Quote Originally Posted by Justin Sane View Post
I've been tinkering with a Scout/Fey Wanderer build:

The Feywarden
Note: this build involves getting lots of different instances of skill proficiency from multiples sources. If starting at level 1, check with your DM what happens if a sub-class gives you proficiency with one your background skills.



Strengths & Weaknesses
+ flexible fighting style, can use archery, sword & board, or dual wield depending on situation
+ 9 different skill proficiencies (before race/background), Expertise in 5 of them
- uses 2 different UA (Subclasses part 3, and Class Feature Variants), plus XGtE
- takes a while (level 6) to come online, even more (level 10) to really shine

The Basics
Race: anything with a Dex/Wis boost. Wood Elf is the default, but Mark of Handling Human or Variant Human also work.
Classes: Scout Rogue 3 / Fey Wanderer Ranger 3 is the core for this build. You want Ranger 5 for Extra Attack, and you might want Rogue 4 eventually for the ASI, but the Fey Wanderer features are actually pretty good, so make sure you can live with delaying them for a bit.
Starting Stats: Dex > Wis > Con > everything else. I personally wouldn't dump any stat for this build - YMMV.
ASIs: Max Dex. Anything else is gravy.

The Skills
The Feywarden gets an incredible array of skills. All of this is YMMV, as it really doesn't break anything if you have different preferences - but since you're picking up new skills over a long period of time, it's worth it to map them out before you begin.
Starting Rogue, take Investigation, Insight, Perception, and Stealth - with Expertise on those last two. Scout adds proficiency and Expertise on Nature and Survival. With your 1st Ranger level, take Athletics, and pick Canny for your Deft Explorer (replacing Favored Terrain) benefit, adding proficiency and Expertise to Animal Handling. Fey Wanderer, finally, will get you Persuasion or Deception (or Performance, if you care about that).
Remember, at Fey Wanderer 7, Blessings of the Courts will let you add your Wisdom Modifier to your Charisma checks - which means, with the right background choice, you'll be no slouch in the social arenas.

The Damage
Up to level 3, you're a Rogue. Pick up a pair of shortswords (and keep a few daggers on you) and a bow, use whatever's more appropriate for the situation you're in. Your damage should be something like 3d6+Dex, possibly adding another 1d6 if dual wielding.
At level 4, the 1st Ranger level kicks in. With it comes medium armor and shield proficiency, which should shore up your AC by a couple of points, but more importantly, comes Hunter's Mark, courtesy of Favored Foe (replacement for Favored Enemy). This makes the extra attack from dual wielding a much better option.
At Ranger 2 (level 5) you get to pick your Fighting Style. Archery, Dueling, Defense, and Two-Weapon Fighting are all valid choices, but don't discount Druidic Warrior - getting 2 Druid cantrips may be worth more, from an RP perspective, than a slight numbers boost. Again - YMMV.
At Fey Wanderer 3 (level 6), Dreadful Strikes is another damage bump, especially considering it works with Two-Weapon Fighting. By now, your damage should be around 5d6+Dex, with an extra 2d6 if dual wielding, which isn't that bad. Moving Hunter's Mark might be your biggest hassle.

Playstyle
The Feywarden is an outdoorsman extraordinaire. The Ranger side of the build gives some really useful magic tricks (in most quasi-medieval settings, there's animals everywhere - rats, cats, pigeons, horses, squirrels...), and the Rogue side can easily cover for those long days where you spent all your slots on Goodberries.
Versatility is an hallmark of this build. You'll have so many different tools available, it'll be hard to find situations in which you cannot contribute to your party's success.



Thoughts?
I Really like the look and idea behind the build, but im curious about the remaining level break down, are you more ranger heavy for rogue heavy??? Also i understand that the scout gains a couple of proficiency with skills, but if you plan on dual wielding would the swashbuckler not be a more valid option? The Fey Wanderers Dreadful strikes say that a creature can only take the extra damage once, so if you are duel wielding you do not get the extra damage on the off hand. By going swashbuckler, after your first attack, you can move away without getting an OA and then hit a second creature adding the 1d6 psychic onto that attack as well. Thus assuming you hit on both, youre getting 2d6+dex on both creatures, plus sneak attack on one of those attacks