What is the meaning of DEX for archers

[Xen]

Well what???

[andrewas]

Same as everyone else, AC bonus and missile THACO bonus at very high DEX levels.

[Rataxes]

Ironic that high DEX doesn't really benefit the Archer eh? He can't wear heavy armor so the AC bonus is sort of useless (average AC is really just about as crappy as bad AC when it really matters), and if there's a thing in the world that a high level Archer can't hit after lvl 15 or so, then a +3 extra THACO isn't going to change that [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Butterfingers]

I have one bone in my craw about the whole BG series.

Dex only adds to THAC0 for missle weapons, while str adds to damage and THAC0. This was somewhat balanced with composite bows... They were meant to add the str bonus to missle weapons. Imagine how wicked the archer kit would be with 21 str or so, the damage added from using a composite long bow would be sick... But the darn game is broken in this aspect.

[Cerek the Barbaric]

I have to disagree with you Butterfingers.

Strength improves damage and ThAC0 because swinging a hand-held weapon is a function of eye-hand coordination (Dex) and power (Strength).

Dex only improves ThAC0 of missile weapons because that pertains to the eye-hand coordination aspect again. The better Dex you have, the better your aim is. HOWEVER, your physical strength is basically irrelevant when it comes to shooting a bow. The tension in the bow determines the speed and impact of the arrow. Even if you are significantly stronger than someone else in real life, you aren't going to be able to increase the velocity of the arrow by any significant amount. Therefore, you would both do the same relative damage with the same bow.

However, if you both hit somebody with the same sword, you will do MUCH more damage than the other person.

As you said, composite bows offset this somewhat, but shooting a bow is as much a function of technique as it is strength.

The bottom line is that arrows and quarrels require the use of a mechanical device...and there is a limit on the maximum force these "devices" can deliver.

A good friend of mine from my PnP days explained that "modifying" a bow to allow Strength damage was more than just a function of "magical enhancement". It also required physically altering the bow itself...making it thicker and longer so it would have greater resistance. Then he said "So basically, to have a bow that granted the bonus for a Strength of 25, you would have to carry a telephone pole around with a metal cable for the bowstring".

Keep in mind that there are plenty of bows and crossbows in BGII which DO grant significant bonuses to your attack and damage rolls.

[Alson]

Originally posted by Cerek the Barbaric: Keep in mind that there are plenty of bows and crossbows in BGII which DO grant significant bonuses to your attack and damage rolls.

And if that's not enough, Throwing Axes, Throwing Daggers and Slings with magical bullets add the Stregnth bonus, too.

[Cerek the Barbaric]

Originally posted by Alson: quote: Originally posted by Cerek the Barbaric: Keep in mind that there are plenty of bows and crossbows in BGII which DO grant significant bonuses to your attack and damage rolls.

And if that's not enough, Throwing Axes, Throwing Daggers and Slings with magical bullets add the Stregnth bonus, too.[/QUOTE]EXACTLY!!! Because those are hand-thrown - ergo, the damage they do IS a function of the character's strength.

[Alson]

Originally posted by Cerek the Barbaric: quote: Originally posted by Alson: And if that's not enough, Throwing Axes, Throwing Daggers and Slings with magical bullets add the Stregnth bonus, too.

EXACTLY!!! Because those are hand-thrown - ergo, the damage they do IS a function of the character's strength.[/QUOTE]Yep.

On that note - in your opinion, should darts add strength bonus?
They are hand thrown, but they are almost wightless.
One doesn't need to be a physics genius to see that the damage that a thrown object deal is a function of both his wight and the strength of the thrower.

[Butterfingers]

Strength is very important with archery. The more resistance the bow has, the more damage the arrow does. Strength also determines aim when practicing archery. When you pull the string back, you must hold your shot for just a brief second to get a good clean shot. If you quiver, shake, or otherwise move in any way from strain, you can loose a shot. I have used bows with over 100 pounds of resistance. Those sorts of bows can drive an arrow straight through a 2x4 plank, or, right through the body of a deer. So, speaking from experience, the more strength you have, potentially, the more damage you can do with a bow.

This is why a crossbow was the great equilizer. A wench driven crossbow with over 200 or even 300 pounds of pull could easily be used by somebody with the strength of a small child, allowing most anybody to use one. (Hand pulled is another story... you need a strong foot and an even stronger back)

[Bardan the Slayer]

Butterfingers is correct. A stronger character would use a bow with significantly higher draw weight at full pull, making the arrow travel faster and hit harder.

Sadly, for simplicity reasons, a bow in BG is just a bow. Were it closer to real life, there would be a large variety of bows, useable by different strengths, that added a certain amount of strength damage.