At 3rd level a gunslinger gets Pistol-Whip, it costs you grit but it allows you to attack in melee, leter on you can reduce the grit expenditure to 0 thanks to the feat signature deed.
That said, if you want to really be effective in melee with a Gunslinger your best bet is probably to get Weapon Finesse and then Slashing Grace (so you'll also need weapon focus in your melee weapon to qualify). That way you'll be able to add dex to hit and dmg. Just remember you won't be GREAT at melee but just adequate.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Repeating crossbow is probably not worth it really. Too many of the feats you need will require rapid reload anyway, so you might as well go light crossbow.
I've tried to build optimal bolt aces (and I'm playing one at 14th level in a pbp) and to be honest, past 5th level you might as well switch to fighter or something else which can boost damage and other performance since you get very little past that point.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Three words. Catch Off Guard.
You can rifle whip without spending grit (while your GM might reduce the damage to d6 when doing so... that's not that big a deal) by spending a swift action to shift your grip.
Also Durable Crossbow bolts (from the alchemy manual) can be drawn as a free action, deal damage as a Dagger, can be finessed, and allows you to threaten... before you load and fire them that is.
Repeating crossbow is probably not worth it really. Too many of the feats you need will require rapid reload anyway, so you might as well go light crossbow.
I've tried to build optimal bolt aces (and I'm playing one at 14th level in a pbp) and to be honest, past 5th level you might as well switch to fighter or something else which can boost damage and other performance since you get very little past that point.
Agreed on the light crossbow. I really wish the repeaters had some sort of help but as it stands if you're intent enough on crossbows you can replicate the advantages with other feats.
As far as when things get up close and personal? I'd suggest getting a decent onehander, like a warhammer or longsword. Good weapons, can twohand them if you're really pissed (and willing to drop your crossbow), and you're proficient in them already. And you don't have to drop the bow; I use the same trick in reverse when my raging barbarian stops axing people and pulls out chakrams to throw. Otherwise it's 5' step and shoot time.
I'd lean a little more towards making sure your shooty side is up to par. Then, later on, develop your melee a bit too.
You could pick up a Glove of Storing. It's a free action to switch out your crossbow for your scimitar. However, like Qaianna mentioned, you'll really just want to make good use of your 5-foot-steps because all of your abilities and focuses will be for the crossbow.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Take a level [or 2] of far strike monk. Wis to AC, improved unarmed strike for melee, free ranged combat feat, Quick Draw, all good saves and all thrown weapons proficiencies. It's NOT a bad deal after you've already picked up dex to damage at 5th with the bolt ace.
As to repeating crossbow... Well they're just worse in just about every way than the light crossbow. With the light you reload as a free action as long as you want. With the repeating, after 5 shots you have to take a standard action to replace the clip... So it's LESS efficient to use a weapon with a clip... Doesn't make sense but there it is. You're better off taking and selling a masterwork repeating hand crossbow and buying masterwork light crossbow and pocketing the 215 gp in cash.
make good use of your 5-foot-steps? what 5 steps? what do you mean?
Situation: you are an archer. Someone who hates archers moves up into 5' range with you and expresses his opinion via greatsword. You want either him or yourself to not be there anymore. Shooting within 5' normally provokes an attack of opportunity, though ... but you can take a quick 5' step away from the danger and shoot away!
This, however, isn't a foolproof method. There are some feats that let your new friend keep up, and even without those, eventually you'll run out of battlefield. Hence why you need to make GOOD use of them. And, of course, have that sword/axe/hammer/cestus ready in case your next 5' step takes you places you'd rather not go. Like, say, the top of a lake.
i got a bayonet, a sword, and access to a bite if i want it. why would a bayonet make a ranged weapon temporarily useless?
The original bayonets for muskets and other black powder weapons were PLUG bayonets, which get shoved into the muzzle of a gun. The examples you're trying to show are a little later in the development of guns.
I haven't really seen any real-life mention of mounting a bayonet on a crossbow, to be honest. The game does allow them ... but is pretty specific on how it works.
Bayonets are close combat weapons designed to fit into the grooves or muzzles of crossbows and firearms. They allow you to make melee attacks with these weapons but render them temporarily useless as ranged weapons. Attaching or removing a bayonet is a move action.
Honestly, for a bolt ace, there's no point in getting something as gauche as a bayonet. That's for the rabble who can only cope with simple weapons and mistake a crossbow's point-and-click interface for 'simple'.
Some good advice here; I'd like to throw in a suggestion to consider taking Snap Shot/Improves Snap Shot/Combat Reflexes to dissuade anyone from closing in on you and giving you a melee "alternative".
I suppose you could consider a 1-level dip into something like Swashbuckler, but I prefer the suggestions that have already been mentioned above.
I'll second that the Repeating Crossbow is not worth pursuing for a Bolt Ace, especially if you do end up going for Crossbow Mastery (as a note, Crossbow Mastery makes it so you no longer provoke, *also* alleviating the need for a melee weapon.)
There is a magical bayonet that does not turn off the shooting function of your crossbow and that transfers the enhancement bonus of your crossbow to the bayonet's melee attacks.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Uh... No love for Empty Quiver Style? That feat chain is exactly what the OP needs.
make good use of your 5-foot-steps? what 5 steps? what do you mean?
But there's an easier way to avoid all of these problems entirely. You're gonna want to be airborne ASAP. The Fly spell is great, Overland Flight is better, and there are tons of magic items and animals that can do the trick, too.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Repeating crossbows and bayonets are worthless, and worth less to the bolt ace than any other option. If you have to have a fancy crossbow, start with a masterwork heavy crank crossbow (Ranged Tactics Toolbox).
If you want to be able to engage in melee your best option (sans feats I've already mentioned) is a spiked gauntlet or Cestus.
But really it's all about Catch-Off-Guard imho, add weapon finesse and amateur swashbuckler (or multiclass). This will grant you at least +1 panache/grit and one of the best deeds in the game; regardless of your lack of charisma. There is also a trait that grants you a +2 trait bonus to the damage of improvised weapons (which a rifle-whip or bolt-as-dagger qualify as). With all of the above you are more than capable of delivering a hurt even when the enemy (and GM) thinks you can't.
If you can get an effective fighter level of 4 you could take the weapon specialisation and point blank master feats to not provoke when you make ranged attacks and just use your crossbow in melee. Or just never get in melee, 5ft steps and a means of flight should do that for you.
Off-hand cestus