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I'm a 5e player with a good amount of experience. I am currently playing a revised ranger (and using the optional features from Tasha's because my DM lets me). What magic items/spells/feats could I use to improve my ranged damage?

I'm talking about magic items/spells/feats which improve my DPR with a longbow. Since I already have a homebrewed longbow, I don't wish to change the weapon I use.

The abilities I already have:

Race: Half-elf

Class: Revised Ranger (UA), but I have the Nature's Veil feature from TCoE.

Level: 16

Subclass: Hunter (Colossus Slayer, Extra Attack, Multiattack Defense, Volley, Uncanny Dodge)

Feats: Sharpshooter, Fey Touched, Elven Accuracy

Magic Items: Homebrewed Longbow (allows the user to expend hit dice to roll those dice and add it to the damage total, convert all damage dealt into force damage, and the user takes damage equal to the damage dealt), Bracers of Archery, Blood Fury Tattoo

Relevant Spells: Hunter's Mark, Guardian of Nature, Summon Elemental

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    \$\begingroup\$ Is your intent to ask your DM to give you the item once you’ve decided what you want? \$\endgroup\$ Commented Oct 24, 2023 at 12:11
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    \$\begingroup\$ Please clarify your specific problem or provide additional details to highlight exactly what you need. As it's currently written, it's hard to tell exactly what you're asking. \$\endgroup\$
    – Community Bot
    Commented Oct 24, 2023 at 13:26
  • \$\begingroup\$ Mostly, as our DM lets us basically commission a blacksmith to make a magic item for us if we give him the materials to do so(this is how I got a Blood Fury Tattoo). \$\endgroup\$
    – Playmaker
    Commented Oct 24, 2023 at 14:02
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    \$\begingroup\$ What are you looking for with regard to DPR? Always on or nova burst? Passive or active options may also matter if you’re already using actions up for other mechanics. If you can explain more of what you want or what you’re looking within DPR, that will help focus answers. Are there any thematic character aspects we should be aware of as well? \$\endgroup\$
    – NotArch
    Commented Oct 24, 2023 at 20:57
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    \$\begingroup\$ I’m going for a burst DPR, as my character tries to end combat as quickly as possible. \$\endgroup\$
    – Playmaker
    Commented Oct 24, 2023 at 22:47

2 Answers 2

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Ask your DM if it's possible to further modify your homebrew longbow, or learn to embrace consumables.

There aren't many permanent magic items published that add to weapon damage that aren't themselves weapons. Let's break it down:

Wondrous Items

There are a few wondrous items that grant a bonus to damage, usually paired with the same bonus to attack rolls. They are almost all restricted to melee (and sometimes also unarmed) attacks.

  • Bracers of Archery, which you already have, is effectively the only officially published item that applies a damage bonus to ranged weapon attacks.

  • Any item that increases your Dexterity score up to its maximum value, or increases the maximum value, will naturally increase attack and damage. Notable entries include the Manual of Quickness of Action (raises current and max DEX by 2) and the Ioun Stone of Agility (+2 DEX up to cap).

Armor

Surprisingly, there exists one published item, a shield, that can be used to grant a bonus to a nonmagical weapon. This does not work for your purposes, as the homebrewed bow is already magic, but it's here for completion.

  • The Shield of the Uven Rune (Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage). It can be used regularly as a shield and has additional benefits, or it can be consumed to enchant a weapon. This requires an 8-hour ritual and a nonmagical weapon, with the result being a +1 weapon that gets treated like a +3 weapon when used against a creature type specified at the time of the ritual.

Weapons

You have stated that you don't want to trade in your current, homebrew bow for a new one. That said, I think you could benefit from comparing the current features of the bow to published Very Rare and Legendary weapons, and talking to your DM about 'reforging' it to add things that might be missing. Note that weapons of this power level usually require attunement, and if your bow doesn't require this already, your DM may consider adding that property if you further increase its power level.

  • Generally speaking, a basic +1/2/3 attack and damage bonus is a feature of the weapon. Is the longbow already benefitting from this? (According to your comment, it is, and will hit +3 once you hit Ranger 17. Good.)
  • Does the bow have any other additional base features aside from the cast-from-hit points nova? Published Legendary weapons frequently seem to have a small (1-die) damage bonus on each hit, and then a triggerable additional ability that can be used selectively for great effect. While you have the damage nova already, do you add anything on a basic hit?

Consumables

Will this strategy be the most cost-effective? Probably not; once you use a consumable, it goes away forever even if you miss every shot. But it remains a reliable way to boost both maximum and minimum damage on a hit, and one of the few avenues you have not yet mentioned exploring.

  • +X ammunition. +X weapon bonuses do stack with +X ammunition bonuses, so a +3 arrow from a +3 bow ends up with a +6 attack and damage bonus overall. Are you already using magic ammunition? Pick some up, and get extras--the magic goes away once fired, even if you miss.

  • Arrows of Slaying. Locked to a specific type of creature, but when used against that type of creature, takes an additional 6d10 weapon damage on a failed DC 17 Constitution save, and half that on a success.

  • Oil of Sharpness. Requires additional prep, but one vial can coat 5 pieces of ammunition for up to an hour, treating the coated arrows as magical and giving a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls. Also stacks with magic weapon and ammunition bonuses.

  • Poison. I say this with a caveat, since poison is one of the most resisted and most-likely immune damage types in 5th edition, and we don't know what sorts of things you're fighting. If you're in the lucky position to be fighting monsters that are susceptible, however, there exist some fairly oomphy poisons in the DMG--purple worm poison, in particular, deals 12d6 poison damage on a failed DC 19 Constitution save. Look for poison (injury) for poisons meant to coat weapons.

  • Spell scrolls, to allow for more castings of a beneficial spell, if you need that.

Not Items, But Options

Since you're interested. You already have solid choices locked in, but there are a few things you can consider.

Spells

A lot of Ranger class spells require concentration, including the ones you listed in the question as your go-to choices. There are still a few more that can help boost damage, especially when we consider the 5th-level spells you'll get at Ranger 17:

  • Hail of Thorns (1st) (concentration) allows the normal weapon effects/damage to land on the target and then explodes for narrow AOE that includes the target. Though the normal weapon effects don't transfer to the explosion, upcasts nicely at a rate of +d10 per level.
  • Lightning Arrow (3rd) (concentration) replaces the regular weapon damage with 4d8 lightning damage and a burst effect damaging additional targets. It's a decent choice for the spell slot level, since hunter's mark only increases in maximum duration when you upcast it.
  • Swift Quiver (5th) (concentration) lets you make 2 weapon attacks with your bonus action, increasing your rate of fire, and therefore increasing benefits from effects that boost every normal weapon hit.

(I assume you're using Guardian of Nature (4th) for the Tree form's advantage on DEX-based attacks, since the Beast form's additional damage on hit is limited to melee attacks.)

There are a few spells off other class lists that would require shenanigans or multiclassing to get access to, but do boost damage off of a weapon hit:

  • Banishing Smite and Branding Smite (5th, 2nd) are the only "smite" spells not specifically restricted to melee attacks only in their wording. Like lightning arrow, both are concentration spells that go off on the next successful hit. Both are on the Paladin, Hexblade Warlock, and Battlesmith Artificer spell lists, and branding smite is also available to Zariel Tieflings.

Multiclassing

I wouldn't necessarily recommend this per se, but there are a few options you can use to pile a bit more on a few key hits. Remember that by RAW there are stat prerequisites!

  • Fighter 3, Battlemaster. Four maneuver dice (d8s) per short or long rest, and pick maneuvers that either increase accuracy or add to the damage roll. (Some maneuvers are limited to melee-only by RAW, so read the text carefully.) This one is the one you're mostly likely to qualify for out of the box, stat-wise.
  • Rogue any, for sneak attack. Depending on your party setup and tactics, this might be worth doing if opportunities for triggering sneak attack occur regularly. Remember it only goes off once per turn, and you'll max out at +2d6 with your remaining levels.
  • (Paladin 2, for Divine Smite, is counterindicated here. Aside from needing too many good stats, it's explicitly limited to melee attacks only.)

Feats

Again, like items, if you are not already at maximum Dexterity, technically speaking any feat that further increases that score will also increase attack and damage. Still, there are a few that will be a bit more effective than simply an ASI.

  • Piercer (Tasha's Cauldron of Everything): +1 DEX and allows one die's reroll for piercing damage as well as an additional damage die on a critical hit with a piercing weapon. You must use the new result on the reroll.
  • Lucky (PHB): grants a small pool of additional d20s for rerolls. Boosts accuracy, for resulting increased overall damage.
  • Gift of the Chromatic Dragon (Fizban's Treasury of Dragons): Use a bonus action to add +d4 of a chromatic damage type to a simple or martial weapon. 1 minute duration, 1/long rest. Not the most efficient, but might be useful in a pinch.

Some damage-boosting feats are found in specific setting books. Check with your DM to see what they're willing to work with.

  • Vital Sacrifice (Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn) is the Blood-Hunter/Hemocraft version of the 'class dip' feats like Martial Adept or Metamagic Adept. Take d6 necrotic damage, and for the next hour, receive a benefit off a list. 1/day. One possible benefit is +2d6 necrotic damage per weapon hit.
  • Cruel (Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn) grants you a pool of d6s equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest, and once per turn you can add a die to a damage roll (among other benefits).
  • Sigil and the Outlands sourcebook contains feats with "A Planescape Setting" as prerequisite. Taking Scion of the Outer Planes and then either Agent of Order or Baneful Scion grants a proficiency-bonus-uses-per-long-rest ability that adds damage on a hit and has additional benefits.
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  • \$\begingroup\$ The magic bow, in addition to an ability it has that I mentioned in a comment, also has a flat bonus that scales with proficiency bonus(half the proficiency bonus, rounded down). \$\endgroup\$
    – Playmaker
    Commented Oct 24, 2023 at 22:49
  • \$\begingroup\$ Second thing I should mention: when I use the effect, all damage gets converted to force damage. Third thing, my DEX is at +10, so buffing DEX isn’t necessary. If anything, the Ioun Stone that buffs your proficiency bonus(that exists, right?) would do a solid amount for my damage. \$\endgroup\$
    – Playmaker
    Commented Oct 25, 2023 at 0:14
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Playmaker You have a 30 DEX? That's impressive, and quite uncommon. I'll leave it in for historicity and research. Also, proficiency bonus only gets added to attack rolls unless you have a feature that adds it in to damage rolls too. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Oct 25, 2023 at 0:22
  • \$\begingroup\$ Yes, but the bonus for attack and damage rolls conferred by the magic longbow is calculated using the proficiency bonus, so buffing my proficiency bonus will not only increase my accuracy, but also increase the damage. \$\endgroup\$
    – Playmaker
    Commented Oct 25, 2023 at 0:27
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    \$\begingroup\$ At 2nd level, you gain two eldritch invocations of your choice. When you gain certain warlock levels, you gain additional invocations of your choice, as shown in the Invocations Known column of the Warlock table. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class. Eldritch smite requires 5 warlock levels, not 5 character levels; this would require trading away a ranger level (if that were allowed). \$\endgroup\$ Commented Oct 25, 2023 at 4:20
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Simple: get some magic arrows

They can help you to improve your DPR, for example simple +1, +2 or +3 arrows will both give you a higher to hit chance, and add to damage. Arrows of slaying can give you a much bigger boost if you know what you are up against. They will not cost you any action economy to use, so if you can get them made to order and have the surplus cash, so it's pure gravy.

It also combines nicely with any other tactic you can come up with to improve your damage output that does not outright require mundane arrows.

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