Alright folks, gather ’round. Today I wanna talk about this Gloom Stalker setup for stealth parties I’ve been banging my head against lately. Cause honestly? Stealth in this game felt like trying to sneak an owlbear into a china shop before I figured this out.
The Frustration Phase
Started out thinking, “Hey, Ranger sounds cool, forest vibes.” Picked beastmaster, got me a pet wolf. Looked good on paper, right? Wrong. Trying to sneak anywhere with Clanky McWolf was a nightmare. We’d get spotted instantly, combat kicks off when we’re scattered like roaches when the light comes on, total mess. Felt useless for the sneaky stuff I wanted to do. Died pathetically. More than once.
Then I saw this “Groom Stalker” thing floating around. Sounded edgy. Figured, what the hell, nothing else is working, might as well re-spec into it. Game changer. Like finding cold water in the desert.
Building the Stalker
First, dumped the pet. Sorry buddy. Went full Gloom Stalker Ranger. Key things I focused on:
- Race: Picked Wood Elf. Need that extra movement and their stealthy nature just fit.
- Stats: Pumped up Dexterity hard. Stealth needs it, attacks need it, life needs it. Wisdom second, for the spells. Said goodbye to Strength.
- Skills: Stealth and Perception obvious picks. Grab Sleight of Hand too, traps suck when they blow.
- Level 3 Spells: Oh man, Umbral Shroud. This thing. Sounds boring? It ain’t. Advantage on Stealth checks? Plus you become nearly invisible in dim light? Forget about it. Game. Changer.
Putting the Party Together
Right, so one sneaky Ranger ain’t a sneaky party. Needed backstabbers, silence, darkness – the whole ninja crew.
- The Face: My Gloom Stalker. First strike specialist.
- The Knockout Artist: Grabbed Astarion as a Rogue Thief. Fast Hands mean two bonus actions. Dash, Hide, toss stuff – pure chaos. Plus, Sneak Attack hurts.
- The Shadow Mage: Made Gale a Trickster Cleric / Divination Wizard mix. Sounds messy? It works. Trickster gets Pass Without Trace (+10 STEALTH!). Darkness spells for cover, illusions, and Portent dice to mess with enemy rolls? Perfection.
- The Silencer: Karlach, of all people, as a Shadow Monk Way of Shadow. Can literally teleport between shadows? Yes please. Gets Silence spell to shut down enemy casters before they even squeak. Plus fists.
Getting this crew geared up was a scavenger hunt. Cloaks that muffled footsteps, boots that made no sound on difficult terrain, anything granting Darkvision or Advantage on Stealth.
The Practice Runs
Took ’em into Moonrise Towers basement. Perfect testing ground – dimly lit, lots of trash mobs to practice on.
First try? Still messed up. Forgot to actually use Pass Without Trace. Group stealth check failed, guards got alerted like hornets. Facepalmed hard. Reloaded.
Second try, activated Pass Without Trace religiously. Party vanished into the shadows. My Gloom Stalker used Umbral Shroud near a torch I had Gale snuff out. Poof. Almost invisible. Used the first turn Ambush bonus attack – boom, boom, boom – dropped the biggest guy before he even blinked. Astarion zip-zapped between cover with bonus dash/hide, picking off archers silently. Karlach shadow-stepped behind the caster, popped Silence around them – dead caster, no noise. Gale kept tossing Darkness zones where needed, Portent dice screwed enemy saving throws.
Felt… surgical. Quiet. Deadly. Didn’t need to fight half the enemies. Just ghosted right past them, took out key targets, grabbed the goodies.
Later tried the Adamantine Forge. You know the fight? Nasty construct right in the middle. Previously got wrecked trying to run and gun. This time? Party hugged the shadows around the perimeter like glue. Gloom Stalker initiated from max range with Umbral Shroud active – surprised the thing. Ambush turn wrecked its face. Monk teleported onto the forge lever, pulled it safely from range using mage hand, dropped a Silence on it when it started sparking. Zero chance. Looted it clean.
Why It Dominates
So why does this Gloom Stalker party shred? Here’s the gritty:
- First Turn Carnage: Gloom Stalker ambush feature is brutal. Extra attack, extra damage. Starts fights with a bang, often ending them quickly.
- Group Invisibility Lite: Pass Without Trace + smart use of Umbral Shroud/Darkness lets you control engagements. You choose when to fight, on your terms.
- Control the Noise: Silence from the Monk shuts down casters and loud noises. No calling for help.
- Hyper Mobility: Astarion zips everywhere, Monk teleports – positioning is effortless.
- Alpha Strike: Focus fire key threats down instantly before they react. No drawn-out slugfests.
It takes practice to think like a ghost squad. Positioning, keeping Pass Without Trace active, using the environment. But once it clicks? Pure dominance. Turns hard fights into playgrounds. Haven’t touched Beastmaster Ranger since.
Maybe give it a shot if you’re tired of bashing your head against every encounter face-first. Just remember the damn Pass Without Trace!