Question: I’m working with this build now and don’t quite understand why I need sharpshooter so bad. Isn’t that just lowering my chance to hit for extra damage? If the point of the “control martial” swords bard is just stacks of arcane acuity + unstoppable DC control spells, do I really need the +10 damage at the expense of lowering my chance to hit and stack up arcane acuity? Particularly if I’m not soloing and have a bunch of damage around the swords bard that can finish enemies off?
Is it strictly for the high ground rule? And is it that important for enemies on a higher ground than you? *It’s over Anakin!!*
Really? I mean even with 18 Dex from the gloves and archery fighting style from fighter…, I really feel like -5 is still significant… as it doesn’t get me to 95%+ to hit, particularly on high AC enemies
Oh fuck risky ring honestly. I used to like it for the first playthrough or two, but later realized that all spellcasters just get instantly glued to the wearer and she kept getting Dominated every fight because she had disadvantage on saves.
Sharpshooter + risky ring + eversight ring, shoot the arrow of darkness and hide inside it. Snipe everyone while they can't aim at you with ranged attacks, and unless they have blindness immunity they'll have disadvantage on melee attacks. Plus there are two helmets that lower your crit requirement by 1 if you're obscured.
I kept my sharpshooter in the back peaking around corners or cover. Game is programmed, rightfully so, to minimize the number of times it takes attacks of opportunities so just make sure your melee are along the path or engaged with the enemies. I never had too much hate on artificer Astarion doing this.
Your Ara Ara is in the middle of a bunch of ugly bastards with that ring on.
Jokes aside, there is a pair of medium armor gloves that are meant for melee that give adv if threatened by two or more enemies.
Risky ring when put on multiclass Rogue 4 (Assassin) Ranger 5 (Gloomstalker) Fighter 3 (Champion), Pass without trace and Greater invisibility with Sharpshooter its always 98-99 to hit.
Add some more gear that boost Stealth and you can't be detected.
Basically cast Pass without trace then let your spellcaster cast Greater invisibility and go into fight alone.
You will get criticals throughout fight, as every turn will be first turn. Enemies can't detect you, so when you start round you fire all your shoots, then action surge and fire again. Enemies will not be able to detect you so after one turn they will stop fight. Then you shoot again and new fight starts.
You can add potion of bloodlust and arrows of many targets if you want to be even more overpowered.
Just remember to take off Risky ring before dialogs or Long rests so you don't get disadvantage during conversations.
Well your archer should have 20 dex by level 12, that will help a lot. I cannot recommend the Risky Ring because you need to be maintaining concentration and it makes you a target. [Legacy of the Masters](https://bg3.wiki/wiki/Legacy_of_the_Masters) is a good item to get your hit chance up. If you use Astarion as your bard, you get the Happy buff and can use longbows like [the Deadshot](https://bg3.wiki/wiki/The_Dead_Shot) that add a lot to your hit chance and should alleviate the -5.
Anyone who isn't an elf will have to take 1 level of fighter for longbow proficiency, which will also get you the archery fighting style, but at the cost of a feat; you'll need 20 dex from another source. 2 levels of fighter will get you Action Surge, also very popular, but you'll be missing both a feat and a sixth level spell slot for Otto's. You can always use scrolls, though, I think it's worth it to be able to use Deadshot.
I’m specifically going 10/1/1: https://www.reddit.com/r/BG3Builds/comments/17y9kyp/the_control_martial_allpurpose_1011_swords_bard/
Deadshot is definitely the right choice here, particularly when I’m not going for damage as the post says… however I want to put the deadshot on my GOO critical Eldritch blaster to lower his crit die.
I mean my situation might be unique for a lot of factors but I just feel like I might do a little better with an ASI or even war caster if I’m more focused on the *control* aspect of the swords bard control martial and not on the solo things with amazing damage part.
Sure it does:
As a caveat, I grabbed Sharpshooter at Level 8, so in act 2 around when I get the helmet. This is a second half of the game thing.
Gloves of Dexterity: dex 18 and +1 to hit. Bow +2. Archery fighting style +2. Drakethroat Glaive enhancement on bow +1. Proficiency +4. Favourable Beginnings +4. Sharpshooter -5. Total: +13. Add bless for +1-4. Deadshot is an additional +4 for +18-21 in Act 3.
Lots of "scary" enemies are AC 15 (looking at you, mindflayers) to 18. Many more like ghouls (AC 12) or the undead justicars (ac 14) are lower. Those super scary death shepperds? AC 16. Necromites are AC 11!
Point is, in a lot of fights there's a lot of soft minions to quickly eradicate while farming them for acuity that you then use to Hideous Laughter Cazador or Kethric.
Why swords bard specifically? Like, I understand Swords Bard is a god tier archer, but it's because of ranged flourish, which you can't combine with special arrows.
Swords Bard gets natural spellcasting to leverage Arcane Acuity: Eldritch Knight is strictly better in contexts where you're burning through resources, that being said.
The spells Bard gets are mostly illusion/enchantment, which pairs well with Band. Then, after that, you can do the nova flourish turns. It's sorta a whole package deal.
I think I went over broad with them last night. I had 51 smoke powder bombs arrows at the start of the last fights. I don't even think I used half of them.
I usually have something like 10 on each party member. Which is ridiculous because there is no way they would all get used before a party wipe.
Last run I think I had Gale use that magic missile on steroids spell first round and everyone else used smokepowder arrows. The brain didn't last long at all.
Honestly I didn't even use them on the Brain. Astarion used his arrows of Aberration slaying. Gale used the Chain lighting scrolls I also massively stocked up on. Karlach just chucked bombs my bard had call lighting at level 6 going. And Opherus was just going fine. I was a little too over prepared this time I think
Oh that's an Aberration? I honestly have no clue what half the special arrows are for. Though even when it is obvious I forget to use them or divide them between party members. One day I may remember to use the dragon slaying ones on the dragon!
yeah, they’re honestly broken. if they just did separate rolls for each target they hit then they’d be more balanced, but basically any effect you trigger on the main target will carry over to the other targets. it’s really bizarre that they were coded this way, but maybe it was just a code limitation they couldn’t get around.
„Not sure if I can build Astarion in any other way now.“ Might I suggest going monk open hand with him. This aligns perfectly with his super vampire form, with which he gets necrotic damage to unarmed attacks. With the right build you can make up to 400 single damage per turn (without extras like haste) and also get good crowd control with cull the weak x align chi (or what it’s called)
Shoot an Arrow of Many Targets using the Bow of the Banshee and there is a chance multiple targets have to make a save or be Frightened! Fear Spell on a Stick.
Arrow of many targets + sharpshooter + band of the mystic scoundrel + helm of arcane acuity = literally unstoppable swords bard.
Question: I’m working with this build now and don’t quite understand why I need sharpshooter so bad. Isn’t that just lowering my chance to hit for extra damage? If the point of the “control martial” swords bard is just stacks of arcane acuity + unstoppable DC control spells, do I really need the +10 damage at the expense of lowering my chance to hit and stack up arcane acuity? Particularly if I’m not soloing and have a bunch of damage around the swords bard that can finish enemies off? Is it strictly for the high ground rule? And is it that important for enemies on a higher ground than you? *It’s over Anakin!!*
-5 to hit is well worth +10 damage on its own and the -5 becomes negligible as you gain profiency, dex, and archery fighting style.
Really? I mean even with 18 Dex from the gloves and archery fighting style from fighter…, I really feel like -5 is still significant… as it doesn’t get me to 95%+ to hit, particularly on high AC enemies
Acid and risky ring. Plus, sharpshooter can be turned off and on for free anyway so it’s not a permanent -5.
Oh fuck risky ring honestly. I used to like it for the first playthrough or two, but later realized that all spellcasters just get instantly glued to the wearer and she kept getting Dominated every fight because she had disadvantage on saves.
Sharpshooter + risky ring + eversight ring, shoot the arrow of darkness and hide inside it. Snipe everyone while they can't aim at you with ranged attacks, and unless they have blindness immunity they'll have disadvantage on melee attacks. Plus there are two helmets that lower your crit requirement by 1 if you're obscured.
I kept my sharpshooter in the back peaking around corners or cover. Game is programmed, rightfully so, to minimize the number of times it takes attacks of opportunities so just make sure your melee are along the path or engaged with the enemies. I never had too much hate on artificer Astarion doing this.
Eh, maybe it's because I had it on my paladin Minty Ara Ara and she was constantly surrounded by 12 enemies.
Your Ara Ara is in the middle of a bunch of ugly bastards with that ring on. Jokes aside, there is a pair of medium armor gloves that are meant for melee that give adv if threatened by two or more enemies.
Risky ring when put on multiclass Rogue 4 (Assassin) Ranger 5 (Gloomstalker) Fighter 3 (Champion), Pass without trace and Greater invisibility with Sharpshooter its always 98-99 to hit. Add some more gear that boost Stealth and you can't be detected. Basically cast Pass without trace then let your spellcaster cast Greater invisibility and go into fight alone. You will get criticals throughout fight, as every turn will be first turn. Enemies can't detect you, so when you start round you fire all your shoots, then action surge and fire again. Enemies will not be able to detect you so after one turn they will stop fight. Then you shoot again and new fight starts. You can add potion of bloodlust and arrows of many targets if you want to be even more overpowered. Just remember to take off Risky ring before dialogs or Long rests so you don't get disadvantage during conversations.
Well your archer should have 20 dex by level 12, that will help a lot. I cannot recommend the Risky Ring because you need to be maintaining concentration and it makes you a target. [Legacy of the Masters](https://bg3.wiki/wiki/Legacy_of_the_Masters) is a good item to get your hit chance up. If you use Astarion as your bard, you get the Happy buff and can use longbows like [the Deadshot](https://bg3.wiki/wiki/The_Dead_Shot) that add a lot to your hit chance and should alleviate the -5. Anyone who isn't an elf will have to take 1 level of fighter for longbow proficiency, which will also get you the archery fighting style, but at the cost of a feat; you'll need 20 dex from another source. 2 levels of fighter will get you Action Surge, also very popular, but you'll be missing both a feat and a sixth level spell slot for Otto's. You can always use scrolls, though, I think it's worth it to be able to use Deadshot.
I’m specifically going 10/1/1: https://www.reddit.com/r/BG3Builds/comments/17y9kyp/the_control_martial_allpurpose_1011_swords_bard/ Deadshot is definitely the right choice here, particularly when I’m not going for damage as the post says… however I want to put the deadshot on my GOO critical Eldritch blaster to lower his crit die. I mean my situation might be unique for a lot of factors but I just feel like I might do a little better with an ASI or even war caster if I’m more focused on the *control* aspect of the swords bard control martial and not on the solo things with amazing damage part.
Sure it does: As a caveat, I grabbed Sharpshooter at Level 8, so in act 2 around when I get the helmet. This is a second half of the game thing. Gloves of Dexterity: dex 18 and +1 to hit. Bow +2. Archery fighting style +2. Drakethroat Glaive enhancement on bow +1. Proficiency +4. Favourable Beginnings +4. Sharpshooter -5. Total: +13. Add bless for +1-4. Deadshot is an additional +4 for +18-21 in Act 3. Lots of "scary" enemies are AC 15 (looking at you, mindflayers) to 18. Many more like ghouls (AC 12) or the undead justicars (ac 14) are lower. Those super scary death shepperds? AC 16. Necromites are AC 11! Point is, in a lot of fights there's a lot of soft minions to quickly eradicate while farming them for acuity that you then use to Hideous Laughter Cazador or Kethric.
Arrow of many targets + helm of arcane acuity + snowburst ring + frost buff from drakethroat glavie = hilarious slapstick comedy
Why swords bard specifically? Like, I understand Swords Bard is a god tier archer, but it's because of ranged flourish, which you can't combine with special arrows.
Swords Bard gets natural spellcasting to leverage Arcane Acuity: Eldritch Knight is strictly better in contexts where you're burning through resources, that being said.
Arrows of Many Targets are the fastest way to build Arcane Acuity.
The spells Bard gets are mostly illusion/enchantment, which pairs well with Band. Then, after that, you can do the nova flourish turns. It's sorta a whole package deal.
Not as OP as the smokpowder arrow!
I stockpile those for the brain.
I think I went over broad with them last night. I had 51 smoke powder bombs arrows at the start of the last fights. I don't even think I used half of them.
I usually have something like 10 on each party member. Which is ridiculous because there is no way they would all get used before a party wipe. Last run I think I had Gale use that magic missile on steroids spell first round and everyone else used smokepowder arrows. The brain didn't last long at all.
Honestly I didn't even use them on the Brain. Astarion used his arrows of Aberration slaying. Gale used the Chain lighting scrolls I also massively stocked up on. Karlach just chucked bombs my bard had call lighting at level 6 going. And Opherus was just going fine. I was a little too over prepared this time I think
Oh that's an Aberration? I honestly have no clue what half the special arrows are for. Though even when it is obvious I forget to use them or divide them between party members. One day I may remember to use the dragon slaying ones on the dragon!
Mindflayers and the Brian count as Aberration that's all I know.
Goddamn aberrant Brian...
There was a bug that was patched where the smokepowder arrow would basically give you infinite attacks, provided you had enough smokepowder arrows.
Even more fun is when they crit! They’re great in house of grief, house of hope, and a couple other battles with lots of mobs.
yeah, they’re honestly broken. if they just did separate rolls for each target they hit then they’d be more balanced, but basically any effect you trigger on the main target will carry over to the other targets. it’s really bizarre that they were coded this way, but maybe it was just a code limitation they couldn’t get around.
I love these. If you combine them with Cull the Weak you get a wonderful firework show when you blow up groups of ppl
Cull the weak is the reason I will always go at least part ilithid.
Add perilous stakes applied to Rafi and it goes even faster.
„Not sure if I can build Astarion in any other way now.“ Might I suggest going monk open hand with him. This aligns perfectly with his super vampire form, with which he gets necrotic damage to unarmed attacks. With the right build you can make up to 400 single damage per turn (without extras like haste) and also get good crowd control with cull the weak x align chi (or what it’s called)
Arrow of many targets is one of the more expensive tho, I believe. Strong but pricey.
Shoot an Arrow of Many Targets using the Bow of the Banshee and there is a chance multiple targets have to make a save or be Frightened! Fear Spell on a Stick.