Help me optimize this sneaky boy!

[jeanquilt]

Alright, so I am playing Storm King's Thunder and I'm working on a character that started as a rogue but I want to multiclass to be able to kill a giant on the first turn of a fight!

So far what I have is:

Rogue 3 (Assassin)
Ranger 3 (Gloomstalker)
Fighter 2


Assume I already have 20 DEX and the Sharpshooter feat (house rules, we use a high power standard array with an 18 in it and I am a feral tief, and we all started with a bonus feat at level 1). I am currently level 3, with 3 levels in rogue (assassin), so that can't change, but the order of everything else can.

My stats are 10, 20, 12, 14, 14, 16, in order.

Assuming I take these class levels in this order, I have used Anydice and R to make the following plot of damage by level. This is pretty good, I think! These corresponding to using a longbow (my DM let me get longbow prof in exchange for my background tool profs) with sneak attack, assassin critical hit, and sharpshooter. Level 3 is just this, level 5 is with hail of thorns, level 6 is all of the above but with hunter's mark and gloom stalker benefit, and level 8 is all of this plus action surge.

https://i.imgur.com/Le9zR9S.png

My question is, how can I make this better? SKT can go up to level 13, I've heard, and knowing my group we do everything possible, so we will likely get there. So, my build only puts me up to level 8.

What else should I do? Is this the best order to take the levels like I said earlier? How do I get maximal damage output by level 13?

[CTurbo]

You'll want 5 levels of Ranger for the second attack for sure. I would consider a single level of War Cleric for reliable (when you really need it aka first round) bonus action attack, and some extremely useful spells and cantrips. Other than that just take Rogue from there for more sneak dice and Uncanny Dodge.


so...
Rogue 3,
Ranger 5,
Fighter 2,
War Cleric 1,
Rogue X



I have done this character and it's AWESOME. Surprise Rounds are not that hard to come by from a long way away with a Longbow. Grab Skulker at some point.

[Malifice]

Due to how surprise works, you should look to get Alert feat (granting +5 to initiative).

You need to act before your surprised enemies on Round 1 in order to surprise them.

[th3g0dc0mp13x]

If your goal is to take a giant in a single turn you need to output 105+ damage in 1 round. (Using a hill giant's HP.)

I would recommend less of a sneaky boy.

Rogue 1/Battlemaster fighter 12
On your first round of Combat you do 8d6+70+35=133 without using any battlemaster dice. And your accuracy against a Hill giant would be approximately 75% with a major boost available from BM dice.

With 1 BM die you could up this enough to take out a frost giant in one round as well.

[opaopajr]

At that point, given the above maths, being a 13th lvl Battlemaster with the Criminal Background sounds way cooler and gets your next class feature. :smallcool: Criminal background gets you your Stealth, Deception, Thieves' Tools, Criminal Contacts, Dark clothes... and a Crowbar! And you can call your specialty "contract killer," too! :smalltongue:

[Man_Over_Game]

Can concur, Rogue + Battlemaster is a lot of fun. I do recommend grabbing a second level into Rogue, as that gives you the Bonus Action mobility effects which works really well with the fact that very few maneuvers or Fighter abilities actually use a Bonus Action.