Crossbow Marksman

The Crossbow Marksman carries a pavise shield and his trusted heavy crossbow he modified to hold magical magzines that allow for unrivaled reload speed. A few alchemical and magical tricks he picked up along the way also help him create a variety of special bolts, each with a unique Power. But not just his weapon is special, from the safety of his standing shield, he tracks individual targets to strike with incredible precision and force from afar.

The chosen path

You learn Mastery of the Heavy Crossbow and Pavise shield and receive your first magazine and the tools and knowledge to craft special bolts, together with a Pavise shield. 

Projectiles of Power

Your bolts can have a variety of effects and stronger projectiles will be unlocked at higher levels. Most bolt use the regular attack die of the crossbow, Starfire strike and Shrapnel shot use saves instead. Each bolt space requires one attack to be fired, bolts with more than one bolt space size require multiattack to be used. 

[g] Hunting Javelin

- takes up 3 bolt spaces in the magazine.

- has the push property upon hitting.

- if the target gets pushed into a wall or other immovable object by the spear it receives the restrained condition until the spear is pulled out.

- pulling out the spear requires a DC 10 + dex dex save and does 4d10 + dex piercing damage to the target. 

[g] Munition of Madness

- takes up 3 bolt spaces in the magazine.

- the target can attempt to remove the bolt by succeding a DC 8 + proficiency bonus + dex mod dex/str save at the start of its turn.

- while the target has the bolt stuck in it, it must attept to confuse, deceive or intimidate its allies without harming them and receives the charmed condition.

- If an ally of the target manages to make an Insight or perception that beats the targets passice deception, they notice the bolt and can act accordingly.

- The target will not freely inform its allies that it has been attacked and must try to stop the removal of the bolt by other people.

- the target takes 1d8 + dex poison damage every round the bolt isn't removed.

[h] Magic blocking bolt

- takes up 2 bolt spaces in the magazine.

- does 1d10 + dex lightning damage.

- while stuck, the hit creature is unable to use a spellslot.

- on their turn the target may attempt to remove the bolt by succeding a DC 10 + proficiency bonus dex/str save. If the creature fails it can attempt to remove the bolt again at the start of its next turn. Any ally can also attempt to remove the bolt.

[h] Piercing bolt

- takes up 2 bolt spaces in the magazine. 

- travels through everything but full cover or until it has hit 3 objects (creatures, half cover, ...)

- ignores piercing resistance.

- does 1d10 + dex piercing damage to whatever is in its path per tile (a large creature taking up 2x2 tiles would take damage twice).

- the attack is rolled against every creature individually.

[h] Shrapnel shot

- takes up 2 bolt spaces in the magzine.

- the attack hits in a 20 ft long cone in the direction of firing.

- instead of an attack roll, every creature in this cone must make a DC 10+ proficiency bonus dex save.

- On a failed save the attack does 4d4 + dex damage to a creature and half as much on a succes.

[m] Lobbing shot

- takes up 1 bolt space in the magazine.

- 1d6 + Dex mod bludgeoning damage.

- a small item can be attached using a item interaction. Retriving that item from the ground, a bag or a player near you is included in this. 

- if the item has an effect (like a potion) the full effect is activated on impact. If you wish the effect but no the damage to affect a creature, it is possible to hit right next to said creature.

[m] Magic breaching bolt

- takes up 1 bolt space in the magzine.

- does 1d6 + dex mod lightning damage.

- target needs to make a DC 10 + proficiency bonus + Dex con sace or loose concentration.

[m] Net shot

- takes up 1 bolt spaces in the magazine.

- The target receives the restrained condition

- At the start of their turn, the turget must succed a DC 10 + proficiency bonus dex/str save or remain restrained.

- An ally can also attempt to use and action to attempt the save.

[m] Starfire strike

- takes up 1 bolt space in the magazine.

- does 1d6 + dex fire damage to the target.

- every creature in a 5 ft radius must succed a DC 8 + proficiency bonus + dex mod dex save or be blinded until your next turn.

[t] Arrow of Annihilation

- takes up 4 bolt spaces.

- the target takes 4d12 + dex force damage

- every movable object in a 15 ft radius gets dragged towards the target and does 1d8 bludegeoning damage to the target.

- every creature but the target in the Aoe must make a DC 8 + proficiency bonus dex/str save or get pulled in too (and treated as a movable object).

Mark your target

You use your aiming scope to track a specific enemy and marks them as your primary target, but you need to remain steady and concentrated, lowering your awarness to other threats.

- You add 1d4 to all attack rolls against your primary target.

- Attack rolls against anything not your primary target has 1d4 substracted from it.

- Your movement speed is halved.

- The effect lasts for as long as you wish or until you get hit by an attack and fail a subsequent concentration save (DC is 10 or half the damage you take, whichever is higher).

- The amount of uses ist determined by your level. You regain one use per short rest and all uses per long rest.

Magical Magazine

You have two very similiar magazines, one filled with regular bolts and one with the various special projectiles you have acces to. Only one can be attached and used by the heavy crossbow at a time. Your magazine has as many “bolt spaces“ as your current level and gets refilled every long rest. Only while taking a long rest may you change the order and type of the special bolts in your magazine (i recommend using some kind of list for this). While every bolt can be loaded into the magazine as many times as you like and have „bolt spaces“ available, you are only allowed to shoot the topmost bolt in your magazine (After firing it, it gets removed from the magazine and thus the bolt below it becomes the topmost bolt). If your topmost bolt is not the one you want to shoot: On your turn you can discard as many bolts as you like from the top of your magazine without having to use an Action or bonus Action to do so. The discarded bolts are functionally useless and can’t be loaded back into the magazine or fired in any way. Using a magazine removes the "loading" trait and allows as many attacks with it as your actions allow. Switching magazines either takes an Action or a Bonus Action. Doing it as a Bonus Action allows enemies within melee range and unobstructed line of sight (any type of cover blocks this) to make an Attack of opportunity on you, as you have to lower your guard for the complicated action.

Open Options

The Magical Magazine housing your special bolts is replaced by two smaller magazines whos combined size is equal to your level, but who can only have a size difference of 0 or 1. All rules of the Magical Magazine feature still apply.

Lever Action

Two magazines of your choice may be attached to the crossbow at once and when making an attack you can freely choose which magazine to make the attack with. Switching out magazines can only be done individualy and the crossbow works as normal with only one magazine attached.

Honing your skills

Your experience has not just made you a better fighter, it has also sharpened the craft with witch you make your arsenal of bolts. Your nelearned techniques will soon come in handy in the crafting of even more powerful bolts, than those you currently wield.

Towering shield

You can place down, pick up and move the shield using a bonus action. While deployed the shield takes up a 1x1 tile and counts as a medium creature. It offers half cover protection (AC + 2) against attacks passing through it. Your attacks and those of your allies are exempt from this. The shield counts as difficult terrain. When making a dex save while directly behind the shields cover, you can add a +3 to your roll. If you pick this feature, it replaces the Action Surge feature of the fighter base class.