How can I have a shield and a way of attacking at distance at the same time?

Question

Apart from the Animated Shield, is there a way to fight with a shield (given that my character has proficiency with shields), and attacking at distance (I also have proficiency with some ranged weapons). Since ranged weapons are two-handed, it's seems very difficult to have a great defense and a ranged attack (that I'm aware of, I'm still pretty new to this game).

My goal is to still have the +2 AC while attacking ranged. I want to do it in a cheap way (Animated Shield is too rare and expensive). I have too little HP, and I want to stay far from combat. I already have studded leather armor.

I already had the idea of crafting a shield/bow (Is it possible to build a custom weapon, and if so, how will my character be able to use it?), but it seems very impractical at best.

If it can help, my character is a Rogue (Scout)/Ranger.

Answer 1

Use thrown finesse weapons and the Sharpshooter feat

Thrown weapons only require one hand to draw and throw. You can use your free object interaction each round to draw a new one each round. This just requires you to be carrying enough to get through a combat encounter or two.

As a rogue, most of your damage will be coming from Sneak Attack, so the smaller damage die of the weapon won't matter so much. You do need to use a finesse thrown weapon, however, to activate Sneak Attack. The best option for this is the dagger or dart. The dagger has the added benefit of being useful in melee, but the dart is cheaper and lighter, which makes it easier to pick up a bunch of them.

The dart and dagger both have range of 20/60, so if you are throwing them beyond 20 feet, you will have disadvantage and lose the ability to use Sneak Attack. The solution to this is the Sharpshooter feat, which allows you so throw up to the weapon's maximum range without disadvantage.

Alternative: Grab the Dual Wielder feat

The Dual Wielder feat will give you a +1 to AC while you are dual wielding, and allow you to draw 2 weapons per turn. Have a dagger in each hand and you can attack twice per turn (once with a bonus action) for only the loss of 1 AC compared to using a shield. It does cost a feat, but this can be a good option.

Answer 2

The quick answer; spells.

Rangers, and Arcane Trickster rogues, both eventually get spells. So you can hide behind a shield with one hand free to cast spells. But I don't think that's the answer you want.

More in line answer; thrown weapons.

There are a number of one-handed weapons that have the "thrown" property. They are weapons that you can hold in one hand, but you can throw them a short distance. The problem is that they are still considered melee weapons and will use the character's Strength bonus instead of their Dexterity (which I'm sure you're hoping for). It's been pointed out that the dagger and dart also has the finesse attribute so it qualifies as using your Dexterity bonus.

However this will allow you to hide in the back, use a shield, and still get some distance between you and the bad guys while screaming "Not in the face!"

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Double checking your post, you want 30 feet. Of that list, almost all of them max out at 20 feet before going into the disadvantage spectrum. However, the javelin does make it the full 30 feet.

Answer 3

Use the Magic Initiate feat to get access to a ranged attack cantrip.

The Magic Initiate feat grants two cantrips and one 1st-level spell. Some decent options from just the Core material for the unlimited use cantrips:

• Acid Splash has a 60 ft range and hits two targets.
• Chill Touch has a 120 ft range and shuts down healing. ^R
• Create Bonfire has a 60 ft range and has other utility/control usage.
• Eldritch Blast has a 120 ft, ties for highest damage, and is rarely resisted. ^R
• Fire Bolt has a 120 ft range and the highest damage. ^R
• Frostbite has a 60 ft range and causes Disadvantage on attacks.
• Ray of Frost has a 60 ft range and slows movement. ^R
• Toll the Dead has a 60 ft range and the most damage against wounded targets.

I marked the ones that make ranged attack rolls (as opposed to saving throws) with a ^R symbol in case you prefer those. Unfortunately, since spells aren't weapons, they don't trigger your Sneak Attack damage - options for one-handed ranged sneak attack are few, thrown finesse weapons are pretty much it.

When my party's Arcane Trickster asked me for help picking a ranged cantrip, I suggested Ray of Frost for the slow so they could stay at range easier. You'll also find more options with more books, of course. Using a cantrip or two for your ranged combat has the added benefit that you can basically never be disarmed, besides being in an anti-magic zone or similar.

You could take another ranged option with the other cantrip, get an area-effect, melee, or utility cantrip instead, or whatever you want to do with it; plus get a bonus 1st level spell to use once per day for an extra trick, but the point in this case will be unlimited access to a surprise ranged attack you can do with a shield in one hand and the other empty.

Example choices

• Wizard: Ray of Frost, Minor Illusion, Disguise Self - buff your Rogue abilities with the ability to create objects or sounds, craft the perfect disguise, and slow your pursuers.

• Cleric: Toll the Dead, Guidance, Healing Word - punish the wounded, boost key rolls (your own or others'), and put a fallen ally back into the fight.

• Druid: Infestation, Thorn Whip, Earth Tremor - control the battlefield, moving enemies around as you wish and knocking them all prone.

• Warlock: Eldritch Blast, Prestidigitation, Hex - spell-snipe, create half a dozen small magical effects, and get an hour-long buff against one foe at a time.

Answer 4

If you want to go with shield and crossbow, you can have a hand-crossbow, which is one-handed (no need to homebrew - it's in the PHB 149). Note, however, that you need a free hand to reload a ranged weapon that requires ammunition (it's done as a part of attack, PHB 146), so if you want to shoot more than once, you'll have to drop the shield before attack and pick it up afterwards.

Answer 5

The sling is a powerful weapon in real life, but in D&D it only does 1d4. I think sling and shield is neat, but it might be underpowered.