memorable randarts

[Derakon]

Also, I am working on generating a set of randarts that has a lategame kit giving at least 6 extra blows. If I can get 2 of the rings, the weapon, and the armor to do it, I'll be a happy man. And I'm pretty sure I remember generating a +blows light source one time. If/when I ever find what I'm looking for without cheating (beyond looking at artifact.spo), I'll post the savefile or something.

Good luck, but be aware that the randart generation code has gotten nerfed several times to make such things much less likely. Back in the 3.1.2 and 3.2 days extra blows, extra shots, off-weapon brands, etc. were relatively common, and were a big part of the reason why the game was so much easier back then. Nowadays the game puts a significantly bigger valuation on non-weapon enchantments that improve your melee/ranged damage.

[krazyhades]

Yup, I remember. I've gotten +4 blows many times, and I've seen another's character dump with +6. I would really prefer not to take the ultra-cheesy hand-editing route.

[AnonymousHero]

Yup, I remember. I've gotten +4 blows many times, and I've seen another's character dump with +6. I would really prefer not to take the ultra-cheesy hand-editing route.

http://angband.oook.cz/forum/showpost.php?p=89707&postcount=345

It's not that great -- I've pretty much stopped playing that priest character. I haven't found the second +2 attack speed ring, but as it turns out, chasing that "impossible" gear may not the most fun gameplay one can have. Go figure. Of course, YMMV, there are still people who play Alchemists in ToME 2.x, so... .

I may still play the character to the end, but the thing is that you actually don't need +N attacks to win, so why bother?

[MattB]

Best bow I've ever seen...

the Long Bow 'Faladroth' (x5) (+25,+20) <+2>
--------------------------------------------
+2 strength, dexterity, shooting speed, shooting power.
+10% to searching.
Slays undead.
Provides immunity to acid.
Provides resistance to lightning, cold, poison, disenchantment.
Provides protection from blindness.
Cannot be harmed by acid, electricity, fire, cold.
Slows your metabolism. Feather Falling. Speeds regeneration.

...or rather, not actually seen. Needless to say, I'm keeping randarts after the untimely demise of my Half-Troll rogue.

[krazyhades]

Clearly that +10% to to searching is what pushes it over the edge.

[AnonymousHero]

Best bow I've ever seen...

the Long Bow 'Faladroth' (x5) (+25,+20) <+2>
--------------------------------------------
+2 strength, dexterity, shooting speed, shooting power.
+10% to searching.
Slays undead.
Provides immunity to acid.
Provides resistance to lightning, cold, poison, disenchantment.
Provides protection from blindness.
Cannot be harmed by acid, electricity, fire, cold.
Slows your metabolism. Feather Falling. Speeds regeneration.

...or rather, not actually seen. Needless to say, I'm keeping randarts after the untimely demise of my Half-Troll rogue.

I think I've seen a similar Heavy Crossbow... Of course that's not quite as useful if you're playing a Ranger... unless perhaps the multiplier actually makes up for the "natural"extra shots? I haven't done the math. (Always seemed strange to me that rangers wouldn't at least gain some bonus wielding crossbows.)

[Estie]

I think I've seen a similar Heavy Crossbow... Of course that's not quite as useful if you're playing a Ranger... unless perhaps the multiplier actually makes up for the "natural"extra shots? I haven't done the math. (Always seemed strange to me that rangers wouldn't at least gain some bonus wielding crossbows.)

I have been wondering...why not make the ranger bonus apply to a race specific shooter type ?

Hobbit, Gnome: sling
Elves: bow
Half elves: both bow and xbow (ha! finally a reason to play those)
Everyone else: xbow

[krazyhades]

I for one always dislike using slings, even very nice slings that I should like better, since their ammo is simply worse than arrows/bolts.

[MattB]

I for one always dislike using slings, even very nice slings that I should like better, since their ammo is simply worse than arrows/bolts.

By that logic you should always use a crossbow over a longbow! I for one will always use a bow over Xbow/sling if I can possibly justify it and I simply don't understand why...

[MattB]

I have been wondering...why not make the ranger bonus apply to a race specific shooter type ?

Hobbit, Gnome: sling
Elves: bow
Half elves: both bow and xbow (ha! finally a reason to play those)
Everyone else: xbow

I quite like this.

[Derakon]

By that logic you should always use a crossbow over a longbow! I for one will always use a bow over Xbow/sling if I can possibly justify it and I simply don't understand why...

Ammo is a big problem for slings early on, when damage dice are a significant part of launcher damage; later on the problem with slings is their lousy x2 multiplier. Slings of Buckland fix that, so if you find one, then slings become viable late-game weapons.

The question for bows vs. crossbows is basically "Are you a Ranger?" Other classes don't really care. Crossbows and their ammo are a bit heavier than bows, and deal very slightly more damage (x4 on a Heavy Crossbow is quite nice, mind). Their ammo also breaks a bit less often. So once you get your STR up enough to stop worrying about weight limits, they're generally the superior choice...but then again, many players end up treating their launcher slot as a "stat stick" (i.e. equipping artifacts to that slot for their bonuses, not their effectiveness as weapons).

[krazyhades]

By that logic you should always use a crossbow over a longbow! I for one will always use a bow over Xbow/sling if I can possibly justify it and I simply don't understand why...

Yes, that's in fact exactly what I do, until, as Derakon points out, I need the stats or resists of a particular rarely-to-be-used shooter.

[Timo Pietilä]

I have been wondering...why not make the ranger bonus apply to a race specific shooter type ?

Hobbit, Gnome: sling

Hobbits use bows. I don't know where that hobbits and slings originate from, but it definitely is not from Tolkien.

[Estie]

Hobbits use bows. I don't know where that hobbits and slings originate from, but it definitely is not from Tolkien.

I am aware that they use bows. Everyone* does in Middle Earth (and I will throw out a guess that the author living in a country that adores the longbow for historical reasons might have something to do with this).
The hobbit-sling relationship I think stems from the passage where Tolkien describes them as quick to pick up stones and throw them with accuracy. If they are good with rocks, well, the step to giving them slings isnt a big one.

Also they are small, and Tolkien never describes how exactly their bows are supposed to look like. I find it hard to imagine a bow of 80 cm length being very effective. Maybe if it was a recurve, but that doesnt fit well with the more rustic Shire and Tolkien would surely have mentioned the fact had he envisioned the hobbits using recurves. Poisoned arrows also can be ruled out.

Anyway, with slings of the Buckland in the game, hobbits are married to slings at least in Angband.

*Edit: I should say everyone except rangers.

[Timo Pietilä]

Also they are small, and Tolkien never describes how exactly their bows are supposed to look like. I find it hard to imagine a bow of 80 cm length being very effective. Maybe if it was a recurve, but that doesnt fit well with the more rustic Shire and Tolkien would surely have mentioned the fact had he envisioned the hobbits using recurves.

He does mention them using hunting bows, maybe those were recurves? It's old enough invention to fit in Tolkien world, but Tolkien doesn't describe most of the weapons used in detail. They could have been composite for all that we know. Being "rustic" lifestyle doesn't mean that their equipment were less "modern" than rest of the middle-earth.