Weapons for an Archer

Khyron

So, I am considering an Archer for my next char.. but i've never really explored the ranged weapons too much, but i do know that i hate the Gesen.. the projectile speed and low damage per hit is not something i can live with.
Tuigan is boring.

That leaves me with the obvious choice of the Firetooth crossbow.. are there any other alternatives?
Are there ammunition types (and plenty enough) that makes longbows viable?

I was thinking that even if i get stuck with firetooth, i'll still grab a longbow for alternative elements on the arrows
But I don't wanna use one and the same weapon immediately after leaving Chateu Irenicus and for the remainder of the game.

Enuhal

Hey. You might want to take a look at this thread: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/63666/a-comparison-of-ranged-attackers-in-bg2/p1

sarevok57

there is also strong arm from ribald in the adventurer's mart, which is the most damaging longbow in the game at +3 to damage, the only caveat is you will need 19 STR to use it

Balrog99

sarevok57 said:

there is also strong arm from ribald in the adventurer's mart, which is the most damaging longbow in the game at +3 to damage, the only caveat is you will need 19 STR to use it

19 strength is easily achievable if you play BGEE first.

The whole 'oh woe is me there aren't any +4 arrows' thing always amazes me. An archer can dual-wield Foebane and the Axe of the Unyielding for the few fights in ToB that arrows aren't useful. Upgraded Mace of Disruption is easily used for the demi-lichs as well. Tuigan is useful for rapid-fire of special arrows but other than that, I find longbows more interesting.

Lammas

Doesn't Tuigan still cause it's electrical damage on top of any arrows you are using even though the base damage no longer gets applied on arrows? If you load it with arrows you get rid of the slow bolts of glory it regularly shoots. I thought it still does that.

Also from what I've read slings are one of the most effective things you can throw on an archer at endgame. Lower pips but STR damage bonus and still enjoys all the archer passive bonuses as well.

I'll ask a question of my own here: what arrows, bolts and bullets do you guys prefer in TOB. I've never taken an archer through that but I'm considering it. Just endless quiver +2 or do you stack up on +3 arrows or what. I've never really considered this.

Chronicler

Lammas said:

Doesn't Tuigan still cause it's electrical damage on top of any arrows you are using even though the base damage no longer gets applied on arrows? If you load it with arrows you get rid of the slow bolts of glory it regularly shoots. I thought it still does that.

Tuigan is the bow that has a base 3 attacks per round. It has no other special qualities.

You're thinking of the Gessen Bow. I think it does the electrical damage from the bow, but not the arrow damage. It used to be that if you loaded arrows into a weapon with its own ammunition, you'd get the damage from both ammunitions, boosting your damage to absurd proportions, but not anymore.

Grond0

It's still possible to stack bonuses from launcher and ammunition - that works whether the launcher requires ammunition or, like Gesen, has its own projectile in the absence of equipping other missiles. A high-level archer will hit any enemy easily, but stacking bonuses (like +4 bullets in the +5 sling) is a great way for some other character types to improve their ranged capabilities.

Danacm

Or use this mod: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/58374/enchant-the-missile-launchers-ranged-weapon-tweak#latest

It uses the bow enchantment as in pnp not the arrow one.

Khyron

I guess it boils down to using firetooth or Strong arm then.. possibly tuigan.

I'm not concerned about reaching top damage, just have some fun.. and mods is not an option, i am done playing modded bg.. and slings are not an option either.

gorgonzola

in not EE not all the weapons with their own projectile stacked weapon and ammo damage, gesen did but tansheron did not.
i don't know why slings are not an option, are really strong and get the STR bonus and insane thac0 if used with enchanted bullets, having the same apr of Xbows, but is your choice, personally i love them and use them often. and you can use a sling while welding a shield, possibly the shield of reflection, that make you immune to ranged weapons as the enemy archers end in killing themselves while your archer kills the mlee enemies after drawing the attention of the ranged ones with a correct positioning. at tob level, with str enhancer, good bullets and gww a sling user can take down fast most of the enemies but the couple of optional ones that need +5 weapons and that usually no one fight.

yep i

love

slings

as you are going vanilla i guess that every weapon type is good enough, take the one that appeals you more RP wise.