Crossbows and Multiple Attacks

[An Enemy Spy]

Since you have to use either a move action to reload a light crossbow or a full action for a heavy crossbow, how does that factor into shooting multiple times as a full attack once you're high enough level to do that? I've seen stream games of 5e where they seem to just ignore the reload rule entirely and shoot two or three heavy crossbow rounds in a single turn but it possible to do that in 3.5 when you have to spend an action after every shot?

[KillianHawkeye]

No, you can't take multiple attacks in a round with a crossbow unless you can reduce the time it takes to reload it down to a free action.

The Rapid Reload feat will do this for all but the heavy crossbow. There is also a magical weapon ability (I think it's called "Self Loading") that will do it. Probably a few other ways using magic. Alternatively, you can use a repeating crossbow or a double crossbow.

EDIT: I'm not sure what the rules for crossbows are like in 5e, but you asked in the 3e/3.5 forum.

[The Random NPC]

In 5e, the feat Crossbow Expert allows you to ignore a crossbows loading tag, allowing you to attack with it for as many attacks as you can.
In 3.5e, rapid reload will move it down to a move action, and while not explicitly allowed, the quick loading enchantment (Magic Item Compendium) will move it down another step. A self loading crossbow (Arms and Equipment guide) explicitly works with rapid reload. There's also a spell in Races of the Dragon called ghostly reload, and I'm sure there are other ways to do it.

[Thurbane]

There is a 3rd party 3.5 feat that allows you to full attack with a crossbow: Crossbow Mastery (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=7353144&postcount=9). It is a Pathfinder feat, from before Pathfinder was a separate system.

It's one of the few 3rd party feats that I allow at my table, since it makes using a crossbow a lot more viable.

[gorfnab]

In the spoiler is a slightly dubious yet very amusing way to have multiple attacks in a round with a comically oversized crossbow.

Items:
Strongarm Bracers (MIC)
+1 Large Aptitude (ToB) Great Crossbow (RoS)

Feat:
Hand Crossbow Focus (DoTU)

Class:
Targeteer Fighter ACF (Drg #310) or regular Fighter if Dragon Magazine is not available

Setup:
Targeteer Fighter gives you proficiency in a number of Exotic ranged weapons of your choosing at first level. You'll need to choose Hand Crossbow and Great Crossbow for this build. Choose Arrow Swarm as your Targeteer Ability. If Dragon Magazine material is not available, then you can just take a level or two of Fighter (or just any class and use up your normal feats) and choose the Exotic Weapon Proficiency feats for those two crossbows instead. A slightly loose interpretation of the Aptitude magic weapon enhancement ability and the feat Hand Crossbow Focus leads to a situation when combined with a Great Crossbow where you can get iterative attacks in a round with the Great Crossbow (through free action reloading as if it were a Hand Crossbow). Strongarm Bracers ups this interesting situation by making you able to wield a Large size Great Crossbow, basically a ballista (with 3d8 damage instead of the normal ballista damage of 3d6).

[Particle_Man]

A steady stream of followers who ready actions to give you loaded crossbows whenever you fire a bolt? :smallsmile:

[Saintheart]

As usual, there's a spell for that: Ghostly Reload, RoTD. Max 10 times reload at CL 10.

[Martin Greywolf]

A steady stream of followers who ready actions to give you loaded crossbows whenever you fire a bolt? :smallsmile:

I mean, this is exactly how crossbows functioned historically. The tend to work best in areas where your maximum possible amount of shooters is limited and you can take cover, like defending a castle. Apply this to Tucker's kobolds for maximum fun.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Battle_of_Crecy_%28crossbowmen%29.jpg?159869676970 3
They would usually be in cover behind a pavaise, Crecy specifically saw that not happen for dumb reasons, hence the arrows sticking out of them

[Kitsuneymg]

For pathfinder, rapid reload makes light crossbows a free action and heavy crossbows a move action. Crossbow mastery makes heavy crossbows free.

If using 3pp, Spheres of Might has an equipment talent (expert reload) that is identical to rapid reload. There’s the tech sphere speed lever too, which can make a heavy crossbow free. It can make rifles free.

There’s also the sniper sphere and a combination of piercing shot, bouncing shot, and snipe shot that the creator said wasn’t RAW, but he endorses working together. In that case, a full round action can grant a number of “iterative like” attacks at -6 per attack and it stops if you miss.

[Darg]

Hand crossbow: Hand Crossbow Focus, Rapid Reload, Quick-loading enhancement

Light crossbow: Rapid Reload, Quick-loading enhancement

Heavy Crossbow: buy or craft a Self-loading Heavy Crossbow from A&EG which explicitly stacks with the Rapid Reload feat for full attacks.

[Biggus]

There's the epic feat Instant Reload. Obviously it's not officially available until level 21, but if your DM's reasonably flexible it might be worth asking if you can take it as an nonepic feat (it certainly wouldn't break the game if you did).

[Zanos]

You can use a repeating crossbow if you're willing to blow an exotic weapon proficiency. Like usual I think they're might be a magic item that gives you that.

An unseen servant can reload a crossbow, but you might need more than one depending on desired fire rate.