3.5 What Prcs are good for a crossbow user?

[Triskavanski]

There is a crossbow in the arms and equipment guide called the Deathwand Crossbow. Its a +2 light crossbow with the ability to hole two wands in it. Then I'll be adding a third slot from the Dungeon Scape book for 300gp, with Wand Chamber. An additional +1 would be used to give it quick loading, which gives me a chamber with 100 bolts that reload as a free action (Like I had rapid reload)

The wand part of my build is taken careof with Artificer and canith wand master, but I'm looking what to do with the crossbow side of things. AT the moment I'm thinking Feat Rogue + Fighter going into the Deepwood Sniper. Most of the bolts are going to be specialty things, like smoke stick bolts or glow in the dark bolts to either hinder the enemies vision or enhance ours.

Any suggestions on classes and such that could be used?

[Triskavanski]

So I'll be looking at making the character with a +2 heavy self-loading quickloading Deathwand crossbow with a wand in the stock.

So! That leads me to the question then, What PrCs are best for using a crossbow? At the moment I've got deepwood sniper that would improve my range and critical power.

[rel]

Rogue, Ranger, scout and the other classes with damage adders can help boost both crossbow and wand damage.

Targeted fighter variant from dragon magazine had some ranged based abilities

[Metahuman1]

Artificer? Get boosters and get Weildskill items for knowledge checks and pick up the Knowledge Devotion feat.

Any chance of getting a bard in the party? Inspire courage/Dragonfire Inspiration is amazing for this sort of thing.

[Akal Saris]

Crossbows can eat up a lot of feats, as can crafting (the -25% cost reduction feat in particular would be helpful for this concept), and there are also the 3 feats needed for the PrC. So I'd suggest feat rogue makes the most sense, as you already identified. Perhaps 1-2 levels of fighter or ranger as well (which also grants better armor).

Alternatively, the build in the link below makes good use of Legacy Champion to further advance cannith wand adept.
http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?471362-Weekly-Optimization-Showcase-Wand-Overdrive-(Tempest_Stormwind)

[Jowgen]

Dragon 349 has a bunch of speciality bow and crossbow equipment. For example, you can make you crossbows Steel so you can use it as a bludgeoning melee weapon; PLUS you get to enchant the melee portion seperately, which is good for stuff like adding WSAs like Eager. You may also be able to add extra weapon crystals and wand-chamber to the melee portion.

Tanglefoot bolts from that issue are exactly what you think and seem to fit with what you're going for.

That issue also has Splinter Bolts, which are borderline broken. They turn your shots into 30 ft cones with no attack roll but Reflex for half-damage, which can mean a lot of multi-target damage when comboed with damage boosters, plus they're great for when you're at your last re-interative and probably couldn't hit otherwise.

[ExLibrisMortis]

That issue also has Splinter Bolts, which are borderline broken. They turn your shots into 30 ft cones with no attack roll but Reflex for half-damage, which can mean a lot of multi-target damage when comboed with damage boosters, plus they're great for when you're at your last re-interative and probably couldn't hit otherwise.
Also, the force weapon enchantment will let you hit incorporeal/ethereal targets and bypass DR in said cone. Splitting gets you multiple overlapping cones.

If you can convince your DM to let you copy the enchantment on Hank's Energy Bow (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20061227a), you'll get a one-step increase to your damage, as well as the ability to make a power shot (Power Attack, basically). The force property comes for free with that, but only for 'regular' attacks (which don't consume bolts)--you might want to replace that with the regular force property, which does work with specialty bolts.

There's a great crossbow in Races of Stone, with a base damage of 2d8, and 18-20 crit. Don't forget to add a gnomish crossbow sight (Arms & Equipment Guide). If Rapid Reload (the feat) stacks with quick-loading (the weapon property)--ask your DM nicely--you should be able to rapid-fire a great crossbow.

Put together, at the extreme end of rule-fudging, you'd get a +1 quick loading splitting force/energy (+7 equivalent) 3d8/18-20/x2 crossbow that reloads as a free action, carries a clip of 100 specialty bolts, bypasses DR, incorporealty, and etherealty, and can make power shots for +BAB to damage. End result: each shot is two 30' cones for 3d8+BAB+1 damage.

[Triskavanski]

Only problem with those splinter bolts is when you're dealing with monks or rogues with evasion. Dc 15 reflex save is nothing for them and then they take no damage. Even so, they can be useful against other monsters.

Taking the idea of the Steel crossbow, I got a knife bayonet on my crossbow instead, so that it now functions like a short spear I can shoot through. And of course put a wand slot into that as well.

To really get my things running, I'm also doing the crossbow in Bronze Wood, so that its a tough crossbow. Cause if it breaks, all the wands in it break too. Totally don't want that to happen.

[Sword-Geass]

Mixing the Spell Storing WSA with the Splinter Bolts could be a lot of fun, as you could turn any level 3 or lower spell in a 30ft cone. Furthermore, if your crossbow has Splitting you are also getting the effect twinned. Even without abusing this, you could use some damage spells to help with the low damage output that ranged weapons have in general.

The only downside is that the Spell Storing would have to go in the bolts, so you are paying an extra 80gp on top the cost of the bolt for every shot you make (less if you craft them yourself, obviously), but you end with a magic crossbow shotgun.

PS: The 1st level infusion Personal Weapon Augmentation can also give Spell Storing to a bolt, so if you go the artificer route you'll get to save a few bolts per day, if you time your castings right.

[Forrestfire]

For crossbow users, Cloistered Cleric (knowledge devotion, elf domain for free Point-Blank Shot, travel devotion for movement+full attack kiting) is a pretty good dip. Though honestly, if you're going artificer already, you may be best-off just staying in artificer, at least until 8 or 13. Artificer infusions at level 5-8 will boost you far ahead of what you could get out of other classes, and 8 is a good break point to end at if you leave. Check out this guide I wrote (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?427628-Disregard-Money-Acquire-Buff-Spells-Artificers-without-the-Artifice), it focuses heavily on martial artificers.

[ShurikVch]

Well, Cragtop Archer (Races of Stone), despite the name, works with any projectile weapon - not just a bow

Peerless Archer (Silver Marches) is more bow-oriented, so ask your DM if it will work; at the very least, you may get 1-level dip for Ranged Sneak Attack; if DM approves it, you may also get access to Sharp Shooting (negates enemy's cover), or even Power Shot (works like "ranged Power Attack")

Base classes:
Ninja (Complete Adventurer) //Sudden Strike
Psychic Rogue (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040723b)
Rogue (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/rogue.htm)
Scout (Complete Adventurer) //Skirmish
Spellthief (Complete Adventurer)
Stealthy Fighter (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#fighter)

PrC:
Assassin (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/assassin.htm)
Avenger (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20070401a) - it's "April, 1st", but still may work
Avenging Executioner (Complete Scoundrel) //Sudden Strike
Dread Commando (Heroes of Battle) //Sudden Strike
Dread Fang of Lolth (Drow of the Underdark) //Sudden Strike
Fist of Dal Quor (Secrets of Sarlona) //Sudden Strike
Flesheater (Dragon #300)
Guild Thief (Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting)
Master of Masks (Complete Scoundrel) - with Assassin Persona Mask
Nightsong Enforcer (Complete Adventurer)
Ninja of the Crescent Moon (Sword and Fist)
Oppressor (Dragon #312)
Poisoner (Dragon #312)
Replacement Killer (Dragon #312)
Scorpion Wraith (Secrets of Xen'drik) //Sudden Strike
Shadow Thief of Amn (Player's Guide to Faerûn)
Unseen Seer (Complete Mage) //doesn't give new SAs, but improves existing ones


Also, it's depend on: which ability score will be your best one?

Dexterity?
Fighter with Targeteer ACF (Dragon #310) and Hit-and-Run Tactics (Drow of the Underdark); take Crossbow Sniper (Player's Handbook II) and Dead Eye (Dragon Compendium) feats; Fierce SA on crossbow (+2, Arms and Equipment Guide)

Intelligence?
Dip in Factotum, then go Psion-Kineticist - to manifest the Control Body (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/controlBody.htm).

Wisdom?
Try to dip in Shiba Protector (Oriental Adventures); check if it possible to do it as Illumian with Aeshoon word (and if yes - get some source of Turn(/or Rebuke) Undead)

Charisma?
If you're a Fey - take Charming the Arrow (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fey/20030815a) feat; if you have access to Turn(/or Rebuke) Undead - then Divine Might feat (Complete Warrior) may be decent choice; if you have Bardic Music - try to acquire Slippers of Battledancing (Dungeon Master's Guide II); if you're Hexblade - Hexbands (Magic Item Compendium); if you're Lawful - think about a 3-levels dip in Samurai (Kiai Smite works on ranged attacks)


Also, in the Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells was mentioned Hellfire Crossbow; it shooting hellfire instead bolts - up to 400' (no range increment); you must be baatezu to use it; unfortunately, book dosn't mentioned how much it cost


Oh, and Fountainhead Arrow (Magic Item Compendium) may be made as a crossbow bolt; it create wherever it hit 10' pool of acid which cause 2d8 damage for 3 turns
I mentioned it, becausemagical bolts are sold in batches of 50
306 gp for 50 acid-puddle-creating bolts is rather cheap...
http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/mic_gallery/103242.jpg