Help with ranged wepons and spelcasters

[ominak]

i want to make a spellcaster that weilds a bow/crosbow but also does spell stuff. are there any other classes/sub-classes that aren't ranger, bard or eltrich knight that this could be viable? if so, what subclass should i pick? what race? what feats? and other stuff

[Skrum]

Hexblade warlock with improved pact weapon can create a shortbow, longbow, light crossbow, or heavy crossbow as their pact weapon (or, you can just bond to a sling, dart, or hand crossbow). Eldritch smite also works with ranged weapons, unlike divine smite, so that's probably worth grabbing for really nice burst damage.

Could also go bladesinger wizard, and then be a race that gets proficiency with bows. A couple elven varieties get this, fittingly. This is definitely the stronger overall option, though it'll be most focused on your spells and your bow would be something of a "cantrip" option.

[Kane0]

War Cleric
Most Paladins
AT Rogue
Plenty of Warlocks
Bladesinger Wizard

[sithlordnergal]

Bladesinger Wizards are surprisingly good ranged attackers since you can cast a Cantrip with your Extra Attack. You could easily go Crossbow Expert, snag a Hand Crossbow, and take Firebolt for a solid 3 attacks per round.

[OracularPoet]

Battle Smith Artificer. Arcane half-caster who can medium armor + shield, have a self-loading hand crossbow fired using INT (or self loading heavy crossbow, if you lose the shield), and take sharpshooter (and Elven Accuracy if that’s available to you lineage-wise). Also Fighting Initiate (Archery) if you have an extra ASI lying around. Gets Shield spell as a bonus spell and has a pet to run interference and/or attack with your bonus action.

[OracularPoet]

Could also go bladesinger wizard, and then be a race that gets proficiency with bows. A couple elven varieties get this, fittingly. This is definitely the stronger overall option, though it'll be most focused on your spells and your bow would be something of a "cantrip" option.

Could be better to be Drow for the hand crossbow, as attacking two-handed (like with a bow) will end the Bladesong.

[ominak]

Hexblade warlock with improved pact weapon can create a shortbow, longbow, light crossbow, or heavy crossbow as their pact weapon (or, you can just bond to a sling, dart, or hand crossbow). Eldritch smite also works with ranged weapons, unlike divine smite, so that's probably worth grabbing for really nice burst damage.

Could also go bladesinger wizard, and then be a race that gets proficiency with bows. A couple elven varieties get this, fittingly. This is definitely the stronger overall option, though it'll be most focused on your spells and your bow would be something of a "cantrip" option.

most basic damage-based cantrips outclass most ranged options

[Unoriginal]

most basic damage-based cantrips outclass most ranged options

That is inaccurate.

Most ranged weapons will do more damage than nearly all ranged cantrips, at equivalent optimization level.

That is to say: an unoptimized ranged weapon user will do more damage than an unoptimized ranged cantrip user, and an optimized ranged weapon user will do more damage than an optimized ranged cantrip user (outside of maybe a dedicated Eldritch Blast Warlock).

[J-H]

Rogue 2/Wizard 18.
You get Cunning Action, allowing you a lot more mobility on the battlefield. You can use a shortbow and get 2d6+dex damage with sneak attack, which stays ahead of cantrips until they get their 3rd damage dice at level 11. If you can pick up a magic bow and you max your dex, 2d6+7 (13) is not too far behind fire bolt's 3d10 (16.5). If magic arrows with +d6 damage are available, you can even catch up until cantrips get their 4th damage dice.

If you're sure you're not going to 20, Rogue 3 lets you take AT for a minor spell slot boost, a free cantrip, and Steady Aim. If you are going to 20, I'd rather keep the level 18 class feature from Wizard.

[Unoriginal]

Battle Smith Artificer. Arcane half-caster who can medium armor + shield, have a self-loading hand crossbow fired using INT (or self loading heavy crossbow, if you lose the shield), and take sharpshooter (and Elven Accuracy if that’s available to you lineage-wise). Also Fighting Initiate (Archery) if you have an extra ASI lying around. Gets Shield spell as a bonus spell and has a pet to run interference and/or attack with your bonus action.

Artificer also gets proficiency with guns.

[Tendril]

Warlock with Improved Pact Weapon, Bladesinger Wizard and Battle Smith Artificer all seem like decent options for you. Sharpshooter is basically a must-have feat, and you can dip 1 level of fighter for the archery fighting style and proficiencies.

[Psyren]

Given your parameters, I'd go for a Hexbow build as others have stated.

Another alternative would be a Battlesmith or Battlesmith/Wizard.

[MarkVIIIMarc]

i want to make a spellcaster that weilds a bow/crosbow but also does spell stuff. are there any other classes/sub-classes that aren't ranger, bard or eltrich knight that this could be viable? if so, what subclass should i pick? what race? what feats? and other stuff

You weren't asking for Bard but I had a Lore Bard end up with an Oath Bow and it remained viable. I liked the variety also. It wasn't a go to all day which makes a more varied combat character.

Any class that gets a second attack, or combos it with haste could REALLY use this.

[Skrum]

most basic damage-based cantrips outclass most ranged options

Maybe at 20th level

I'm deeply skeptical thats true for anything below the fourth cantrip die - and by then, you're likely to have a very good magic bow.

Yeah I don't think that's true at any level, unless the character is limited to what's printed on the weapons page of the PHB.

[Sherlockpwns]

I know it’s terrible but how have we not brought up arcane archer?

Or if you actually wanted to cast spells the answer is swiftquiver valor bard. Which gives you a decent power spike at level 10 and you can flavor the inspiration damage as magic imbued arrows.

But uh, arcane archer is supposed to be this. Even if it isn’t. The fact it’s so **** makes me sad. Ask your DM to help fix it. Even if it’s just being able to use your ability a number of times equal to prof bonus. But I’d also let you have access to all arrow types at all times on top of it.

[follacchioso]

Bladesinger Wizards are surprisingly good ranged attackers since you can cast a Cantrip with your Extra Attack. You could easily go Crossbow Expert, snag a Hand Crossbow, and take Firebolt for a solid 3 attacks per round.I always thought Bladesingers were restricted to melee weapons. Bladesong ends early if you use two hands to make a weapon attack, and I always interpreted that using a longbow, crossbow, or even a sling required two hands to use.


most basic damage-based cantrips outclass most ranged optionsIn my experience, only warlocks with the right invocations can keep up with a specialized archer. That +5 to damage from your DEX/spellcasting ability makes a lot of difference. Even so, a martial character can easily get a +1/+2/+3 weapon, which is an effect that a warlock cannot replicate. Then you have feats like sharpshooter that can add up a lot of damage, if used against low AC targets.

[Kane0]

I know it’s terrible but how have we not brought up arcane archer? But uh, arcane archer is supposed to be this. Even if it isn’t. The fact it’s so **** makes me sad.

Ask your DM to help fix it. Even if it’s just being able to use your ability a number of times equal to prof bonus. But I’d also let you have access to all arrow types at all times on top of it.

Lol you answered your own question there didnt you?

I think Arcane Archer works pretty well when you transplant it onto the Ranger.

[Witty Username]

most basic damage-based cantrips outclass most ranged options

That depends on what you have for options.
Eldritch blast + agonizing blast will unless something else is going on like sharpshooter or eldritch smite.
Past that, as long as you have extra attack, every weapon option will beat every cantrip option until the 3th damage bump at 17th level. After that it will be more case by case. Generally D10+ cantrips do more, <D8 still do less.

Honorable mentions, bladesinger replaces a single attack, individual attacks will be below cantrip for the most part after 5th level.

--
I would second the bladesinger option, apart from I soft ban hand crossbow with bladesong because I think it's an oversight and hand crossbow looks silly.

[sithlordnergal]

I always thought Bladesingers were restricted to melee weapons. Bladesong ends early if you use two hands to make a weapon attack, and I always interpreted that using a longbow, crossbow, or even a sling required two hands to use.

Nope, they're not actually restricted to melee weapons. Training in War and Song does only give you proficiency with one type of one-handed melee weapon, but if you can get a single handed range weapon then you're good. You aren't actually using two hands to make the attack when you use Darts, a Sling, Hand Crossbows, or a Blowgun. You need a free hand to reload, but that's different from them being a two-handed weapon.

[Witty Username]

Yep, hand crossbow does work with bladesinger, I personally think it is an oversight and have no interest in it but it is the rules (ask your DM for safety).

[LudicSavant]

i want to make a spellcaster that weilds a bow/crosbow but also does spell stuff. are there any other classes/sub-classes that aren't ranger, bard or eltrich knight that this could be viable? if so, what subclass should i pick? what race? what feats? and other stuff

Hexbow, e.g. Hexblade Warlock with a bow. Played a game that went all the way to level 20 with one of these in my party (they ended at Warlock 17 / Fighter 3 IIRC) and they were simply lovely throughout.