Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Jacl32 07-03-06, 01:52 AM	I'm having difficulty understanding why a dex bonus is added to range attacks. It seems strength would make more sense because you would be able to pull harder and thus create more force upon release. This especially makes more sense on a crossbow because your cranking and winch or lever? I know there must be something I'm not getting about the logic of a dex bonus to ranged attacks. So my rogue has a plus 3 due to the 17 dexterity. I'm adding that to damage as well as the roll to hit on a bow or crossbow?
John Paul Stoddard 07-03-06, 02:04 AM	Can you say "Hand to Eye Coordination" Additional Damage is only allowed with Composite Short or Composite Longbows. No such luck with Crossbows.. In the olden days bows did less damage than crossbows and even light and heavy crossbows did different damage. Not now-a-days.
FeceMan 07-03-06, 02:12 AM	I'm having difficulty understanding why a dex bonus is added to range attacks. It seems strength would make more sense because you would be able to pull harder and thus create more force upon release. This especially makes more sense on a crossbow because your cranking and winch or lever? I know there must be something I'm not getting about the logic of a dex bonus to ranged attacks. So my rogue has a plus 3 due to the 17 dexterity. I'm adding that to damage as well as the roll to hit on a bow or crossbow? You don't add DEX as damage. STR does make sense for piercing armor; however, one could argue that DEX allows you to aim more precisely for weaker spots of the armor.
Azezel 07-03-06, 09:19 AM	No, no, no. A strong character may well be able to crank/draw a crossbow/bow faster, but the actual energy imparted to the projectile (a function of its weight and the velocity of its launch) remains almost constant shot after shot, no matter who laods or fires the weapon. a 110lb longbow dousn't sudenly become a 130lb longbow just because he-man is drawing it. The crtitical factor is the bowman's ability to point it in the right direction - hence, to-hit is affected by Dexterity. And FeceMan is quite correct - you do not add your DEX modifier to damage, only to your attack roll.
Escef 07-03-06, 01:09 PM	Game mechanically, using Dex for the to hit bonuses for ranged attacks is about stopping those who dominate in melee from dominating in ranged combat as well. You do not add Dex bonus to damage unless you have some sort of Feat that lets you do that (I can't think of any that do, but I'm sure they're out there). You NEVER get a damage bonus from Str with a crossbow, the winch and lever do most of the work, the "damage bonus" on a crossbow is reflected in the larger damage dice for bigger crossbows.
VrecknidjX 07-03-06, 01:15 PM	I'm having difficulty understanding why a dex bonus is added to range attacks.Aim. Of the two abilities in the D&D world, Dex is connected to one's ability to aim. No matter how strong you are, if you can't hit the target to begin with, you can't damage it. A bodybuilder who can lift 500 pounds above his head, but who cannot hold a rifle steady, isn't much of a threat with a rifle (well, unless he's clobbering you with it). Dave