|
Okay so I'm looking over the combat styles for the ranger and I've realized that the archery combat style grants the crossbow mastery feat (at least on pfsrd20). Now is this true or a typo? Also if someone is wanting to go crossbow is it better to go archery or crossbow to get the feats you need to run the character?
Crossbows take more feats to be viable and do less damage in the long run. The higher dice doesn't make up for the loss of +Strength damage from composite bows. Crossbows are largely used as backup weapons for characters with simple weapon proficiency.
hm.. don't know. It's not on the PRD that way, but the PRD doesn't include expanded styles from the APG, so hard to say if it was intentional.
Assuming that it's correct, my opinion is this: It really doesn't matter which way you go. There are good feats on both trees, probably you'll get most of them regardless of which tree you end up taking.
its in the prd under the APG
The only advantage I can see to crossbows is the 19-20 crit range making Improved Critical and Critical feats more viable, but that involves sinking even more feats into it.
|
|
Archery is better (at least 90% of the time)
mostly because the feats from the crossbow tree either have very low prereqs and are available soon enough anyway or are available through the archery style as well. In addition to that the archery style gives you access to some neat feats that you otherwise might have a hard time qualifying for.
Well I'm looking to build a crossbowmen either way and from the looks of it they give most of the same feats after 6th, the problem is they are just so shy on feats in comparison to those of archery and many of them are rather good. Other thing is that on the paizo page it doesn't give archery the crossbow mastery feat.
Again though the plan is to go crossbow either way, I just want to know which combat style gives me more optimal feats to do that.
|
|
it does, it's part of the feat's description, also look at point blank master
edit: my advice would be precise shot(2nd), crossbow mastery (6th), point blank master (10th)
No more provoking while full-attacking with a heavy crossbow, hardly any prereqs necessary, you probably want to pick up deadly aim though
since you don't need a STR for your damage you can go full dex with that build (which makes it more viable in low point buy games)
to get to level 6 without the need for rapid reload start off with light crossbows
Actually I was grabbing up Exotic weapon prof heavy repeater to cover my problem. That keeps me from having to worry about the reloading a lot less and keeps me in higher damage.
You still have to take Rapid Reload and Crossbow Mastery, otherwise it's a full-round action that provokes to reload the repeater after 5 shots. With full BAB iteratives and Rapid Shot, you'll go through that magazine quickly.
Also, crossbows don't qualify for Manyshot, putting another dent in the comparable strength of crossbow vs longbow.
Depends, do you visualise your character utilising a crossbow?
:) ;)
(sorry had to, I don't have any issue with rollplayers and power gamers)
In the case of dwarven thematics, I'd personally be more interested in going with firearms over a crossbow. You're losing static damage bonuses from strength anyways, might as well go for hitting touch AC. Fits perfectly well with a dwarf, too, though some of that may be a bias from being a former WoW player.
|
|
He's actually a half orc from the darklands who joined the pathfinders for fame and cash.
The other problem is that you actually don't have to worry about iterative attacks as much at the low levels unless you pick up something like rapid shot very early. As it stands I only have to reload once every 5 rounds until 6th, allowing me to move and shoot at my leisure for most of that time and can grab up Crossbow mastery at 6th as a bonus feat without worry of prereq's which gives me more room to grab up other abilities like deadly aim.
