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Page 111: Crossbow Crackshot feat text updated to the following-
You’re exceptionally skilled with the crossbow. The first time each round that you Interact to reload a crossbow you are wielding, including Interact actions as part of your slinger’s reload and similar effects, you increase the range increment for your next Strike with that weapon by 10 feet and deal 1 additional precision damage per weapon damage die with that Strike. If your crossbow has the backstabber trait and you are attacking an off-guard target, backstabber deals 2 additional precision damage per weapon damage die instead of its normal effects.
1. It lost the language about needing to make the strike by the end of the current round. Does that mean this essentially just empowers your first strike each round (providing you're reloading the same weapon) instead of the janky rotation it had before?
2. Is the backstabber buff only applied when you reload?
3. Does the backstabber buff make the arbalest worth using over the Sukgung or Taw Launcher? (Arbalest is the only crossbow with backstabber, right?)
I'd like to bump this.
1 - Yeah it doesn't expire until you actually make a Strike, which is pretty good.
2 - I think the intent is that it only applies after a Reload. I think it would have been easier to just say "This bonus damage stacks with the damage granted by the Backstabber trait when attacking an off-guard target". to avoid confusion, but it is what it is.
3 - Arbalest is (so far) the only Backstabber crossbow, but as for better thant hose 2? No. At least not IMO. The Sukgung has 90ft more range and the advantage of letting you either use it 1-handed, or 2-handed for Fatal d12. It has d8 damage die, but I don't think adding +2 damage per die in some specific circumstances makes the Arbalest better.
The Taw Launcher is Advanced, which already puts it at a huge disadvantage compared to the Sukgung. It has less range than the Arbalest, though not by much, same hand requirements, same damage, but deadly d10 and modular b/p/s. I think it's one of those Advanced weapons that's worth a feat for sure, but with the Sukgung right there...
Oh and bulk. The Arbalest is 2 bulk, double the other two. And it isn't even the cheapest alternative.
Maybe with number crunching someone can give a definitive answer but my gut says "No, it's not better than these other options".
Here are the main factors to consider:
1) How much do you value the Sukgung's range. The Sukgung has almost double the range of the Arbalest, which is significant when it comes up. On the other than, 110 feet is large enough that the extra 90 might never be relevant.
2) How frequently can you trigger backstabber?
If you trigger the upgraded backstabber on every hit, the arbalest is flatly superior. If you can't trigger backstabber, the sukgung wins (with some math variation depending on how much you crit).
The TAW launcher generally is similar (slightly better usually) than the 'always backstab' arbalest and generally beats the sukgung (except at a few specific levels where they're even because of the weird scaling on fatal and deadly).
I think the intent is that it only applies after a Reload. I think it would have been easier to just say "This bonus damage stacks with the damage granted by the Backstabber trait when attacking an off-guard target". to avoid confusion, but it is what it is.
One thing to note is that would be a nerf, since Backstabber doesn't normally scale that fast (it's +1 and turns into +2 when you have a +3 weapon).
Sukgung has 90ft more range and the advantage of letting you either use it 1-handed
Also worth noting that fatal aim is somewhat worse than being able to wield a weapon one-handed, since you have to change grip (not release) and are restricted in what you can do with your 'free' hand while doing so.
One thing to note is that would be a nerf, since Backstabber doesn't normally scale that fast (it's +1 and turns into +2 when you have a +3 weapon).
How would it be a nerf? Unless you mean to say that the RAW is that they get upgraded Backstabber all the time and the extra +1 from the feat when they reload (for a total of +3 normally and +4 on a +3 weapon).
Which I don't think it's the case. I think the idea is it's supposed to be +2 per die if you have the feat and have reloaded, going up to +3 per die when your weapon gets +3 potency and you've reloaded. Which is what I meant with my wording "This bonus damage (1 per die) stacks with the damage granted by the Backstabber trait (1 or 2 per die) when attacking an off-guard target"
The Backstabber trait on its own isn't per die. It's a flat +1 damage that upgrades to a flat +2 damage when you have your final potency rune.
So "this stacks with the bonus damage from backstabber" would mean you'd do 2-3-4-5-6 precision damage (per tier of striking plus a bump at +3 potency).
The current version of Crossbow Crackshot improves the baseline efficiency of Backstabber to +1 per die (and essentially bakes in the extra damage from CC), which means you do 2-4-6-8 precision damage (per tier of striking).
If you did get both at the same time that would be even further better at 3-6-9-12 damage per die but I agree that's probably not the intention and not what I was referring to.
Oh man I'm so sorry, I misread Backstabber this whole time, woops.