In 2014 Dungeons and DragonsMartial characters focused on ranged damage were among the best builds in the 5th edition rules. Unfortunately, that’s no longer the case with the 2024 revision, so players will need to adjust to the best remaining options. Archers and crossbow experts were the best argument for the validity of the martial characters in the 2014 rules, and the ranged damage nerf widens divide between spellcasters and martial characters in the revised rules. While martial characters can no longer keep up with casters in the 2024 rules, archers can still try.
Much of long-range constructions that produced excellent results in 2014 5e D&D will need to be unlearned. D&Dhand crossbows and polearms stood out due to the synergy between a talent that offered a bonus action attack, Crossbow Expert in the case of ranged characters, and one that allowed a “damage gamble,” Sharpshooter. These characters can take -5 to hit in exchange for +10 added to damage. The 2024 rules weakened both Talents, for ranged weapon users. Sharpshooter no longer increases damage, and Crossbow Expert now requires the use of two hand crossbows instead of one.
Ranged D&D Bards Are Less Valid in 2024 Rules
Bards can no longer learn the Swift Quiver spell
Another popular route to distance supremacy involved 2014 D&Dthe surprisingly powerful Bard class, which has also been nerfed. A 2014 Bard could learn spells from any other class with the Magical Secrets skill gained at level 10. This meant they could learn the Level 5 Ranger spell Swift Quiver at level 10, while a Ranger would have to wait until level 10. character 17. The spell allowed two ranged attacks as a bonus action, which paired well with the College of Valor Bard subclass. In 2024, Magical Secrets no longer allows a Bard to access Ranger or Paladin spells.
Meanwhile, among the many periods of 2024 D&D PHBPlayers have already discovered poorly balanced spells that may reflect a lack of playtesting, such as Conjure Lesser Elementals. This easily combines with Scorching Ray to allow casters to dish out absurd damage numbers. A 2014 ranged martial character could remain competitive, but the 2024 rules made a mistake by decreasing the power of archery. A player who still wants to play an archer despite changes that make it less attractive has fewer legitimate options available. While most of the talents and skills still exist, they offer less than before.
2024 D&D PHB regressed from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything character creation, choosing to link initial ability score bonuses with Backgrounds. Ranged characters will need to choose one of the Backgrounds that allows for a Dexterity boost. Fortunately, there are about nine Backgrounds that offer this stat. Furthermore, players can only work within the meager options available in revision 2024 for archers. Despite the lack of a “damage bet” feature, Sharpshooter remains an important Talent pickas it allows players to ignore cover other than full cover, and negates the Disadvantage of shooting while engaged in melee combat.
A D&D Fighter & Rogue Multiclass holds its own
These builds are still weaker than their 2014 counterparts
In the 2014 rules, a variety D&D The Fighter and Rogue multiclass was a strong build, but is now the only viable build for ranged specialists. Five levels in Fighter and fifteen in Rogue offer the ideal split, and starting as a Rogue is more beneficial to skills. In the previous 5th edition rules, a pure fighting archer was ideal, but in the absence of a Sharpshooter damage bonus, a Fighter and Rogue multiclass now wins. A character with 20 Dexterity and a +3 Heavy Crossbow deals about 13.5 damage per hit. Fifteen Rogue levels produce about 28 Sneak Attack damage.
While a +3 Longbow paired with attuned Archery Bracers slightly outperforms the two-shot Sneak Attack damage taken at higher levels in Fighter, These extra attacks are widely spread across levels. Players will gain more consistent benefits from five Fighter levels, unlocking a single Extra Attack, and then steady gains from Rogue Sneak Attack data. The 2024 revised Crossbow Expert Feat still helps with damage output with its bonus action attack option. The strange wording of the Talent now allows for hands-free reloading, but strangely it relies on using two separate hand crossbows rather than firing one quickly.
2024 D&D DMG’Revised encounter guidelines may make battles more difficult, increasing the “encounter budget” at higher levels. An archer still contributes marginally in the 2024 rules and will be more consistently targeted for each of their shots, which may not be the case for melee characters in some battles. At high levels, a Fighter five, Rogue fifteen, with the Archery, Crossbow Expert, Sharpshooter, and Dexterity 20 fighting style can expect to deal around 62.5 damage. This slightly outperforms a Fighter taking five shots with a hand crossbow or a Ranger taking 4 shots with a heavy crossbow.
D&D’s best archer is now a warlock
Martial Characters Suffer Due to 2024 D&D Rules Changes
Archery still offers little damage compared to 2014’s long-range options D&D ruleswhere a pure fighter would easily deal 80+ damage per turn, even after factoring in the -5 penalty to hit and without using Action Surge. Spellcasting classes lost little and, in some cases, gained damage, as happened with the Conjure Lesser Elementals spell. Players would actually be better off playing a Sorcerer, with a level in Warlock for the Eldritch Blast cantrip and the Agonizing Blast invocation, using only Sorcery Points to cast the cantrip a second time with Quickened Spell Metamagic.
While there was a definite design flaw in 2014’s 5e’s handling of ranged and melee martial characters, which did not provide enough incentives to focus on melee, the imbalance of 2024 is between martial characters and spellcasters. A multiclassed Warlock and Sorcerer can deal around 42 damage with an Eldritch Blast, and they can fire two per turn for as long as their Sorcery Points last. If the character acquires Illusionist’s Bracers, he can do so indefinitely. In 2024 Dungeons and DragonsThe best an Archer can hope to be is a persistent annoyance rather than a truly meaningful contributor.
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