Army scythe x throwing daggers

Pblack

I'm playing a BH and part of his repertoire is effective use of ranged weapons for hit & running or lurinig enemies into traps.

I thought it would fit my character best to use throwing daggers early on and then switching to the army scythe (crossbow) since both have 2APR. But the crossbow is SO MUCH WEAKER!!

With proficiency in it I have 15 THAC0 and 4-11 damage, while the daggers have 12 THAC0 and 10-13 dmg. Is that weapon a waste? I mean, apart from inventory space, there's no reason for me to use the crossbow. Or is there?

jackjack

In addition to inventory space, encumbrance may be an issue. Enough throwing daggers on hand, and soon enough you end up not being able to carry much else. It depends on your strength score and how many people are in your party. Also, I believe bolts are much easier to find outside of shops than throwing daggers.

Toffee

Are you sure you're proficient with crossbows? That looks like a proficiency penalty of 4.

TJ_Hooker

Toffee said:

Are you sure you're proficient with crossbows? That looks like a proficiency penalty of 4.

The difference could be from lack of proficiency, but it could also be from a bug where bonuses to THAC0 from high strength are being applied to throwing weapons. Assuming he has 19+ STR (and it looks like he might if he's doing that much damage with throwing daggers), he would be getting around +3 to hit from strength, which could account for the difference.

jackjack

I'm not sure if the strength bonus is a bug, but the fact that dexterity doesn't affect the Thac0 of throwing weapons definitely is.
Edit: weapons twice? And I meant strength bonus to damage, not Thac0. And I meant throwing daggers only. Except for that, I was wrong. smh

TJ_Hooker

jackjack said:

I'm not sure if the strength bonus is a bug, but the fact that dexterity doesn't affect the Thac0 of throwing weapons weapons definitely is.

Dexterity still affects the THAC0 of all ranged weapons, and throwing weapons (except darts) do get bonuses to damage from high strength, and both of these things are working as intended (as far as I know). However I'm 99% sure that getting bonuses to hit with ranged weapons from high strength is a bug.

Edit:

Dee said:

Throwing Axes, Throwing Daggers, and Slings should all be getting a strength bonus to damage (but not THAC0).

https://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/comment/414033/#Comment_414033

jackjack

That's right. Strength bonus to damage is bugged for throwing daggers only, dexterity bonus to Thac0 works for all ranged weapons. My mistake.

abacus

The range of ammo available to xbows would be one reason to use them. But if you're hitting and running, then personally I think daggers make more sense rp wise.

The only character I ever built with xbows used to fire off two rounds with the army scythe (representing a pair of pistol bows) then wade in with a pair of blades.

ZaknafeinBaenre

great thing about the army scythe is that it shoots bolts of biting (and you can find a lot of these). So, for the various different kind of bolts (biting, lightning), I'd say it is not a waste.

Pblack

Indeed it seems like a bug. My thaco was affected by str for sure. But what makes the dagger great is not that....is its Minimum damage that is amazing.

Doing 10-13 dmg is waaaaaay better thsn doing 6-15 for example. But the bugged thaco surely made it extra awesome. Specially when hasted. I felt like coran with daggers!