[Item] Assassin's Crossbow

[Vaynor]

These seem pretty overpowered for their cost (maybe not the second one), but according to the rules as I see them, they work. Am I missing something here or would these make pretty bitchin' assassin weapons?

Also, thoughts.


Assassin's Crossbow
Any bolt fired from this +1 crossbow gains a +20 attack bonus on attack rolls once per day.
Moderate Divination; CL 3rd; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, true strike; Price 7,135 gp.

Sniper's Crossbow
Any bolt fired from this +1 crossbow gains a +20 attack bonus on attack rolls once per day. Also, a sneak attack made using this weapon may be made at any range.
Moderate Divination; CL 3rd; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, true strike, sniper's shot; Price 31,335 gp.

[SurlySeraph]

In the DMG it actually specifies that the magic item pricing guidelines are just general guidelines and can't cover every possible item created. It gives the Ring of Invisibility as an example. The Ring of invisibility by the guidelines should have a cost of 10,000gp but the game creators decided that that was too cheap for such a useful item and doubled it to 20,000gp.

With your ring of truestrike you should also pick up a ring of Cure Light Wounds (continually active) for the same price, never run out of HP again! A ring with the Jump Spell on it (continually active) would be much cheaper than the normal rings of jumping if it followed the guidelines as well. And don't forget the amulet of Protection from Evil, never get charmed or compulsioned again for a mere 2000gp.

As with any custom item the pricing uses rule 0.
Rule 0 is: Use common sense.
If it is too good for the price up the price until it is in line with items that provide similar capabilities.


Increase the prices to make these actually balanced. Balance trumps RAW.

[Vaynor]

Increase the prices to make these actually balanced. Balance trumps RAW.

Any suggestions?

[CthulhuM]

I'm pretty sure there is no balanced price for this (below epic, at least, and epic is inherently unbalanced so it doesn't matter much anyway). For all intents and purposes, this item might as well read "this never misses."

Now, if you just wanted to make a weapon enhancement that allowed sneak attacks from any range... I'd say probably a +2. Really only worth a +1 in most situations, but occasionally the ability to sneak attack from 300 feet or so would be incredibly powerful. Maybe a +1 to allow sneak attacks out to 60 feet, with a further +1 using the synergy system from MIC to increase it to 5 range increments, and yet another +1 to make it unlimited.

[SleepingOrange]

Additionally, instead of '+20 to attack and damage', you make it '+10 to attack rolls, and allows the wielder to make a sneak attack up to the maximum range increment for the weapon, and as if that sneak attack was one rank higher than it is' (1d6 becomes 2d6, etc.)

Grammatically, that was unpleasant, but I think you get my idea.

[FireSpark]

I'd say that the sniper's crossbow wouldn't be terribly overpowered if you simply reduced the true strike ability of it to a limited number of times per day. Say once, maybe twice per day.

[Ever Phasm]

A few suggestions:

1. Make the True Strike ability once per day (After all assassin's usually only have one target for a day)
2. Have the crossbow either be magically able to shrink and conceal itself or simply have it easy to conceal.
3. Why does this need to be magic?

After all one could make a martial weapon (or exotic) called Assassin's crossbow. It would stats like this:

Assassin's Crossbow

Damage: ranged 1d8 piercing
Crit: 19-20/x2
range increment: 100ft.
price: between 700gp-2700gp Also illegal to own one in most places.
Special: This crossbow, in addition to always being masterwork, has a spyglass like device fixed to it that allows precision based damage (sneak attack, sudden strike, etc.) to be dealt at twice the normal range. Additionally, this crossbow is so precise it deals an extra +1d6 points of precision damage to a target. Once per day, an assasin may add his class level to attack rolls and half his class level as a bonus to the fortitude save DC of his death attack when using this weapon.

[Vaynor]

OK I changed it to 1/day. I'll add more later.