbow expert brute doesn't?

[Man_Over_Game]

You're right on PAM, nothing can really compete with the 3 murderhobo polearm feats. I forgot to account for those.

But with Crossbow Expert, you'd manage to deal 1d6 and gain a bonus action attack, but the Dual Wielder feat equivalent would provide +1 damage per attack (due to upgrading to 1d8 damage) and +1 AC.

Or, alternatively, with 15 as your highest stat, you could get 19 AC as a Strength-based TWF without needing any feats. For a Dexterity-based character, they'd need to spend a feat to gain those bonus action attacks, and they'd only reach 17 AC.

They're pretty comparable, though. Ranged is usually better if you can afford to do so. But I usually find that most teams lack melee combatants. In pretty much any scenario, a Brute being a melee specialist will have a little more AC or deal a little more damage than a range specialist (but not enough to really matter), but it's the fact that you have a consistent tanky melee combatant that's more important in most teams, I think.

That health regen is nice, but would your team care more if it was on your sniper, or on your tank?

[GlenSmash!]

YThat health regen is nice, but would your team care more if it was on your sniper, or on your tank?

In my experience? Neither until they hit 0 HP :smalleek: