I was just wondering (arguing to myself), aside from maybe flavour or style reasons, why would anyone using an arcane archer choose to use a shortbow as opposed to a long bow? They both have the same threat range and the same critical multiplier, yet longbows do more damage.

You already have to be an elf/half-elf as a prerequisite, so size limitation is out of the question. Longbows are only one lb heavier then shortbows, and that's hardly going to make a huge difference to your carry weight.

The only possible reasons I could see (aside from the ones mentioned above) would be if:

a) you just happened to find a particularly good shortbow and felt like specialising in it, or

b) you're a half-elf rogue who doesn't have weapon proficiency: martial, and as such cannot use longbows.

Is there some unwritten rule I don't know of (this is not a rhetorical question, I'm being perfectly serious)? Or maybe even a written one which I completely missed? Yes, the part is basically it. If you don't have the required profiency for a longbow and don't want to spend a feat (their properties are nearly the same as you had stated), you might aswell use a shortbow.
_________________
"We keep our Feast of Feasts, sure of our bourne,
Our aims self-same:
The Guest of Guests, friend Zarathustra, came!
The world now laughs, the grisly veil was torn,
And Light and Dark were one that wedding-morn." Some people might opt to do it for 'flavor' (just for something different). The reality is, the extra average 1 point of damage from using a longbow becomes meaningless very quickly.
_________________
This signature will self-destruct in 5 seconds... There's effectively no difference between the two. People can use whichever they feel like, or have proficiency in.

The "extra damage" from the longbow is moot, as Cin noted - it's 1 point on average and given the arcane archer's enchant arrows ability especially, won't be noticeable.
_________________
Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience. I have also found, that for some reason, the better bows in a mod are usually the longbows. Nobody seems to make awesome shortbows, but they will make good longbows, it's just one of those discrimination things
_________________
If everyone is thinking alike, then someone is failing to think. There is perfect logic on the shortbow actually, ok, an elf gets the longbow just for being an elf (which is quite good), but a half-elf doesn't, so, what are the Arcane Archer's pre-requisites? in them it's arcane spellcasting, you can reach BAB for an AA with 12 wizard or sorcerer levels, and ideally, an AA has or should have arcane casting capabilities (I think some sort of Fighter 6 / Wizard 17 / AA 17 would be understandingly good, yes I know that particalarly does gets longbow, but you're getting my point, other than that make a Sorc 19 / AA 21...) so a shortbow can get used if you don't want to spend the feat, other than that you'd be suggesting that the shortbow should dissappear, and that probably won't happen.

Shortbows were useful back on BG... they shouldn't be left behind as a useless weapon.

Edited By Thaxll'ssyllia on 06/24/06 04:09

Ummm... if you'll look at my original post, my second point wasn't just limited to Half-elf rogues. The point I was trying to get across was builds lacking the "weapon proficiency: martial" feat.

Also, there's nothing wrong with shortbows, it's just like a previous poster said you find good longbows more often then shortbows. One of my favourite bows is a shortbow (remember "Assanti" from HotU?).

Edited By Big Meph on 06/24/06 04:47

Quote: Posted 06/24/06 04:01:19 (GMT) -- Thaxll'ssyllia
other than that make a Sorc 19 / AA 21...) so a shortbow can get used if you don't want to spend the feat,

???? You still have to spend the feat. Sorcies don't get Shortbow proficiency. Or am I misunderstanding your post?
_________________
This signature will self-destruct in 5 seconds... LOL, then I guess I screwed up there... frankly I've never used shortbows in NWN... hmmmm... let me check the manual...

Ok, shortbow is martial proficiency the same as longbow, Barbarian, Fighter, Paladin and Ranger get martial proficiency, so both weapons are in; Bard, Monk, Cleric, Druid, Wizard and Sorcerer can't use shortbow or any martial. Rogue is actually the only class which gets shortbow without martial proficiency... in fact you actually get martial proficiency when becoming Arcane Archer, in theory you can select Weapon Focus Shortbow with a Rogue/Bard to qualify for AA and then take Weapon Focus Longbow after being AA (I don't know who would do that).