Enhancement order

[Chewychunga]

Im playing a game where im the main crafter and am wanting to make myself a good bow
ive already planned it out and just wondering what order / level i can or should get the enhancements in

im planning on a Seeking Force Splitting Crossbow of collision

im needing some help on if
A if its legal
B the best order to get the enhancements and minimum level
C if there is any better enhancements

Dm is allowing basically anything becuase all my feats are going elsewhere
i have a party with a psionic and devine caster and im arcane myself

[OldTrees1]

Seeking: +1 magic enhancement (requires ranged weapon like a crossbow)
Force(the good one from MIC): +2 magic enhancement
Splitting: +3 magic enhancement (requires precise shot to function)
Collision: +2 psionic enhancement

A1: Well, the rules are unclear about if you can add both magical and psionic abilities to the same weapon. You will need to explicitly ask your DM about that.
A2: Remember a weapon needs to be a +1 weapon before you can add on abilities. So this would be a +1 Seeking Force Splitting Crossbow of Collision (costs 162,335 - 162,350 gp depending on light or heavy crossbow)

B: I don't know what you mean by minimum level but here is a sample progression
Crossbow -> Mwk Crossbow -> +1 Crossbow -> +1 Seeking Crossbow -> +1 Seeking Force Crossbow, +1 Seeking Force Splitting Crossbow -> +1 Seeking Splitting Force Crossbow of Collision.
At <50% of wealth by level you can afford that progression at
1st -> 3rd -> 4th -> 7th -> 11th -> 15th -> 18th.

C: Collision is not doing much, maybe drop it? Transmuting(also +2 from MIC) sounds better than Force(which is incorporeal spesific)

[Gildedragon]

First of all you need a +1 xbow
Seeking (+1)
Collision (+2)
Force (+2) (MIC version) (great option, as it overcomes DR)
total: +6, 72,000gp on the market
The item is legal, all the enchantments do affect a xbow...

Best Order: Seeking (CL 12) OR Force(CL9), the other one, Collision (CL6)*
But the order you can apply them in (if you make it) is: Collision > Force > Seeking because you must meet the CL of the enhancement.

*as you level up Collision might be less useful; there are probably better options

Edit: I forgot splitting in the top category. that's a +3; puts you at a +9 weapon, teetering on epic. With the loadout you got, not worth it.


Better Options:
Quick Loading (+1)(CL 9) (MIC)
Dispelling (+1) (CL 5) / Greater Dispelling (+1) (CL 15) (MIC)
Brilliant Energy (+4) (CL 16) (SRD)

Least or Lesser Weapon Augment Crystals, (MIC)
Choice picks:
Crystal of Return: least gives quickdraw (150gp**) , lesser gives that AND summoning from within 30' (500gp) (CL5)
Crystal of Revelation: Makes invisible enemies visible (200 gp) forces them to stay visible for a round (500gp) (CL 9)

Also good option: Bladed Crossbow (MIC) (CL 11, 2000gp + cost of a masterwork battleaxe and a masterwork xbow)
You can then enhance the Axe and Crossbow sides of the weapon independently.

**all these prices are for crafting purposes

[Crake]

What you want to do is spread the load between crossbow and bolts, that will save you significant amounts of money. For example, you won't always need force shots, not everything will have DR you need to bypass, you won't always need seeking, there will be many times when the enemy is in plain sight, no miss chance, so those circumstantial things should be put onto bolts. That leaves you with a +1 splitting crossbow of collision, a +6 weapon all up, a bundle of +1 seeking bolts and +1 force bolts, and maybe a handful of +1 seeking force bolts just in case. A +6 weapon and some +2 or +3 bolts is much cheaper and more managable.

I suggest also picking up some magebane bolts (CA version if you can), as well as a few handfuls of various, niche bane bolt combinations, like silver magebane, evil outsider bane, lawful outsiderbane holy bolts for devil killing or cold iron chaotic outsiderbane for demons. Never know when a +7 bolt with +6d6 damage that overcomes DR/good will come in handy, it'll tell you what.

[Gildedragon]

What you want to do is spread the load between crossbow and bolts, that will save you significant amounts of money. For example, you won't always need force shots, not everything will have DR you need to bypass, you won't always need seeking, there will be many times when the enemy is in plain sight, no miss chance, so those circumstantial things should be put onto bolts. That leaves you with a +1 splitting crossbow of collision, a +6 weapon all up, a bundle of +1 seeking bolts and +1 force bolts, and maybe a handful of +1 seeking force bolts just in case. A +6 weapon and some +2 or +3 bolts is much cheaper and more managable.

I suggest also picking up some magebane bolts (CA version if you can), as well as a few handfuls of various, niche bane bolt combinations, like silver magebane, evil outsider bane, lawful outsiderbane holy bolts for devil killing or cold iron chaotic outsiderbane for demons. Never know when a +7 bolt with +6d6 damage that overcomes DR/good will come in handy, it'll tell you what.

+1 to this
Sort out weapon enhancements by how often you'll use them: Always or Not. Always using enhancements go on the bow; Not-Always enhancements go on bolts or on the Axe side of a Bladed Crossbow.

For example:
MIC's force is always useful; no extra damage but overcomes all DR (except of beings immune to force) and hits all incorporeal beings (more situational)
Brilliant Energy is more situational; when fighting armored creatures it is excellent, but when dealing with undead or constructs it will hamper you. Have a handful of B. E. bolts to save the day; ditto for bane bolts.
Dispelling: it won't do for your bolts as they are single use ... so if to be used it has to go on either the Axe or the Bow itself... unless a 1/3 price drop is allowed.

and so on and so forth

Edit: Also, when thinking bolts, don't forget special materials. DR reductions can be ignored (Thank you Force). Aurorum might be interesting; but bolts break rather than being sundered
Thianun: for when what you kill MUST stay dead
Pandemonic Silver: fun, horrifying effects...

[Chewychunga]

I was thinking the force for ignoring DR and ablility to hit ghosts
the collision was becuase of the splitting so it basically adds +10 to each shot for a +2 also scales with crit (dont know anything else that boosts damage like that)
i do plan to have different bolts like dispelling and magebane
and i am making the bow so im was trying to figure out what class level is needed for each to have the spell required to make it not just caster level
BE is a awesome enchant but seems useless vs undead and stuff and i know were gonna be facing some of thoes
and wasnt collision redone as a magic enhancement in some book?
i have precise shot and rapid reload as my feats may get rapid shot using light large Xbow (strong arm bracers)
cant figure out how else to boost damage for the xbow

I do like the bladed crossbow ill have to remember to put that on it when i make the Xbow along with wand chamber and other nonmagical enhancements

just remembered the Exit Wounds

[Gildedragon]

Bladed crossbow is a magical enhancement.
Also you're getting 10 damage for +5, not for +2. Three +1d6 (+1 apiece) energy damage enhancements give you a similar average damage. Yeah it doesn't crit multiply but that's only happening less than 10% of the time. Which isn't terrible but build for your average hit. Unless you're getting keen arrows

Collision is in the MIC

if dragon magazine is allowed there are a few variant bolts that might interest you.
Also I'd go the reloading magical property versus the feat if you stand to gain more than two attacks.

[Chewychunga]

Why is reloading better than the feat? Doesn't the feat basically allow you to make your full attack no matter how many that is? I thought reloading is only 100 bolts (we have to keep track of everything :( )

[Gildedragon]

Why is reloading better than the feat? Doesn't the feat basically allow you to make your full attack no matter how many that is? I thought reloading is only 100 bolts (we have to keep track of everything :( )

The enhancement fits only 100 bolts, yes, but 2 things: 1) you can pick which bolt comes up. 2) You can refill the "chamber" as a move action
Bonus) are you seriously going to go through 100 bolts a battle? If so you might want to consider an Energy Bow-like enhancement instead (see: Hank's Energy Bow)
As to it being better: sorry I was reading the 3.0 version of the feat which only allows it 1/round. It is still better because you can use the space for another feat. Feats are rare, money is cheap.

[Chewychunga]

The enhancement fits only 100 bolts, yes, but 2 things: 1) you can pick which bolt comes up. 2) You can refill the "chamber" as a move action
Bonus) are you seriously going to go through 100 bolts a battle? If so you might want to consider an Energy Bow-like enhancement instead (see: Hank's Energy Bow)
As to it being better: sorry I was reading the 3.0 version of the feat which only allows it 1/round. It is still better because you can use the space for another feat. Feats are rare, money is cheap.


Ouch that makes the 3.0 feat even worse than the 3.5 (and fact ya need feat in 3.5 sucks)
And I agree money is cheap double if I'm making it myself
I'll keep it in mind
And I saw hanks but I thought it was weaker than normal bows because you can't fire arrows with it and therefore can't get golfbag effect or the stacking arrow bonus
Tho it's cheep and good for low level

[Gildedragon]

Ouch that makes the 3.0 feat even worse than the 3.5 (and fact ya need feat in 3.5 sucks)
And I agree money is cheap double if I'm making it myself
I'll keep it in mind
And I saw hanks but I thought it was weaker than normal bows because you can't fire arrows with it and therefore can't get golfbag effect or the stacking arrow bonus
Tho it's cheep and good for low level
Good if you're using up 100 bolts per encounter.
But that would mean an average of 10 bolts a round.