8. Modifying Skills, Spells, and Effects
Modifying Skills and Spells:
Surge of Strength (a combat maneuver): Helps reduce firing time by temporarily increasing STR Bonus
Shadow Mastery (a combat maneuver): Reduces stalking and hiding time and adds bonuses to hiding. SM will also allow a ranger using 608 to retain some of the AS bonus when sneaking.
Multi-Fire (a combat maneuver): Allows an archer to fire two or more unaimed arrows simultaneously, at one or multiple targets. However, I suggest you avoid this maneuver except for shits and giggles, since you can fire aimed single arrows faster.
Weapon Specification (a combat maneuver): By wspecing an arrow, an archer can gain up to +10 AS.
Phoen's Strength (606): Reduces firing time by increasing STR Bonus by +10
Wizard's Strength (509): Reduces firing time by increasing STR Bonus by +15
Camouflage (608): Instant hide and +30 AS for one attack. With sufficient hiding skill, an archer can stay hidden with a constant +30 AS bonus.
Self Control (613): Adds bonuses to aiming
Sneaking (617): Adds bonuses to hiding (increased with Blessings Lore)
Presence (402): Adds a bonus to aiming
Disarm Enhancement (404): Adds a bonus to aiming
Target posture (standing, kneeling, prone, etc.) - Accuracy bonuses for more immobile postures, such as being prone.
Encumbrance - Decreases accuracy.
Level - Decreases(/increases?) accuracy.
Animal Companions (630): Animal companions (available to advanced rangers) have a Guard command that generally lets them guard the ranger for up to -25 AS/+25 DS. With ranged (and thrown) weapons, there is no AS penalty.
Ranged AS-Enhancing Spells:
Kai's Song - +10 AS boost, increasing with bard ranks
Dauntless - +10 AS boost, with other benefits
Bravery - +15 AS boost, with other benefits
Heroism - +25 AS boost, with other benefits, increasing with Blessings lore
Elemental Targetting - +25 AS, increasing with major elemental ranks
Spirit Strike - +75 AS for one shot (blue crystals contain this spell)
Zealot - +30 AS / -30 DS, modified with Religion lore
Benediction - +5 AS, increasing with cleric ranks
Symbol of the Proselyte - +5 AS, depending on cleric stats, training, and deity vs. target resolution
Intensity - +20 AS, increasing with empath ranks and level
Assume Aspect (through stat modifications) - Modifies stats depending on lore and companion type. Try Wolf (DEX) and Lion (STR), among others.
Ensorcell (through permanent item modification) - +5 (T1) to +25 (T5) AS on single shots if flare does not restore mana/health/etc.
N.B. Depending on how these spells are cast, ranks in MIU or AS may affect the bonus.
Enhancive Items:
With the release of enhancive items through the treasure system, it's become relatively easy to boost skills and stats. One is limited to a total +50 bonus to a skill and +40 bonus to a stat (+20 stat bonus). Though there are a number of ways enhancives can be useful, an archer with a low Strength bonus or, in particular, a Strength bonus only a point or three off from the next RT reduction (every +10 STR bonus) might find wearable Strength enhancives particularly useful. Dexterity bonus also adds directly to AS and increases phantom crit weighting (bonus/4).
Some of the most common enhancives for ranged weaponry are the "leather wrist guards" released at the Winterfest Caravan of 2008. They're +4 Ranged Weapons Bonus and one can wear two of them on the wrists. They cost about 2400 Bounty Points to recharge at the Adventurer's Guild.
Fusion is also an ideal way to increase one's ranged abilities.
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Originally Posted by droit
