Bowslinger Build [Archive] - Wizards Community

Bowslinger Build [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
LachlarlanIII
02-15-07, 12:22 PM Bowslinger is a term I'm using for a "gunslinger"-esque repeating crossbow build.

Human

Str 14, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 10

1: Fighter 1 - Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, *Rapid Reload
2: Fighter 2 - *Weapon Focus (Light Crossbow)
3: Fighter 3 - Rapid Shot
4: Fighter 4 - *Weapon Specialization (Light Crossbow), Dex 17
5: Fighter 5
6: Fighter 6 - Two-Weapon Fighting, *Quick Draw
7: Fighter 7
8: Fighter 8 - *Ranged Weapon Mastery, Dex 18
9: Fighter 9 - Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
10: Fighter 10 - *Greater Weapon Focus (Light Crossbow)
11: Fighter 11
12: Fighter 12 - Improved Precise Shot, *Greater Weapon Specialization (Light Crossbow), Con 16
13: Fighter 13
14: Fighter 14 - *Oversize Two-Weapon Fighting
15: Class? - Greater Two-Weapon Fighting

I wanted to do something unique "archer" with a near pure Fighter build.
Jay_Ibero_911
02-15-07, 12:31 PM Bowslinger is a term I'm using for a "gunslinger"-esque repeating crossbow build.

Human

Str 14, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 10

1: Fighter 1 - Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, *Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Light Repeating Crossbow)
2: Fighter 2 - *Weapon Focus (Light Repeating Crossbow)
3: Fighter 3 - Rapid Shot
4: Fighter 4 - *Weapon Specialization (Light Repeating Crossbow), Dex 17
5: Fighter 5
6: Fighter 6 - Two-Weapon Fighting, *Crossbow Sniper
7: Fighter 7
8: Fighter 8 - *Ranged Weapon Mastery, Dex 18
9: Fighter 9 - Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
10: Fighter 10 - *Greater Weapon Focus (Light Repeating Crossbow)
11: Fighter 11
12: Fighter 12 - Improved Precise Shot, *Greater Weapon Specialization (Light Repeating Crossbow), Con 16
13: Fighter 13
14: Fighter 14 - *Oversize Two-Weapon Fighting
15: Exotic Weapon Master 1 - Greater Two-Weapon Fighting

Okay, well first of all, taking EWP Light repeating crossbow is more worthless than just taking rapid reload light crossbow...you get a full attack with both, but with the non-exotic one you don't have to reload after 5 shots. The heavy repeating crossbow is the only repeating crossbow that has any value. So either change to the heavy repeating crossbow, or take rapid reload on the light crossbow. Also, if you want to make the most of crossbow sniper, drop Str to 10, and max out dex, preferably switching to a dex boosted race. Also, there's little point in taking TWF, since while you CAN fire 2 crossbows at once, you can't load them both, even the repeating crossbows need a free hand to pull the lever. Overall, the crossbow is barely better than the sling as a ranged weapon...
LachlarlanIII
02-15-07, 12:43 PM Okay, well first of all, taking EWP Light repeating crossbow is more worthless than just taking rapid reload light crossbow...you get a full attack with both, but with the non-exotic one you don't have to reload after 5 shots. The heavy repeating crossbow is the only repeating crossbow that has any value. So either change to the heavy repeating crossbow, or take rapid reload on the light crossbow. Also, if you want to make the most of crossbow sniper, drop Str to 10, and max out dex, preferably switching to a dex boosted race. Also, there's little point in taking TWF, since while you CAN fire 2 crossbows at once, you can't load them both, even the repeating crossbows need a free hand to pull the lever. Overall, the crossbow is barely better than the sling as a ranged weapon...

First, I have no plan on actually making this character. I just thought it'd be fun to post, and might give someone else an idea on how to build their character. :)

Second, I chose Light Repeating Crossbow because it only incurs a -2 penalty on attacks if used one-handed, whereas the Heavy Repeating Crossbow incurs a -4 penalty.

Third, I wouldn't be able to reload the Light Crossbow while using one in each hand, so Rapid Reload in that case isn't any better.

Fourth, without Two-Weapon Fighting, I would incur all the penalties associated with it while firing a crossbow in each hand. I also wouldn't be able to get more than one shot with the crossbow in my off-hand.

The build as shown, can fire 6-8 bolts in one round. 3 from the main hand + 1 from Rapid Shot, and 3 from the off-hand + 1 from Rapid Shot.

Loads of attacks in a very short time is what I see as a "bowslinger."
Jay_Ibero_911
02-15-07, 12:58 PM First, I have no plan on actually making this character. I just thought it'd be fun to post, and might give someone else an idea on how to build their character. :)

Second, I chose Light Repeating Crossbow because it only incurs a -2 penalty on attacks if used one-handed, whereas the Heavy Repeating Crossbow incurs a -4 penalty.

Third, I wouldn't be able to reload the Light Crossbow while using one in each hand, so Rapid Reload in that case isn't any better.

Fourth, without Two-Weapon Fighting, I would incur all the penalties associated with it while firing a crossbow in each hand. I also wouldn't be able to get more than one shot with the crossbow in my off-hand.

The build as shown, can fire 6-8 bolts in one round. 3 from the main hand + 1 from Rapid Shot, and 3 from the off-hand + 1 from Rapid Shot.

Loads of attacks in a very short time is what I see as a "bowslinger."

Umm, no. The best it can do with one in each hand is to fire one bolt with each hand because you have no free hand to reload the repeating crossbows. Also, Rapid Shot gives you one extra attack for the round, not one extra attack with each weapon. However, you could fire one from each hand, then drop the off hand one to reload your main hand, take your rapid shot attack, and then any additional attacks you have remaining. Overall, in that situation, the regular crossbow with rapid reload is STILL superior, because it's still a free action to reload and you don't need a new cartridge after 5 shots.
jstorrie
02-15-07, 01:52 PM You'd see similar numbers for damage if you dropped TWF, Rapid Reloaded a single light crossbow, and used the freed up feats for accuracy-improving things like Woodland Archer. Reloading repeater cartridges is a pain and eats up your actions.
LachlarlanIII
02-15-07, 02:46 PM After reviewing Light Repeating Crossbow more closely I've made a few slight changes in the build while attempting to keep the flavor of the build (that of the western gunslinger who kicks open the door and doesn't stop firing until everything is destroyed).

Replaced EWP(Light Repeating Crossbow) with Rapid Reload and Crossbow Sniper with Quick Draw. All references to Light Repeating Crossbow changed to Light Crossbow.

The way it would work:

1. Draw light crossbow
2. Rapid Reload light crossbow
3. Quick Draw light crossbow into off-hand
4. Fire main hand light crossbow
5. Drop main hand light crossbow
6. Rapid Reload off-hand light crossbow
7. Quick Draw light crossbow into main hand
8. Fire off-hand light crossbow
9. Drop off-hand light crossbow
10. Lather rinse repeat until out of attacks for the round or bad guy is dead

Or if your DM allows it, just keep switching the same crossbow back and forth between hands.

Keeps the same flavor of the build while being mechanically legal.
Morgen
02-15-07, 08:56 PM I was thinking something like this might be interesting with a fighter/rogue build that maybe lead into some kind of ranged attack PrC.

Crossbow Sniper and Deadeye Shot seem like a nice combination. Improved Critical gives you a 17-20 crit range with a decent amount of damage to be had.

It's still very hard to compete with a bow though... :(
Daverius
02-16-07, 02:20 AM I was thinking something like this might be interesting with a fighter/rogue build that maybe lead into some kind of ranged attack PrC.

Crossbow Sniper and Deadeye Shot seem like a nice combination. Improved Critical gives you a 17-20 crit range with a decent amount of damage to be had.

It's still very hard to compete with a bow though... :(

Yea I looked at crossbow sniper and that looked neat, especially in the hands of a rogue because it allows you to do sneak attack damage from 60 ft away. So maybe a build like this:

Human:
str 10, dex 18, con14, int8, wis12, cha8

1 ftr1 point blank, precise, rapid reload
2 ftr2 weapon focus light crossbow
3 rog1 crossbow sniper

Then you can go from there. By level three you will be doing 1d8+2 with a crossbow but you can do sneak attack damage from 60 ft away. I would suggest going rogue to get more sneak attack damage. But...hard to compete with a bow.
LachlarlanIII
02-16-07, 10:02 AM I was thinking something like this might be interesting with a fighter/rogue build that maybe lead into some kind of ranged attack PrC.

Crossbow Sniper and Deadeye Shot seem like a nice combination. Improved Critical gives you a 17-20 crit range with a decent amount of damage to be had.

It's still very hard to compete with a bow though... :(

That's true enough. A rogue archer build should use a bow and take Deadeye Shot + Manyshot. With Deadeye shot you can ready to fire with Manyshot. You would get all your bow attacks plus sneak attack.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
LachlarlanIII 02-15-07, 12:22 PM	Bowslinger is a term I'm using for a "gunslinger"-esque repeating crossbow build. Human Str 14, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 10 1: Fighter 1 - Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Reload 2: Fighter 2 - Weapon Focus (Light Crossbow) 3: Fighter 3 - Rapid Shot 4: Fighter 4 - Weapon Specialization (Light Crossbow), Dex 17 5: Fighter 5 6: Fighter 6 - Two-Weapon Fighting, Quick Draw 7: Fighter 7 8: Fighter 8 - Ranged Weapon Mastery, Dex 18 9: Fighter 9 - Improved Two-Weapon Fighting 10: Fighter 10 - Greater Weapon Focus (Light Crossbow) 11: Fighter 11 12: Fighter 12 - Improved Precise Shot, Greater Weapon Specialization (Light Crossbow), Con 16 13: Fighter 13 14: Fighter 14 - Oversize Two-Weapon Fighting 15: Class? - Greater Two-Weapon Fighting I wanted to do something unique "archer" with a near pure Fighter build.
Jay_Ibero_911 02-15-07, 12:31 PM	Bowslinger is a term I'm using for a "gunslinger"-esque repeating crossbow build. Human Str 14, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 10 1: Fighter 1 - Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Light Repeating Crossbow) 2: Fighter 2 - Weapon Focus (Light Repeating Crossbow) 3: Fighter 3 - Rapid Shot 4: Fighter 4 - Weapon Specialization (Light Repeating Crossbow), Dex 17 5: Fighter 5 6: Fighter 6 - Two-Weapon Fighting, Crossbow Sniper 7: Fighter 7 8: Fighter 8 - Ranged Weapon Mastery, Dex 18 9: Fighter 9 - Improved Two-Weapon Fighting 10: Fighter 10 - Greater Weapon Focus (Light Repeating Crossbow) 11: Fighter 11 12: Fighter 12 - Improved Precise Shot, Greater Weapon Specialization (Light Repeating Crossbow), Con 16 13: Fighter 13 14: Fighter 14 - Oversize Two-Weapon Fighting 15: Exotic Weapon Master 1 - Greater Two-Weapon Fighting Okay, well first of all, taking EWP Light repeating crossbow is more worthless than just taking rapid reload light crossbow...you get a full attack with both, but with the non-exotic one you don't have to reload after 5 shots. The heavy repeating crossbow is the only repeating crossbow that has any value. So either change to the heavy repeating crossbow, or take rapid reload on the light crossbow. Also, if you want to make the most of crossbow sniper, drop Str to 10, and max out dex, preferably switching to a dex boosted race. Also, there's little point in taking TWF, since while you CAN fire 2 crossbows at once, you can't load them both, even the repeating crossbows need a free hand to pull the lever. Overall, the crossbow is barely better than the sling as a ranged weapon...
LachlarlanIII 02-15-07, 12:43 PM	Okay, well first of all, taking EWP Light repeating crossbow is more worthless than just taking rapid reload light crossbow...you get a full attack with both, but with the non-exotic one you don't have to reload after 5 shots. The heavy repeating crossbow is the only repeating crossbow that has any value. So either change to the heavy repeating crossbow, or take rapid reload on the light crossbow. Also, if you want to make the most of crossbow sniper, drop Str to 10, and max out dex, preferably switching to a dex boosted race. Also, there's little point in taking TWF, since while you CAN fire 2 crossbows at once, you can't load them both, even the repeating crossbows need a free hand to pull the lever. Overall, the crossbow is barely better than the sling as a ranged weapon... First, I have no plan on actually making this character. I just thought it'd be fun to post, and might give someone else an idea on how to build their character. :) Second, I chose Light Repeating Crossbow because it only incurs a -2 penalty on attacks if used one-handed, whereas the Heavy Repeating Crossbow incurs a -4 penalty. Third, I wouldn't be able to reload the Light Crossbow while using one in each hand, so Rapid Reload in that case isn't any better. Fourth, without Two-Weapon Fighting, I would incur all the penalties associated with it while firing a crossbow in each hand. I also wouldn't be able to get more than one shot with the crossbow in my off-hand. The build as shown, can fire 6-8 bolts in one round. 3 from the main hand + 1 from Rapid Shot, and 3 from the off-hand + 1 from Rapid Shot. Loads of attacks in a very short time is what I see as a "bowslinger."
Jay_Ibero_911 02-15-07, 12:58 PM	First, I have no plan on actually making this character. I just thought it'd be fun to post, and might give someone else an idea on how to build their character. :) Second, I chose Light Repeating Crossbow because it only incurs a -2 penalty on attacks if used one-handed, whereas the Heavy Repeating Crossbow incurs a -4 penalty. Third, I wouldn't be able to reload the Light Crossbow while using one in each hand, so Rapid Reload in that case isn't any better. Fourth, without Two-Weapon Fighting, I would incur all the penalties associated with it while firing a crossbow in each hand. I also wouldn't be able to get more than one shot with the crossbow in my off-hand. The build as shown, can fire 6-8 bolts in one round. 3 from the main hand + 1 from Rapid Shot, and 3 from the off-hand + 1 from Rapid Shot. Loads of attacks in a very short time is what I see as a "bowslinger." Umm, no. The best it can do with one in each hand is to fire one bolt with each hand because you have no free hand to reload the repeating crossbows. Also, Rapid Shot gives you one extra attack for the round, not one extra attack with each weapon. However, you could fire one from each hand, then drop the off hand one to reload your main hand, take your rapid shot attack, and then any additional attacks you have remaining. Overall, in that situation, the regular crossbow with rapid reload is STILL superior, because it's still a free action to reload and you don't need a new cartridge after 5 shots.
jstorrie 02-15-07, 01:52 PM	You'd see similar numbers for damage if you dropped TWF, Rapid Reloaded a single light crossbow, and used the freed up feats for accuracy-improving things like Woodland Archer. Reloading repeater cartridges is a pain and eats up your actions.
LachlarlanIII 02-15-07, 02:46 PM	After reviewing Light Repeating Crossbow more closely I've made a few slight changes in the build while attempting to keep the flavor of the build (that of the western gunslinger who kicks open the door and doesn't stop firing until everything is destroyed). Replaced EWP(Light Repeating Crossbow) with Rapid Reload and Crossbow Sniper with Quick Draw. All references to Light Repeating Crossbow changed to Light Crossbow. The way it would work: 1. Draw light crossbow 2. Rapid Reload light crossbow 3. Quick Draw light crossbow into off-hand 4. Fire main hand light crossbow 5. Drop main hand light crossbow 6. Rapid Reload off-hand light crossbow 7. Quick Draw light crossbow into main hand 8. Fire off-hand light crossbow 9. Drop off-hand light crossbow 10. Lather rinse repeat until out of attacks for the round or bad guy is dead Or if your DM allows it, just keep switching the same crossbow back and forth between hands. Keeps the same flavor of the build while being mechanically legal.
Morgen 02-15-07, 08:56 PM	I was thinking something like this might be interesting with a fighter/rogue build that maybe lead into some kind of ranged attack PrC. Crossbow Sniper and Deadeye Shot seem like a nice combination. Improved Critical gives you a 17-20 crit range with a decent amount of damage to be had. It's still very hard to compete with a bow though... :(
Daverius 02-16-07, 02:20 AM	I was thinking something like this might be interesting with a fighter/rogue build that maybe lead into some kind of ranged attack PrC. Crossbow Sniper and Deadeye Shot seem like a nice combination. Improved Critical gives you a 17-20 crit range with a decent amount of damage to be had. It's still very hard to compete with a bow though... :( Yea I looked at crossbow sniper and that looked neat, especially in the hands of a rogue because it allows you to do sneak attack damage from 60 ft away. So maybe a build like this: Human: str 10, dex 18, con14, int8, wis12, cha8 1 ftr1 point blank, precise, rapid reload 2 ftr2 weapon focus light crossbow 3 rog1 crossbow sniper Then you can go from there. By level three you will be doing 1d8+2 with a crossbow but you can do sneak attack damage from 60 ft away. I would suggest going rogue to get more sneak attack damage. But...hard to compete with a bow.
LachlarlanIII 02-16-07, 10:02 AM	I was thinking something like this might be interesting with a fighter/rogue build that maybe lead into some kind of ranged attack PrC. Crossbow Sniper and Deadeye Shot seem like a nice combination. Improved Critical gives you a 17-20 crit range with a decent amount of damage to be had. It's still very hard to compete with a bow though... :( That's true enough. A rogue archer build should use a bow and take Deadeye Shot + Manyshot. With Deadeye shot you can ready to fire with Manyshot. You would get all your bow attacks plus sneak attack.