I'm confused about whether composite bows or heavy crossbows are better (assuming that a character can wield either). Composite bows give a strength bonus to damage. The manual does not mention it, but I believe that crossbows and regular bows get a to-hit and damage bonus from dexterity. Am I correct? And does the to-hit bonus with crossbows depend on strength or dexterity? Is it: a) Crossbows: To-hit: DEX bonus Damage: DEX bonus Composite bows: To-hit: DEX bonus Damage: STR bonus b) Crossbows: To-hit: DEX bonus Damage: DEX bonus Composite bows: To-hit: STR bonus Damage: STR bonus c) Crossbows: To-hit: DEX bonus Damage: DEX bonus Composite bows: To-hit: No bonus Damage: STR bonus d) Something else (specify) Thanks!
And are there any other factors that differentiate the two? For e.g. do they get the same number of attacks per round? IIRC, there was a difference in BG, but in TOEE these things are not mentioned.
Judging solely from pnp, crossbows do not gain any damage bonus from dex or str. heavy crossbows take a full round action to reload. light crossbows take a move action to reload. Slings and bows are usually better than crossbows, unless you're a wizard, you grab rapid reload, or you don't care about mobility/full attack.
One reason slings and bows are better is that both allow for a strength bonus to damage. Slings all the time, and bows if they are of the composite variety. Composite bows can be bought from the cabinet maker after the spiders are cleared out at decklo grove, as well as masterwork of all bow types.
Keep in mind the strength bonus to damage from a composite bow cannot exceed the strength score it is made for, i.e. Composite longbow STR 14 allows a damage bonus of 2, a bow of STR 16 allows a bonus of 3 and a bow of STR 18 allows a bonus of 4. The only benefit I see from using a heavy crossbow instead of a standard longbow is that the heavy crossbow does a damage of 1d10 while a longbow does 1d8.
There is one more benefit I forgot to mention. If you have a severe strength penalty, a crossbow should ignore it. And I said that crossbows are good for wizards, that was because they don't get sling proficiency. A wand of magic missiles would be much more effective for them, though.
I thinks it's: Crossbows: to hit: Dex to damage: nothing (even if negative) Standard bow: to hit: Dex to damage: nothing (unless negative) Composite bow: to hit Dex to damage: Str, to maximum allowed by bow. Rate of fire is also superior with a bow. Basically, unless you are a low level wizard without proficiency and/or with a Str of 9 or less, bows are superior. If you have a strength bonus and a decent BAB, a composite bow wins every time.
We seem to be missing the greatest advantage of bows over crossbows, multiple attacks per round, whether from feats, like Many Shots, or just high levels that allow more attacks based on BAB. A mid level fighter can take out a squad of random encounter goblins before they reach you by targeting each individually with his full attack. The crossbows must be reloaded manually, and thus cannot attack more than once per round.
Does the feat Rapid Reload allow for a light crossbow to be fired more than once in a turn, assuming a BAB of 6 or higher?
I guess the only thing that hasn't been covered is sling vs bow. 18 strength composite longbows deal more or equal average damage per successful hit until you have 24 strength, and they have twice the range, which didn't let my characters fire from farther away in my testing against the emridy meadows hill giant, but did impose less of an accuracy penalty when firing from max distance. Slings are simple weapons, available to most characters, cheaper when money is an issue, and deal more average damage per successful hit at high levels of strength, which you may reach on a fighter, barbarian, or ranger at higher levels. I also understand that composite shortbows aren't available that go up to 18 strength, making slings superior for average damage per successful hit at 20 strength. There may also be an issue regarding enchanted ammunition availability. I don't know. Is it possible in ToEE to enchant your own ammunition, or are you limited to what you find? And halflings are supposed to get an accuracy boost with slings and thrown weapons, but it isn't working in my game. In pen and paper, yes, rapid reload will allow you to use full attack with a light crossbow. I haven't tested it in ToEE. Honestly, though, I think there are more effective uses of your feat, for any class that I can think of. Even for Spugnoir, who starts with precise shot anyway, I'd rather just have him craft a wand of magic missiles when he reaches level 5. Of course, if use of the crossbow is part of a role playing concept, like a medieval engineer or an assassin, or something, then, rapid reload and precise shot look good. And, this may go without saying, but make sure your target doesn't have cover from your own party members when you shoot.
Hmm. I have discovered that wands do not have 50 charges in this game, and are not more cost effective than scrolls. Disappointment. So I guess anywhere I said, wand of magic missile, I should have said, pile of scrolls of magic missile.
Wands are useful to a rogue or bard with a high enough Use Magical Device skill- I always give them any wands I find in the game (I never take the Brew Potion, Craft Wands, Craft Rods or Craft Rings feats).
Indeed! A high-level rogue with 18 str (belt) + Maxed dex + enchanted composite longbow (holy/ cold/ whatever) + ready supply of Improved Invisibility spells is pretty much my favourite thing in this game.
