L10 Gloom Stalker/Echo Knight Feat advice

[Master O'Laughs]

So I will be joining an ongoing campaign for up to 5 sessions, or so. Long Story short, I was able to spend XP to get various benefits but lowered my overall starting level.

I am currently level 10 after the buy in options.

I am modifying the melee ranger I made for a RotFM campaign so I am still a Tortle.

Starting Attributes (after racials)
STR - 20
DEX - 16
CON - 17
INT - 14
WIS - 16
CHA - 12

Current split is 6 levels ranger & 4 levels fighter. Fighting styles are Druidic warrior (for control flames and guidance) and blind fighting from fighter.

My question comes down to ASI/feats. Currently I was leaning towards GWM and Sentinel and using a polearm to cheese the interaction in combat between opportunity attacks and the Echo's threat range.

Another thought I had was going Skill Expert to make my CON 18 giving another use of unleash incarnation as well as giving expertise on Athletics checks to knock creatures prone.

Idea is to always try and work from attacking with advantage making it more likely for using GWM to be a good idea.

Another thought would be to take Resilient CON for proficiency making level 11 in ranger giving me Wis STs.

Any thoughts or suggestions for the second ASI (GWM is a non-negotiable)?

[Snowbluff]

I would suggest Sentinel, yeah. Resilient Con can probably be avoided on the basis the echo will be able to soak some effects for you.

I'm not sure what you mean about polearm, however. The echo's specific opportunity attack has its own condition, so I'm unsure if reach or PAM affect it.

[Master O'Laughs]

I would suggest Sentinel, yeah. Resilient Con can probably be avoided on the basis the echo will be able to soak some effects for you.

I'm not sure what you mean about polearm, however. The echo's specific opportunity attack has its own condition, so I'm unsure if reach or PAM affect it.

Exactly, as the echo only has a reach of 5ft so I could attack from 10 ft away and if they move to attack me, the Echo can get an opportunity attack and reduce their speed to 0 if it hits.

[Snowbluff]

Exactly, as the echo only has a reach of 5ft so I could attack from 10 ft away and if they move to attack me, the Echo can get an opportunity attack and reduce their speed to 0 if it hits.:smallconfused:

Ok, maybe I'm missing something, but you can already originate your attacks made during your attack action from the Echo's location. You don't need to be attacking with a reach weapon to attack prey from a distance.

[da newt]

Sentinel is great with Echo Knight when it works. When I played a EK/AG Barb I found it didn't come into effect as often as I had hoped, but when it did it was great.

I'd go maul over polearm unless you take the PAM feat. There is no reason not to. I prefer PAM to GWM, but you said GWM is mandatory.

I'd make sure to talk through a serious session zero with the DM to hammer out exactly what your echo can and can't do before playing. Can it be ridden? Can foes easily tell it's not a creature? Does it act like an object so that creatures cannot move through the space it occupies? Can it levitate? Etc. It's a cool subclass, but there are some things that need to be established.

I'd also recommend you summon it always - don't wait for combat, have it always there unless you are asleep. There is no reason not to.

If you want to have CON prof, you can start fighter at lvl 1.

[Master O'Laughs]

Also, current ways I have to give myself advantage is to attack a creature relying on darkvision to see me (I would count as invisible), cast fog cloud and use blind fighting to see it, or hitting it with ensnaring strike if it fails its saving throw.

[DarknessEternal]

What kind of idiocy is occurring that keeps your echo alive past one attack from the enemies? It has 1hp and garbage AC. Any cunning strategy you have disappears as soon as any enemy gets a turn.

[Master O'Laughs]

What kind of idiocy is occurring that keeps your echo alive past one attack from the enemies? It has 1hp and garbage AC. Any cunning strategy you have disappears as soon as any enemy gets a turn.

The idea is they spend a turn attacking the echo which I can re-summon for free on my turn. If they have multi-attack, that is one less attack I or a party member receive. Also, Echo Knight would have 18 AC which isn't terrible, not great, but better than my tortle (17 AC).