Long Bow skill
General Information
Historically longbows are bows fashioned from a single material (traditionally wood in most cultures) and stringed with any number of things. They lack significant recurve which, along with their much longer size, differentiates them from composite bows. Within Dragonrealms there are three categories of standard bow (from shortest roundtime to longest roundtime): short bow, longbow and composite bow.
Longbows would normally present a happy medium within the hierarchy of bows, offering more suitability (damage bonus from strength) than capped short bows while having a shorter load time than composite bows. However, given players' inability to fletch composite bows (as well as crossbows), longbows have become the de facto weapon of power for ranged attacks. Capped player-made longbows offer significantly higher strength suitability than any other short bow or composite bow available in-game and have balance (damage bonus from agility) nearly identical to capped player-made short bows.
Given this, many players seeking to maximize their attack power choose longbow as their ranged weapon skill. It is currently the most popular ranged weapon skill. Thankfully, many players choose longbows for roleplay reasons instead. An example of this would be a Ranger choosing to use longbow because of the Ranger guild's affinity for longbow as dictated by game lore. The famed Elven huntress Lirisa (for which the 'Hands of Lirisa' spell is named) was a longbow-using Ranger.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
- Large damage and accuracy bonuses when using the AIM verb.
- Low load times as compared to crossbows
- Highest potential attack power of all standard bow-types
- Can be fletched by players
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, use SNIPE instead of fire or shoot.
- 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. Note that this adds a 3-second roundtime penalty to the loading process. Barbarians have no penalty while using a small shield, and Rangers have no penalty while using a small shield if under the effects of See the Wind.
- Rangers have the ability to fletch hunter's bows.