| Peter Heleva |
Longbow, Composite
** spoiler omitted **
From the Strength description
Damage rolls when using a melee weapon or a thrown weapon, including a sling. (Exceptions: Off-hand attacks receive only half the character's Strength bonus, while two-handed attacks receive 1–1/2 times the Strength bonus. A Strength penalty, but not a bonus, applies to attacks made with a bow that is not a composite bow.)
Huh. I'd always read the last part as a strength penalty applying to the attack ROLL but now i'm not so sure.
But unless the DM says your heirloom longbow is Keyed to a -2 ability score you're going to take a -2 penalty to shoot with it. I think you're looking at either -2 to hit or -2 to damage if not both.
I think there's a pretty good chance, since it costs a trait and presumably my kobold forebears weren't stronger than me. Also, the trait only works on that specific weapon. If I pick up a halfling's longbow I would take the nonproficiency penalties.
Imagine if I did take the sneak attack build, though - I'm so good at hitting vital areas that I get a a total of 6d6 of damage with an arrow, yet somehow I'm so weak that that score would get a -2.Note that the "strength penalty, but not a bonus" bit is under the heading for damage rolls, separate from the heading for "to hit", which applies to melee.