Scariest crossbow challenge

[Lightlawbliss]

The challenge is to make a crossbow as scary as possible (all 3.5 material allowed). Include any feats needed to make it work to it's fullest.

400k gp cap. That should be MORE then enough.

[Greenish]

Classic Snap Kick/Lightning Maces/Roundabout Kick/Aptitude crossbow thingy probably takes the cake. Imma dig up a link.

[Edit]: See Bolt Spammer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7644456&postcount=24).

[gorfnab]

Classic Snap Kick/Lightning Maces/Roundabout Kick/Aptitude crossbow thingy probably takes the cake. Imma dig up a link.

[Edit]: See Bolt Spammer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7644456&postcount=24).
Don't forget Blood in the Water Stance, Hand Crossbow Focus, and some way to reload (extra arms through magic or whatnot)

Beware of Death Urge (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/archive/index.php?t-125698.html)

[thethird]

Masterwork Huge Heavy Crossbow 800 gp (also known as masterwork ballista)
Made of Serren wood 4000 gp
Wand Chamber 300 gp
Wand of Enlarge Person 750 gp
Strongarm Bracers 6000 gp
+8 Modifiers 128000 gp (+1, Quick loading (+1), Splitting (+3), Force (+2), Seeking (+1))
Self - Loading 1000 gp
"Magic" heavy ballista 2000 gp
Necromantic 3000 gp

Total: 145850 gp

Going higher than that is quite overkill.

[Deaxsa]

Going higher than that is quite overkill.

isn't that the point?

[Lightlawbliss]

isn't that the point?

yes, yes it is.

[thethird]

Sorry, I mean't unnecessary overkill without much benefit. I guess you could do the adaptive combo, for even moar power.

[Lanson]

Well, you could always pay out the nose to get the properties of Hanks Energy Bow onto a pair of hand crossbows and give them the extra enchantments needed to work with Olo's trick, that would do it for limitless ammo and force bolts(Not sure if it would push you over the gp limit though, or if this is would work legally, currently AFB)

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20061227a

should cost 33900 for each hand crossbow before adding aptitude and splitting, if I'm doing my math right

[Hytheter]

I... don't understand the bolt spammer.

[Lanson]

the Aptitude enchantment makes the enchanted weapon count as whatever weapon is listed in any weapon related feat you may have. In this case, they would count as both unarmed attacks for Roundabout Kick, and as light maces for Lightning Mace, It's in TOB if you want to look up the aptitude weapon enchantment

[Hytheter]

I... think I kinda get it but it seems like it shouldn't really work that way with Roundabout Kick or especially Snap Kick.

[Lanson]

Well, unarmed attacks are a form of weapon, so Aptitude will make the hand crossbows count as them. This is all up to DM Fiat, but as worded, the Aptitude enchantment will work to do this, there is no real reason it won't, it's magic lol. Honestly though, run it past your DM, even without those two feats, it would still be a strong build, only downside is the probability of a huge chain of attacks will lower is all

[Hytheter]

Well, unarmed attacks are a form of weapon, so Aptitude will make the hand crossbows count as them. This is all up to DM Fiat, but as worded, the Aptitude enchantment will work to do this, there is no real reason it won't, it's magic lol. Honestly though, run it past your DM, even without those two feats, it would still be a strong build, only downside is the probability of a huge chain of attacks will lower is all

It doesn't acually make it count as an unarmed strike though. It lets it you use feats that "affect the use of" other weapons, like Weapon Focus (unarmed strike). Snap Kick specifies that you use an unarmed attack. I guess you could say that getting an extra attack is somehow "affecting the use of it", but I think it's a stretch and I don't think that's the intended use of the enchantment.

[Vaz]

Of course it affects the use out of it; it modifies the normal unarmed strike to provide additional benefit that you wouldn't be able to recreate without the feat.

It specifies a particular weapon/group of weapons, so it is eligible for Adaptive per RAW. However on your game feel free to change it.

[Devronq]

How come no one has mentioned splitting? It doubles the amount of ammo you fire and i think a shower of ammo is pretty scary.

[thethird]

It was mentioned twice.

[Deophaun]

It specifies a particular weapon/group of weapons, so it is eligible for Adaptive per RAW. However on your game feel free to change it.
Questionable.

While an interpretation of the ability can reach this conclusion, the provided examples indicate that such interpretation is too broad. All feats specifically mentioned by the ability can be applied to multiple weapons, but require that a character choose one. All feats can be taken multiple times, but require that a new weapon be selected each time.

Feats like Lightning Maces and Snap Kick do not fit the pattern, so it's unlikely they can be "reassigned."

[Sayt]

Fighter 4, Ranger 4, Deepwood Sniper 2. Using a +1 Splitting Great Crossbow, with a combination of PF and 3.5/0 material, it's possible at level ten to get six attacks ( +17, +17, +17, +17, +1@, +12) 20 damage on average non-crit hit, 15-20/x4 critical.

I don't know how it stacks up compared to the other suggestions, but it does seem moderately fun.

(Human, uses PF feat progression.)

1: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Great Crossbow), Weapon Focus (Great Crossbow)
F1 Crossbow Sniper
F2 Point Blank Shot
3 Rapid Reload
F4 Weapon Specialisation (Great Crossbow)
5 Crossbow Mastery
Ranger 2 Precise Shot
7 Far Shot
9 Ranged Weapon Mastery (Piercing)

[Vizzerdrix]

A heavy metamagiced Launch Bolt would give you the most crossbowy bang for your buck. Then it all comes down to how your bolts are enchanted.

Something like reach, chained, invisible, sanctum spelled Launch Bolt under Arcane Thesis. Doable by level 6.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Druid 17/Rogue 1/Contemplative 1/Shiba Protector 1 dual wielding hand crossbows full attacking at 64/64/64/64/64/64/64/64/64/64/64/64/59/59/59/59/54/54/49/49 for 1d4 +34 damage per shot.
Using Glove of the Master Strategist to get your hands free as a free action to reload and Shiba Protector + Owls Insight to boost damage + hit.
Against enemies vulnerable to poison, trigger the spell stored maximized Poison (DC43) to lower fort saves and continue with poison of your choice (at +5 DC) for added damage.
Contemplative adds access to Divine Power and GMW.

Add Aptitude cheese to taste :smallbiggrin:
Gear:
2x Serren +1 Hand Crossbow
-Splitting
-Assassination
-Seeking
-Collision
-Quick Loading
-Spell Storing (Maximized Poison, DC 43)
with Gnomish Crossbow Sight

Gloves of Balanced Hands (using MIC stacking rules to get TWF + ITWF)
2x Glove of the Master Strategist (stacked on Gloves of Balanced Hands)
Bead of Karma
Ankh of Ascension
Boots of Speed (free action haste)
Periapt of Wisdom +6
Tome of Understanding +5
lesser Rod of Maximize Spell

Build:
Human with Minor Celestial Bloodline
DEX 10, WIS 48 (18 +5 levels +5 tome +6 item +14 insight)

1 Martial Rogue 1 - Combat Expertise
2 Druid 1
3 Druid 2
4 Druid 3
5 Druid 4
6 Druid 5
7 Druid 6
8 Druid 7 - Alertness
9 Shiba Protector 1
10 Druid 8
11 Druid 9
12 Druid 10
13 Druid 11
14 Druid 12
15 Druid 13
16 Contemplative 1 - Luck Domain
17 Druid 14
18 Druid 15
19 Druid 16
20 Druid 17
---------------
Feats
1:Iron Will, Point Blank Shot
3:Rapid Shot
6:Precise Shot
9:Zen Archery
12:Knowledge Devotion
15:free
18:free

[Norin]

Don't forget Blood in the Water Stance, Hand Crossbow Focus, and some way to reload (extra arms through magic or whatnot)

Beware of Death Urge (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/archive/index.php?t-125698.html)

Just had to say how much i love that arena fight.

It makes me grin every time i read it.