Long Bow skill

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

• Large damage and accuracy bonuses when using the AIM verb.
• Low load times as compared to crossbows
• Can be fletched by players
• Highest potential attack power of all standard bow-types

Disadvantages

• Inability to use shield when aiming a bow
• Higher load time than a short bow
• Must be shoulder-worn normally. Containers which can hold longbows (belt-worn greatsword sheaths, for example) mostly constitute old invasion or beta items, and are extremely rare.

Note: Returning players or players who do not frequent the Dragonrealms billboards should note that the evasion penalty once applied to using bows was removed after the 3x agility modifier was lowered to a standard modifier. Bows no longer have an evasion penalty associated with them.

Guild-Specific Abilities

• Barbarians and Rangers have the ability to fire two arrows at once (dual load). The first arrow uses full attack power and the second arrow 70% of the user's attack power (snap shot). Requirements: 201 in the bow skill, 30 reflex and 30 agility. Barbarians must be using Eagle Dance and Rangers must have the Hands of Lirisa spell upon them. Syntax: load arrows.

• Rangers and Thieves have the ability to SNIPE targets (firing an arrow while remaining hidden). Requirements: 40th circle within the guild. Syntax: While hidden, STALK the target and then SNIPE them.

• Barbarians and Paladins have the ability to parry arrows within the range of their weapon. While this is mostly attributable to melee, players using pole arms or pole-range weapons like greatswords will be able to parry arrows at pole as well. This is a direct defense contest of bow skills vs. parry skill.

• Shield primary (Paladins) and secondary (Barbarians, Rangers, Traders) guild have the ability to load their bows while wearing an arm-worn shield by down-sizing their shields (Paladins using medium shields, secondary guilds using small shields). Note that this adds a 3-second roundtime penalty to the loading process Requirements: Wearing a smaller arm-worn shield than the maximum allowed by your guild.

• Rangers have the ability to fletch hunter's bows.