Dungeon Siege II - Ranged Combat

Fantasy game art from Dungeon Siege II. Ranged combat became much more interesting in Dungeon Siege II not just with the introduction of throwing knives and chakrams, but with the introduction of the passive skill and active skill (powers) structure. Combined with spectacular visual effects, choosing a warrior no longer meant watching monotonous-looking combat. Odd effects occasionally occur because of scripting: For example, if a target moves while an arrow lauched by a Power is already in flight, the arrow's trajectory will adjust so that it will still hit the target.

Ranged Combat Skills

• Critical Shot: Skilled adventurers practice a form of battle meditation, focusing their mind and allowing them to occasionally strike vulnerable areas, dealing twice-normal damage with any ranged weapon.
• Dodge: Dryad hunters look with some amusement upon all the armor warriors wear to survive an attack. They feel it's best to simply move out of the way.
• Biting Arrow: When a student of archery chooses to master the bow and crossbow, his battle meditation takes on a new purpose. His arrows seem propelled by unseen winds and strike with thunderous force.
• Quick Draw: A Dryad hunter's training is considered complete only when she can accurately throw three daggers in the space of a single breath.
• Far Shot: It is said that the archers of the Elven town of Haelea can put an arrow through the eye of a foe that is barely visible on the horizon. Archers have traveled there for generations to learn their secrets.
• Bleed: Thrown weapon masters prefer to get close to their targets so they can aim at major veins and arteries. An accurate strike causes their target to bleed away health for several seconds after the attack.
• Survival: Since their travels take them far from home, rangers train to survive long periods in the wild. They develop a resistance to extreme weather and learn to distill certain berries and fruits into health potions.
• Shockwave: A master archer can cause damaging shockwaves when his arrows travel a certain distance. Scholars wonder if the ability is magical or not, but archers who rely on it only care that it is useful.
• Penetrate: The ranger Lyssa could shoot an arrow or throw a knife that would pass through three blocks of wood before striking its target. Her enemies feared experiencing her skill firsthand.
• Cunning Renewal: Thrown weapon masters dive into battle with reckless abandon. They all relish the rush of danger and adrenaline, but only the greatest know how to channel that rush into restoring their skills.
• Mortal Wound: There is no special secret to striking an enemy's most vulnerable point, but it requires tremendous focus, meditation, and experience. An archer who perfects it is regarded as a legend in his own time.
• Ricochet: Foes facing the Dryad chakram-master Kaara never knew whether her next attack would come directly from her hand or from a chakram bouncing off one of their own comrades.

Ranged Combat Powers

• Take Aim: Dryad archers conceal themselves to surprise their enemies, but their first shot reveals their position. They learn to focus their concentration and take careful aim, making their next shot as devastating as possible.
• Thunderous Shot: A thunderous arrow or crossbow bolt travels faster than the eye can see, punching through all enemies in its path and leaving them stunned. Azunai's archers turned many battles with this attack.
• Silence: Azunai's armies relied on Dalziel, one of the Champions of the Northern Reaches, to destroy Zaramoth's mages. Dalziel's hatred of their magic manifested as an ability to silence them temporarily, preventing them from casting spells.
• Charged Shots: Elves have a talent for magic, so it is no surprise that their rangers discovered how to charge their arrows with magic. For a short time, every enemy they hit is also struck by lightning.
• Shrapnel Blast: When this thrown weapon strikes a target, a blast shatters it into many pieces that fly in all directions. Stories of a single ranger defeating a crowd of foes are often tales of this power in action.
• Repulse: The Crimson Hunter Laethel liked to get close to his enemies, but developed this ability to survive when they got too close. Repulse knocks enemies away from the ranger and stuns them.
• Flurry: Elven adventurers learn to focus their strength into a burst of energy, temporarily allowing them to throw multiple weapons at a rapid rate; but the increase in speed comes at the cost of accuracy.