Completed the game with my BG1-fighter and my beloved sorceress. I thought about starting a game with 4 pre-made characters (had a topic about my monk here, too).

So here's my problem: Should my archer go for ***** in Long Bows or Crossbows? My main concern is range capability: Short bows aren't great for that purpose (says my manual). Keldorn is good at crossbows, I always thought only bows were practical.

It depends on what your other ranged characters are going to use.There are times when theres too many arrows and not enough bolts or visa versa.

*IF* you proceed to ToB, I would advice crossbow (because there's decent crossbows and bows in SoA anyway).

if you have keldorn and plan to keep him, you should go for a bow, Gesens bow is truly magnificient, short bow that is

The short bows are better in SoA, but Drizzt will make fun of your nancy-boy bow when you meet him.

would you please explain what a nancy boy bow is?

I just can't roleplay a grandmaster archer with shortbows or crossbows. It just doesn't feel right. I say to heck about which have the best weapons, longbows all the way!

I assume that a "nancy bow" is something that just about any little girl could "pull"/use. Modern bows, compound bows, have a pull tension of approximately 15-25 pounds but a corresponding throw weeight of anywhere from 55 to 105 pounds of tension due to the use of pulleys, modern fiberglass instead of wood, and better strings....

So, a nancy bow would be ne anyone could string or use, I guess, while someone like Mazzy Fentan would probably hand you her Renaissance era/style bow and then nearly die laughing as you tried to string or use it.

I think that if I were to play with an arcer or fighter, or someone who can use a longbow, I would use such for the pure reason that I tend to find magical longbows in great quantity when playing as a character who cannot use them.

I have had a few instances where the only one in my party who could actually equip a longbow is minsc, who is too busy with his dual wield ablility, sporting a mace, or perhaps an axe...

My perceptions here might be altered by the fact that I have started a few games (BG2) and quickly ended them, unsatisfied. I think I come across an Elven Court Bow in the D'Arnise Keep and wish I could equip it....

So that little bit of talk might account for why I like longbows...
You can always hand that Gesen's to Imoen or Nalia, but who is there to grab that Heartseeker?

Caliban

Shortbows have the perk of needing no ammo (Tansheron's and Gesen's bows). Crossbows.... Well, there's a +5 crossbow in SoA (you find it when killing Bhaal's guards, for the Unseeing Eye quest). And longbows.... Well, there are not as many good longbows in BG2 as there are short- and cross-bows. Funny.

[This message has been edited by Blackthorne TA (edited September 05, 2001).]

shortbow are better for example heartseeker +3.gýve ýt to mýnsc or vaygar.you wýll see the reasult

Heartseeker is a longbow.

Boosting Volygar's str with some girdles, he will be an excellent ranger.

I always use the longbows, Strong Arm and Heartseeker are good weapons. I don't use crossbows because of the lower rate of fire, and the bows' greater variation of good ammo.

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You can find the Mana bow, if you go to those horrible dark woods (Elven Forest) before you use the Rhynn lanthorn to turn it into Suldenasar or whatever its called. Its in the SW corner of the map in a cave guarded by those fish things you fight in the underdark with the corrupt tadpoles and that. Its a pretty decent +4 longbow and it looks really cool.

Heartseeker is +4 THACO, +2 damage. Mana Bow is the same in those respects.

Now Heartseeker has ability to once per day increase bow's aim to +7 for nine seconds.

And Manabow has equipped ability 20% resistance to magic damage.

Heartseeker speed factor:4
Manabow speed factor:3

Which would you prefer? I favor Manabow because an Archer will already have incredible THACO, hitting target won't be a problem, so the magic damage bonus is nice. Problem is Heartseeker is available as early as chapter 2. Manabow is chapter 6.

A choice was made. Crossbows. I liked Keldorn and the Kuo-Toan Stunning Bolts ind the Underdark!

Hmm, I am now pretty sure I will play a halfling archer in my next BG-2 game, using a "nancy bow" and a short sword .... why should the honourable profession of a ranger be restricted for the human, elf and halfelf races only ?

Crossbow? Tsk, tsk, tsk. You should know that the prime concern for any hero is massaging his gargatuan ego. Anything which does not show off a hero's fantastic skills (and inherent nobility) is a no go. The crossbow, being easier to use than the longbow, is a "cowardly peasant's" weapon. In fact, why use bows at all, that's putting yourself at an unfair advantage and removing an oppportunity to marvel at your own incredible prowess. Ignore the weapon! Destroy your opponents by spitting!

<<why use bows at all ... Destroy your opponents by spitting!>>

I bow to the master of the well-spoken and obvious main concern of all heroes!

Bolts do 1d8... arrows 1d6..

There you go - all the responses you need and more :D
http://www.sorcerers.net/ubb/Forum2/HTML/004431.html

For my role-playing:
light crossbows for thieves
heavy crossbows for paladins
shortbows for mage-like types (dualclass)
longbows for the real hardy fighters

Tuigan's short Bow is the best for the more attacks per round... Crossbows are too slow....

Thank you, Ragusa.

But Firetooth... :p