Two questions for when I finally build my boom-headshot ranger with a crossbow.
First ... Hunt Prey lets you 'ignore the penalty for making ranged attacks within your second range increment'. Sadly, Elmer's prey is 300' away and for reasons he can't get any closer. That's the third increment for a crossbow, so does he still ignore the second increment's penalty and shoot at -2, or does he still take them both and -4?
Second ... let's say Elmer had his crossbow loaded and uses a routine of Hunt Prey, Strike, Reload. Crossbow Ace applied nicely. Next turn, and he's still shooting. Strike, reload, strike sounds like the way to go ... but would Crossbow Ace still apply as he's still hunting his prey from last turn? Or must he actually spend the action to Hunt again for its benefits?
By my reading, the latter for the first one. It says you ignore it within your second range increment, not that you reduce anything. So third increment gets full penalties.
Crossbow Ace says it applies to your "next" strike, so yeah I think it's one and done.
Crossbow ace would apply to the third action in the second round, as you re reloaded
Yep, each reload or hunt prey action "refreshes" crossbow ace's bonus damage, which means the only time it doesn't apply is if you don't hunt at the start of combat or you don't reload your crossbow (maybe someone or something else somehow reloads it for you?). So the reload in the middle of the round would buff the third action attack.
By my reading, the latter for the first one. It says you ignore it within your second range increment, not that you reduce anything. So third increment gets full penalties.
Range = "Attack rolls beyond a weapon’s range increment take a –2 penalty for each additional multiple of that increment between you and the target." Since it's specifically looking at multiples, instead of ignoring the first increment you now ignore the first and second multiple. As such, I'd read it as the 3rd increment is at a -2 [or you aren't ignoring the 2nd "additional" increment].
Crossbow Ace says it applies to your "next" strike, so yeah I think it's one and done.
"You must make the attack before the end of your next turn or these benefits are lost." It activates on Hunt Prey and Reload. So the 3rd action reload in the 1st round activates it for the 1st strike in the second round and then the 2nd action reload activates it for the 3rd action strike.
So with a reload between strikes, crossbow ace should always be active.
Yep, each reload or hunt prey action "refreshes" crossbow ace's bonus damage, which means the only time it doesn't apply is if you don't hunt at the start of combat or you don't reload your crossbow (maybe someone or something else somehow reloads it for you?). So the reload in the middle of the round would buff the third action attack.
I feel that this could be made silly. "Aha! I have reloaded your crossbow for you. You are now helpless and weak!"
...ok, this might seem silly, but you would actually be losing a lot of damage with a perfect shot build due to losing the damage dice increase.
As such, I'd read it as the 3rd increment is at a -2 [or you aren't ignoring the 2nd "additional" increment].
I feel like conceptually this makes sense. But as written it says you just ignore attacks while in your second increment. Which means whenever you're out of second increment, you just work normally so you get the full penalty for being in the third increment.
So with a reload between strikes, crossbow ace should always be active.
Yeah, could have been more clear, but I meant in regards to the question about the Hunt Prey action carrying over to additional rounds.