Dual Hand Crossbow Build - Double Ambusher - Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3)

Dual Hand Crossbow Build - Double Ambusher

I would call this a junior build to a very famous Gloomstalker Assassin build, which is more advanced in my opinion. The main aspect is that the Assassin subclass forces you to engage first in combat, before knowing what is happening. This will force you to skip some game interactions and skipping some game content.

However, by going Thief, you lose the guaranteed crits, but obtain another valuable thing - one more bonus action. To utilize it, you will need a Hand Crossbow which will allow you to shoot with your offhand. You will be able to attack 4+ times per turn thanks to Extra Attack, Fast Hands, Dread Ambusher (Ranged), Action Surge, etc.

With a few improvements like Sharpshooter: All In​ you will be able to deal a good amount of damage already at level 4, easily eliminating important enemies. At your first turn, you can do 4 attacks, later 5 and 6. Sounds neat?

Moreover, with all the cool stuff from Ranger and Fighter, you will be able to enjoy a very satisfying playstyle with a good amount of damage and simple mechanics and if things come to worst you can just vanish with Umbral Shroud.

So let's get into the build

Class Contribution

The build relies on 3 classes in total to get all the important stats, actions, and maximum number of attacks.

5 Gloom Stalker

• Gives access to Extra Attack​ and Dread Ambusher (Melee)​ to increase the total number of attacks, specifically on the first turn.
• Access to Ranger spells, that can be situationally useful to limit enemy movement or get some utilities like Longstrider.
• Become invisible if the situation requires you to leave combat or break enemy AI using Umbral Shroud.
• Access to Archery​ fighting style for increased hit rate.

4 Thief

• The main point of this multiclass is access to additional bonus action, which will give another attack with an offhand Hand Crossbow.
• Bonus damage via Sneak Attack (Ranged)​, although it is not much it is still a decent improvement.
• Bonus skill expertise.

3 Fighter

• Access to Two-Weapon Fighting​ fighting style.
• Can use Action Surge, you can use it every short rest, giving an additional action point with a full number of attacks.
• Battle Master subclass with manoeuvres - Menacing Attack (Ranged)​, Disarming Attack (Ranged), etc.
• Second Wind​ is a situational ability, that can sometimes be useful, but overall it does not provide much value for the build.

Leveling Overview

Here is a concise table with all the main picks during your leveling progression. For more detailed reasoning, I go further in the article. Also, do not forget to check the recommended gear as it is crucial.

Level	Class	Selection
1	Ranger 1	STR - 8, DEX - 17, CON - 16, INT - 8, WIS - 15, CHA - 8
		Skills: Stealth, Sleight of Hand, Perception, Survival, Athletics
		Favoured Enemy: Keeper of the Veil​ or Bounty Hunter​
		Natural Explorer: Urban Tracker​
2	Ranger 2	Spells: Enhance Leap​, Longstrider​
		Fighting Style: Archery​
3	Ranger 3	Spells: Ensnaring Strike (Ranged)​
		Subclass: Gloom Stalker
4	Ranger 4	Feat: Sharpshooter: All In​ or Ability Improvement +2 Dexterity
5	Ranger 5	Spells: Pass Without Trace​
6	Rogue 1	Skills: Sleight of Hand, Stealth, any
7	Rogue 2	-
8	Rogue 3	Subclass: Thief
9	Rogue 4	Feat: Ability Improvement +2 Dexterity
10	Fighter 1	Fighting Style: Two-Weapon Fighting​
11	Fighter 2	-
12	Fighter 3	Subclass: Battle Master
		Manoeuvre: Menacing Attack, Disarming Attack, Trip Attack​

Starting the Game - Level 1

This section covers the creation screen and what would go into the best Races, Abilities, and Skills for the Hand Crossbow Build. Some of these choices are impactful as you cannot respec them.

Races

Picking a race provides various benefits - abilities, dialogue options, looks, etc.

Race	Features	Description
Dwarf Duergar	Dwarven Combat Training​ Superior Darkvision​ Dwarven Resilience​ Duergar Resilience​	One of the best races for stealth builds. Gives Invisibility​ at level 5, without any major limitations. You can use this to safely initiate surprise rounds if the need arises, or escape combat.
Deep Gnome	Gnome Cunning​ Superior Darkvision​ Stone Camouflage​	Excellent race if you plan on using stealth. Moreover, their Gnome Cunning​ feature can help in those situations where enemy casters will be using control spells.
Halfling	Halfling Luck Brave	Especially useful race for ranged builds. Their Halfling Luck​ feature improves almost all rolls in the game - saving throws, hit chance, etc.
High Half-Elf	Civil Militia Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry	Can be situationally useful with the Minor Illusion​ cantrip. However, this is a low priority in the recommendation list.
High Elf	Elven Weapon Training​ Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry

Class

Overview
Ranger
Rangers are unrivalled scouts and trackers, honing a deep connection with nature in order to hunt their favoured prey.
Features
Spell Slots	These can be used to cast spells and are restored each long rest.

Favoured Enemy

This is a set of abilities unique to the Ranger class. Based on your selection you can get new spells or unique effects against specific enemy types. Generally, anything works here based on your roleplaying choices. I would choose:

Passive Feature	Description
Keeper of the Veil	You get a spell - Protection from Evil and Good. It does not use any spell slot. it is very useful in some encounters, just don't forget to activate it.
Bounty Hunter	Useful if you plan on using the Ensnaring Strike spell. Once you hit enemies with it they get a Disadvantage on Saving Throw

Natural Explorer

You also get these nature-related boons for the Ranger. These are based on the class experience in nature and how it can survive in different conditions. None of these provide any game-breaking bonuses so pick what you prefer. Choose one of the below:

Styles	Description
Urban Tracker​	This will probably be your main "rogue" in the group that picks locks or pickpockets. Due to this, I recommend this option.
Wasteland Wanderer: Fire​	Fire spells are abundant throughout the game. Getting resistance to them will give a big survivability boost.
Beast Tamer	Allows summoning a Familiar. They take animal forms and have unique effects both in combat and outside. You can use them for scouting or debilitating effects like blindness.

Background

Backgrounds are mostly for role-playing and you can pick whatever you prefer. If you want to optimize, then it would be good to pick backgrounds that are based on your ability points of Dexterity and Wisdom.

Abilities

Now let's take a look at the abilities of the Dual Crossbow build. Correct allocation will allow you to maximize the early gameplay and get good modifier bonuses.

Ability	Value	Description
Strength	8	Not an important stat for this build
Dexterity	17 (15+2)	This is your main ability that determines the damage, saving throw effectiveness, ability checks, and initiative. You will want to maximize it as early as you can.
Constitution	16 (15+1)	This ability will determine your health pool and how effective you are at saving throws for the Constitution. Generally, this will improve your survivability.
Intelligence	8	It's not important for the build.
Wisdom	15	Wisdom will improve our Perception rolls and will be used for Spellcasting as a ranger (if you decide to use spells). Otherwise, it is good to have for Saving Throws against spells. If you get Auntie Ethel's hair for +1 Dexterity, I would remove 1 point here and move it to Charisma or Strength.
Charisma	8	Charisma is being gimped, however, if you are playing the main character you may want to increase it to 10.

Skills and Expertise

Overall, the skills should be impacted by your roleplaying and background decisions. However, you would still want those that will give you the best benefits. My recommendations are to pick those at which you have a high ability modifier and these are Wisdom and Dexterity:

• Acrobatics
• Stealth
• Sleight of Hand
• Perception
• Survival
• Insight
• Medicine

Leveling Progression - Levels 2-12

Here is the detailed progression for the Dual hand Crossbow Build to get you started. You can use it as a guideline because early games can be daunting and overwhelming. Later on, once you get a feel for the class you can start picking your options

Level 2

At level 2 Ranger we get some sweet bonuses. Probably the strangest one is Spells. That is right, our build will have spells that can be used if the situation arises. They will not be super effective as we will not have high Wisdom ability.

Spells

You will have a choice of two spells to select from the list. Here are the best ones that you can pick, choose two:

Spell	Description
Longstrider​	Increases your movement speed allowing you to move longer distances each turn. It resets each Long Rest, so can be used on all encounters. I think it is especially relevant if you are going for Melee Dual Wielding.
Enhance Leap​	As this is a ritual spell it does not cost a spell slot outside of combat. You can use it to get behind enemy positions or reach difficult places.
Fog Cloud​	Can be situationally useful in some encounters or even pickpocketing. I recommend taking it if you do not need Longstrider.

Fighting Style

You get also to select a preferred Fighting Style. This will give improvements to damage or attack rolls for your selected weapon types. Based on what I mentioned there are two choices:

Styles	Description
Archery	Pick this one if you are going with the Ranged Weapons. It will ensure a better hit chance especially once you activate Sharpshooter: All In.

Level 3

You access the Ranger subclass. This will play an important role in unlocking additional attacks on the first turn of the encounter and giving some utility actions.

Overview
Gloom Stalker
Features
Dread Ambusher	You specialize in taking out foes swiftly and ruthlessly You gain a +3 bonus to initiative. On the first turn of combat, your movement speed increases by 3m, and you can make an attack that deals an additional 1d8 damage.
Superior Darkvision	This creature can see in the dark within 24m.
Dread Ambusher: Hide​	Hide from enemies by succeeding Stealth checks. Stick to the dark and avoid enemy sightlines. Attacking or casting a spell will reveal your location.
Umbral Shroud​	This is an extremely valuable action as you can make yourself invisible at will. This way you can avoid enemies and hide from them to escape combat.
Disguise Self​	You can turn in any race. Nothing special, but can open some dialogue and role-playing options.

Spells

Because we only still have level 1 spells, take anything that seems valuable or you did not take the previous level up. My choice would be:

Spell	Description
Ensnaring Strike (Ranged)​	A mandatory option if you have taken the Bounty Hunter feature from "Favoured Enemy" as otherwise the bonus is wasted. It can ensnare a target and then deal bonus damage each turn.

Replace Spell

For replacing, I don't think it is worth it as level 2 spells are not yet ready

Level 4

Continue progressing with Ranger. This level is the first time we will obtain a Feat, which was quite delayed due to our multiclassing choice.

Replace Spell

Nothing to replace yet in my opinion, unless you are not using some action and want to try something else.

Feat

We finally got the first one. I see three main contenders for the Feats:

Feat	Description
Sharpshooter: All In	This is a crazy feat, that gives a flat 10 damage increase for ranged attacks. As a downside, you lose 5 attack rolls. How to overcome this? You can attack from high ground, attack with an advantage on blinded enemies, receive Bless, etc. Here is a guide on how to increase attack rolls.
Ability Improvement	This is a somewhat safe choice for the build if you have a hard time keeping a high hit chance with weapons, especially Sharpshooter: All In. However, I would recommend picking this up later, as the damage boost from other choices is just too good to pass up. Put +2 Dexterity if using Auntie Ethel's Gair with +1 Dex. Otherwise, go with +1 Dexterity and +1 Wisdom.

Level 5

You reached the goal of Ranger Level 5. How is this important? Well, you unlocked a new class feature - Extra Attack. This gives another attack further improving damage output.

Feature	Description
Extra Attack	Can make an additional free attack after making an unarmed or weapon attack.

In addition, you also unlock a new Gloom Stalker spell:

Spell	Description
Misty Step​	Change position using bonus action. Great to get behind enemy lines or reach higher ground.

Spells

Ranger can also now pick level 2 spells:

Spell	Description
Pass Without Trace​	I think this is a somewhat useful spell, specifically if you want to be avoided. Moreover, we need to have a spell with concentration, as some items give bonuses when this effect is active. This can be ridiculous with the Greater Invisibility​ effect.

Replace Spells

If you stopped using or did not use any spells from the Level 1 spell list now is the perfect time to switch. I did not use Ensnaring Strike (Ranged)​. I recommend checking these out:

Spell	Description
Spike Growth​	Cover an area with spikes and if enemies move through it they get hit every 1.5 meters. This is perfect for controlling tight corridors.
Silence​	Creates a sphere that silences enemies. Although they can move out from this, it will require them to waste their movement or even use Dash and skip the attack
Lesser Restoration​	This spell can come in handy in some situations, so I recommend that at least one party member has it. It can remove paralysis, disease, poison, and blindness

Level 6 - Rogue Lv 1

The first multiclass of Dual Hand Crossbow build. It will allow to better empower stealth capabilities and drastically increase damage output.

Overview
Rogue
Features
Sneak Attack (Melee)​	Exploit a foe's distraction to deal an additional 1d6 damage. Damage increases by 1d6 for every uneven Rogue Level gained.
Sneak Attack (Ranged)​	Exploit a foe's distraction to deal an additional 1d6 damage. Damage increases by 1d6 for every uneven Rogue Level gained.

Abilities

Rogue multiclass allows choosing additional skills with expertise. I strongly recommend these:

• Sleight of Hand - improves pickpocket and disarm trap chances.
• Stealth - the second nature of this build, allowing avoid being detected.
• Perception - better detection of traps

Level 7 - Rogue Lv 2

This level does not give any flashy moves, however, it unlocks cunning actions. These are similar to normal actions but instead of using Action Points, use Bonus actions. So in the same turn, you can attack and use them:

Action	Description
Cunning Action: Hide​	Hide from enemies by succeeding Stealth checks. Stick to the dark and avoid enemy sightlines. Attacking or casting a spell will reveal your location. Probably the most important. Now you can start sneaking using Bonus action and then use Sneak Attack at the same turn
Cunning Action: Dash​	Cover more distance this turn: double your movement speed.
Cunning Action: Disengage​	Retreat safely: moving won't provoke Opportunity Attacks.

Level 8 - Rogue Lv 3

Congratulations! You reached level 3 which allows you to get a subclass for rogue. I would like to cover the two best subclass options for this build. I think these are important and will impact your playstyle.

Overview
Thief
Features
Fast Hands​	A very powerful feature, giving a full attack for some builds utilizing offhand attacks.
Second-Story Work: Falling​	Nothing special for this type of build.

Level 9 - Rogue Lv 4

You should not jump to the last multiclass yet. The aim is to obtain the second Feat of the build.

Feat

Here are feat recommendations, based on the setup you are going for:

Feat	Description
Ability Improvement	The best choice in case you did not pick ability improvement previously. Get +2 Dexterity if using Auntie Ethel Hair. If not, go for +1 Wisdom and +1 Dexterity.
Sharpshooter: All In​	For ranged setup - take this if you skipped it at level 4, to maximize the ranged damage.

Level 10 - Fighter Lv 1

Now we do the last touches of the build and will finish it with Level 3 Fighter. It will give some great options to improve combat capabilities, especially on the first turn.

Class

Overview
Fighter
Features
Second Wind​	Draw on your stamina to heal yourself

Fighting Style

Taking a fighter also allows us to choose a fighting style. We already picked one from the Ranger class. So now we can choose the second:

Styles	Description
Two-Weapon Fighting​	With this, you will get the Dexterity ability modifier bonus to be added to offhand weapons. So with 20 Dexterity, your offhand crossbow will deal an additional 4 damage.

Level 11 - Fighter Lv 2

And the last level of our build. There is nothing to choose here and we only enjoy the default Fighter action we obtain:

Action	Description
Action Surge​	This will take the build to the next level as you can gain an action point at the start of the combat. This will result in two more attacks and critical hits at that if the foes are surprised.

Level 12 - Fighter Lv 3

We reach the final level of the build and it will have a substantial impact on the offensive capabilities. We get to choose the Fighter subclass and there are two main options

Subclass

I will be going with Battlemaster. Champion crit range increase is not as useful as it has a minor damage improvement. While Battlemaster offers some control.

Overview
Battlemaster
Features
Superiority Dice	These dice give bonus 1d8 damage, can be used 4 times, and are reset each short and long rest. Easy damage increase and improved battlefield control.

Manoeuvres

These are unique actions of Battlemaster, that will give you a unique edge in combat. The good thing is that they work together with a sneak attack, meaning you can empower your stealth attack even further. Here are my recommendations, you can choose only 3 of them:

Manoeuvres	Description
Disarming Attack​	Makes the enemy waste their next turn picking up the weapon. This is not especially useful on mages, or beasts.
Menacing Attack​	Frightens your target, disabling movement and imposing a disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls.
Pushing Attack​	Gives you an option to push away enemies from ledges all while dealing bonus damage.
Trip Attack​	Makes the enemy Prone, opening for Advantages to other group members if attacking from close range.

Maximizing Ability Scores

Now, as the build progression is covered there are a few aspects and important decisions you will have to make throughout the game. These will decide your final score for abilities.

1. Act 1 - Auntie Ethel Hair - you will want to get +1 Dexterity if you pick this choice.
2. Act 3 - Mirror of Loss - pick +2 Dexterity.
3. Ability Improvement - +2 Dexterity

This will allow you to reach 22 natural Dexterity, giving a +6 modifier bonus. You can also reach 22 without the Auntie Ethel Hair if you will equip The Graceful Cloth.

Potions, Elixirs and Consumables

Let's take a look at what consumables you can use to further empower the build.

Potions

These are general consumables, and most of them are activated for a few turns. Potions are separate from Elixirs and can be active together.

Consumable	Description
Oil of Accuracy	Gives +2 to attack rolls, which minimizes the negative impact from Sharpshooter: All In.
Potion of Speed	In case you or your other casters have a Concentration spell slot taken and cannot cast Haste, use this potion. It acts similarly, but the effect is just for 3 turns.
Diluted Oil of Sharpness	Gives a bonus attack roll and damage. It is a good coating if you can apply it before combat.
Potion of Animal Speaking	Although not something powerful, it is worth stocking up and saving a spell slot.
Potion of Invisibility	Can be used to get a perfect position before the encounter starts.

Elixirs

Unfortunately, only one Elixir can be active at a time. However, the good thing is that they last until a long rest, making them very useful and economical.

Be sure to activate them before combat as otherwise, you will need to use Bonus Action.

Consumable	Description
Elixir of Bloodlust	You gain additional action by killing an enemy. It is useful, but you will not be able to activate the above elixirs for maximum strength. However, if you are using Club of Hill Giant Strength, this is the best option.
Elixir of Vigilance	For some encounters, you will want to go first. This elixir will ensure that it overcomes even surprise mechanics. However, if you have Alert​ this becomes redundant.

Illithid Powers

This special mechanic in Baldur's Gate 3 allows you to consume tadpoles and unlock special Illithid Powers.

At first, you can only use the base powers. As you move to Act 3, you will be able to unlock the outer ring powers.

Illithid Power	Type	Description
Favourable Beginnings	Base	Beneficial power to take as it does not have any costs, and provides only benefits on the first hits.
Luck of the Far Realms​	Base	Guarantees a critical hit, use it on important targets, that you want to make sure are killed. This works well with spells like Inflict Wounds​ which have attack rolls.
Cull the Weak​	Base	Passive feature that does not cost anything and automatically deals bonus psychic damage around the target, once it is close to death.
Ability Drain​	Base	Helps with weakening and debuffing the enemies that you attack. As you will use Dexterity-based attacks this can reduce the enemy's Armor Class.
Transfuse Health​	Base	This ability is useful if you will use Helmet of Grit. Draining half of HP will instantly activate the additional bonus action effect.
Psionic Backlash	Base	A decent use for reaction to deal some bonus psychic damage.
Illithid Expertise​	Elite	As you are not a charisma-based character, these proficiencies help with dialogue checks.
Psionic Dominance​	Elite	Can be used to save yourself from a deadly spell. This is especially relevant as you will have a disadvantage on mental saving throws.

Equipment Recommendations

Now I would like to go through some gear recommendations to maximize the Dual Crossbow Build. Items are especially important as they take the build to the next level thanks to their unique effects.

Act 1

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One-Handed)	Knife of the Undermountain King	The best stat stick weapon for ranged builds in Act 1. Does not require any special features or activations.
	Phalar Aluve	This can be an option to activate before combat. The Sing action will give increased attack rolls and counteract Sharpshooter: All In.
Shield	Adamantine Shield	It provides a substantial defensive boost by reducing critical hit damage.
	Safeguard Shield	Gives a bonus to saving throws, easily accessible early in the game.
Ranged	Hand Crossbow +1	These weapons can be dual-wielded, making them perfect very early in the game. Use this before obtaining better ones. What makes this good is that it can use bonus action for additional damage.
Shield	Adamantine Shield	It provides a substantial defensive boost by reducing critical hit damage.
	Safeguard Shield	Gives a bonus to saving throws, easily accessible early in the game.
Head	Dark Justiciar Helm	Provides a bonus Saving Throw while obscured, which is great for avoiding the effects of some spells.
	Haste Helm	Increases movement speed at the start of the combat for 3 turns. I think this is the best helmet for Act 1, if you are using melee attacks.
Cloak	The Deathstalker Mantle	Only obtainable if you have Dark Urge Origin. After killing an enemy it gives invisibility.
Armor	The Graceful Cloth	Gives +2 Dexterity (up to a maximum of 20). This will improve your rolls and damage. As this is Cloth it provides only 10 Armour Class.
	Spidersilk Armour	As there are not many good choices for light armour this is somewhat decent.
Gloves	Gloves of Archery	Best gloves for Ranged attacks.
	Gloves of Power	Gives a bonus to Sleight of Hand for better picklock chances. Moreover, applies the status effect, and penalizes the target.
	Gloves of Thievery	Although nothing fancy for combat, these are amazing for Pickpocketing, Chests, and traps.
Boots	Disintegrating Night Walkers	Avoids slipping on various terrains and most importantly unlocks Misty Step each short rest. These boots can last till Act 3, as walking on icy surfaces can be deadly for melee build. The item removes this problem.
	Boots of Speed	Great boots that can be used to avoid enemy attacks.
	The Speedy Lightfeet	Can be used to activate Dash​ before combat for a bit more damage from Lightning Charges.
Amulet	Broodmother's Revenge	The only amulet that gives a direct damage bonus. However, you will need someone to heal you, this will most likely be a healer or just chug a potion.
	Amulet of Misty Step	Gives access to Misty Step, in case you need a way to quickly or cover long distances.
Rings	Strange Conduit Ring	It's easy to activate it as you have multiple spells to concentrate on. This will result in bonus psychic damage.
	Caustic Band	This is a very powerful ring, that may be useful even till the end game, due to flat bonus damage.
	Fetish of Callarduran Smoothhands	Allows casting Invisibility​ that can be used to approach combat in the perfect position.
	Smuggler's Ring	Although this does not provide any combat bonuses, it is very useful in world exploration and pickpocketing.

Act 2 - mid-game

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One-Handed)	Knife of the Undermountain King	Still, the main stat stick to improve crit range and damage rolls.
Ranged	Hellfire Hand Crossbow	The best Hand crossbow in Act 2, comes with +2 Enchantment.
	Ne'er Misser	Excellent hand crossbow that comes with force damage. Only a handful of enemies can resist it, and it will be useful up until the middle of Act 3.
Shield	Sentinel Shield	Can be used as a stat stick to almost guarantee always going first.
Head	Marksmanship Hat	The best headwear if you are doing ranged setup, as it will increase hit chance. In Act 3 it loses most of its value.
	Dark Justiciar Helmet	Increases the success likelihood of critical chance while obscured. This means that you should stand in lightly dimmed places.
	Covert Cowl	Increases the success likelihood of critical chance while obscured. This means that you should stand in lightly dimmed places.
Cloak	The Deathstalker Mantle	Can still be used in Act 2 as the invisibility effect is just that good.
	Cloak of Protection	A very good cloak, with a good bonus to Armour Class.
Armor	The Graceful Cloth	Gives an advantage on stealth checks and +2 dexterity, up to 20. One of the best armors for ranaged characters.
	Dark Justiciar Half-Plate	Upgraded version of the below armor, the casting of Shield of Faith​ is a great way to obtain bonus damage from Strange Conduit Ring and some additional survivability. It also looks cool!
	Dark Justiciar Half-Plate	You can get a bonus 2 Armour Class from Shield of Faith​ to improve survivability. Moreover, you get an Advantage on Stealth checks.
	Yuan-ti Scale Mail	This medium armor does not impose any disadvantage on stealth and gives bonus initiative rolls. It can give the highest armor class with high Dexterity until later in Act 3.
Gloves	Dark Justiciar Gauntlets	The improved version of Dark Justiciar Gauntlets also allows casting Darkness spells.
	Flawed Helldusk Gloves	Provides bonus 1d4 fire damage with weapon attacks and can inflict bleeding. The best choice early in Act 2.
	Dark Justiciar Gauntlets	Gives a bonus of 1d4 Necrotic damage with weapon attacks.
Boots	Disintegrating Night Walkers	Still an amazing option for the Gloomstalker Assasin Build
	Evasive Shoes	Gives bonus Armour Class. A good survivability choice, but not mandatory in my opinion.
Amulet	Surgeon's Subjugation Amulet	Very interesting choice. Because the build will deal a decent amount of critical hits, this will allow it to paralyze many humanoid enemies. Give this one a try.
	Broodmother's Revenge	The amulet will be a good option until endgame as the 1d6 poison damage is a good boost. However, it does not allow coatings, so be sure to check for alternatives if you plan on using them.
Rings	Strange Conduit Ring	The ring is still a powerful choice to ensure consistent bonus damage.
	Shadow-Cloaked Ring	This is a bit more powerful than the ring below, but it requires your foes to be at least lightly obscured.
	Caustic Band	The bonus damage is a good choice even in Act 2.
	Risky Ring	Just a mention of this ring. I do not think it is the best choice but could be useful, especially if you do not take Assassin and go with the Thief subclass instead.

Act 3 - Final Build setup

Act 3 is where the build will get the best items, to maximize its effectiveness and damage.

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One-Handed)	Rhapsody	One of the best stat stick weapons in the whole game. It is in high demand by multiple builds.
	Dolor Amarus	This dagger is kind of bugged, and the bonus critical damage gets applied even when attacking with ranged attacks.
	Knife of the Undermountain King	Still a relevant stat stick weapon from Act 1.
Ranged	Hand Crossbow +2	This is an improved version that you can dual wield with another hand crossbow, for an offensive option using bonus action.
Head	Helmet of Grit	Provides additional attack via bonus action. use Transfuse Health​ to quickly reach the HP threshold.
	Diadem of Arcane Synergy	Will boost your damage based on the spellcasting modifier. If it is 14 Wisdom, this will result in bonus 2. However, I would limit this item to Paladin if you have it in your group. If not - use it! You will also need to do a respec. Start with Fighter or Rogue and pick Ranger as the last class, so that your spellcasting modifier becomes Wisdom.
	Helm of Balduran	If using Broodmother's Revenge, this helmet's effect ensures that you get bonus damage on every combat encounter.
Cloak	The Deathstalker Mantle	A perfect mantle to constantly get invisible after an enemy kills. Still a solid option for Act 3.
	Cloak of Displacement	Ensures good survivability, by imposing a disadvantage on attacker Attack Rolls.
Armor	Bhaalist Armour (BiS)	This armor is particularly powerful for melee-piercing weapon wielders - these include daggers and short swords.  It makes them vulnerable to piercing damage unless they have resistance to it. Moreover, it gives bonus initiative, ensuring that you will go first most of the time.
	The Graceful Cloth	The best armor if not using Bhaalist Armour and not having access to Auntie Ethel's Hair. This will set Dexterity to 20.
	Armour of Agility	This medium armor perfectly works with stealth as it does not impose any disadvantages. Moreover, it has a decent armor class for protection.
Gloves	Legacy of the Masters (BiS)	One of the best gloves in the game, however, could have limited access based on your decisions in the game.
	Helldusk Gloves	These gloves provide bonuses for every attack. You will be doing many of them so the bonus fire damage stacks up
	Martial Exertion Gloves	Incur 6d6 damage, but gain additional attack points. This neatly fits into the Stealthy playstyle as you can deal damage bonuses on the first turn.
Boots	Helldusk Boots	These boots have a wide array of uses - allowing succeeding Saving Throws while using Reaction, a teleportation spell, and ignoring difficult terrain.
	Boots of Persistence	Gives Freedom of Movement​ and Longstrider​ actions effects.
Amulet	Broodmother's Revenge (BiS)	Bonus poison damage on each hit with the weapon is a great improvement
	Surgeon's Subjugation Amulet	A powerful choice for Act 3 as it will guarantee paralysis and critical hits from the melee range.
Rings	Strange Conduit Ring (BiS)	The ring is still a powerful choice to ensure consistent bonus damage.
	Caustic Band (BiS)	Amazing choice till the end of the game as each attack will apply this bonus acid damage.
	Shadow-Cloaked Ring	A great ring for bonus damage, but requires your foes to be lightly obscured.

Build Mechanics

In this section, I would like to dive deep into how to play the Dual Hand Crossbow Build. This will help you utilize it to the fullest and correctly use various actions and spells throughout the game.

Important Mechanics and Combos

Let's go through key mechanics and tips on how to use the build effectively.

Managing Sharpshooter

The core feat of this build - Sharpshooter: All In​ gives a solid 10 damage boost per hit. However, it comes with a drawback - -5 to attack rolls. This, of course, can be circumvented via various tricks:

• Archery​ fighting style bonuses
• Oil of Accuracy and Diluted Oil of Sharpness
• High Ground bonuses

I have a full article on increasing attack rolls. that goes into depth on various mechanics that work especially well in the early game, when the -5 attack roll, hurts the most.

Attack as many times as you can

So this build from the early game stands out with the ability to attack multiple times, especially on the first turn. So this is how you can maximize it:

1. Extra Attack​ - +2 attacks for the first action point
2. Haste​ - +1 attack with the action point
3. Elixir of Bloodlust - +1 attack after killing an enemy
4. Fast Hands​ - +1 attack from additional bonus action.
5. Dread Ambusher (Ranged)​ - +1 attack on the first turn
6. Action Surge​ - +2 attacks with an extra action point
7. Helmet of Grit - +1 attack with additional bonus action.

So if you want it, you can make sure to kill the deadliest enemies on the first turn with some preparation. This results in 9 attacks on the first turn.

Utilize Sneak Attack for additional bonus damage

Taking a dip in Rogue gives Sneak Attack (Ranged)​ action. It usually shines for high-level rogues, as the damage rolls get increased. Still, 2d6 additional damage per turn can mean a dead or alive enemy.

Activating Sneak Attack (Ranged)​ is pretty simple. You attack from a sneaking position, with Advantage, or have an ally stand close to an enemy so that Threatened status appears on them.

One tip that I have is that I would recommend attacking the enemy using a Sneak attack when out of combat. The game registers this as a separate attack, and when you enter combat you will still be able to attack with Sneak Attack (Ranged)​ again. This sometimes works, sometimes doesn't and it's one of the things that is not fully fixed.

Disable Dual Wield attacks

You may notice that often when you shoot with your main hand, your offhand also attacks. This can be irritating, especially when the enemy is close to death and you waste your bonus action on a dead foe.

There is an easy fix, just click on the Toggle Dual Wielding button, and now your main hand and offhand attacks attack separately. This does get reactivated sometimes, so be mindful of that.

Understand stealth mechanics

The main point of this build is that it is extremely deadly when you utilize stealth mechanics well. I have prepared a complete stealth guide that covers them all. There are plenty of stealth options:

• Attacking and creating surprise rounds
• Leaving combat while in the middle of the fight, to reset it
• Become invisible at will
• Gain attack roll bonuses when in stealth
• And many others.

I would like to emphasize the Surprise rounds. Here are the general steps to activate them:

1. You have to be undetected before doing this, best to be outside the red vision cones. If you need to enter the vision cone, make sure that they don't have Darkvision​ and it's either a Lightly Obscured or Heavily Obscured area. Or you can just be Invisible via effects like Potion of Invisibility, Umbral Shroud, Cloak of Shadows, etc. This almost guarantees a surprise round.
2. You can start the combat by attacking with melee, ranged weapons, or casting offensive spells. The main prerequisite is that you should be "seeable" and in the line of sight of the enemy once the attack lands. So they would have a clear vision of you and you are not too far away. This is important, as being far away does not trigger Surprise.
3. You can move in other party members if they were ungrouped so they could also land attacks during this free round.

Using Special Arrows

Throughout your playthrough, you will collect a lot of special arrows. These are very powerful giving ranged characters a big advantage over various combat situations. I think the most popular choice is "to save them for later", but I would recommend not doing this as you will end the game with hundreds of them.

However, a few of them should be saved for more difficult encounters:

• Arrow of Many Targets - can hit multiple enemies, while the first one receives the full bulk of damage.
• Arrows of Slaying - Abberation, Dragon, Monster, etc. All of these deal double damage to specific enemies, and can make you deal ridiculous amounts of damage.

For the others use them as you see fit, usually for normal encounters.

Bhaalist Armor and Aura of Murder

So one of the main items for any kind of piercing weapon build is Bhaalist Armour. This is one of the strongest armors in the game, giving double damage on piercing attacks. If you think about it, this is ridiculous and with correct preparation, you can destroy most of the bosses in the game.

Still, the Aura Of Murder​ effect only works in a 3-meter radius. So if you are using it on Ranged build, you lose some of the advantage, and enemies are very close to you. One consideration is to have other martial characters wear it. This can be Paladin, Fighter, melee Ranger, etc. This way you can safely attack from a long distance.

Still, if that is not possible you can move close to the enemies, find that sweet spot, where Threatened status does not appear and Aura Of Murder​ still works. Double damage with 5+ attacks will be a sight to behold.

Leave merchants empty-pocketed

As with all rogues, having high dexterity, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth allows you to easily pickpocket merchants. Why is this useful? Generally, you can load yourself and allies with decent enchanted gear (sometimes even unique). Moreover, you can pick a lot of potions and elixirs in case you have some free bonus actions for your companions.

Early Game Combat

The early game is pretty straightforward, more or less you shoot and kill enemies. As you level up and access some of Gloom Stalker options new tactics unlock

• I recommend going alone for the first attack before taking your group members if you see a guaranteed combat encounter.
• Be sure to initiate combat while invisible. You can also enter combat using Umbral Shroud. this gives a surprise round, and you can lead your allies to join the battle for a free round of damage.
• Early in the game, you can use Dread Ambusher: Hide​ and attack with Advantage. Once you have Sharpshooter: All In​ this will be a huge boost in damage.
• Generally, you would want to attack while in Sneaking, this way you get an Advantage on Attack Rolls.
• On the first turn don't forget to use Dread Ambusher (Ranged)​.

Late Game Combat

For the late game, as you unlock more and more multi-classes, new actions become available. But generally, the core gameplay loop stays the same.

• Where you can initiate a Surprise round, attacking while being invisible.
• Use Dread Ambusher (Ranged)​, and Action Surge​ to maximize your number of hits on the first round
• Use collected special arrows to inflict even more damage.
• Use Battle Master manoeuvres like Menacing Attack (Ranged)​ or Disarming Attack (Ranged)​ on normal attacks. This will boost damage and apply unique effects.
• If you need to escape use Misty Step​ + Dread Ambusher: Hide​ or Umbral Shroud​ to escape enemies and leave combat. After that, you can enter it again with your resources restored.

Build Variations

Here are variations of the build that play similarly but offer different splits of classes:

Setup	Description
Gloomstalker Assassin: 5 Gloom Stalker 4 Rogue 3 Fighter	A more aggressive build that thrives on Surprise Rounds and utilizes all that the Assassin subclass can offer. This build also uses Longbows as the main weapon.
6 Swords Bard 4 Rogue 2 Fighter	The core of this build is Swords Bard instead of Gloom Stalker. The main highlight is Slashing Flourish (Ranged), allowing you to hit 2 enemies with a single arrow release. You also get more spell slots and various utility spells like Enhance Ability.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading the Dual-hand Crossbow build - Double Ambusher for Baldur's Gate 3. I think this build is excellent for those that that are playing the game for the first time and want to enjoy a powerful yet simple ranged setup.

Cheers!