Today we’re going to take a quick look at a multiclass build that offers some thematic synergy – the Rogue’s Scout archetype and the Fighter’s Arcane Archer martial path. Both of these class options were introduced in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything. I’ve wanted to do something with the Scout for some time, but nothing ever tipped my fancy. It would be pretty easy to do a pure rogue build with this class, building an effective close range sniper (to maximize sneak attack damage), but I thought it would be fun to dip into a class option that I hadn’t given a whole lot of consideration – the Fighter’s Arcane Archer martial path.
Rolen
Wood Elf Rogue (Scout) 3/Fighter (Arcane Archer) 3
Armor Class 14 (leather armor)
Hit Points 42
Proficiency Bonus +3
Speed 35 ft
Alignment neutral good
Languages Common, Elvish, Sylvan
Ability Scores
Strength 10 (+0)
Dexterity 16 (+3)
Constitution 13 (+1)
Intelligence 12 (+1)
Wisdom 16 (+3)
Charisma 8 (-1)
Attacks
Ranged Attack: Longbow +8 1d8+3 piercing damage, ammunition (range 150/600), heavy, two-handed
Melee Attack: Shortsword +6 1d6+3 piercing damage, finesse, light
Melee Attack: Whip +6 melee 1d4+3 slashing damage, finesse, reach
Melee or Ranged Attack: Handaxe +3 (+5 thrown) 1d6 slashing damage, light, thrown (range 20/60)
Skills Acrobatics +6, Animal Handling +3, Arcana +1, Athletics +3, Deception -1, History +1, Insight +6, Intimidation -1, Investigation +4, Medicine +3, Nature +4, Perception +6, Performance -1, Persuasion -1, Religion +1, Sleight of Hand +3, Stealth +6, Survival +6
Equipment longbow and quiver with 20 arrows, shortsword, whip, 2 handaxes, explorer’s pack, drum, staff, hunting trap, wolf’s paw, set of traveler’s clothes, belt pouch with 10 gp
Racial Features
Darkvision. Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.
Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
Trance. Elves don’t need to sleep, instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
Fleet of Foot. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.
Mask of the Wild. You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.
Class Features
Expertise. Choose two of your skill proficiencies, or one of your skill proficiencies and your proficiency with thieves’ tools. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.
Sneak Attack (2d6). You know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe’s distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 2d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon. You don’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
Thieves’ Cant. During your rogue training you learned thieves’ cant, a secret mix of dialect, jargon, and code that allows you to hide messages in seemingly normal conversation. Only another creature that knows thieves’ cant understand such messages. It takes four times longer to convey such a message than it does to speak the same idea plainly. In addition, you understand a set of secret signs and symbols used to convey short, simple message, such as whether an area is dangerous or the territory of a thieves’ guild, whether loot is nearby, or whether the people in an area are easy marks or will provide a save house for thieves on the run.
Cunning Action. Your quick thinking and agility allow you to move and act quickly. You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can only be used to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
Skirmisher. You are difficult to pin down during a fight. You can move up to half your speed as a reaction when an enemy ends its turn within 5 feet of you. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.
Fighting Style (Archery). You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.
Second Wind. You have a limited well of stamina that you can draw on to protect yourself from harm. On your turn, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + 3. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Action Surge (1/rest). You can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you can take one additional action on top of your regular action and a possible bonus action. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Arcane Archer Lore. You gain proficiency in the Nature skill, and you learn the druidcraft cantrip.
Arcane Shot. You learn to unleash special magical effects with some of your shots. When you gain this feature, you learn two Arcane Shot options of your choice. Once per turn when you fire an arrow from your shortbow or longbow as part of the Attack action, you can apply one of your Arcane Shot options to that arrow. You decide to use the option when the arrow hits a creature, unless the option doesn’t involve an attack roll. You have two uses of this ability, you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a short or long rest. You gain an additional Arcane Shot option of your choice when you reach certain levels in this class. Each option also improves when you reach a certain level.
- Bursting Arrow. You imbue your arrow with force energy drawn from the school of evocation. The energy detonates after your attack. Immediately after the arrow hits the creature, the target and all other creatures within 10 feet of it take 2d6 force damage each.
- Enfeebling Arrow. You weave necromantic magic into your arrow. The creature hit by the arrow takes an extra 2d6 necrotic damage. The target must also succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, or the damage dealt by its weapon attacks is halved until the start of your next turn.
Proficiencies
Armor Proficiencies: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tool Proficiencies: Thieves’ tools, drum
Saving Throws: Dexterity and Intelligence
Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, Survival
Background: Outlander
Wanderer. You have an excellent memory for maps and geography and you can always recall the general layout of terrain, settlements, and other features around you. In addition, you can find food and fresh water for yourself and up to five other people each day, provided that the land offers berries, small game, water, and so forth.
Personality Traits: I’m driven by a wanderlust that led me away from home.
Ideals: Nature. The natural world is more important than all the constructs of civilization.
Bonds: I suffer awful visions of a coming disaster and will do anything to prevent it.
Flaws: I am slow to trust members of other races, tribes, and societies.
History: No history today – the article is already long enough as it is. But the personality traits that I have chosen for the character should give you a wealth of possible directions to develop your own.
Ben Erickson
