This article will provide a comprehensive look at the Crossbow Expert feat, delving into its mechanics, its synergy with other abilities, and a mathematical comparison to its legendary counterparts.

The Crossbow Expert Feat: An Overview

The Crossbow Expert feat is designed to transform a character’s use of crossbows from a slow, deliberate process into a fluid, rapid-fire assault.¹ As described in the Player’s Handbook, it grants three distinct benefits:

1. Ignore Loading Property: You ignore the loading property of crossbows with which you are proficient.² This is the cornerstone of the feat. The Loading property normally limits a character to a single attack per action, regardless of how many attacks their features (like the Fighter’s Extra Attack) grant them.³ Crossbow Expert bypasses this limitation, allowing a character to make multiple attacks with a crossbow per turn.⁴

2. Ranged Attacks in Melee: Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls.⁵ This is a massive defensive and offensive boost. A ranged attacker, who is typically vulnerable up close, can now continue to fire at point-blank range without penalty.⁶ This is particularly useful for ranged builds that might get caught in melee or for a character who wants to use a hand crossbow as a backup weapon.

3. Bonus Action Attack: When you use the Attack action and attack with a one-handed weapon, you can use a bonus action to attack with a hand crossbow you are holding.⁷ This is the primary damage-boosting component of the feat, especially when paired with a hand crossbow. It grants a consistent bonus action attack, a rare and valuable commodity in D&D 5e.⁸

While the first two benefits apply to all crossbows, the third specifically targets the hand crossbow, making it the weapon of choice for most characters who take this feat.⁹

Synergy with Sharpshooter

The true power of Crossbow Expert is unlocked when it’s combined with the Sharpshooter feat.¹⁰ While Crossbow Expert provides a reliable bonus action attack, Sharpshooter provides a significant damage buff.¹¹

The Sharpshooter feat has three parts, but the most relevant for this synergy is the ability to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll to gain a +10 bonus to the damage roll.¹²

When a character has both Crossbow Expert and Sharpshooter, they can make a number of attacks (equal to their Extra Attacks plus one from CBE) and apply the +10 damage bonus from Sharpshooter to each one of them. This combination creates a rapid-fire ranged combatant capable of dishing out devastating amounts of damage.

Mathematical Comparison: Crossbow Expert vs. Other Weapon Feats

To understand the true value of Crossbow Expert, let’s compare a hypothetical level 5 Fighter’s damage output using different feat combinations. We will assume the character has a Dexterity score of 18 (+4 modifier) or a Strength score of 18 (+4 modifier), a proficiency bonus of +3, and the Archery or Great Weapon Fighting Style. We’ll use a standard AC of 15 for a level-appropriate enemy.

The formula for Expected Damage Per Round (E DPR) is:

$EDPR=\text{Probability to Hit}\times (\text{Average Damage per Hit})$

We will ignore critical hits for simplicity, as they affect all builds proportionally, and assume the character takes the -5 penalty for GWM and Sharpshooter on every attack.

Scenario 1: No Feat (Base Damage)

• Longbow: A character with a longbow (1d8 damage) and the Archery Fighting Style (+2 to hit) has a +9 to hit (+3 proficiency, +4 Dexterity, +2 Archery).

  • Probability to Hit AC 15: We need to roll a 6 or higher (15 – 9 = 6). This is a 75% chance (15/20).

  • Damage per hit: 1d8 (avg 4.5) + 4 (Dexterity) = 8.5

  • Number of attacks: 2 (Extra Attack)

  • E DPR: $0.75\times (2\times 8.5)=12.75$

• Greatsword: A character with a greatsword (2d6 damage) and the Great Weapon Fighting Style (reroll 1s and 2s, average damage increases from 7 to 8.33) has a +7 to hit (+3 proficiency, +4 Strength).

  • Probability to Hit AC 15: We need to roll an 8 or higher (15 – 7 = 8). This is a 65% chance (13/20).

  • Damage per hit: 2d6 (avg 8.33) + 4 (Strength) = 12.33

  • Number of attacks: 2 (Extra Attack)

  • E DPR: $0.65\times (2\times 12.33)=16.03$

Scenario 2: With Sharpshooter

• Longbow: The character applies the -5 penalty for Sharpshooter.¹³ Their new attack bonus is +4 (+9 – 5).

  • Probability to Hit AC 15: We need to roll an 11 or higher (15 – 4 = 11). This is a 50% chance (10/20).

  • Damage per hit: 1d8 (avg 4.5) + 4 (Dexterity) + 10 (Sharpshooter) = 18.5

  • Number of attacks: 2

  • E DPR: $0.50\times (2\times 18.5)=18.5$

• Crossbow Expert + Sharpshooter (Hand Crossbow): This character uses a hand crossbow (1d6 damage) and has both feats. The attack bonus is +4 (+9 – 5). They get a bonus action attack.¹⁴

  • Probability to Hit AC 15: 50%

  • Damage per hit: 1d6 (avg 3.5) + 4 (Dexterity) + 10 (Sharpshooter) = 17.5

  • Number of attacks: 3 (2 from Extra Attack, 1 from CBE)

  • E DPR: $0.50\times (3\times 17.5)=26.25$

Scenario 3: Great Weapon Master vs. Polearm Master

• Great Weapon Master (Greatsword): The character applies the -5 penalty.¹⁵ Their new attack bonus is +2 (+7 – 5).

  • Probability to Hit AC 15: We need to roll a 13 or higher (15 – 2 = 13). This is a 40% chance (8/20).

  • Damage per hit: 2d6 (avg 8.33) + 4 (Strength) + 10 (GWM) = 22.33

  • Number of attacks: 2

  • E DPR: $0.40\times (2\times 22.33)=17.86$

• Polearm Master + Great Weapon Master (Glaive): This character uses a glaive (1d10 damage, average 6.5) and has both feats. Their attack bonus is +2. They get a bonus action attack with a 1d4 damage die (avg 2.5).

  • Probability to Hit AC 15: 40%

  • Damage per hit (main attacks): 1d10 (avg 6.5) + 4 (Strength) + 10 (GWM) = 20.5

  • Damage per hit (bonus action): 1d4 (avg 2.5) + 4 (Strength) + 10 (GWM) = 16.5

  • Number of attacks: 3 (2 from Extra Attack, 1 from PAM bonus action)

  • E DPR: $0.40\times ((2\times 20.5)+16.5)=0.40\times (41+16.5)=23$

Analysis and Conclusion

As the mathematical breakdown shows, the combination of Crossbow Expert and Sharpshooter is a contender for the highest single-target damage output in the game. The extra bonus action attack is a significant multiplier, making up for the smaller damage die of the hand crossbow. While the Polearm Master/Great Weapon Master combination also generates a bonus action attack, the higher damage die of the greatsword or glaive is often negated by the sheer number of attacks from the hand crossbow.

This is not to say that the other feats are weak. The beauty of these feats is in their situational power and build diversity.

• Great Weapon Master is a phenomenal damage boost for any martial class wielding a heavy weapon. It is often paired with abilities that grant advantage, such as a Barbarian’s Reckless Attack, which mitigates the -5 attack penalty.

• Sharpshooter on its own is still a fantastic feat. The ability to ignore cover and long-range disadvantage is invaluable, and the -5/+10 damage trade-off is a powerful tool for any ranged character.

• Polearm Master‘s ability to make a bonus action attack and, crucially, to make an opportunity attack when a creature enters its reach, provides unparalleled battlefield control.¹⁶ This makes it a great choice for tanks and fighters who want to lock down the front line.

Ultimately, while the mathematical “king” of pure damage may be the Crossbow Expert/Sharpshooter combination, all these feats are exceptionally powerful and form the backbone of many optimized D&D 5e builds. The choice of which one to take depends on the player’s desired playstyle, class, and role within the party. Crossbow Expert is a versatile and potent feat that turns a hand crossbow into a weapon of mass destruction.