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I am trying a Gloom Stalker ranger for the first time. The Umbral Sight feature (XGtE, p. 42) states:

While in darkness, you are invisible to any creature that relies on darkvision to see you in that darkness.

I want to clarify this part of the rules on unseen attackers and targets:

When a creature can't see you, you have advantage on attack rolls against it.

If you are hidden — both unseen and unheard — when you make an attack, you give away your location when the attack hits or misses.

As I can fire my crossbow and move, do I still give away my location, and do I get advantage on all attacks?

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huginn
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2 Answers2

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Yes

The rule states:

When a creature can't see you, you have advantage on attack rolls against it.

So long as you cannot be seen, you have advantage. Having a known location or being detectable by a non-sight sense (e.g. hearing) doesn't matter.

Joakim M. H.
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user-781943
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    This is generally correct however a hand crossbow would limit advantage to 30' or less, though it could be used to cancel the long range disadvantage at long range so long as you can see the target. For races with improved Darkvision (Drow and Deep Gnomes at 120', etc.), the 80' and 100' normal ranges of light and heavy crossbows should also be considered. – Daniel Hurn Nov 25 '19 at 13:19
  • @DanielHurn nice point and maybe you can write an answer that covers that? – KorvinStarmast Nov 25 '19 at 15:09
  • @DanielHurn I think that's kind of besides the point. There are a ton of questions and consequences that you could talk about, but the core point is that yes you get advantage. – user-781943 Nov 26 '19 at 05:21
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    @DanielHurn With sharpshooter feat no disadvantage when firing at long range – huginn Nov 27 '19 at 20:23
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A Gloom Stalker making ranged attacks while in darkness has advantage on every attack against creatures that rely on darkvision to see you in that darkness.

Creatures that wouldn't be relying on darkvision to see you in darkness could include:

  • Any creature with the Devil's Sight Eldritch Invocation.
  • Any creature with truesight where you are in the truesight's radius
  • Any creature with blindsight where you are in the blindsight's radius
  • Any creature with tremorsense where you are in the tremorsense's radius

As a DM in a primarily dungeon-based campaign whose party includes a Gloom Stalker, the Gloom Stalker does end up being unseen and enjoying advantage on attacks a lot of the time. But where it makes sense, I can counter the Gloom Stalker's Umbral Sight with the above list, or by having enemies activate light sources.

lodewykk
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mdrichey
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    Nice answer! Small question: "Devil's Sight" can refer to either the Eldritch Invocation of the same name ("You can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet"), or a trait that Devils have (e.g. MM p. 70, "Barbed Devil... Devil's Sight. Magical darkness doesn't impede the devil's darkvision.") The invocation definitely would counter the Gloom Stalker's Umbral Sight (since it isn't "darkvision"), but it seems to me that the devils' trait wouldn't. You might want to clarify which "trait" you are referring to here (or if you meant both). – Gandalfmeansme Dec 01 '21 at 17:16