Crossbow "sniper" Materials and Enchantments [Archive] - Wizards Community

Crossbow "sniper" Materials and Enchantments [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
grok_grok
02-01-08, 09:51 AM I want make a character based around being a sniper, The man is only have the battle of being a sniper, the other of course is your gear. I was wondering what type of material and enchantments you would make you crossbow ( I pan to use a heavy repeating Crossbow) to give it that sniper feel. I figure a good start is get a +5 Keen Heavy Repeating Crossbow with Gnome crossbow sights ( Arms and Equipment) but I don't know where to take it from there. The books I have access to are the Core Books, Complete Warrior, Complete Adventurer, Arms and Equipment, Book of Vile Darkness, DMG II, PHB II, Cityscape, and the Complete Psionic.

Thanks in Advance
SkipSandwich
02-01-08, 10:38 AM collision from the Expanded Psionic Handbook (also in the SRD) is a flat +5 bonus to damage for the cost of a +2 enhancement, its wonderful. Exit Wound lets your bolts travel through enemies to hit more enemies, its in complete warrior, i forget the pricing though. Psychokinetic, also from the XPH, is +1d4 typeless ENERGY damage for a +1 enhancement cost. Speed is always nice on a repeating crossbow, with that and rapid shot you're getting 3 shots each round at your highest base attack bonus.
RavenDrake
02-01-08, 10:54 AM Some enhancements you might consider:

Distance: Cheap, and not super-powerful, but being able to fire an incredibly long distance with no penalties means you can hide yourself well away from the battle to snipe(perhaps flying above it?)

Collision: Saddly not in Complete Psionic, it should be in Expanded Psionic's handbook and/or the magic item compendium if you can get ahold of them. It's a +2 bonus that makes each successful hit deal an additional five points of damage. Very useful for projectile weapons, particularly crossbows as they have no way to benefit from above average strength.Edit: As SkipSandwich pointed out, the Expanded Psionics Handbook is included in the SRD, so that's a place to look as well, under the Psionic Items.

Wounding: Con damage on each hit means every other succssful attack your subject(unless it's undead, construct, or the like) will lose a number of hitpoints equal to it's hit dice, which becomes signifigant at higher levels when creatures like dragons and higher ranking demons can have 20 or more hit dice. If you can, and are willing to spend the extra for it, download the 3.5 Update Booklet from Wotc's page: it includes the the new information for Greater Wounding, which is a +4 bonus enhancement, but deals 2 con damage per successful hit. A full attack with rapidshot(5 bolts) and Greater Wounding will drain you target 10 points of constitution in one round(meaning they lose a total of 5HP per hit die) if every hit connects, over and above the damage each arrow delivers.
_Chaz_
02-03-08, 11:14 AM Why burn EWP on repeating heavy crossbow when you can get a quick loading heavy crossbow, +2 bonus and it gets you extra dimensional space that allows it to be a move action to reload, combine with Rapid Reload (DM's permission) and voila.

Although, if your DM wont permit that, just get a light crossbow and take Rapid Reload, means you don't have that pesky full round action every 5 shots and it's only sacrificing minimal damage.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
grok_grok 02-01-08, 09:51 AM	I want make a character based around being a sniper, The man is only have the battle of being a sniper, the other of course is your gear. I was wondering what type of material and enchantments you would make you crossbow ( I pan to use a heavy repeating Crossbow) to give it that sniper feel. I figure a good start is get a +5 Keen Heavy Repeating Crossbow with Gnome crossbow sights ( Arms and Equipment) but I don't know where to take it from there. The books I have access to are the Core Books, Complete Warrior, Complete Adventurer, Arms and Equipment, Book of Vile Darkness, DMG II, PHB II, Cityscape, and the Complete Psionic. Thanks in Advance
SkipSandwich 02-01-08, 10:38 AM	collision from the Expanded Psionic Handbook (also in the SRD) is a flat +5 bonus to damage for the cost of a +2 enhancement, its wonderful. Exit Wound lets your bolts travel through enemies to hit more enemies, its in complete warrior, i forget the pricing though. Psychokinetic, also from the XPH, is +1d4 typeless ENERGY damage for a +1 enhancement cost. Speed is always nice on a repeating crossbow, with that and rapid shot you're getting 3 shots each round at your highest base attack bonus.
RavenDrake 02-01-08, 10:54 AM	Some enhancements you might consider: Distance: Cheap, and not super-powerful, but being able to fire an incredibly long distance with no penalties means you can hide yourself well away from the battle to snipe(perhaps flying above it?) Collision: Saddly not in Complete Psionic, it should be in Expanded Psionic's handbook and/or the magic item compendium if you can get ahold of them. It's a +2 bonus that makes each successful hit deal an additional five points of damage. Very useful for projectile weapons, particularly crossbows as they have no way to benefit from above average strength.Edit: As SkipSandwich pointed out, the Expanded Psionics Handbook is included in the SRD, so that's a place to look as well, under the Psionic Items. Wounding: Con damage on each hit means every other succssful attack your subject(unless it's undead, construct, or the like) will lose a number of hitpoints equal to it's hit dice, which becomes signifigant at higher levels when creatures like dragons and higher ranking demons can have 20 or more hit dice. If you can, and are willing to spend the extra for it, download the 3.5 Update Booklet from Wotc's page: it includes the the new information for Greater Wounding, which is a +4 bonus enhancement, but deals 2 con damage per successful hit. A full attack with rapidshot(5 bolts) and Greater Wounding will drain you target 10 points of constitution in one round(meaning they lose a total of 5HP per hit die) if every hit connects, over and above the damage each arrow delivers.
_Chaz_ 02-03-08, 11:14 AM	Why burn EWP on repeating heavy crossbow when you can get a quick loading heavy crossbow, +2 bonus and it gets you extra dimensional space that allows it to be a move action to reload, combine with Rapid Reload (DM's permission) and voila. Although, if your DM wont permit that, just get a light crossbow and take Rapid Reload, means you don't have that pesky full round action every 5 shots and it's only sacrificing minimal damage.