Bows and Arrows

Mystic Adventure has a ranged weapon system that is different from any other I have seen. Players can throw certain weapons at opponents from several rooms away. Players wielding bows can throw arrows at opponents from several rooms away. This skill, in theory, should make bow type weapons desirable. This review will discuss the range of bows and arrows on the mud so the reader can make an informed decision regarding the value of bow type weapons

Bows

Bows have always taken a back seat at Mystic. The occasional builder attempts to make a decent bow but always gets beaten into submission by the Equipment gods (who happen to play warriors).

There are currently two bows in the game worth using. These are the bow of storm (level 27 from ark) if you have the practices to spend on long bow proficiency at level 27. Do not worry too much if you can not spend the practice points as that bow is no better than the normal prof "very large club". The other bow worth attention is the bow of odysseus from the Olympus town quest. This bow is best in its class at level 70 and is a great weapon well into the 90's. It is well worth the half a day it takes to complete the quest with your alt.

Regretably, there are no good bows once you outgrow the bow of odysseus. Chewwies bowcaster, once the best non-warrior weapon in the game, is now a second tier weapon. All other bows at level 100 are sad in comparison to the alternatives and the reaction of the immortal staff to requests for better bows has been hostile.

Locate object has located the following bows and crossbows on the mud. I have filled in the stats on those I know.

Short bow proficiency

Short bow proficiency is the starting proficiency for Natives and Druids. The following weapons are available in this proficiency

A small academy bow carried by The Mystic Information Clerk.(academy)
-- level 0, short bow/hit, dam+2
A bow of Rosethorn carried by the spirit of Rosethorn.(graveyard)
-- level 8, short bow/blast, magic, hit+2, dam+2, hp+5
An enchanted bow carried by a babbling pixie.(milarbor)
-- level 13, short bow/hit, mana+18, hit+2, int+1, dam+2
A crude willow bow carried by Slagfin the Bowyer. (midgaard shop)
-- level 5-15, short bow/hit, dam+2
A strange energy bow carried by The giant, purple sand worm. (eastern desert)
-- level 17, short bow/blast, magic
Iolo's bow carried by Iolo the Bard.
-- level 31, short bow/blast, dex+1

Long bow proficiency

Long bow proficiency is the next better proficiency in the bow series. It has a prerequesit of short bow. The following bows are available in the long bow proficiency

A long bow carried by a ranger.(wyvern tower)
-- level 7, long bow/pierce, MAGIC, hit+1
The Infinity Bow carried by Gwenno the Bard.
-- level 23, long bow/blast, dam+3 dex+1
Bow of the storm carried by Iguana(ark).
-- level 27, long bow/pierce, hit+4, dam+4, dex+1
A spiders bow carried by an hunter.(mega maze)
-- level 25-37, long bow/claw, mv+100, hr+10, str+1
A bow of rainbows carried by a female pegasus.(ark)
-- level 38, long bow/stab, hit+3, dam+3, str+1, hp+50
Bow of the ark carried by The Ark.(ark)
-- level 54, long bow/stab, hit+5, dam+5, str+2
An ornate bow carried by an archer.(tourny)
-- level 57, long bow/pierce, none
A Long Patrol bow carried by Basil Stag Hare (abbey)
-- level 59, long bow/stab, hit+10, dam+10, dex+4, ac-10
A longbow carried by the master archer.(tourny)
-- level 63, long bow/hit, magic, hit+6, dam+6
Archer's bow carried by An archer.(delain)
-- level 71, long bow/hit, hit+5, dam+5

Crossbow proficiency

Training crossbow costs 2 practices per point. Add the practices spent to learn short bow and long bow and you can see that crossbow proficiency weapons deserve to be decent weapons. Unfortunately, as shown below, crossbow weapons are pathetic at best.

An oak and brass crossbow carried by Slagfin the Bowyer.
-- level 5-15, crossbow/hit, hit+2, dam+1
A light crossbow carried by The Hermit.(ghost ship).
-- level 44, crossbow/bite, dex+2, dam+4
A large crossbow carried by Amazon Border Guard.
-- level 97, crossbow/hit, hit+10, dam+10, hp-200
An elaborately carved crossbow carried by Amazonian guard. (NEW 5/28/99)
-- level 93, crossbow/?, hit+13, dam+13
Bowcaster carried by Chewie
-- level 103, crossbow/hit, magic, dam+25

Other weapons that look like bows

A short bow carried by a hunter [and centaur].(wyvern tower)
-- level 7, normal/pierce.
An elven bow carried by the elven warrior.(shire)
-- level 15, hand-to-hand/whip, magic hit+2
A shortbow carried by a bumbling archer.(tourny)
-- level 50, normal/blast

A crossbow of poison carried by Mizenmast.
A huge crossbow carried by Belrak.

A bow from Kerlak carried by a lost archer of Kerlak.
A hunting bow carried by the hunter.

A long bow in The Shooting Gallery.
A short bow in The Shooting Gallery.
A crossbow in The Shooting Gallery.

A samurai's bow carried by a training bushi.

An archer bow carried by An archer.
An archer's yumi carried by a skeletal archer. (shiro)
Kyshiro's bow carried by Sensei Kyshiro Yukito, the Bowmaster.

The following bows are known to be un-available.

The Titanic Bow of Sagittarius carried by Sagittarius.(galaxy)
-- connecting area closed
A silver bow carried by Apollo.(old olympus)
-- area closed
A silver bow carried by Clive the Weapons Master.(old olympus)
-- area closed
A yumi carried by An old man.(wasteland)
-- yellow aura mob

Arrows

The damage done by an arrow depends exclusively on the type of arrow and the level of the player. The players damage roll, modifiers to the weapon or even proficiency in the weapon have no affect. Dexterity affects the maximum range you can expect to hit. A 22 dexterity character has a maximum usable range of 2 rooms whereas a 25 dexterity character can reasonably expect to hit opponents 3 rooms away.