Crossbow Use

[Widjit]

I'm looking for class archetypes that would work well with making a character that uses the crossbow as their primary weapon but who is also dual classed as an oracle. It's a concept I have in mine that I'm not sure if it will work, but I'm trying to put something together to see if it is doable anyways. :)

Thanks all!

[Nicos]

The only two archetypes that i know are the crossbowman and the (drow) canvern sniper. Both are fighter archetypes. BTW weapon master could work too.

Or ask your Gm if he let you use the gunslinger but with crossbows.

[blackbloodtroll]

A launching crossbow will allow you to be focused on splash weapons, which will be easier to hit enemies with, and will help offset your lower BAB.

[Widjit]

blackbloodtroll wrote:

A launching crossbow will allow you to be focused on splash weapons, which will be easier to hit enemies with, and will help offset your lower BAB.

I'm fairly new to the game, couple you please expand on the "launching crossbow"? I can't find it in the few books that I own.

Thanks!

[blackbloodtroll]

You can find the Launching Crossbow here.

[Widjit]

blackbloodtroll wrote:

You can find the Launching Crossbow here.

Very cool! Though, the few items that I can see that would work in it, like the tanglefoot bag, are fairly expensive. We are starting off at level one. Is this something to build to? Is there a decent way for an oracle to make items to load into this weapon?

Thanks again!

[Fredrik]

It's hard to think of ways to make a good multi-classed oracle/anything else. It's the curse, you see. Whenever you take a level in anything else, you're not making the curse lighter, and you're not progressing toward that next useful revelation that is the compensation for the curse.

That said, as a big fan of rangers, I'm contractually obligated to recommend a two-level dip so that you can take the crossbow combat style from the APG. Depending on the campaign, humanoid (human) is usually a good bet for the favored enemy, which can give +2 to weapon attack and damage (and a bunch of skill rolls) in a lot of situations.

I would say, take advantage of your preferred weapon to keep your Str down at 10 or so; and keep your Int up for the Focused Shot feat from the APG. Also, if you're only dipping in ranger, then maybe take the trapper archetype from Ultimate Magic; it adds Disable Device and trapfinding, at the expense of ranger spells that you'd never get anyway.

[blackbloodtroll]

Actually, the effects of the Curse are based off of Character Level, not Class Level.

[Oracle of Sunder]

blackbloodtroll wrote:

Actually, the effects of the Curse are based off of Character Level, not Class Level.

True, but if your character takes a level in a class other than oracle it only counts as 1/2.

so a Ranger 2/Oracle 4 has the curse of a 5th level oracle, instead of a 6th level character.

[Rasmus Wagner]

blackbloodtroll wrote:

You can find the Launching Crossbow here.

Huh. Grenadier Alchemist. Explosive Missile discovery. Launching crossbow.

Move action: Use the Grenadier ability to add acid damage. Standard action: Load and fire a fire flask imbued with bomb damage. Damage: 1d6+Int fire (+ignition +splash) +1d6+Int acid + 2d6+Int bobmb. AND it's a touch attack at any range. Not bad.

EDIT: If it works.

[Yosarian]

One good thing about the crossbow is that you can have a low strength and you don't get any penalties to damage. Friend of mine played a Kitsune bard with 5 strength who used a crossbow. Granted, the very low strength was painful in a lot of other ways (really limited her armor), but at least she could still do 1d6 damage at level 1, instead of 1d6-3 she would have done with a shortbow.