Gloom Stalker 5e

The ultimate guide to Gloom Stalker in Dungeons and Dragons 5e

The Gloom Stalker is one of the most popular ranger subclasses in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. It transforms the ranger from a versatile scout into a deadly ambusher, built to control the battlefield from the shadows. Ideal for dark dungeons, dense forests, and underground lairs, the Gloom Stalker thrives in environments where light is scarce and danger is constant.

This subclass introduces several powerful features that elevate the ranger’s combat and exploration abilities. Dread Ambusher boosts initiative, speed, and damage on the first turn of combat, allowing the Gloom Stalker to strike hard before enemies can react. Umbral Sight grants superior darkvision and makes the ranger invisible to creatures that rely on it—an advantage that turns darkness into a weapon.

Gloom Stalkers also gain valuable improvements to their defenses and utility. Iron Mind enhances their resilience against mind-affecting spells. Stalker’s Flurry offers extra chances to hit, while Shadowy Dodge increases survivability without using limited resources.

The Gloom Stalker expands on the ranger’s strengths—stealth, precision, and mobility—and sharpens them into a terrifying combat style. Whether scouting ahead or eliminating threats before a battle begins, this subclass rewards players who strike first and disappear before the enemy can respond.

Feats for Gloom Stalker Ranger

Level	Feat
3	Gloom Stalker Magic
	Dread Ambusher
	Umbral Sight
7	Iron Mind
11	Stalker’s Flurry
15	Shadowy Dodge

Level 3 - Gloom Stalker Magic

At 3rd level, Gloom Stalkers gain access to a unique set of spells through the Gloom Stalker Magic feature. These spells don't count against the number of spells you know, making them a valuable addition to your arsenal. The key spells include Disguise Self, Rope Trick, Fear, Greater Invisibility, and Seeming.

• Disguise Self: This spell allows you to alter your appearance, which can be essential for infiltration and deception. While the effectiveness of this spell can depend on your situation, it’s versatile enough to have a place in any campaign.

• Rope Trick: Normally exclusive to Wizards and Artificers, Rope Trick allows you to create an extra-dimensional space for a safe Short Rest. However, because Rangers have limited spell slots, spending one to rest can be costly. Use this when absolutely necessary to avoid long rests in dangerous environments.

• Fear: Fear works well in situations where you face multiple weaker enemies. While it's less effective at higher levels (due to the likely lower Wisdom modifier of a Gloom Stalker), it can still help clear out weaker threats or disrupt enemy formations.

• Greater Invisibility: This is a crucial spell for any stealthy character. While Umbral Sight offers a form of invisibility in darkness, Greater Invisibility guarantees you remain unseen even in situations where light is introduced (such as when enemies use torches or magical means of seeing). It allows you to take actions without revealing your position, making you even harder to track.

• Seeming: A situational spell that lets you alter the appearance of multiple creatures. This is incredibly useful when your party needs to move through hostile territories or avoid detection by locals. It is most beneficial when the party must enter an area where they aren’t wanted.

While some of these spells depend on the situation and your available resources, they offer flexibility and additional strategic options, especially in scenarios where stealth or deception is key.

Level 3 - Dread Ambusher

The Dread Ambusher feature, gained at 3rd level, is a defining trait of the Gloom Stalker. It gives you a powerful advantage during the first round of combat.

• Initiative Bonus: You add your Wisdom modifier to your initiative rolls. This is a game-changer for a subclass that excels at striking first. Gloom Stalkers can now consistently act before most enemies, allowing them to set the tone of the battle.

• Increased Movement: Your walking speed increases by 10 feet on your first turn in combat, giving you additional mobility to close the gap or move into a favorable position quickly. This can be useful for both ranged and melee combat, depending on your playstyle.

• Bonus Attack: If you take the Attack action on your first turn, you can make one additional weapon attack. This attack deals an extra 1d8 damage of the weapon’s damage type if it hits. The added 1d8 damage is significant and allows for a powerful opening blow, making the first round of combat crucial for Gloom Stalkers. This feature alone can make a huge difference, often allowing the Gloom Stalker to eliminate or severely weaken an enemy before they can react.

• Dread Ambusher is one of the strongest opening moves in the game, especially when combined with the Gloom Stalker’s bonus to initiative and high mobility.

Level 3 - Umbral Sight

Also gained at 3rd level, Umbral Sight grants the Gloom Stalker a unique and powerful form of invisibility in dark environments.

• Darkvision: You gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet, or if you already have darkvision, its range increases by 30 feet. This feature is especially useful in dungeons or night-time encounters, allowing you to navigate in the dark without relying on light sources.

• Invisibility to Darkvision: The key aspect of Umbral Sight is that you become invisible to any creature that relies on darkvision to see you in total darkness. This gives you a significant edge in combat, allowing you to remain unseen even if enemies can see normally in the dark. This is a form of improved invisibility that doesn’t cost any spell slots, unlike the spell Greater Invisibility.

• Tactical Advantage: By remaining in darkness, you force enemies who rely on darkvision to have a harder time tracking you, which can disrupt their ability to target you or launch attacks. It also gives your party the freedom to move through dark areas without relying on light, further enhancing your ability to scout and explore dangerous places.

  
  

While there are limitations (it only works in total darkness, and doesn’t protect against truesight, tremorsense, or blindsight), it’s a fantastic ability in the right conditions, making the Gloom Stalker an expert at operating in the shadows.

Level 7 - Iron Mind

At 7th level, Iron Mind grants you proficiency in Wisdom saving throws, one of the most commonly targeted saving throws in the game.

• Wisdom Saves: Many creatures, spells, and abilities target Wisdom saving throws, such as those causing fear or charm effects. By gaining proficiency in this save, you reduce the risk of being controlled or manipulated by enemies, significantly increasing your resilience against crowd control.

• Alternative Option: If you already have proficiency in Wisdom saves, you can choose proficiency in either Intelligence or Charisma saving throws. This choice allows you to tailor your defenses based on the types of threats you’re likely to face, providing versatility.

Iron Mind significantly enhances your survivability, especially when facing enemies with abilities that target your mental defenses.

Level 11 - Stalker’s Flurry

At 11th level, you gain Stalker’s Flurry, a feature that allows you to attack with greater frequency and improve your chances of hitting.

• Bonus Attack: Once per turn, if you miss with a weapon attack, you can immediately make another weapon attack as part of the same action. This feature makes your attacks more reliable by giving you an extra chance to hit if you miss, increasing your damage potential and chances of landing a critical hit.

• Increased Damage: Since you can now make additional attacks, you maximize your damage output. This is especially beneficial when combined with your high mobility and Dread Ambusher features, ensuring that you have a steady stream of attacks each turn.

  
  

Stalker’s Flurry helps mitigate bad rolls, ensuring you still contribute heavily to the party’s damage output even if you miss on your first attack.

Level 15 - Shadowy Dodge

At 15th level, Shadowy Dodge lets you use your reaction to impose disadvantage on an attack against you, provided the attacker doesn’t already have advantage.

• Reaction-based Defense: This powerful defensive feature allows you to avoid incoming damage by forcing enemies to roll with disadvantage. Given that you’ll likely remain hidden or hard to target due to Umbral Sight and Stealth, this makes you even more difficult to hit.

• No Resource Cost: Unlike other features that require spell slots or limited resources, Shadowy Dodge only costs a reaction, which you can use once per round. The ability to impose disadvantage without using up any of your core resources is highly efficient.

Shadowy Dodge is perfect for a class that excels at staying out of sight while remaining highly mobile, offering a reliable defense mechanism when you’re under threat.

Each of these features enhances the Gloom Stalker’s ability to remain unseen, strike first, and deal devastating damage. By combining these abilities, the Gloom Stalker becomes a master of both stealth and combat, capable of outmaneuvering foes and delivering punishing blows when they least expect it. Whether you’re operating in total darkness or taking advantage of tactical terrain, the Gloom Stalker is built to control the battlefield with precision and deadly efficiency.

Ability Scores

When creating a Gloom Stalker ranger, selecting the right ability scores is essential for maximizing your effectiveness in combat and utility. As a subclass that excels in stealth, ranged attacks, and high mobility, the Gloom Stalker relies on specific ability scores to harness its full potential. While many of the ranger’s traits are focused on remaining unseen and striking from the shadows, others enhance their combat prowess and survivability. Understanding which abilities to prioritize will ensure your Gloom Stalker is both lethal and durable. Here's a breakdown of each key ability score and how it contributes to your build.

Strength

For the Gloom Stalker, Strength is typically not a priority. The subclass doesn’t rely on heavy melee weapons or dual-wielding, so there's little need to invest in this stat. Instead, you’ll focus on Dexterity to enhance your combat capabilities and survivability.

Dexterity

Dexterity is the most important ability score for a Gloom Stalker ranger. It powers your attacks with ranged weapons (like bows or crossbows) and boosts your Armor Class when you wear light armor. Dexterity also contributes to key skills such as Stealth, allowing you to remain hidden, and Initiative, which lets you act before your enemies. Maximizing Dexterity should be your primary goal, as it plays a central role in your effectiveness in combat and overall survivability.

Constitution

Constitution is important for any character, as it increases your hit points and overall durability. However, since Gloom Stalkers typically engage enemies at a distance and can avoid taking hits through stealth, you don’t need to prioritize Constitution as highly as Dexterity or Wisdom. It’s beneficial to have a decent Constitution score for general survivability, but it’s not essential to focus heavily on it.

Intelligence

Intelligence is not particularly important for a Gloom Stalker. There are few abilities that rely on Intelligence, and most of the ranger’s abilities are focused on other stats. Therefore, there’s no need to prioritize this score when building your character.

Wisdom

Wisdom is crucial for a Gloom Stalker, as it not only enhances your spellcasting (such as spells like Hunter’s Mark) but also powers important class features. Your Dread Ambusher ability benefits from your Wisdom modifier (for initiative rolls), and Iron Mind provides proficiency in Wisdom saving throws, which is valuable for resisting mental effects like fear and charm. Wisdom should be your second priority after Dexterity, but don’t feel the need to max it out right away—focus on Dexterity first.

Charisma

Charisma is not a key stat for a Gloom Stalker unless you're in a specific situation where you need to apply Expertise to social skills, like Persuasion or Deception, through the Canny feature of the optional Deft Explorer. If your party lacks a “face” character for social interactions, Charisma may be useful. Otherwise, it’s a stat you don’t need to focus on.

For an optimal Gloom Stalker build, prioritize Dexterity above all else, followed by Wisdom. Strength, Intelligence, and Charisma are not essential and can be minimized. Constitution should be moderately invested in for survivability, but it doesn’t need to be your top focus. By prioritizing Dexterity and Wisdom, you’ll create a highly effective Gloom Stalker ranger with strong combat and stealth abilities.

Weapons for Gloom Stalker

Choosing the right weapons for a Gloom Stalker ranger is essential for optimizing damage, survivability, and overall effectiveness in combat. As a ranger that excels in stealth, mobility, and ranged combat, you’ll want to select weapons that complement these strengths. Here’s a breakdown of some of the best weapon choices for the Gloom Stalker:

The Hand Crossbow is an excellent option for a Gloom Stalker who wants to focus on ranged combat while maintaining flexibility. With its small size and light weight, it allows for quick shots, and if you take the Crossbow Expert feat, you can make a bonus action attack with it when wielding another one-handed weapon. If you prefer to dual-wield, this is a good choice, and it also gives you a chance to fight in melee when needed. While it won’t have the sheer damage potential of a longbow, it can be quite effective for a more versatile combat style.

The Shortsword is another option if you’re looking to mix things up and take the fight to enemies at close range. The Shortsword is a finesse weapon, meaning it can be used effectively with your Dexterity modifier rather than Strength, making it a good match for your main stats. You can also dual-wield them to increase your number of attacks. This is especially useful if your party lacks a tank or defender, allowing you to step in and deal some damage while maintaining decent mobility.

The Longbow is the quintessential ranged weapon for a Gloom Stalker ranger. It allows you to strike from a distance with powerful damage, and if you opt for feats like Sharpshooter or Crossbow Expert, it can dramatically increase your effectiveness. The Longbow requires no additional feats or complicated mechanics, making it a straightforward option for those who want to maximize their damage without worrying about extra buttons. Its range makes it ideal for a Gloom Stalker’s stealthy playstyle, allowing you to stay out of melee range and take advantage of abilities like Dread Ambusher and Umbral Sight.

In summary, the Longbow is likely the most effective weapon for a Gloom Stalker, allowing for optimal ranged combat with minimal effort. However, if you prefer a more versatile playstyle or want to engage in melee when necessary, a Hand Crossbow or Shortsword can be useful. Regardless of your choice, these weapons complement the Gloom Stalker’s strengths and will help you excel in your role as a deadly, stealthy combatant.

General Build for Gloom Stalker

Ability Scores (In Order Of Importance)	Dexterity, Wisdom, Constitution, Intelligence, Strength, Charisma
Species	Variant Human/Custom Lineage, Bugbear, Satyr
Background	Sailor, Investigator
Spells	Hunter's Mark, Goodberry, Swift Quiver
Feats	Sharpshooter, Crossbow Expert, Fey Touched
Items	Horn of Silent Alarm, Broom of Flying, Cloak of Displacement, Glimmering Moonbow
Multiclass	Fighter, Rogue

Build focused on Stealth

The Gloom Stalker Ranger is a combat-focused subclass that thrives in eliminating enemies before they even know what hit them. Unlike many other rangers, Gloom Stalkers focus less on flashy utility and more on being efficient, lethal killers. With a unique set of abilities, this subclass specializes in stealth, mobility, and devastating first strikes, making them one of the most dangerous characters on the battlefield.

For a Dexterity-focused Gloom Stalker Ranger, the top priority is ensuring maximum effectiveness in combat while maintaining excellent stealth and mobility. Here's a breakdown of the key ability scores for this build:

Top Priority Stats:

Dexterity (Most Important): 

Dexterity is the Gloom Stalker’s primary stat, and it's critical to almost every aspect of the character’s performance. It boosts attack rolls and damage with ranged weapons, Armor Class (AC) for better defense, Stealth for sneaking past enemies, and Initiative for striking first in combat. Additionally, Dexterity synergizes perfectly with Umbral Sight, allowing the Gloom Stalker to stay in the shadows and deal damage from a distance while remaining unseen. The light armor provided by Dexterity also maximizes stealth and mobility, ensuring the Gloom Stalker can move swiftly and avoid detection.

Wisdom (Second Priority): 

While Wisdom isn’t as crucial as Dexterity, it still plays an important role in a Gloom Stalker build. It powers the ranger’s spellcasting, even though spellcasting isn’t the primary focus. Wisdom also enhances key skills like Perception and Insight, both of which are valuable for scouting and sensing danger. Improving Wisdom adds to the overall versatility of the Gloom Stalker, helping them excel in a variety of situations and remain aware of their surroundings, making them a better scout.

Constitution (Third Priority): 

While Constitution boosts hit points (HP), it’s less of a priority for a Gloom Stalker, since the subclass excels at stealth and ranged combat, staying out of melee range and often using invisibility to avoid damage. However, some Constitution is still necessary to ensure the ranger can survive tougher encounters and endure prolonged battles, especially if they need to engage in close combat or are caught out of position.

Low Priority Stats:

Strength (Usually Dumped):

For a standard Dexterity-focused Gloom Stalker build, Strength is generally not needed. It has little synergy with this subclass since the Gloom Stalker focuses on ranged combat and stealth rather than physical melee combat. However, for players looking to create a more niche melee variant (e.g., using a polearm), a Strength boost can help enhance melee damage and improve durability-related features like Shadowy Dodge. For most players, though, it’s safe to dump this stat in favor of maximizing Dexterity and Wisdom.

In conclusion, for a Dexterity-focused Gloom Stalker Ranger, maximizing Dexterity and Wisdom is key to creating an effective and versatile build. Dexterity boosts everything from damage to stealth, while Wisdom enhances situational awareness and spellcasting. A small investment in Constitution ensures survivability, and Strength can be safely ignored unless pursuing a specific niche melee build. This setup makes the Gloom Stalker a deadly and mobile ranged combatant with the ability to remain undetected and strike with precision.

Items for Gloom Stalker Ranger

When it comes to outfitting your Gloom Stalker ranger with the right magic items, focusing on damage-boosting weapons, defensive and stealth tools, and utility items is key to maximizing your effectiveness on the battlefield.

Damage-Boosting Weapons are a must for any ranged Gloom Stalker. +1, +2, or +3 Longbows are a solid choice, as they improve your attack rolls and damage, and are magical, allowing you to bypass resistances or immunities to non-magical attacks. These bows enhance your alpha strikes and ensure that your damage per round (DPR) stays high. Another excellent weapon is the Glimmering Moonbow. This magical longbow adds extra radiant damage, which is rarely resisted, making it ideal for Gloom Stalkers who rely on archery. Pair it with feats like Sharpshooter and Dread Ambusher for massive turn-one damage, ensuring your Gloom Stalker can deliver devastating hits right out of the gate.

In terms of Defensive and Stealth Tools, the Cloak of Displacement is an outstanding choice. It imposes disadvantage on attack rolls against you until you take damage, making you harder to hit while you're sniping from a distance or skirmishing in combat. This is especially useful when combined with Shadowy Dodge. Additionally, the Horn of Silent Alarm is perfect for scouts. It allows you to send a silent, magical alert to an ally, which is incredibly helpful when scouting ahead and needing to warn your party without breaking stealth.

For Utility and Mobility, the Broom of Flying stands out. It grants flight without requiring concentration, allowing you to stay out of melee range while raining down arrows from above. It's especially effective for Gloom Stalkers who want to remain mobile and make use of their Umbral Sight to stay hidden in darkness, gaining the upper hand with high-ground advantage.

While these items greatly enhance the Gloom Stalker’s abilities, certain items like the Pearl of Power and Wand of Magic Missiles are not as beneficial. Gloom Stalkers don’t rely heavily on spellcasting, so these items that support heavy magic use are not as useful for this subclass. Stick to items that enhance your damage, mobility, and stealth to make the most out of your Gloom Stalker build.

Conclusion: Gloom Stalker 5e

Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. Designed for players who favor stealth, precision, and striking from the shadows, it transforms the ranger from a versatile explorer into a terrifying ambusher who controls the flow of combat with speed and lethal efficiency.

Throughout this guide, we explored the core features that make the Gloom Stalker unique—from the deadly first-strike potential of Dread Ambusher, to the tactical invisibility provided by Umbral Sight, and the defensive resilience offered by Iron Mind and Shadowy Dodge. We broke down the importance of a Dexterity-focused build, ensuring that players maximize their strengths in ranged combat, stealth, and survivability.

We also examined the best weapons, emphasizing the reliability and power of the Longbow, Hand Crossbow, and Shortsword, depending on your preferred playstyle. From there, we moved on to feats that enhance a Gloom Stalker’s performance—such as Sharpshooter, Crossbow Expert, Fey Touched, and Piercer—each offering new ways to expand your combat potential or mobility. Finally, we looked at carefully selected magic items, favoring those that boost damage, increase mobility, and protect the Gloom Stalker’s most valuable asset: their ability to remain hidden.

Whether you're building a precision archer, a deadly scout, or a master of ambush tactics, the Gloom Stalker ranger delivers an exciting and effective playstyle. Its synergy between class features, feats, ability scores, and equipment creates a ranger who thrives in darkness, strikes before the enemy can react, and disappears before they can retaliate. For players seeking control, power, and stealth, the Gloom Stalker is a formidable and rewarding choice.