Confessions of a Great Crossbow user.

[Talon_Moonshadow]

There's been a few receont posts about Great Crossbows, and I've shared some comments about my experiance and opinions there.

But I thought I'd add a few build ideas. (well one actually)

This is not a bad weapon....and Uber ones can be gotten very cheaply.
But as the owner of a one-trick pony, I would suggest not centering a build around this weapon, or any one weapon. But make a more generic build that could also use Great Crossbows.

I suggest a Rgr.
Probably Human for the extra feat, but that is the only real reason for suggesting Human.

You need three feats to make a great Great Crossbow user.
Exotic Wep Great Crossbow (of course)
Rapid Reload
Improved Crit Ranged (which IMO any Rgr should take eventually anyway)

Rgrs get all the other important feats you might want.
Plus Rangers are defiantely not one-trick ponies.

You could then use whichever ranged wep you have in a given situation... Bow, Crossbow, Great crossbow. And be good at all of them. Plus TWF (prob not Tempest though )....and stil be a very good char IMO.

Splashing Ftr 1 or 2, could prob fit Tempest into a build as well.
Or for the really ranged enthusiest, one 0r both repeater proficencies.

Note, non-proficiency penalty is only -4 to hit. The same as Manyshot!
So you don't really need to be proficent to use them.

[Strumpoo]

Talon -

I am one of those poor suckers who built a great Xbow user as well.

I will agree it isn't a "bad" weapon. But it isn't really "good" either.. The rate of fire stinks even with Rapid shot and Rapid Reload.

Crit range increase did help, a little... Overall I would consider any Great Xbow user a "sub par" build in high level quests due to damage output.


I actually posted a couple builds I was thinking of rerolling my guy into in a different thread:



http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=165784



I was focusing specifically on the Great Xbow as a weapon though, mixed in with some UMD and diplo.

After messing with some builds I think Kensai or barb may be the way to go with these pigs. but, if you are going to go barb you had better hurry, since the only reason to would be for Crit Rage II.

I think I like the Kensai build the best, since it gives a permanent boost to damage, saves, crit confirms (and damage), and a permanant crit range increase. It also allows you to use your UMD skills to heal if you need to, unlike the barb.

[Turial]

Fighter Kensai will be the way to go with crossbow users once it is out.

[Talon_Moonshadow]

My Ftr is prob all set up to go Kensei.

He's actually pretty good at lvl 12, but that is because I have all the Uber weps and few PUGers my lvl do. I'm sure my guy's kill count will deminish rapidly as I lvl up.

Prob is he's a one-trick pony. He sucks at melee. And doesn't take getting beat on well. Also saves aren't so good....etc.

He's a master of a gimped form of combat.

My suggestions are based on the idea of making a char that can do many things well, and still use cheap great crossbows.

I've also got a Ftr14/Rgr2 Archer build. Who suffers from the same problems.
A bow and manyshot are a better weapon, but it's more difficult to get Uber bows than Uber great crossbows.
Also the crit range makes Smiting and Banishing GCs better than Bows IMO. And Punctering GCs better than bows as well I think.

[Strumpoo]

Yeah the crit range is better for the special effects. Thats about all they have going for them in the ranged combat arena.

Maybe the greensteel versions would help somewhat, since they would have some nice crit effects to take advantage of the expanded crit range, plus the extra damage.

Yeah, I think my Great Xbow user is 12 or so too. He works ok now, but that is due to his WOP Xbow. I think he would suffer in the higher level stuff since I didn't build him with enough survivability.

Gonna re-do him when I get a chance. And he will most likely be Kensai.

[tihocan]

Is there a single great xbow that is better than an equivalent repeater?

[Seelie]

My little lvl 4 human fighter is specialized for Great Crossbow ... and gearing for Kensai as well. Nice to know I wasn't thinking in a vacuum