Crossbow feat optimization

[kazrya]

I'm making a scout for Shackled City, starting at level 3.

What I'm wondering is if it's worth skipping two levels of scout to go for two levels of fighter.

Feats I want are Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus (crossbow) and Crossbow Sniper. I have a plan beyond this.

It will take me til level 6 to get them (I'm playing a dwarf because darkvision and I rolled an 18 for Con giving me 20) if I stay scout but if I take two levels in fighter, I can have it right now. I don't want to use a bow because I can get more damage from Crossbow Sniper and if I can see it with Darkvision, I can shoot it and skirmish. Crossbow will have Quick Reloading on it.

Str 13
Dex 18
Con 20
Int 14
Wis 10
Cha 13

Plan is Scout 1/Fighter 2 then back to scout unless there's a better prestige class for crossbowing.

[Fyermind]

Ask your DM about the substitution levels in Drow of the Underdark. See if you can get the fighter sub level. It gives you a way of getting dex to damage sometimes as well as an initiative boost. Ask your DM about the Targeteer fighter variant from Dragon Magazine 310. It can trade bonus feats for some great abilities that make bow archery very tempting including dex to damage instead of str to damage, and two extra shots at -3 to all attacks (may or may not stack with rapid shot, requires rapid shot).

Crossbow archery works very poorly with scout as you already need extra actions to move to get your skirmish damage, so it's worth trying to find a way to get around this. Free reloading is a great way if you can get it via rapid reload, hand crossbow focus, or some other method.