Can someone please explain bows for me?

[cHiCkEn_HeD]

OK, can someone please tell me how this works. Say you have the longbow "Strong Arm +2" and you are firing just normal arrows, will they now strike at +3 damage? because that is what the bow gives, a +3 for damage and for THACO. BUT, if you fire +1 arrows, are you now at a +4 damage? (+3 for bow and +1 for the arrow)? And what about the creatures that need a +3 to hit them. I know that with the strong arm firing normal arrows, these creatures do not get hit, but will they now be hit firing just +1 arrows? because the math says that you are firing at a +4 rate?

One more thing, the short bow Tansheron's Bow +3. it fires 'magical arrows'. are they +1 arrows? +2? do they cause any more damage?

So as you can see, bows confuse me a little. if someone can give me some clarification, that would be AWESOME!! and if you think of anything else that would be handy to know, please tell me.

[Strahd Von Zarovich]

I hope you understand abit ad&d rules: for argument sake lest say you Thaco is 8

If you got a +2 bow that deals out two extra points of damage and you have normal arrow you cannot hit creatures that need a +2 to hit why?

beacause the bow +2 is in the thaco (the aiming if you will) and the extra damage is in the bow's dessing but what hits the monster is a plian run of the milld wooden arrow so no dammage to a vampire lest say.

so if your thaco is 8 with the bow it becomes 6.

If you take the +2 bow with a +1 arrow you get a +3 to your aim the Thaco (The bow and arrow are so well dessing) your thaco of 8 now is a 5 and the arrow is a +1 so when it hits it hit creatures that can be hit with a +1 (or less)

that bow thasheron is +3 but it makes it's own arrows wich are also +3 so you get a thaco of 8 is a 5 with that bow but the arrows are +3 so now you can hit +3 creasures say bye bye vampires.

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I am the lord of Ravenloft foolish bohdi... Come my little vampire thing you will obey me!

[Strahd Von Zarovich]

I hope you understand abit ad&d rules: for argument sake lest say you Thaco is 8

If you got a +2 bow that deals out two extra points of damage and you have normal arrow you cannot hit creatures that need a +2 to hit why?

beacause the bow +2 is in the thaco (the aiming if you will) and the extra damage is in the bow's dessing but what hits the monster is a plian run of the milld wooden arrow so no dammage to a vampire lest say.

so if your thaco is 8 with the bow it becomes 6.

If you take the +2 bow with a +1 arrow you get a +3 to your aim the Thaco (The bow and arrow are so well dessing) your thaco of 8 now is a 5 and the arrow is a +1 so when it hits it hit creatures that can be hit with a +1 (or less)

that bow thasheron is +3 but it makes it's own arrows wich are also +3 so you get a thaco of 8 is a 5 with that bow but the arrows are +3 so now you can hit +3 creasures say bye bye vampires.

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I am the lord of Ravenloft foolish bohdi... Come my little vampire thing you will obey me!

[cHiCkEn_HeD]

Ok, cool. so, with a +2 damage and thaco bow, shooting normal arrows, a creature is hit with +2 damage because the bow gives the damage bonus, right? not the arrow? and could you hit a vampire with a +2 bow and a +1 arrow, equaling +3?

oh and does the Tansheron's Bow give any bonuses to damage then? or is it just thaco.

thanks for the help!!

No
the arrow determents Who you can hit

The bow only helps aiming

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[color=acdcfc]Rikard T'Aranaxz
Master Necromancer
Clanmaster and Mental father of the OHF

[Strahd Von Zarovich]

Not exactly : ex: Torgil the elf is fighting a Vampire

Thaco works on a 20 face dice system 1 is a failior always , 20 hits a critical hit.

A vampire let's say needs a +2 weapond to hit and has armor class of 2, Torgil has a thaco 8 with bows (The computer rolls the dice) he need (8 or higher on 20) or more to hit an armor of 0 but the vampire is an armor class of 2 so he can hit the vampire with a roll of 6 or more. ---that is with a normal bow---

But the Vampire needs a +2 weapon or more to hit, Torgil pulls out a +2 arrow but still used a normal bow. His thaco is still 8 so he still needs (6 or higher on 20) the arrow is +2 so he now needs (4 or higher on 20) the arrow will hit the vampire causing dammage accordingly.

Now if Torgil fight with a shiny +2 bow, his thaco is still 8 to hit the vampire with an armor class of 2 still requires (6 or more on 20) then you add the bow's bonnus thaco (4 or more on 20 to hit). If he fires a wooden arrow that arrow will hit the vampire but ---the arrow is not magical--- so the vampire get no dammage. But if he was shooting a goblin(wich can be hit woth normal weaponds)the wooden arrow would deal a bonus dammage of 2 points beacause of the bow.

If you compine a +2 bow with a +2 arrow you get a bonnus +3 on the thaco so to hit that vampire would require (2 or more on a 20) to hit him. ---The arrow is magical and +2--- so it will hit the vampire and since it hitted the vampire the Bow can now add the extra 2 point of dammage.

The Bows that make there own ammo Tasheron +3 gives a square bonus so bow and arrows togetter --The arrows created by the bow--- would give a the chance to hit the vampire at(3 or more on 20) to hit, the arrows are counted as +3 so it would hit the vampire. but the bonnuses with Tasheron are not cummulative so the bow and arrows don't give a +6 but stay a +3.

It's complicated, I am a bit tired so I hope it makes sence

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I am the lord of Ravenloft foolish bohdi... Come my little vampire thing you will obey me!

[cHiCkEn_HeD]

Hey thanks Strahd! That pretty much clears it up for me! awesome! One thing tho, im assuming you mean +4 and not +3 when you said "If you compine a +2 bow with a +2 arrow you get a bonnus +3 on the thaco" right? Just making sure.

Thanks again!!!!

[Father Bronze]

Remember that you can check THACO on the Character Information screen. Make sure that the character is equipped with the weapon. Look at the Inventory screen and see that the weapon is boxed in green. Then, switch back to the Information screen and you can check your character's THACO with that weapon. Buy doing this you can switch arrows and check the difference with each.

As noted earlier, this won't determine if you can hit monsters requiring +? weapons to hit. If you "hit" the monster with the wrong type of weapon, I'm sure you've gotten the message "weapon ineffective."

[Artemis]

I have a question to add: you DEX gives you an additional modifier on your THACO, right? in melee weapons, your strength is what gives you the modifier on the THACO but on missile weapons it is your DEX. Correct? OK, what about damage bonus from strength using missile weapons? if i'm correct, in BG1 you got the strength damage bonus while using missile weapons, but in BG2 i'm not so sure. can someone please clear this up? thanks much!

[Dimension X]

Yeah...

Dex affects the THAC0, hence, it affects how well you'll hit something with a bow too.

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A Drawn Sword;
A Trickle Of Blood;
The Tempest Is Brewing.
Nemesis....