Anyone built any higher level crossbow NPCs? I'm converting some level 14 rangers who were built to use longbows before. I'm contemplating whether I like the idea of them using crossbows better in their role as snipers-- greater range, and better damage on one hit works rather well for the theme. But there aren't a lot of NPCs who use crossbows at higher levels or even ranged based characters. So I'm not entirely sure how I want to do this. The GMG suggests a Sniper creature's ranged attack bonus and damage should be high, or use moderate attack bonuses and extreme damage.
The issue is that the action economy of the crossbow and longbow are so different from each other that it is hard to know how the two divide there. There's a a couple of relevant sample statblocks I've pulled from Age of Ashes, though.
CREATURE 11×
RARE
NE
MEDIUM
ELF
HUMAN
HUMANOID
Recall Knowledge (humanoid) Society DC 33
Perception +23; Low-Light Vision
Languages Common, Elven
Skills Acrobatics +22, Athletics +19, Stealth +23, Thievery +21
Str +4, Dex +5, Con +3, Int +1, Wis +4, Cha +0
Items +1 striking composite longbow (40 arrows), keys to manacles, +1 leather armor, good manacles, +1 pick
AC 32; Fort +20, Ref +22, Will +21
HP 195
Backshot Trigger A creature the sniper can see misses it with a ranged weapon Strike. Effect The sniper attempts a ranged Strike against the triggering creature with a –2 penalty.
Speed 30 feet; swiftness
Melee pick +22 (fatal d10, magical), Damage 1d6+10 piercing
Ranged composite longbow +23 (deadly 1d10, magical, range increment 100 feet, reload 0, volley 30 feet), Damage 2d8+8 piercing
Rain of Arrows The sniper fires one arrow at each creature they choose within a 15-foot burst. The center of the burst must be within 100 feet of the sniper, but can’t be within 30 feet. The sniper makes each attack roll separately. All attacks count toward the sniper’s multiple attack penalty, but the penalty increases only after all the attacks are made. (No real spoilers beyond a couple statblocks.)
Swiftness The sniper’s movement doesn’t trigger reactions..
CREATURE 13×
RARE
LE
MEDIUM
DUERGAR
DWARF
HUMANOID
Recall Knowledge (humanoid) Society DC 36
Perception +26; Darkvision
Languages Common, Dwarven, Undercommon
Skills Acrobatics +25, Athletics +23, Intimidation +22, Society +21, Stealth +27, Survival +26
Str +4, Dex +8, Con +3, Int +2, Wis +5, Cha +3
Items +2 striking composite longbow (100 arrows), +1 striking hatchet (2), key to the Temple of All Gods, +1 resilient studded leather
AC 35; Fort +21, Ref +28, Will +23; +2 status to all saves vs. magic
HP 240
Improved Evasion When a duergar slave lord rolls a success on a Reflex save, they get a critical success instead. When they roll a critical failure on a Reflex save, they get a failure instead. Finally, when they fail a Reflex save against a damaging effect, they take half damage.
Light Blindness
Speed 25 feet
Melee hatchet +28 (agile, finesse, magical, versatile S), Damage 2d6+10 slashing
Ranged composite longbow +29 (deadly 1d10, magical, propulsive, range increment 100 feet, reload 0, volley 30 feet), Damage 2d8+8 piercing
Occult Innate Spells DC 33; 2nd enlarge (self only), invisibility (self only)
Hunt Prey
Hunter’s Flurry Frequency once per round; Effect The slave lord makes two bow Strikes or two melee Strikes, each using a different weapon. These Strikes must target the slave lord’s prey. If both Strikes hit, combine their damage for the purpose of resistances and weaknesses.
The first sniper has below low damage and accuracy between high and moderate. But they also have some really absurd action economy boosters between Backshot, Rain of Arrows, and swiftness.
The second sniper has abilities pretty similar to a PC Ranger. She lacks some pretty key things, like Juggernaut or Quick Draw to facilitate switch hitting, and her damage is a smidge lower than a greater striking longbow with elemental runes, falling just under moderate NPC ratings. But she has that extreme accuracy bonus. (She's also the only NPC I've found with Evasion or its ilk, which is quite nasty to blasters with her Extreme reflex.)
So I have two options. One is I could slap an elite adjustment on that second sniper to reach my desired level, reflavor her as a hobgoblin, and call it a day. The second option is to try and build her using this or a hobgoblin archer as a starting point and the duergar sniper numbers as a reference point, give her feats like Running Reload and Skirmish Strike, and up her damage to compensate for trading the longbow for the crossbow. Not sure if I want to just take her damage to High or Extreme damage. 3d10+18 is just about exactly what a crossbow ranger of that level would deal though, so pairing that with extreme accuracy feels pretty potent without going to extreme damage too.
Still going back and forth a little on this. Hopefully the numbers comparison is useful to someone else as well.
I would give it diferente flavors of ammunition, like explosive ones and penetrating, so even if you shoot less your attacks have more oomph.
I would give it diferente flavors of ammunition, like explosive ones and penetrating, so even if you shoot less your attacks have more oomph.
Good thinking. I'm recalling now that they were supposed to have some poisoned arrows as well.
