Vampiric Sniper (Dhampir Gunslinger)

This is based a bit on Seras Victoria from the anime Hellsing and I am going to be using Matthew Mercer's Gunslinger and Benjamin Huffman's Dhampir race to pull this off. To actually do Seras, I'd mix bits of Warlock, Barbarian, and Gunslinger, but for this I'm going to be focusing on doing a straight Gunslinger build.

There isn't much to say about this save that she's a vampire with a gun. I could try to completely recreate Seras's backstory and abilities, but she's rather more varied than D&D makes easy to represent with its system. In this case, I'm going to be focusing mostly on Dexterity and Wisdom with some Constitution as well. That said, if this were Hero System, I'd have her with some rather middling Dexterity but high Strength and Constitution. This is because in 6th edition Hero System the ability to hit is not directly tied to any of the characteristics but has to be bought separately.

For this I am using my typical theoretical 30 pt array of 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10.

1st Level Dreadblood Dhampir Fighter

Str: 12

Dex: 15

Con: 16

Int:12

Wis:13

Cha:10

HP: 13

AC: 13
Speed: 30 ft
Initiative: +2

Proficiency Bonus: +2

Darkvision 60ft
Hard to Kill
Sunlight Sensitivity
Unnatural Resilience
Daywalker
Disquieting Presence
Friend to Fear

Armor Proficiencies: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Heavy Armor, Shield

Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons

Tools: None

Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Languages: Common, Elvish, Goblinoid, Halfling

Proficient Skills
Athletics (Fighter) +3
Insight (City Watch Investigator) +3
Investigation (City Watch Investigator) +3
Perception (Fighter) +3
Stealth (Friend to Fear) +4

Background: City Watch Investigator

Fighting Style: Archery
Second Wind

Equipment
Leather Armor

Reasoning: Alucard in Hellsing is very much a figure that inspires raw terror so I decided to opt for the dreadblood for the dhampir subrace. Given Seras's background I decided to go along with the City Watch background using the Investigator variant. I went with higher Wisdom than Strength despite Seras being rather damn strong because Grit is powered on Wisdom.

2nd to 5th Level

2nd Level - Action Surge (one use), +9 HP (22)

3rd Level - Archetype: Gunslinger, Gunsmith, Grit, Deadeye Shot, Firearms Proficiency, +9 HP (31)

4th Level - Ability Score Improvement: +1 Dex and +1 Wis, +9 HP (40)

5th Level - Proficiency Bonus: +3, Extra Attack, +9 HP (49)

Reasoning: Adding to Dex and Wis here lets me increase two things connected to my gunslinging, my ability to hit and the Grit I use to do special attacks. I am also assuming that a breastplate would be acquired at some point in these areas.

5th Level Statistics

5th Level Dreadblood Dhampir Gunslinger

Str: 12

Dex: 16

Con: 16

Int:12

Wis:14

Cha:10

HP: 49

AC: 16
Gunslinger Save DC: 14
Grit: 2
Speed: 30 ft
Initiative: +3

Proficiency Bonus: +3

Darkvision 60ft
Hard to Kill
Sunlight Sensitivity
Unnatural Resilience
Daywalker
Disquieting Presence
Friend to Fear

Armor Proficiencies: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Heavy Armor, Shield

Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons, Firearms

Tools: Tinker's Tools

Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Languages: Common, Elvish, Goblinoid, Halfling

Proficient Skills
Athletics (Fighter) +4
Insight (City Watch Investigator) +5
Investigation (City Watch Investigator) +4
Perception (Fighter) +5
Stealth (Friend to Fear) +6

Background: City Watch Investigator

Fighting Style: Archery
Second Wind
Action Surge (one use)
Gunslinger
Gunsmith
Grit
Deadeye Shot
Extra Attack

Equipment
Breastplate

6th to 10th Level

6th Level - Ability Score Improvement: Sharpshooter, +9 HP (58)

7th Level - Quickdraw, Violent Shot, +9 HP (67)

8th Level - Ability Score Improvement: +2 Dex, +9 HP (76)

9th Level - Proficiency Bonus +4, Indomitable (one use), +9 HP (85)

10th Level - Trick Shot, +9 HP (94)

Reasoning: I went for the Sharpshooter early because I find it best to get Feats in early on or when key story arcs resolve. Characteristics I'd rather save for when I am reaching a bit of difficulty. The Archery style will make up for the lack of Dex and the 6th level Feat is a bit early compared to other classes. Another note is that at this point, studded leather and breastplate offer the same AC, so I dropped back down to the light armor.

10th Level Statistics

10th Level Dreadblood Dhampir Gunslinger

Str: 12

Dex: 18

Con: 16

Int:12

Wis:14

Cha:10

HP: 94

AC: 16
Gunslinger Save DC: 16
Grit: 2
Speed: 30 ft
Initiative: +8

Proficiency Bonus: +4

Darkvision 60ft
Hard to Kill
Sunlight Sensitivity
Unnatural Resilience
Daywalker
Disquieting Presence
Friend to Fear

Armor Proficiencies: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Heavy Armor, Shield

Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons, Firearms

Tools: Tinker's Tools

Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Languages: Common, Elvish, Goblinoid, Halfling

Proficient Skills
Athletics (Fighter) +5
Insight (City Watch Investigator) +6
Investigation (City Watch Investigator) +5
Perception (Fighter) +6
Stealth (Friend to Fear) +8

Background: City Watch Investigator

Feat: Sharpshooter

Fighting Style: Archery
Second Wind
Action Surge
Gunslinger
Gunsmith
Grit
Deadeye Shot
Extra Attack
Quickdraw
Violent Shart
Indomitable (one use)
Trick Shot

Equipment
Studded Leather

11th to 15th Level

11th Level - Extra Attack (2), +9 HP (103)

12th Level - Ability Score Improvement: +2 Wis, +9 HP (112)

13th Level - Proficiency Bonus +5, Indomitable (two uses) +9 HP (121)

14th Level - Ability Score Improvement: +2 Dex, +9 HP (130)

15th Level - Lightning Reload, Piercing shot, +9 HP (139)

Reasoning: I considered taking more feats, but I decided to more focus on raw stats here. The character has the basic capabilities I most desire for the concept, so just increasing capability seems key. This means maxing out Dex and increasing Wis to grant more Grit.

15th Level Statistics

15th Level Dreadblood Dhampir Gunslinger

Str: 12

Dex: 20

Con: 16

Int:12

Wis:16

Cha:10

HP: 139

AC: 17
Gunslinger Save DC: 18
Grit: 3
Speed: 30 ft
Initiative: +10

Proficiency Bonus: +5

Darkvision 60ft
Hard to Kill
Sunlight Sensitivity
Unnatural Resilience
Daywalker
Disquieting Presence
Friend to Fear

Armor Proficiencies: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Heavy Armor, Shield

Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons, Firearms

Tools: Tinker's Tools

Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Languages: Common, Elvish, Goblinoid, Halfling

Proficient Skills
Athletics (Fighter) +6
Insight (City Watch Investigator) +8
Investigation (City Watch Investigator) +6
Perception (Fighter) +8
Stealth (Friend to Fear) +10

Background: City Watch Investigator

Feat: Sharpshooter

Fighting Style: Archery
Second Wind
Action Surge
Gunslinger
Gunsmith
Grit
Deadeye Shot
Extra Attack (2)
Quickdraw
Violent Shart
Indomitable (two uses)
Trick Shot
Lightning Reload
Piercing Shot

Equipment
Studded Leather

16th to 20th Level

16th Level - Ability Score Improvement: Resilient: Wisdom, +9 HP (148)

17th Level - Proficiency Bonus +6, Action Surge (two uses), Indomitable (three uses) +9 HP (157)

18th Level - Vicious Intent, Hemorrhaging Critical, +9 HP (166)

19th Level - Ability Score Improvement: Perceptive, +9 HP (175)

20th Level - Extra Attack (3), +9 HP (184)

Reasoning: I considered two choices here, one was the way I ended up going: to take Perceptive and Resilient to increase Wisdom and gain Wisdom as a proficient saving throw while ramping up perception. The other was to take a flat bonus +2 to Wisdom and the Feat Tough for a bundle of extra hit points. Earlier I had also considered the Brawny feat just to give her something of a vampire's superior strength, but ultimately decided against it.

20th Level Statistics

10th Level Dreadblood Dhampir Gunslinger

Str: 12

Dex: 20

Con: 16

Int:12

Wis:18

Cha:10

HP: 184

AC: 17
Gunslinger Save DC: 19
Grit: 4
Speed: 30 ft
Initiative: +11

Proficiency Bonus: +6

Darkvision 60ft
Hard to Kill
Sunlight Sensitivity
Unnatural Resilience
Daywalker
Disquieting Presence
Friend to Fear

Armor Proficiencies: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Heavy Armor, Shield

Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons, Firearms

Tools: Tinker's Tools

Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution, Wisdom
Languages: Common, Elvish, Goblinoid, Halfling

Proficient Skills
Athletics (Fighter) +7
Insight (City Watch Investigator) +10
Investigation (City Watch Investigator) +7
Perception (Fighter) +16
Stealth (Friend to Fear) +11

Background: City Watch Investigator

Feat: Perceptive, Resilient: Wisdom, Sharpshooter

Fighting Style: Archery
Second Wind
Action Surge (two uses)
Gunslinger
Gunsmith
Grit
Deadeye Shot
Extra Attack (3)
Quickdraw
Violent Shart
Indomitable (three uses)
Trick Shot
Lightning Reload
Piercing Shot
Vicious Intent
Hemorrhaging Critical

Equipment
Studded Leather

Some 5e Builds