Best Gloomstalker Assassin Build - 6 Attacks per Turn - Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3)

Gloomstalker Assassin Build

The ultimate assassin that merges two killer classes allowing for ultimate stealth gameplay. This is available thanks to multiclassing mechanic in Baldur's Gate 3. The main classes are Rogue and Ranger, which make up the bulk of stealth mechanics.

The third class is Fighter with 3 levels of investment. It gives access to the Battlemaster subclass and Action Surge. It is by far the most popular action in the game that will give an action boost on the first turn when you want to deal as much damage as possible.

So your first turn will be where you can decide which enemies are removed with plenty of attacks. Once you eliminate key targets use Umbral Shroud​ from Gloom Stalker to disappear into shadows, leaving combat encounter and breaking enemy AI.

Here is what the build can do during one surprise round:

The build with Sleight of Hand proficiency can also be effective at Pickpocketing and leaving the merchants dry of their merchandise. This should be easy as we will have the highest proficiency in Sleight of Hand.

Build Disclaimer - Assassin vs Thief, and weapon types

This is a very powerful build if used correctly. Its main power comes from being able to get a Surprise round. However, this is a problem in disguise. This will lead to missed dialogues and some lost quests, as NPCs get attacked before initiating dialogue.

If you care about these things, or you are doing a first playthrough you can go for Thief instead of Assassin. I also recommend taking a look at Dual Crossbow Build, which is very similar but uses the Thief subclass.

Another aspect is Dual Wielding vs Ranged. The build will be more powerful when using ranged weapons, like Titanstring Bow. However, I will leave some options for dual wielding, as personally, it is much cooler for me. Here are some of its capabilities:

So I leave the final decision for you!

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: Hunter's Mark, Longstrider​
		Fighting Style: Archery​ or Two-Weapon Fighting​
3	Ranger 3	Spells: Ensnaring Strike (Ranged)​
		Subclass: Gloom Stalker
4	Ranger 4	Feat: Sharpshooter: All In​ or Dual Wielder​ 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: Assassin
9	Rogue 4	Feat: Ability Improvement +2 Dexterity
10	Fighter 1	Fighting Style: Defence​
11	Fighter 2	-
12	Fighter 3	Subclass: Battle Master
		Manoeuvre: Menacing Attack, Disarming Attack, Trip Attack​

Starting the Game - Level 1

Let's start with the early game. I would explore the best Races, Abilities, and Skills for the Assassin Gloomstalker build. Some of these choices are very impactful as you cannot respec them.

Races

Picking a race provides various benefits - abilities, dialogue options, looks, etc. For this build, I list below the best options in my opinion that allow you to maximize the effectiveness of the Assassin Gloomstalker.

Race	Features	Description
Dwarf Duergar	Dwarven Combat Training​ Superior Darkvision​ Dwarven Resilience​ Duergar Resilience​	I think this is the best choice. What makes it special is that at level 5 Duergar obtains Invisibility, which allows you to enter combat, however, you want.
Lightfoot Halfling	Naturally Stealthy Halfling Luck Brave	This race option makes for the perfect Assassin build. You have bonuses to stealth and also can avoid rolls of 1 with Lucky. The only downside is slower movement speed, resulting in less distance traveled due to Halfling's size.
Githyanki	Martial Prodigy	Githyanki is another great race as they get Misty Step at level 5. This helps in combat as you can reach the best positions and vantage points before combat engagement. Moreover, you get Astral Knowledge that allows increasing perception or dexterity for exploration and pickpocketing
Wood Half-Elf	Civil Militia Darkvision Fey Ancestry Fleet of Foot - Your base walking speed is 10.5m.	A safe choice that has Dark Vision and better movement speed compared to others
Deep Gnome	Gnome Cunning Superior Darkvision Stone Camouflage	A good choice that gets bonuses to stealth checks. Keep in mind that they have shorter movement distances, but bonuses to saving throws are very valuable.

Class

The build relies on two classes - Rogue and Ranger. However, I would recommend starting with a Ranger followed by Rogue. The goal is to get access to Extra Attack​ as soon as possible as this in theory doubles the damage that the build can do.

Overview
Ranger
Rangers are unrivaled scouts and trackers, honing a deep connection with nature in order to hunt their favoured prey.

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 Gloom Stalker Assassin build. Correct allocation will allow you to maximize the early gameplay and get good modifier bonuses.

Ability	Value	Description
Strength	8	Not relevant for the 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, so take a few points either from Wisdom or Constitution.

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 - Level 2-12

Here is the detailed progression for the 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 the 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 Assassin builds 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.
Hunter's Mark​	Another good spell in the Ranger arsenal for Assassin. After the initial attack, you will lose a lot of damage bonuses. Hunter's Mark can be used to sustain the damage being done over longer combat encounters.
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.
Two-Weapon Fighting	With this, you will get the Dexterity ability modifier bonus to be added to offhand weapons. So with 16 dexterity, you will get a bonus of 3 damage in your offhand. Pick this for dual-wielding.

Level 3

We reach a big milestone and finally, can choose the Ranger subclass. For our theme, the main choice is Gloom Stalker. Similar to Assassins they ambush and attack their foes from shadows and gain very good features. This subclass will be a gamechanger where you can instantly take out at least one enemy at the start of the combat

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.
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.

Replace Spell

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

Level 4

We continue progressing with Ranger. This level is the first time we will obtain a Feat.

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.
Dual Wielder	In Act 1 or at least until you reach Crech Y'llek there are not many good choices for shortswords and daggers. For this reason, I recommend getting this feat at least until you buy Knife of the Undermountain King. Before that, with the feat, you can equip weapons like - Phalar Aluve or Sword of Screams.
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

And we finally reached our goal of Ranger Level 5. How is this important? Well, you unlocked a new class feature - Extra Attack. This almost doubles your damage output per single turn.

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.

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 utilized them all, so decided not to take any replacements. 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 Assassin Gloom Stalker 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
Assassin
Features
Assassinate: Initiative	You are deadliest against unprepared enemies. In combat, you have an Advantage on Attack Rolls against creatures that haven‘t taken a turn yet.
Assassinate: Ambush	Any successful Attack Roll against a Surprised creature is a Critical Hit.
Assassin's Alacrity	Quick as an alley cat in a rain-dark city, you immediately restore your action and bonus action at the start of combat.

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 and maximize Dexterity to 18 or 20.
Dual Wielder​	If you want to continue using heavier weapons for dual wielding like Phalar Aluve. However, for Act 3, this will lose it's importance as there are multiple light weapons to choose from.
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
Defence	Probably the best option in this case, it gives +1 Armour Class improving the chance to avoid enemy attacks.

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. As Assassin, 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 for Assassins as they can get guaranteed criticals on surprise rounds.

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.

Potions, Elixirs and Consumables

Let's look at what consumables you can use to further empower the Gloomstalker Assassin 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 Hill Giant Strength	Set's strength to 21. This is the best elixir if you are using Titanstring Bow until about level 10, after that upgraded version of the elixir starts appearing.
Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength	Set the strength to 27. Use this for maximum damage with Titanstring Bow.
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.

Arrows

This is a very important part of the build and makes it over-the-top powerful. By stocking up with a few of these you can reach strong potential.

Consumable	Description
Arrow of Many Targets	One of the most overpowered arrows in the game. What makes it powerful is that it can hit up to 4 targets. It has some strange interactions with Luck of the Far Realms​ and other effects, inflicting more damage than intended.
Arrow of Humanoid Slaying	All of these arrows are a pure menace. They enable double damage, and with something like the Aura Of Murder​ effect can melt foes with specific types. Be sure to stock up on these via pickpocketing or purchasing them from vendors.
Arrow of Aberration Slaying
Arrow of Dragon Slaying
Other same-name arrows...

Illithid Powers

This special mechanic in Baldur's Gate 3 allows you to consume tadpoles and unlock special Illithid Powers. These range from somewhat useful, to extremely deadly. I would like to leave a few recommendations:

Base Illithid Powers

Order	Illithid Power	Description
1	Favourable Beginnings​	Very useful power to take as it does not have any costs, and provides only benefits on the first hits.
2	Luck of the Far Realms​	Guarantees a critical hit, a very powerful action to have.
3	Concentrated Blast​	Taking only for progression, to unlock the next power.
4	Cull the Weak​	Passive feature that does not cost anything and automatically deals bonus psychic damage around the target, once it is close to death.
5	Psionic Overload​	It is mainly taken to unlock the next action.
6	Ability Drain​	A good passive feature, that helps with debuffing enemies when attacking. It is not mandatory.
7	Charm​	Mainly taking it for progression.

Elite Illithid Powers

These become unlocked later in the game as you progress. They are extremely powerful additions to the build.

Order	Illithid Power	Description
0	Fly​	This is an extremely good action that saves moving speed and is obtained automatically after you consume Astral-Touched Tadpole.
1	Freecast​	Removes any cost of spell slots or consumable resources
2	Psionic Dominance​	You can use this similarly to Counterspell, and disable enemy spell.
3	Mind Sanctuary​	Extremely valuable power that can also help other casters to use up their Bonus action effectively.
4	Illithid Expertise​	An optional feature, that gives expertise in dialogue-related skills.

Equipment Recommendations

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

Act 1

The early game can be hard, as you do not know where to find items. I would like to point out that you will be using only one weapon in this act, and it is two-handed. You will also get Knife of the Undermountain King, but it will be used later in Act 2.

Dual Wield Setup Weapons

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One - Handed)	Knife of the Undermountain King	The best shortsword in Act 1, will lead you to Act 2. It gives higher critical rolls and improves damage output. Can be dual-wielded.
	Phalar Aluve	The only longsword that can use the Dexterity modifier for damage and attack rolls. Moreover, it has a unique Phalar Aluve: Shriek effect, for bonus 1d4 Thunder damage. Use this together with Dual Wielder.
	Sword of Screams	Adds 1d4 psychic damage without any conditions, a solid choice in Act 1. I recommend wielding this when you get Dual Wielder.
Ranged	Bow of Awareness	Improves initiative and allows going earlier in combat. I recommend this if you plan on using Dual-wielding weapons.
	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.

Ranged Setup Weapons

You can also equip a shield (strange right?) for this build when going ranged, if using Strenth Elixir or not picking Titanstring Bow.

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One - Handed)	Knife of the Undermountain King	The best shortsword in Act 1, will lead you to Act 2. It gives higher critical rolls and improves damage output. Can be dual-wielded.
	Club of Hill Giant Strength	This club should be equipped if you plan on using Titanstring Bow without Strength Elixirs. This way you will maximize your damage from the Strength modifier. It can be dual-wielded with the next weapon - Knife of the Undermountain King without Dual Wielder​ feat.
Ranged	Titanstring Bow	I would say this is the best bow if you plan on using Strength Elixirs or Club of Hill Giant Strength to get high strength. This way you will deal bonus damage, outdamaging other ranged weapon options throughout the game.
	Bow of the Banshee	This is an amazing bow, as it can apply Frighten on enemies making them unable to move. This is not as powerful as Titanstring Bow but a good alternative in case you want more control in combat.
	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.
	Absolute's Warboard	Very good shield similar to Safeguard Shield, just gives a bonus Heroism​ cantrip. Only use it if you have Absolute's Brand.
	Safeguard Shield	Gives a bonus to saving throws, easily accessible early in the game.

Other Equipment

Slot	Item	Description
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.
	Adamantine Scale Mail	As a ranger, you can wear medium armor. For the early game, before obtaining The Graceful Cloth this can be a decent choice. However, you will gain disadvantage on stealth checks which is important part of the build.
	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 the Growling Underdog	A solid choice for melee approach, as you can easily gain advantage via multiple enemies sitting together.
	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.
	Fetish of Callarduran Smoothhands	Allows casting Invisibility​ that can be used to approach combat in the perfect position.
	Caustic Band	This is a very powerful ring, that may be useful even till the end game, due to flat bonus damage.
	Smuggler's Ring	Although this does not provide any combat bonuses, it is very useful in world exploration and pickpocketing.

Act 2 - mid-game

This is the mid-game, where most of the areas will be covered by dark. Radiant equipment will shine here and having Darkvision​ is recommended. You also can get some great items, albeit some will stay the same from Act 1.

Dual Wield Setup Weapons

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One - Handed)	Render of Mind and Body	This item is very powerful due to the big 1d8 psychic damage bonus. It will be one of the best until the end of the game.
	Justiciar's Scimitar	You can blind the target thanks to the Assassinate: Initiative, but most importantly it has a unique attack that deals bonus damage based on proficiency and 1d6 psychic.
	Knife of the Undermountain King	Increases critical roll range and improves damage rolls.
Ranged	Darkfire Shortbow	If you need an option to cast Haste​, this bow is amazing. Otherwise, go with the bow from Act 1.

Ranged Setup Weapons

To be honest, you can stay with the same weapons from Act 1. Shield is only valuable if you are not using Club of Hill Giant Strength.

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One - Handed)	Knife of the Undermountain King	The best shortsword in Act 1, will lead you to Act 2. It gives higher critical rolls and improves damage output. Can be dual-wielded.
	Club of Hill Giant Strength	This club should be equipped if you plan on using Titanstring Bow without Strength Elixirs. This way you will maximize your damage from the Strength modifier. It can be dual-wielded with the next weapon - Knife of the Undermountain King without Dual Wielder​ feat.
Ranged	Titanstring Bow	The best weapon if you have high strength from Strenth Elixirs or Club of Hill Giant Strength
	Bow of the Banshee	An alternative to Titanstring Bow, for some control capabilities.
Shield	Sentinel Shield	Gives a big initiative boost, making it the best choice in my opinion.
	Adamantine Shield	It provides a substantial defensive boost by reducing critical hit damage.

Other Equipment

Slot	Item	Description
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	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 armour 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. If you are playing Assassin optimally, this ring is not necessary as you will get Advantage by default. However, as there are various combat situations, this can prove useful. Otherwise, use it on another build.

Act 3 - Final Build setup

This is the last act of the game, where you will get access to the most powerful items. Getting them as early as possible will need some planning, but overall, it should not be a problem.

Dual Wield Setup Weapons

You will want Piercing weapons to exploit the bonus damage from vulnerabilities.

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One - Handed)	Crimson Mischief (BiS)	Gives a flat 7-piece damage boost. Together with Aura Of Murder,​ this will result in 14 damage. If using Blade of the First Blood, it is not as powerful, so look at the other options.
	Belm (BiS)	Can use bonus action attacks to inflict the same damage as the main hand weapon, with all bonuses.
	Dolor Amarus	The dagger's critical damage bonuses also apply main weapon.
	Blade of the First Blood	I recommend using this weapon if you did not obtain Bhaalist Armour, to get that Aura Of Murder​ effect. Otherwise, skip it. You
	Render of Mind and Body	As you have multiple ways of getting an Advantage, the 1d8 psychic damage rider is a very large bonus making this weapon very powerful even in Act 3.
	Rhapsody	This weapon is a good recommendation. I would not say it is necessary, but the flat bonus damage is good to have.
Ranged	Vicious Shortbow (BiS)	The bow is the best pick in terms of damage boost as it gives +7 on all weapon attacks. With Assassinate: Ambush​ this will be an easy way to get a huge boost on damage.
	The Dead Shot	Decreases the roll requirement for Critical Hit by 1.
	Hellrider Longbow	Gives +3 Initiative almost guaranteeing that you go first.

Ranged Setup Weapons

This is the optimal option and uses mainly ranged attacks

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One - Handed)	Rhapsody	Gives a flat 3 bonus damage and increased hit chance after you pump this item with killed foes.
	Dolor Amarus	This item is somewhat bugged and its bonus damage applies even when using Ranged attacks. So you can get 7 bonus damages on critical hits, and you will do a lot of them during the Surprise rounds
	Knife of the Undermountain King	A slight improvement to damage and gives increased crit range. The latter is not as important as you will get guaranteed crits on Suprirpse rounds.
	Club of Hill Giant Strength	Still an option to equip if you do not use Strength Elixirs with Titanstring Bow.
Ranged	Titanstring Bow	This is the best bow in the game if you or any party member uses Bhaalist Armour. It can deal the highest possible damage of all ranged weapons if you have a vulnerability effect. You also need high strength which can be reached with Club of Hill Giant Strength or Strength Elixirs.
	Gontr Mael	It is the most powerful bow, if you will not be utilizing the Bhaalist Armour effect.
	The Dead Shot	A solid bow, if you do not plan on using Titanstring Bow, due to low strength.

Other Equipment

Slot	Item	Description
Head	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.
	Mask of Soul Perception	A good item with bonuses to attack and initiative rolls. Overall, I think it has minimal benefits for Gloomstalker Assassin, especially as your goal is to utilize the Surprise rounds, and avoid direct combat.
Cloak	The Deathstalker Mantle (BiS)	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.
	Shade-Slayer Cloak	It boosts critical chance. The caveat is that you have to attack from hiding for this to activate, which sometimes can be complicated. I would also use this with the Thief Subclass, and skip it on Assassin as it automatically lands critical hits when attacking surprised enemies.
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 due to the assassin's high initiative already.
	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	Craterflesh Gloves (BiS)	These gloves are a powerful option. The 1d6 turns into 2d6 due to their bugged effect on Honour Mode. They also inherit damage riders. This will probably be fixed sometime in the future.
	Legacy of the Masters	One of the best gloves in the game with bonuses for pure damage, 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 Assassin playstyle as you can deal damage bonuses on the first turn.
	Stalker Gloves	The bonus damage on stealth is a good effect and you also gain a bonus initiative roll.
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.
	Magic Amulet	Gives an Advantage on attack. I would use this only if you do not have Risky Ring. Otherwise, this does not provide much use, besides Saving Throw Advantage.
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

Now I would like to cover some general tips on how to play Assassin Gloomstalker build.

Important Mechanics and Combos

Let's go through key mechanics and tips on how to effectively use the build. Overall, I do recommend checking the complete stealth guide as it goes in greater depth on how to get everything out of this playstyle

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
• Attacking from stealth
• 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.

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. These are the main thing why you would go with Gloomstalker Assasin. 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.

Strength for more power

As you noticed through my build I mentioned strength as an important aspect of the build. This is true when you are using Titanstring Bow. It is the best-ranged weapon when used with high-strength character and this can be done with two items:

• Elixir of Hill Giant Strength - 21 Strength
• Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength - 27 Strength.

I have a guide on how to farm Elixir of Hill Giant Strength. This can be done in Act 1 if you haven't killed Auntie Ethel. A bit more difficult way, but still viable is available in Myconid Colony in Underdark.

However, there are two big caveats in my opinion:

1. Your elixir slot is taken, and you cannot activate something like Elixir of Bloodlust, that can give additional action each turn.
2. It breaks immersion and makes strength ability somewhat useless. I do not use it much.

I leave the choice up to you, as there are other bows like Gontr Mael and The Dead Shot.

Engaging in long combat encounters

Now not every encounter will be short. This is a huge weakness of Assassin's build. However, you can make this part a bit easier if you have picked:

Spell	Description
Hunter's Mark​	Another good spell in the Ranger arsenal for Assassin. After the initial attack, we will lose a lot of damage bonuses. Hunter's Mark can be used to sustain the damage we do over longer combat encounters.

With it, every successful hit will deal an additional 1d6 Slashing damage. And if the target dies before the spell ends, it can be reused for free. So it's a great way to squeeze a bit more damage with your bonus action.

However, I do not recommend this if you are using a dual-wielding melee setup after about level 5.

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

So how does the early game work? Well, you will not get access to the Assassin stuff yet, so you will be relying on what Ranger provides. It will get much better after you have Gloom Stalker at level 3.

• 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​ actions.

Late Game Combat

This is where things get interesting and you can start dealing big damage. Overall, I would say this starts from level 8, once you obtain the Assassin subclass:

1. Approach the combat area alone in stealth or much better invisible.
2. Attack the first enemy, and initiate the combat.
3. You can then let your allies join in combat as all of you get a free round to attack.
4. Now use up all your attacks to deal as much damage as possible. Each hit will be a guaranteed critical hit
5. If using a bow, I recommend attacking with Arrow of Many targets for maximum damage over multiple grouped enemies.
6. Be sure to use Dread Ambusher's​ special action.
7. Once you exhausted everything, use Action Surge​ for more attacks.
8. For normal attacks without Special arrows use Fighters Manoeuvres like Disarming Attack (Ranged)​ or others.
9. If playing solo, I recommend leaving an action point free after the surprise round so that you can become invisible at any time. Or just use hide with a bonus action.

Overall, you should have no problems with this build in any combat situation

Build Variations

Here are variations based on classes:

Setup	Description
5 Lv Ranger 4 Lv Rogue 3 Lv Swords Bard	Instead of Fighter, you can now take Swords Bard. The build also gets more proficiencies for skills. However, there is a small caveat here. In total, you get more attacks from Slashing Flourish (Ranged)​ instead of Action Surge, however, Bardic Inspiration​ only gets restored on long rests, so you will have to do them more often. You also gain some quite useful spells.
6 Swords Bard 4 Ranger or Rogue 2 Fighter	Swords Bard setup which gives Slashing Flourish (Melee)​. Also, it is more optimal as you get 2 feats, and can choose benefits from either Ranger or Assassin. One guarantees critical hits, and another gives a bonus attack on the first round, with bonus invisibility.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading The Assassin Gloom Stalker build in Baldur's Gate 3. We covered all the main aspects of creating a truly powerful Assassin. This is all thanks to merging two classes - Rogue and Ranger. To further boost our attacks we also get Gloom Stalker to both improve the number of attacks at the start of combat and fit the theme

Cheers!