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Originally Posted by Spaceman  In my very humble opinion, and I dont pretend to share the expertease of some of the people on this board, Kivan is the better choice for the archer of your party. This is mainly on account of the fact that you can pick him up much earlier in the game and thus mold him much more in your own image, making sure you improve him as an archer every step of the way. Also, and correct me if I'm wrong, doesnt the fact that Coran has a touch of the old thief blood in him mean that he cant use the heavy sort of bows? Because, for my archer, I would think it imperitive that he could shoot with anything, but maybe I'm wrong on that assumption. |
Regarding Kivan being readily available early on, that's a great point. Kivan is definitely worth more to the overall game of Baldur's Gate, because he can help you almost from day one, since you can go get him right away. Obtaining him at an earlier level allows for maximum Hit Point manipulation, making him MUCH better in overall combat, imho. Although, I seem to recall he comes with Bow Specialization (even if picked up asap), and since this is as high as rangers can go with a weapon, I'm not sure how he can be improved as an archer thereafter.
I think Coran (i.e. fighter/thieves) can use Long Bows, because he comes with one when you pick him up, iirc. And I think needing an 18 Strength to use a Composite Long Bow is a BGII thing. So, I *think* Coran can use any bow found in BG1. Anyone know for sure?
Again, just from the "Who's the more powerful archer?" standpoint, Coran has *slightly* better bonuses to Missile THAC0 & Damage. But if I had to pick someone for my group, and especially if I already had a thief, I'd go with Kivan. But Rhûn said it best:
It really doesn't matter which you use. Just depends on your personal taste (i.e. which character you like more) and party balance. If you need an archer who can hold his own and is more than adequate in melee, pick Kivan. If you are lacking a thief or are a fan of backstabbing, pick Coran.