| Colette Brunel |
Ranged weapons seem fairly bad in this game.
Heavy crossbows are nigh-unusable at reload 2; they could serve as a one-shot backup weapon at low levels, but that damage will be outpaced without a potency rune at higher levels. A regular crossbow has only reload 1, but reloading it effectively in combat calls for futzing around with the Running Reload 4th-level class talent, and it still deals only 1d8 damage. A sling also has reload 1, but it has worse range, and an even sketchier damage output of 1d6 + half Strength modifier,
What of a longbow? It deals 1d8 + half Strength modifier damage, but has the annoying volley trait. Only archer fighters can offset the volley trait thanks to Point-Blank Shot, but even then, archer fighters are saddled with an Attack of Opportunity class feature that does nothing for them, and equally useless heavy armor and shield benefits later on. It does not help that Double Shot and Triple Shot are only marginal upgrades compared to attacking regularly.
As for shortbows, they deal a measly 1d6 + half Strength modifier damage. A rogue could feasibly make use of a shortbow, but why bother with that when Finesse Striker, a potential multiclass into fighter for Double Slice, and Gang Up all exist?
Thrown weapons add full Strength modifier, but they need 1,000 sp Returning runes at some point, and their range is low.
I am not asking for a return of 1e's Rapid Shot and Manyshot, but I am quite skeptical over ranged weapons and think they could use an upgrade.
Did I miss something about ranged weapons in this game? I do not think being able to stand still and make a third attack at a -10 penalty is supposed to be a selling point for ranged weapons. Is there some hidden quality to ranged weapons that lets them stand up to generic melee weapon swingers?
Is the idea really supposed to be that ranged-weapon-users are supposed to kite enemies and try to stay out of the fray? If so, then I am not so sure that staying away is a guarantee of safety in this system, and the decrease in raw offense and offensive options cannot be disregarded.
If anything, a fighter PC, for example, may as well take a two-handed weapon and Sudden Charge to become that menace of non-melee enemies. That is what the fighter is pushed towards due to Attack of Opportunity, after all, and something that an archer fighter can never capitalize on.