Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 AndrewJO Aug 21, 2015 8:57:49	I'm building a sniper character (Assassin Rogue) and want to be able to get as far as possible from my target. Is 600 ft (Longbow w/ Sharpshooter) the absolute maximum range, or is there some obscure piece of equipment or magic item or something that would allow me to shoot further?
#2 transcendantviewer Aug 21, 2015 9:50:41	Eldritch Blast with Spell Sniper and the Eldritch Spear Invocation. I believe the effects together allow it to function at the same range and target multiple creatures, but that's about it. You might be using your best option.
#3 AndrewJO Aug 21, 2015 10:17:13	Eldritch Blast would have the same 600 ft range, but would unfortunately not gain the extra damage from sneak attack (20d6 at lvl 20 on a crit)
#4 BestNorthernDope Aug 21, 2015 10:36:14	Eldritch blast with spell sniper, eldritch spear invocation and distant spell metamagic from sorcerer. That should be 1200 feet.
#5 AndrewJO Aug 21, 2015 10:51:22	That could work, what would the damage by for that? I should also note that nova strike damage is EXTREMELY important for this character, as I intended to play him as a methodical sniper who takes one shot then bugs out. With the different Assassin Rogue abilities, plus an Oathbow and Arrows of slaying, his first attack will autocrit and deal roughly 2d8+20d6+2xOathbow extra damage+2xAoS extra damage+20 (22 Dex, Bracers of Archery, Sharpshooter, Oathbow +2 or 3), all multiplied by 2 if the target fails a DC 17 Con save.
#6 AndrewJO Aug 21, 2015 10:53:33	I could be wrong on many of those numbers, I have neither a PHB nor a DMG in front of me right now.
#7 BestNorthernDope Aug 21, 2015 11:25:34	If you are dead set on that 1200 feet range, the damage would probably not be able to compete with the damage of a longbow at 600 feet. A cool alternative, but with a shorter range, would be a chromatic orb-slinging assassin. 180 feet subtle spell (no somatic or verbal components, so could easily be fired from hidden or from inside a crowd) or double that with distant spell metamagic. A guaranteed 181 damage, if you hit that is. Oh, and you would be a 17th level caster with all that brings to the table. Feel free to plane shift to another plane after the deed, or teleport to your mansion.
#8 AndrewJO Aug 21, 2015 11:56:32	I'm not not a huge fan of playing casters, but I do like the idea of being able to stealthily kill and entire room then teleporting to safety. Maybe I'll make a character like that eventually, but not this character. I really wanted someone that could take the shot, eliminate his target, and be so far away that no one can even tell where he attacked from. 600 ft just seems too close for that, there are only so many places you can reasonably hide 600 ft away from a target, which I wouldn't even really consider as "sniping" at that distance. Are there ballistae or scorpions or similar portable siege engines with an accurate attack at a range greater than 600 ft? I wouldn't be opposed to shoving one into a bag of holding or portable hole and deploying once I've secured a hide.
#9 Tempest_Stormwind Aug 21, 2015 12:30:42	AndrewJO wrote:
#10 AndrewJO Aug 21, 2015 15:00:14	Our DM has us set in a world where magic is very common, so I can easily (provided I have the gold) find any magic item I need, including multiple books of quickness of action (I think they're roughly 50000 gold each). I was wrong on the Oathbow, I assumed it was +2. The Arrows of Slaying deal 6d10 on a DC 17 Con save, the Oathbow deals 3d6 on my "sworn enemy". I understand that I can only use that feature once per day, but my character is a contract killer so that's not an issue. Yes, I have paced 600 ft, and I've also attempted to hide while fully camouflaged from a group of people determined to hunt me down, and I can tell you that it's not enough distance to feel safely hidden.
#11 Mad_Jack Aug 21, 2015 15:08:09	Keep in mind that, as a medieval-style sniper rather than a modern one, you don't have the luxury of being two miles away when you take your shot and that your weapon, regardless of how impressive it is in game terms, is unlikely to one-shot most things that you'd want to put that much effort into assassinating that you'd need to hit them from a full 600 ft. away in order to escape unseen. You shouldn't plan for a one-shot kill. Plus, unlike a bullet, an arrow sticking out of someone tends to point directly back to the general location it was fired from. Thus, you're just as likely to be shooting and then running like hell before anyone can catch you for a while before you go to ground as you are to be shooting and then slowly sneaking away - things like disguise, deception and misdirection are going to be at least as big a part of your exit strategy as stealth. And then, of course, there will also be times when the best "exit strategy" is simply leaving nobody alive to chase after you.   Your most efficient tactic isn't going to be modern sniping as performed by today's soldiers with guns (expecting one shot, one kill), but a long-range form of ambush and skirmish tactics - you're going to be attacking with surprise on your first turn and focus-firing on your primary target with multiple attacks, unloading as much as you can in one nova turn. Then you'll be using your superior initiative and the fact that anyone in the vicinity of the target is going to need at least five turns at a full run to reach the place you shot from to finish taking out your primary target, if necessary. So you'll have at least a turn or two of being able to fire unopposed by anyone before most people get within range of almost any weapon or spell within the game before you need to bug out. Once you finish off your target, take advantage of however much time you can spare to use chaos and misdirection to cover your escape as well as using stealth. Being long gone and slowing down pursuers is often going to be a more appropriate tactic than trying to remain completely unseen.   Each approach, hit and exit is going to require it's own plan and strategy, so it's going to be important to be flexible in how you operate - although you have the capapbility of sniping from 600 ft. away, in many cases you'll end up much closer.
#12 Tempest_Stormwind Aug 21, 2015 16:23:55	AndrewJO wrote:
(Reply to #10) Netherholde	AndrewJO wrote: