Okay, so I finally got around to messing with my Gloom Stalker Ranger in BG3. Kept hearing folks talk about how insane it was for first-round damage, but my first attempt? Total mess. Like, hitting like a wet noodle. Figured I really needed to sit down and make this thing actually hurt.
Why Even Bother With Gloom Stalker?
Honestly? That first round of combat. When things kick off, if you play it right, you can basically delete a high-priority target before they even get a turn. That’s huge. Especially on Tactician mode. But mine felt… weak. So, time to rebuild properly.
Starting From Scratch
First thing I did was head back to Withers, paid my gold, and reset my Tav. Level 1 Ranger again.
- Race: Went with Githyanki this time. Why? That free Misty Step once per long rest is gold. Lets you reposition like crazy on your big first turn. Plus, martial weapon proficiency is always handy.
- Abilities: Maxed out Dexterity first thing. Like, immediately dumped points into it. This is your everything for hitting things hard with a bow. Wisdom? Yeah, it helps your spells and skills, but for a focused archer build? I kept it reasonable, maybe 14-16 range. Strength and Charisma? Bare minimum, just to carry stuff and avoid penalties. Constitution gets a decent bump for survivability.
- Skills: Grabbed Stealth and Perception. Obvious stuff for someone who wants to be sneaky and spot things first.
Leveling Up – Getting the Core Bits
Taking Ranger straight up. Forget multiclassing headaches for this one. Simple is better.
- Level 1: Favored Enemy? I picked Bounty Hunter. Seems weird, but knocking enemies prone with Ensnaring Strike? Really useful early on before you get the big damage. Natural Explorer: Urban Tracker for the mobility bonus.
- Level 2: Fighting Style! Archery. Didn’t even think twice. That +2 to hit? Absolutely essential for later.
- Level 3: Here we go: Gloom Stalker Subclass! This is the money maker. Dread Ambusher gives you that extra attack and movement on turn one. Umbral Sight makes you practically invisible in darkness. So powerful.
- Spells: Grabbed Hunter’s Mark without fail. More damage on hit? Yes please. Ensnaring Strike stayed useful. Later on, Pass Without Trace makes your whole party ninjas.
Feats – The Big Damage Boosters
- Level 4: Sharpshooter. You want strong? This is it. Ignoring cover penalties is great, but turning that toggleable power shot on? Oh man. Yeah, you get a -5 to hit, but that Archery fighting style helps balance it, and the +10 damage? Chef’s kiss. Suddenly started deleting regular enemies on turn one.
- Level 8: Ability Score Improvement. Pushed Dexterity all the way to 20. More hit chance, more damage, more AC.
- Level 12: Seriously considered Alert (going first is key for this build), but honestly, felt solid. Could boost Wisdom, or maybe take Mobile if feeling squishy. Some like Crossbow Expert even with bows for close-up fighting, didn’t feel necessary for me.
Gear – Making It Shine
Okay, gear is where it really started popping off.
- Weapons: Hunted down the best Longbow I could find early game. Later, grabbed the Titanstring Bow when I could. Pair that with Hill Giant Strength potions? Your damage gets stupid. Absolutely stupid.
- Armor: Medium Armor is fine early. But you want stuff that boosts Dexterity or Initiative. Found some nifty pieces:
- Cloak: Anything that gives more stealth or a defensive buff.
- Boots: Anything boosting movement speed or avoiding hazards.
- Helmet: Later on, the initiative boost from things like the Dark Justiciar Helmet is amazing.
- Gloves: Archery gloves. Flat damage boost is huge.
Basically, stack initiative boosts and damage boosts. Looked for gear that added extra damage riders or advantage generation.
Putting It All Together – The First Round Massacre
This is the payoff.
- Stealth Up: Before combat, hide. Get advantage on that first attack.
- Surprise Round: If you pull it off? Even better.
- Attack 1: Dread Ambusher triggers. First shot, high damage, probably with advantage. Bonus action, Hunter’s Mark on the prime target.
- Attack 2 & 3: Your regular two normal attacks, all enhanced by Hunter’s Mark and Sharpshooter.
Yeah. That’s three high-power shots, often with advantage, potentially a surprise round, all landing in the first few seconds of combat. Most single targets just evaporate. Bosses take a massive chunk immediately.
Lessons Learned & Final Thoughts
Took some tinkering, honestly. My first version missed the Sharpshooter synergy. Mistake! And positioning matters – use that free Misty Step or movement to get angles, break line of sight after your volley using Umbral Sight. Honestly? This build slaps hard. Now I consistently see big damage numbers flying. Feels great melting priority targets before anyone else gets a turn.