Crossbows

The crossbow is Geralt's third weapon, carried in its own slot beside the two swords. It is less a damage dealer than a tool: it brings flying monsters down to sword height, and it is the only weapon that works underwater. The Witcher 3 has 11 of them.

Combat

Pros

A bolt to a flying monster knocks it out of the air, which turns a griffin or a wyvern into a fight on the ground.
Underwater it is the only weapon Geralt can use.
It works from horseback, alongside the sword.
Shooting costs no stamina, and aiming by hand slows time while you line the shot up.
The basic bolt never runs out. Special bolts add bleeding, fire or armour piercing.

Cons

Runestones and runewords are for swords; a crossbow stays as it was found.
One bolt type is loaded at a time.
Damage is small next to a sword until a build is made for it.

Builds

The Blood and Wine mutation Cat Eyes is what turns the crossbow into a weapon: a large boost to crossbow damage, +50% critical chance with it, and bolts that pierce and stun or knock down. It sits on the green and red side of the mutation tree, so it suits a combat build with an alchemy slant.

Two witcher schools make one. The Feline crossbow adds critical chance and armour piercing, the Ursine crossbow critical chance and critical damage. Both stay at their basic tier, and set bonuses count only armour and swords.

Remastered rebuilt the skill trees and reset every point; the crossbow skills are among those to check in the new tree before planning around them.

Best Crossbows

Build	Weapon	Key Figure
Hardest hitter	Geralt of Rivia's crossbow	+300% attack power, 13-17 damage
Witcher gear	Feline crossbow	+225% attack power, +10 armour piercing
Critical hits	Ursine crossbow	+5% critical chance
Early game	Death From Above	+145% attack power at level 13

Notes

The plain Crossbow comes in seven versions, from the Common one Geralt has in White Orchard to a level 30 Relic.
Three Toussaint crossbows from Blood and Wine share the top figures, each +300% attack power: Geralt of Rivia's crossbow, Ravix of Fourhorn's crossbow and the Magic Toussaint crossbow.

All Weapon Categories

All Crossbows

Name	Rarity	Level	Damage	Effects	Location	Region	DLC
Crossbow	Common Master Magic Relic	30	9-11	+200% Attack power +1-2% Adrenaline Point gain +1-10% Bonus experience from monsters +1-10% Bonus experience from humans and nonhumans	Quest reward Fixed loot Random loot	White Orchard Velen Novigrad Skellige	Base game
Death From Above	Relic	13	6-8	+145% Attack power +1% Adrenaline Point gain +5% Bonus experience from humans and nonhumans	Quest reward	Skellige	Base game
Elven crossbow	Master	21	7-9	+165% Attack power	Merchant	Novigrad	Base game
Feline crossbow	Witcher Gear	29	10-12	+10 Armor piercing +225% Attack power +1% Adrenaline Point gain (2% in NG+) +2% Critical hit chance +15% Bonus experience from monsters	Crafted	Novigrad	Base game
Geralt of Rivia's crossbow	Magic	31	13-17	+300% Attack power	Quest reward	Toussaint	Blood and Wine
Nilfgaardian crossbow	Master	7	5-7	+125% Attack power	Merchant	Velen	Base game
Ofieri crossbow	Master Relic	30	9-11	+200% Attack power	Fixed loot Merchant	Oxenfurt	Hearts of Stone
Ravix of Fourhorn's crossbow	Magic	31	13-17	+300% Attack power	Quest reward	Toussaint	Blood and Wine
Skellige crossbow	Master	14	6-8	+145% Attack power	Merchant	Skellige	Base game
Toussaint crossbow	Master Magic	31	13-17	+300% Attack power	Fixed loot	Toussaint	Blood and Wine
Ursine crossbow	Witcher Gear	29	10-12	+210% Attack power +1% Adrenaline Point gain (2% in NG+) +2% Critical hit damage bonus +5% Critical hit chance +15% Bonus experience from monsters	Crafted	Skellige	Base game