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Hello

I equiped my fighters with bow and arrows, readied them but when in fight i can't shoot it. In "Aim" menu there is no "Target" option and thus i cannot fire an arrow. How to use a bow in this game?
Hmmm...I can think of a few reasons why you may unable to Target:
a) You're in melee range (i.e. adjacent) of an enemy. Ranged weapons cannot be used if you are in melee range of any enemy.
b) Something in the environment is blocking your line of sight (los). Make sure you have a clear shot.
c) You're out of range. Each ranged weapon has a particular range (different for each weapon). This is further divided into short, medium, and long range, with a -2 to hit at medium and a -5 to hit at long. You can't use a ranged weapon beyond long range at all.
d) Finally (of factors I can think of), make sure both your launcher (e.g. a bow) and appropriate ammo (e.g. arrows) are readied on your item screen. It will say "Yes" next to the item if it is readied. (Thrown weapons, e.g. darts, don't have a launcher, of course.)

I just finished Pool of Radiance again, making heavy use of bows. Almost all players will agree that they are quite useful in gold box. (Tip for POR: Once you can afford it, get all your fighters fine composite long bows, for sale at silver shops in the Civilized Area. This adds your strength modifier to damage, which ordinary bows don't do, making them the best ranged weapons in the game. Note that this type of bow does not exist in any other gold box game.)
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ArthurWalden: (Tip for POR: Once you can afford it, get all your fighters fine composite long bows, for sale at silver shops in the Civilized Area. This adds your strength modifier to damage, which ordinary bows don't do, making them the best ranged weapons in the game. Note that this type of bow does not exist in any other gold box game.)
What if the modifier is negative? Would it then make more sense not to use the composite long bows in this situation?
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ArthurWalden: Hmmm...I can think of a few reasons why you may unable to Target:
a) You're in melee range (i.e. adjacent) of an enemy. Ranged weapons cannot be used if you are in melee range of any enemy.
b) Something in the environment is blocking your line of sight (los). Make sure you have a clear shot.
c) You're out of range. Each ranged weapon has a particular range (different for each weapon). This is further divided into short, medium, and long range, with a -2 to hit at medium and a -5 to hit at long. You can't use a ranged weapon beyond long range at all.
d) Finally (of factors I can think of), make sure both your launcher (e.g. a bow) and appropriate ammo (e.g. arrows) are readied on your item screen. It will say "Yes" next to the item if it is readied. (Thrown weapons, e.g. darts, don't have a launcher, of course.)

I just finished Pool of Radiance again, making heavy use of bows. Almost all players will agree that they are quite useful in gold box. (Tip for POR: Once you can afford it, get all your fighters fine composite long bows, for sale at silver shops in the Civilized Area. This adds your strength modifier to damage, which ordinary bows don't do, making them the best ranged weapons in the game. Note that this type of bow does not exist in any other gold box game.)
Do You know what min and max range for the bow is?
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ArthurWalden: (Tip for POR: Once you can afford it, get all your fighters fine composite long bows, for sale at silver shops in the Civilized Area. This adds your strength modifier to damage, which ordinary bows don't do, making them the best ranged weapons in the game. Note that this type of bow does not exist in any other gold box game.)
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dtgreene: What if the modifier is negative? Would it then make more sense not to use the composite long bows in this situation?
Wait........what?
She means the strength modifier (see my earlier post). I don't know if a negative modifier would be subtracted from damage here. That said, remember that many people play gold box games by maxing out their attributes and hit points. Sure, in a hypothetical sense that's "cheating," but in the context of gold box, it actually makes sense. Remember, the games were balanced with the assumption that characters would have very high stats. I always do this and I still don't find gold box a cakewalk. In particular, consider games like Pools of Darkness and The Dark Queen of Krynn.

Sorry, I don't know the range stats for a 1st ed bows, but it may be in the game manual and certainly several people have posted them online. Keep in mind there are multiple types of bow. Short bows, longbows, and composite short and long bows all have different ranges. Also, as I tried to make clear earlier, there is no minimum range for ranged weapons, except you cannot be adjacent to any enemy. (I guess that's the minimum range.)