String Quartet for a Targetteer Fighter

[Palanan]

First, a warning to my players: scram!



So, I could use advice on the best feats for a first-level fighter, using the targetteer variant from Dragon 310. This is for my seafaring campaign, and I'd like to build a squad of crossbowmen for a privateer.

They'll be human with one flaw, so they'll have four feats to work with--or three feats and the targetteer's Vital Aim. (This gives Dex-to-damage without the range limitations of Dead Eye.)

They'll be using light crossbows...I think, since I'm not entirely sure how Rapid Shot and Rapid Reload would interact on a crossbow. The crossbowmen won't be using any TWF shenanigans, and they won't be dropping one crossbow to fire another, etc.

And they wouldn't need Point Blank Shot on its own, since they'll be mainly firing at targets on another ship...except it's a prerequisite for Plunging Shot and Far Shot, both of which might be useful in a battle at sea.

The more I stare at it, the more confused I get, mainly because I don't know if I'd need both Rapid Shot and Rapid Reload on a light crossbow. Help?

[Eldariel]

Weapon Focus and Crossbow Sniper seems obvious. Rapid Reload's what's left (if you don't intend for them to move while firing, they can actually use Great Crossbow from Races of Stone with Targetteer's Exotic Weapon Proficiency). You're done.

Well, there are two options, really. Point Blank Shot + Rapid Shot + Rapid Reload or Weapon Focus + Crossbow Sniper + Rapid Reload. Precise Shot would be nice but it's really hard to fit and Weapon Focus + Crossbow Sniper + Rapid Reload is just more reliable on low levels. So I'd go with that; give them a heavy crossbow of some kind (Heavy or Great) and Crossbow Sniper it up.

[Palanan]

Well, I'd been avoiding Crossbow Sniper because I wasn't sure if it would stack with Vital Aim...and it seems pretty weak as a feat anyhow.

I'd like to include Plunging Shot because the crossbow squad will be stationed on a galleon by default, and they'll either be in the fighting tops or on the high aft deck, both of which should easily be 30 feet above an enemy's deck. Average damage of +3.5 from Plunging Shot seemed better than straight damage of +2 from Crossbow Sniper, since they'll also be getting +4 from Vital Aim.

[Eldariel]

Well, I'd been avoiding Crossbow Sniper because I wasn't sure if it would stack with Vital Aim...and it seems pretty weak as a feat anyhow.

Untyped bonuses from different sources stack and in any case, Vital Aim is precision while CSS isn't so it works. CSS is, of course, only mediocre for level 1 characters without Dex-boosts but still, damage is what you need and CSS is a decent source of it (best outside the Devotion-feats, which are limited and kinde weird here).


I'd like to include Plunging Shot because the crossbow squad will be stationed on a galleon by default, and they'll either be in the fighting tops or on the high aft deck, both of which should easily be 30 feet above an enemy's deck. Average damage of +3.5 from Plunging Shot seemed better than straight damage of +2 from Crossbow Sniper, since they'll also be getting +4 from Vital Aim.

*shrug* If you feel they will actually get to trigger it most of the time, then yeah, Plunging Shot is good.