Bowstaff Rules

[Talune]

The spell Bowstaff states that:

Quote:

The bow that is touched takes on the rigidity and toughness of forged steel, allowing it to be used as a melee weapon. The spell allows a shortbow to be used as a club or a longbow to be used as a quarterstaff, although the bow retains its normal hit points and hardness. The bow’s enhancement bonus, if any, applies on melee attack and damage rolls. Additional weapon special weapon qualities also apply to melee attacks if such qualities can be added to a melee weapon.

My question is, to what extent is a longbow in that situation treated as a quarterstaff? To be specific, would I roll 1d8 or 1d6 for damage, and, because it is still technically a longbow, would I still get a bonus to damage for my strength penalty, or would I take a penalty do the damage? Also, does the Point Blank Shot feat still apply to the damage? (I'm assuming it doesn't but I can hope.)

I'm asking this because I am making a new character for a campaign a character of mine recently died in, and I was contemplating making a 4/2 ranger/monk that uses a longbow (with 7 strength), but when he's forced into melee, he can use bowstaff/flurry of blows(or regular attack) to still be able to deal damage. However, if this isn't viable/possible, then I'll have to think of something else.

[seebs]

A quarterstaff does 1d6 damage, and uses strength for to-hit and damage unless you have special abilities which change this. You're using it as a quarterstaff.

Point-blank shot has no effect on melee attacks.

I would really recommend against this just because a 7 strength is crippling for melee and monks are melee. Really, the synergy between monk and bow-style ranger is awful unless you're doing zen archer.

[chaoseffect]

Treat it exactly as a quarterstaff in all things; it does 1d6 x2, you use strength to hit, and add 1.5 your strength modifier to damage (or take the minuses to hit from having strength below 10). When you use it as a quarterstaff for all intents and purposes it IS a quarter staff; if any feats you have would not work on a quarterstaff (like Point Blank Shot) then they do not function.

That said, strength 7 is bad both archers and melee characters. You still want strength for extra damage with a composite bow and melee guys need strength to hit unless they are using light weapons/specially designated weapons with the feat Weapon Finesse.

As far as using Bowstaff... I wouldn't. Consider it this way: How often do you really find yourself in a situation where you couldn't just 5 foot step back and volley?