Crossbow Build


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion


So Im sick of only seeing bows being used in PF. So heres the challenge, I'd like to see a 12 level crossbow build. Assume it's a 20 point build with a dex TOTALING 18. What class, races, feats, traits (?) Would you use to build it?

Scarab Sages

Bolt Ace Gunslinger 5 or 7 / anything else x. It's not rocket science.


Actually, Crossbows make a decent candidate for Vital Strike uses. Since their bow counterparts are about speed, it might actually make sense to go for power with Crossbows.

Feats to consider: Vital Strike,and Improved
Nature Magic
Faerie's Strike
Grasping Strike
Winter's Strike

If you have a race that grants an Arcane Spell Like Ability, you can qualify for weird things like:
Arcane Strike
Riving Strike
Blooded Arcane Strike (Bloodrager only)

Also, Bracers of Falcon's Aim work just fine with Crossbows too. So you will enjoy a triple damage critical as well.

Include an incendiary bolt for a -1 on attack and you would shoot someone for 3d10+x, would need to save against being on fire, fatigued, entangled, and outlined by Faerie Fire and unable to Stealth or benefit from concealment/invisibility, and have a -2 against saves vs Spells and Spell-like Abilities.

Assuming they failed all saves and your spellcasting friend decides to chuck a Fireball/Lightning Bolt, they would make their Reflex Save at -5.


First off, you've basically killed your options with the "dex totaling 18". You'll never keep up with doing bow level damage if you're going to restrict yourself like that. Heck, even if you DO maximize your dex, you're going to be behind the ball because you can't get Manyshot.

Feats are the usual: Point-blank shot, rapid shot, rapid reload, weapon focus, weapon specialization, deadly aim.

Class: Go with Bolt Ace 5 and then you have some options for your second class.

1) Fighter (Mutation Warrior). Boost your dex to ridiculous levels with a mutagen plus you can do weapon specialization and make sure you can hit up all your feats. Weapon training will also tack a few points of damage on.
2) Paladin. The smite evil works well with ranged attacks.
3) Magus (Myrmidarch). Double-down on ranged attacks by tacking on spell damage.
4) Warpriest. Self-buff while shooting. Still get your weapon specialization, too.

Races: Any race which gets a bonus to dexterity is nice to get your extra damage from Bolt Ace. I do like Goblin because you get those awesome bonuses to sneak. That said, you can go with a race with a strength penalty without issue because your strength doesn't matter with a crossbow.


Use a minotaur double crossbow with Crossbow Mastery. It doesn't have the special exception that normal double crossbows have, so Crossbow Mastery lets you reload it as a free action, and every hit you make deals double damage (including your Dex bonus and the like).

Silver Crusade

Imbicatus wrote:
Bolt Ace Gunslinger 5 or 7 / anything else x. It's not rocket science.

Bolt Ace 5, that's all you need. Anything else and you can just jump from multiclass options.

Weapon Master fighter 3
Swashbuckler 1
Far Thrower monk 2
Cavalier 4 (then take the Horse Master feat)

Really you have plenty of ways to go.


Avoron wrote:
Use a minotaur double crossbow with Crossbow Mastery. It doesn't have the special exception that normal double crossbows have, so Crossbow Mastery lets you reload it as a free action, and every hit you make deals double damage (including your Dex bonus and the like).

That's hilarious. I would 2nd this if his Dex wasn't capped at 18, and the double-crossbow comes with an inherent -4 penatly.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

I don't think that he meant his Dex is capped at 18, just that 18 is his starting value. A hard cap of 18 would be ridiculous.

The Exchange

Hey ya, I'm goin to toss This out there for anyone still looking at this. I made this as a possible PFS Liv 11 toon (and I dumped stats due the 20 point buy for max damage)
Stats: Lv 1 bolt ace, human
Str 8
Dex 20
Con 14
Int 9
Wis 14
Cha 7

Now ya, I now how 3 stat dumps are scary but wait for it
Feats: 1: point blank, precise shot, 3 rapid reload, 4 rapid shot, 5 crossbow mastery, 7 deadly aim, 8 clustered shot, 9 critical focus, 1 improved precise shot

Now until I see different the Minotaur double cross doesn't have that stupid reload rule.
Going a full 11 lvs into bolt ace, and putting all the stat bumps into Dex and spending the big money for a +4 Dex belt, we are looking at a 26 Dex which is a +8, add in deadly aim at that Lv is a +6 for a minus 3 to attack, you should be able to have about a +2 or maybe a 3 on your wep, we are looking at roughy +17 to damage per bolt (you get off 2 shot) with boots of speed and a full attack you are getting off 5 attack (10 bolts) at about a +9 at your lowest BAB

Now if I'm doing my math right (it's even better if you can gravity bow) it's about 10D8 +170 a round if you can hit will all 5 shots at a 19-20 (you can always keen) X3 critical.
Because of clustered shot, DR only matters on the first attack (it will apply to the first 2 bolts) but you should be blowing anything in you way to dust, just make sure not to flex too hard to keep it fun for everyone else.

And that's it for my little power game rant of the day. Have fun, and be nice kiddies


jeremiah dodson 812 wrote:
So Im sick of only seeing bows being used in PF. So heres the challenge, I'd like to see a 12 level crossbow build. Assume it's a 20 point build with a dex TOTALING 18. What class, races, feats, traits (?) Would you use to build it?

Wizard 12. Also, have light crossbow.


Zenogu wrote:

Actually, Crossbows make a decent candidate for Vital Strike uses. Since their bow counterparts are about speed, it might actually make sense to go for power with Crossbows.

Feats to consider: Vital Strike,and Improved
Nature Magic
Faerie's Strike
Grasping Strike
Winter's Strike

If you have a race that grants an Arcane Spell Like Ability, you can qualify for weird things like:
Arcane Strike
Riving Strike
Blooded Arcane Strike (Bloodrager only)

Also, Bracers of Falcon's Aim work just fine with Crossbows too. So you will enjoy a triple damage critical as well.

Include an incendiary bolt for a -1 on attack and you would shoot someone for 3d10+x, would need to save against being on fire, fatigued, entangled, and outlined by Faerie Fire and unable to Stealth or benefit from concealment/invisibility, and have a -2 against saves vs Spells and Spell-like Abilities.

Assuming they failed all saves and your spellcasting friend decides to chuck a Fireball/Lightning Bolt, they would make their Reflex Save at -5.

Seconding this. The "standard ranged" style of having as many shots as possible isn't great for weapons that require reloads and don't immediately add a stat to damage. Debuffing is a good option, especially since this doesn't lock you into any one combat maneuver.

The Exchange

The Sideromancer wrote:
Zenogu wrote:

Actually, Crossbows make a decent candidate for Vital Strike uses. Since their bow counterparts are about speed, it might actually make sense to go for power with Crossbows.

Feats to consider: Vital Strike,and Improved
Nature Magic
Faerie's Strike
Grasping Strike
Winter's Strike

If you have a race that grants an Arcane Spell Like Ability, you can qualify for weird things like:
Arcane Strike
Riving Strike
Blooded Arcane Strike (Bloodrager only)

Also, Bracers of Falcon's Aim work just fine with Crossbows too. So you will enjoy a triple damage critical as well.

Include an incendiary bolt for a -1 on attack and you would shoot someone for 3d10+x, would need to save against being on fire, fatigued, entangled, and outlined by Faerie Fire and unable to Stealth or benefit from concealment/invisibility, and have a -2 against saves vs Spells and Spell-like Abilities.

Assuming they failed all saves and your spellcasting friend decides to chuck a Fireball/Lightning Bolt, they would make their Reflex Save at -5.

Seconding this. The "standard ranged" style of having as many shots as possible isn't great for weapons that require reloads and don't immediately add a stat to damage. Debuffing is a good option, especially since this doesn't lock you into any one combat maneuver.

Yes, but we are talking about a Lv 11 toon. Also at lv 5 reloading is a free action (which doesn't provoke for bolt aces), and at that level you also add Dex to damage. Also at lv 11 for a bolt ace, reloading as a free action become "not an action", you also can retrain the lv 9 feat at Lv 11 to get deed specialist to no longer take attacks of opportunity

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / General Discussion / Crossbow Build All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in General Discussion