Quick Links
Builds inBaldur’s Gate 3can get complicated quickly. With so many options between classes, races, and the vast plethora of magical items, keeping track of your build can become exhausting. When it comes to the Gloomstalker Ranger, the progression is thankfully much simpler than your average wizard or sorcerer.
Prioritizing Critical Hit ratios and raw damage from any point on the field, the Gloomstalker Ranger is a deadly striker class you won’t want off your team. Getting your ranger off the ground is thankfully easy, but if you want to verify you elevate your ranger from a moderate damage dealer to a battlefield critical god, you’ll want to follow this guide closely.
Best Gloomstalker Ranger Starting Race And Background
A Gloomstalker Ranger will always benefit from any class with high mobility, meaning that theWood Elf is always a solid and popular choice. However, there’s asecond (much better) classthat often goes unnoticed by builds:the Half-Orc.
Why Half-Orc? Two Words:Savage Attacks.
Savage Attacks - When you land a Critical Hit with a melee weapon attack, your damage dice are tripled instead of doubled.
As such, this build will focus onmaximizing Critical Hit chancethrough the use of multiple actions for a crippling damage monster.
The best background for a Gloomstalker will likely be any that ties in with Dexterity.Urchin is the best Backgroundfor a Gloomstalker,but others include:
8
–
17
20
+1 Auntie Ethel Hair OR +1 Ability Score Upgrade, +2 Mirror of Loss (Necromancy of Thay)
15
16
12
14
The number onefocus for your stats should be Dexterity, giving you both a high starting DC and damage output. You’llincrease it by +1 with an Ability Score Upgrade as well as Constitution, adding to your survivability in melee combat.
Wisdom and Charisma are interchangeable at 12 and 14in whichever you prefer for your style. If this character is the one doing most of the talking, Charisma should be prioritized. If not, increasing your Wisdom will increase your Spell Save DC for Ensnaring Strike.
If your Gloomstalker is the character you want to use Auntie Ethel’s Hair on, you can trade your Ability Score Upgrade, sacrificing a point in Constitution for an additional feat, taking the Sharpshooter or Dual Wielder feat (whichever one you didn’t originally choose for the build below).
If you don’t read the Necromancy of Thay and trade its knowledge at the Mirror of Loss, this build’s Dexterity will be stuck at 18 instead of 20.
As a Ranger, yourfirst major choice will be in your starting feats. We recommend:
Later, you’ll need tochoose a fighting style.There are two styles we will be taking for this build due to its multiclass, andwhich style you choose should be determined by who else is in your party(e.g., if you need a melee striker vs. ranged attacker). Choose one:
Multiclassing As A Gloomstalker Ranger
TheGloomstalker Ranger should absolutely be multiclassedfor this broken build to take it all the way to the finish line. Once you reachLevel 3and gain your Gloomstalker class, you’ll want tomulticlass into Rogue and, later, Fighter.
Level 10-12
The variation in this build depends on the role your Gloomstalker needs to fill. There aretwo divergences in pathingfor this build:
Two
Pass Without A Trace,Silence,Spike Growth
You willnot often be using spellsas a Gloomstalker Ranger, so choosing them will not be a great focus for this build. If you choose something else that deviates from the list above, don’t fret.
Many of the spells included, likeEnsnaring Strike, will be rare uses that give you a slight edge in specific circumstances. In general, theonly spell you will get constant use from isHunter’s Mark- a top priority on this list.
Dark Justiciar Helmet
2
Reduce Critical Hit requirement by 1 (effect is stackable) while obscured. Also gives +1 to Saving Throws against spells and +1 to Constitution Saving Throws.
Found inside the vault ofthe Silent Libraryin the Gauntlet of Shar.
Sarevok’s Horned Helmet
3
Reduce Critical Hit requirement by 1 (effect is stackable). You cannot be Frightened or afflicted with other emotion-altering status conditions. Gain +1 to Constitution Saving Throws.
Spidersilk Armour
1
AC 12 + Dexterity modifier. Gain +1 bonus to Stealth checks. Gain Advantage on Constitution Saving Throws.
Looted from Mintharaat Goblin Camp (you do not need to kill her; only knock her unconscious at minimum).
Yuan-Ti Scale Mail
Add your Dexterity modifier to this armour (AC = 15 + modifier). No Disadvantage on Stealth rolls. Gain +1 to initiative.
Armour of Agility
Add your Dexterity modifier to this armour (AC = 17 + modifier). No Disadvantage on Stealth rolls. Gain +2 to all Saving Throws.
Legacy of the Masters
Gain +2 to all attack and damage rolls with weapons. Gain +1 to Strength Saving Throws.
Sold by Dammon at the Forge of the Nine in the Lower City.
Disintegrating Nightwalkers
Gain free cast ofMisty Stepand cannot slip. Wearer cannot be Enwebbed, Ensnared, or Entangled.
Reduce Critical Hit requirement by 1 (effect is stackable).
Sold by Sticky Dondo at the Guild Hall, Lower City Sewers.
Strange Conduit Ring
Deal an additional 1d4 Psychic damage with a weapon when concentrating on a spell.
Inside a chest in the Inquisitor’s Chamber at Rosymorn Monastery Creche Y’llek.
Killer’s Sweetheart
After killing an enemy, your next weapon attack is a guaranteed Critical Hit. Can be used once per Long Rest.
Loot from mirrored enemy of the protagonist inthe Self-Same Trialin the Gauntlet of Shar.
Surgeon’s Subjugation Amulet
When dealing a Critical Hit, you’re able to choose to force the struck creature to become Paralyzed.
Sword of Life Stealing
1d6 + 2 Piercing damage. Deal an additional d10 Necrotic damage and gain 10 temporary HP when dealing a Critical Hit. +2 weapon.
Blood Thirst
1d4 + 2 piercing damage. Lower Critical Hit requirement by 1 (effect is stackable). When striking with this weapon, enemy gains Vulnerability to Piercing damage.
Knife of the Undermountain King
1d6 + 2 Piercing damage. Reduce Critical Hit requirement by 1 (effect is stackable). If rolling a 1 or 2 to hit, reroll the die and take the higher number. Gain Advantage on attacks made on Obscured targets. +2 weapon.
Sold by or looted from A’jak’nir Jeera (Quartermistress) in Creche Y’llek.
Sussur Dagger
1d4 + 1 Piercing damage. Silences opponent for 1 turn after a successful hit. +1 weapon.
Bow of the Banshee
1d6 + 1 Piercing damage. Possibly inflict Frightened on a struck enemy. Gain +1d4 to your hit and damage on Frightened enemy. +1 weapon.
The Dead Shot
1d8 + 2 Piercing damage. Lower required Critical Hit by 1 (stacking effect). Double proficiency bonus when attacking with this weapon unless you have Disadvantage. +2 weapon.
Sold by Fytz the Firecracker in Lower City.
The equipment of a Gloomstalker Rangerfocuses on lowering the Critical Hit requirement and increasing output damagefor a deadly striker-class attacker. While this build isgeared more toward a frontline melee unitwith high AC, it can also work exceptionally well as a midline archer.
The armour itself is optimized to ensure that no penalties against your Stealth occur while maximizing Armour Class potential.
In weapons, this build has a large range of options. But themost important is the Knife of the Undermountain King,giving not only a lowered requirement for Critical Hits but also a free reroll on hits.
After is the Blood Thirst weapon, applying Vulnerability to enemies for Piercing damage. As this build deals only Piercing damage at its core, this is a highly useful skill that will double your damage output before you’ve even tripled it for a Critical Hit.
The Sussur Dagger is a rarely-used optional replacement during fights with several (or dangerous) spellcasters.
Gontr Mael seems like the obvious choiceat first, but it actuallydoesn’t perform as well in this build as the Dead Shot. In our opinion, it’s much better to have another support character cast Haste as the bow’s Celestial Haste means you can’t useHunter’s Mark. This frees Gontr Mael for another character who needs it more.
Dead Shot also lowers your Critical Hit rate further,even when you’re not actively using the bow. When you are using it, you gain double proficiency when rolling to hit, meaning you’re able to completely bypass the negative effects of the Sharpshooter feat.
8 (-1)
20 (+5)
16 (+3)
12 (+1)
14 (+2)
109
22-23
13
Hunter’s Mark
Feats
Dual Wielder or Sharpshooter, Relentless Endurance, Savage Attacks, Bounty Hunter, Wasteland Wanderer: Fire, Two-Weapon Fighting, Archery, Extra Attack, Dread Ambusher, Superior Darkvision, Fast Hands, Second Story Work: Falling, Improved Critical Hit, Sneak Attack
This is one of the rare builds thatno matter where you place the Gloomstalker Ranger, you’ll never go wrong.
With access to equipment that improves mobility and the Disengage and Dash bonus action feats,this build is an extremely versatile fighterthat can easily switch between roles as the situation calls. Adaptable to melee and ranged combat, this build will likely be a key part of any battle.
Although absolutely deadly as an archer (and never to be underestimated), this builddoes excel slightly better at melee combat.Here’s a breakdown of what a Turn One with Gloomstalker Ranger looks like.
That brings the total of attacks on Turn One to six or seven attacks. If you use Haste, that number can improve all the way to11 possible attacks(or eight, if you’re in Honour Mode).
With a Critical Hit minimum of 14 (Champion) or 15 (Battlemaster), you have anapproximate 25-30 percent chance of dealing triple damage with any melee attackand double with ranged and spell.
Stacked with the application of Vulnerability to Piercing with Blood Thirst, Sneak Attack,Hunter’s Mark, the Legacy of the Master gauntlets, and the Caustic Band, you’ll bedealing well over a hundred damage on your first turn. Scary, right?
In essence, your strategy is togo absolutely wild against your enemies with a barrage of merciless attacks.If you can poison a weapon or drink a potion before battle, all the better. This is the kind of build you can solo Baldur’s Gate 3 with - a boss killer.
